Current Lessons
Lesson No. Forty

Instrument Flying by the Power of the Holy Ghost

I love airshows – Recently, on June 29, 2024, I spent most of the day at the bi-annual airshow at Hill AFB which featured the US Air Force demonstration team the Thunderbirds. I was reminded how impressive it is to see six high performance airplanes doing difficult maneuvers at high speed with only about three feet between wingtips. The technologies demonstrated at this airshow got me thinking about how principals of aviation apply to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The first instrument flight – On September 24, 1929, about 23 years after the Wright Brother’s first flight, army lieutenant Jimmy Doolittle made the first flight, relying completely on instruments, in a hooded cockpit. These instruments included a directional gyro, the primary component of an artificial horizon, an airspeed indicator, an altimeter, and a radio receiver. This was certainly one of the most important advancement in aviation, making aviation much safer, reliable, and available to the public. The first instrument flight covered about 5 miles, made a few turns, and touched down on the same runway he left from 15 minutes later.

The Holy Ghost is the instrument God has provided for our mortal flight to eternal life – Unlike Jimmy Doolittle’s short first instrument flight, our mortal flight plan usually covers many years, and we make many turns and often experience turbulence, and seldom do we finish where we started. Therefore, it is absolutely essential to rely on the Holy Ghost, the instrument God has provided to keep us on course to eternal life.

The power and gift of the Holy Ghost – “The Holy Ghost is manifested to men on the earth both as the power of the Holy Ghost and as the gift of the Holy Ghost. The power can come upon one before baptism and is the convincing witness that the gospel is true. By the power of the Holy Ghost a person receives a testimony of Jesus Christ and of His work and the work of His servants upon the earth. The gift can come only after proper and authorized baptism and is conferred by the laying on of hands. The gift of the Holy Ghost is the right to have, whenever one is worthy, the companionship of the Holy Ghost. For those who receive this gift, the Holy Ghost acts as a cleansing agent to purify them and sanctify them from all sin” (LDS Bible Dictionary, Holy Ghost).

The guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost – President Russell M. Nelson has reminded us: “Our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, will perform some of His mightiest works between now and when He comes again. We will see miraculous indications that God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, preside over this Church in majesty and glory. But in coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost.” (General Conference, April 2018).

What is true? Is the title of President Russell M. Nelson October 2022 general conference sermon. President Nelson observed: “The adversary has other disturbing tactics. Among them are his efforts to blur the line between what is true and what is not true. The flood of information available at our finger tips, ironically, makes it increasingly difficult to determine what is true.” Fortunately, The Book of Mormon teaches us how we can find the answer to the question, What is true? “And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things” (Moroni 10:5).

Testimony – Having the companionship of the Holy Ghost should be our greatest desire – There is a great need in every dimension of our lives to know what is true, and the way we can know the truth is by the power of the Holy Ghost. The Twelve Nephite disciples were completely united in the thing “they most desired; and they desired that the Holy Ghost should be given unto them” (3 Nephi 19:9) – The Nephite disciples had previously experienced the power of the Holy Ghost, and they had a testimony of Jesus Christ, now they most desired the gift of the Holy Ghost. I agree with President Wilford Woodruff when he said: “If you have the Holy Ghost with you…there is no greater gift, there is no greater blessing, there is no greater testimony given to any man on earth” (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: (2004), 49.

Released on July 14th. 2024.