When the Spirit prompts, the wise will heed. Just ask Anja's mother. Or Scott's mother.

Anja, a mere 4 years old and full of child-like faith, humbly told her mother what she felt. And Mother was faithful enough to listen to her daughter.Scott's mother was nearly 10 times Anja's age. Her child-like faith, proved over the decades, gratefully accepted the Spirit's promptings.

The circumstances were different, but the Spirit was ever-willing to prompt a receptive vessel.

Traveling the 30 miles to her grandparent's home was always fun for Anja. But on this day, she was concerned.

"You need to drive slow, Mommy, because we could get in an accident."

Preoccupied with the errands she had to run on the way, Anja's mother just brushed off Anja's comment. But Mother's forgetfulness - she had to return home three times to pick up items she'd forgotten to bring - caused further delay.

However, the more Anja talked about the need for caution, the more Anja's mother listened. But she was yet unsure about what would prompt Anja's remarks. Perhaps it really was the Spirit.

As they entered the freeway to complete their journey, Anja once again reminded her mother to drive slowly.

Anja's mother slowed the car - well below the posted speed limit. "If she's going to be so persistent, I'd better listen to her," she thought.

Just ahead, traffic was almost at a dead stop.

As the bumper-to-bumper traffic inched along the highway, Anja's mother could see that several cars had been involved in an accident. Anja's mother made some quick calculations relative to time and distance and realized that - if not for her three return trips home and a slower-than-normal highway speed - their car probably would have been at the accident site at the time the accident occurred.

She was grateful that Anja had been faithful enough to share her feelings.

For Scott's mother, the inspiration came directly.

Fifteen-year-old Scott and his two younger siblings had had the stomach flu for three days. At least that's what Scott's parents thought. The symptoms for all three children were the same: stomach pain, vomiting, diarrhea. Scott's mother tended to the children's needs, but knew the discomfort simply had to run it course.

But Scott's mother awoke one morning with the unmistakable impression that she should take Scott to the emergency room. The other children, while suffering the same symptoms, didn't require professional medical care, she felt.

Though it logically made little sense - taking one to the doctor while leaving the other two at home - Scott's mother didn't hesitate.

At the emergency room, Scott's preliminary diagnosis pointed to some kind of abdominal problem. A transfer to another facility and further tests confirmed the fear: Scott's appendix had ruptured - sometime while he was being treated for the flu.

Emergency surgery followed.

Several hours later the surgeon reported that he'd found a lot of infection, that Scott was a very sick young man and that "we'll just have to take things a day at a time."

Further, the surgeon asserted that had Scott's mother continued to treat his flu symptoms - for even just a few hours longer, rather than seeking medical help when she did - Scott very possibly would not have survived.

Scott entered the Provo Missionary Training Center this week.

The guidance, comfort and influence of the Holy Spirit is one of God's greatest gifts to His children. Learning to hear the Spirit, then having the courage to act upon its promptings is one of man's greatest opportunities.

In the October 1977 general conference, President Ezra Taft Benson asked the question: "Do we take time to listen to the promptings of the Spirit?"

That is a question we all need to ask ourselves.

President Thomas S. Monson in the April 1985 general conference explained: "We watch. We wait. We listen for that still, small voice. When it speaks, wise men and women obey. We do not postpone following promptings of the Spirit."