The Power of the Holy Ghost

Text and music: Delys Waite Snyder; original language: English

In 2009, Delys Snyder and her husband, both university professors, traveled to England to present papers at an academic conference. Following the conference, they planned to spend time in the Cotswolds, a region known for its lovely scenery. But their plans changed when Brother Snyder became ill. Instead of spending time hiking in the quaint countryside, Sister Snyder sat at her husband’s bedside and studied the scriptures.

While reading Nephi’s teachings in 2 Nephi 31–33, Sister Snyder contemplated how the Holy Ghost enables us to press forward and endure. He purifies us and shows us all things we should do. “These chapters opened up my understanding of the power of the Holy Ghost,” wrote Sister Snyder. She wanted to feast upon the words of Christ and speak with the tongue of angels (see 2 Nephi 32:2–3). As her husband slept, she wrote the first draft of the lyrics. Upon returning to the United States, she revised the lyrics and composed the musical setting for this hymn.

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Scriptures

Principles

God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost work together in God’s plan to prepare us for salvation and exaltation.
The Holy Ghost’s role is to guide God’s children to the gospel of Jesus Christ and testify of truth to their hearts.
Through the Holy Ghost, God can reveal all things that we should know and do.

Questions to Ponder

Why is it important to remember that the Holy Ghost is a member of the Godhead?
What things can you do to invite the guidance of the Holy Ghost into your life?
When has the Holy Ghost helped you to feel God’s love?

Related Gospel Study Guides

From Topics and Questions, Gospel Library:

Activities for Families

Talk about speaking with the tongue of angels. Read 2 Nephi 31:13; 32:2–3 together with your children. Emphasize that speaking with the tongue of angels means testifying of Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Ghost. Talk about how the Holy Ghost can cause a simple, sincere testimony to touch the hearts of others.

Share examples of normal and natural ways that family members can speak with the tongue of angels and share their witness of Jesus Christ. Help your children to think of how they could share their testimony of Jesus Christ this week. Sing the chorus of the hymn together to close.
Share testimonies of Jesus Christ. Sing or listen to the hymn together as a family. Sit in a circle and place a picture of Jesus Christ where everyone can see it. Take turns finishing sentence prompts such as:
- I feel the love of the Savior when …
- I can testify of Jesus Christ by …
After each person has shared, invite family members to quietly notice how they feel. Help them recognize that as they testify of Jesus Christ, they are speaking with the tongue of angels. End with your testimony and sing the chorus again.
Listen for the Spirit. Use rhythm and sound to help your children understand how the Holy Ghost speaks to us in quiet, clear ways. Begin by creating a loud rhythm—by clapping, using shakers, and so on—to represent the world’s distractions. Then introduce a soft, steady sound—like a bell or gentle tap—to represent the voice of the Holy Ghost.

Invite your children to close their eyes while you play the first verse and chorus of the hymn. Play the loud rhythm during the verse, and add the quiet one during the chorus. Ask them to raise their hand when they hear the soft, steady sound. Talk together about what helped them hear it. Then sing the first verse and chorus together, and discuss how the Holy Ghost can guide our choices when we listen carefully.