“Open Your Heart to the Holy Ghost,” Liahona, August 2019
From the First Presidency
Open Your Heart to the Holy Ghost
By President Henry B. Eyring
Second Counselor in the First Presidency
Adapted from “My Peace I Leave with You,” Liahona, May 2017, 15–18, and “His Spirit to Be with You,” Liahona, May 2018, 86–89.
When Jesus was about to leave His disciples, He told them how He would give them His peace:
“The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, … shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you. … Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14:26–27)
Feelings of the Holy Ghost are more precious than anything we can see or hear. Sometimes they feel like a soft burning in our heart. For me, it is often a feeling of light.
When you are baptized and confirmed a member of the Church, you are told in a blessing to “receive the Holy Ghost.” At that moment, you can have the Holy Ghost with you. But you still have to choose to welcome Him into your heart and mind.
I pray that you will open your heart to the Holy Ghost. I pray you will feel the joy of having Him as your companion always.
Painting What’s in His Heart
The Holy Ghost helps us remember. When President Eyring wants to remember something, he writes it down in his journal. Sometimes he also paints a picture to show how he felt.
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First, he makes a pencil sketch. Then he adds a layer of watercolor. He lets it dry and adds another layer.
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President Eyring likes painting pictures of boats and his family. This picture shows Sister Eyring in a little boat when she was eight years old.
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When one of his grandchildren was serving a mission in France, President Eyring painted missionaries walking down a street in Paris.
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This painting of his wife, Kathleen, and two of their six children reminds him of his love for his family.