Personal Progress

Making significant changes in our lives may seem to require superhuman effort. As we struggle, we may not understand our personal progress as we move forward step by step.

Miracle of Change

 Recently we took a man who is recovering from drug addition to lunch. Heavily addicted to methamphetamines, he had lost everything, but has now been clean and sober for over 14 years. He is working hard to come to Christ and regain his life. Now on the covenant path, he holds the Melchizedek Priesthood and has been through the temple.

His personal progress is miraculous.

While incarcerated for illegal drug abuse, he wanted to do and be better, so he began reading the Book of Mormon—aloud at the request of his cellmate, who couldn’t read. His sentence was just long enough for them to finish the entire Book of Mormon.

He read with real intent—committed to do whatever he learned. He had tried to read it before, but found it “like Chinese”; he couldn’t focus or understand what he had read. But this time he experienced “a mighty change of heart” (see Alma 5:12-14). The Holy Ghost testified to him of truth, and he wanted desperately to rid himself of the horrible binding addictions, to repent, and to come unto Christ. He would do whatever would bring that personal progress.

Response in a Restaurant

 We had a memorable lunch. As we waited for our food, two full-time missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints came in and sat down. Excited, he excused himself, rushed over to the waitress, gestured toward the missionaries, and quietly handed her some money. His smile told us what he had done, but we didn’t mention it.

As usual, we asked him how he was doing. As usual, he said he was doing fine but had some spiritual concerns. His questions that day centered on personal revelation and the Holy Ghost. We shared scriptures and doctrine about the Holy Ghost, but we sensed he was deeply concerned about something more.

We asked what was bothering him, and he tearfully replied, “I feel like I’ve never really been able to feel the Holy Ghost. Is that because of all the bad things I’ve done? I’ve confessed and left my sins behind. But I guess I’m just not worthy to feel the Holy Ghost. I will probably never have that privilege because I’m not worthy of it. Right?”

 Personal Progress Happening

We understood his distress. He didn’t realize that being worthy does NOT mean being perfect! Being worthy means trying our best to overcome our sins and allowing Christ’s Atonement to work in us. He didn’t understand that the Holy Ghost is not a dramatic proclamation, but a simple, still, small voice influencing us to be disciples of Jesus Christ—loving God and our fellow man, serving them, and going about doing good. The Holy Ghost guides, directs, and comforts (Moroni 7:12-19).

We asked him what he had just done for the missionaries.

“Oh nothing, really, I just paid for their meal. That’s the least I could do to help them spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”

“What gave you the idea to pay for their meal?”

 “I guess I just thought about it, and I wanted to do it, so I did.”

This showed his personal progress, and he needed to see it. We shared D&C 8:2-3: “I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart . . . this is the Spirit of revelation.”

            “Seriously? But that’s such a small thing.”

  “Yes and ‘by small and simple things are great things brought to pass.'”
(Alma  37:6)

Power and Gift of Christ

We love these words of Mormon:  “Everything which inviteth to do good, and to persuade [us] to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ; wherefore [w]e may know with a perfect knowledge it is of God” (Moroni 7:16).

We believe that, like our recovering friend, we are better than we think we are. When we have eyes to see and ears to hear, the Holy Ghost can guide us, direct us, and comfort us  see Michelle D. Craig). When we recognize the quiet, gentle voice of the Holy Ghost, we are making personal progress; with our deeply personal efforts, we are able to better understand God’s plan for us.

 God loves each of us so very much that He sent His son to live and die for us (see John 3:16). In our daily acts of kindness, our willingness to serve others, our need to share love, and our desire to participate in Jesus Christ’s Church, we see and experience miracles—large and small—and we lay the foundation of a great work, our lives!

Our prophet, our modern-day Noah, our Moses, is urging us, pleading with us, and exhorting us to increase our spiritual capacity to access the gift of the Holy Ghost. He invites,

The gift of the Holy Ghost helps us recognize God’s hand in our lives. It inspires us to do and be good. It purifies, teaches, directs, and guides us so that we can return home to our Heavenly parents. As we recognize the Holy Ghost in our daily life, we can draw closer to Jesus Christ, and we can feel His love reminding us to “be not weary in well-doing.”

In our personal progress, we really are doing better than we think we are.