Follow the Spirit

Ensign, May 2010, pg 12; “We know we are successful if we live so that we qualify for, receive, and know how to follow the Spirit.” – Julie B. Beck, “And upon the Handmaids in Those Days Will I Pour Out My Spirit”

John 14:16-18, 23; “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. 18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.  23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.”

I’m not sure what Mrs. Beck’s idea is of success and qualifying means, but scripture is very clear in the book of John when Jesus said He will come to them in the above passage. 

“Qualifying” for the Holy Spirit is purely a Mormon term and not biblical.

If we had to wait until we were “qualified” or worthy to be in God’s presence or for His Spirit to come to us we’d be orphans all our lives.  It’s tantamount to putting the veil back in place that God ripped in two at Jesus’ death giving us access to Him.

And the term she used “follow the Spirit” is interesting as well. 

Mormons don’t believe in the Trinity.  Now as Christians if we were to use this phrase it would imply we’d follow God, meaning God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit.  Jesus used this phrase several times with the disciples asking them if they were going to follow Him.

Following the Spirit is a strange thing to say since the Holy Ghost of Mormonism can only influence a person because he isn’t omnipresent.