'We must open our hearts to the Spirit'
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The condition of the heart directly affects sensitivity to spiritual things, said Elder Gerald N. Lund of the Seventy.
"Isn't that something we seek? To be visited by the Holy Ghost? To find joy and consolation in our lives? If so, then carefully assessing the condition of our hearts is one of the most essential things we can do in this life."
Speaking Saturday afternoon, Elder Lund noted how the heart is a tender place, sensitive to many influences, positive and negative. "We feel things in our hearts," he said.
"It can be hurt by others. It can be deadened by sin. It can be softened by love. Early in our lives, we learn to guard our hearts. It is like we erect a fence around our hearts with a gate in it," he said, adding that some top the fence with razor wire and a "No Trespassing" sign.
"We must, of our own free will, open our hearts to the Spirit, for He will not force Himself upon us.
"So how do we open our hearts?" he asked.
Purity of heart is one of the most important qualifications for receiving inspiration. The more impurities are eliminated, the more the heart is open to the Holy Ghost.
Having hearts set "upon the things of the world" has three consequences, he said: first, hiding sins instead of repenting of them; second, seeking to gratify pride and vain ambitions rather than seeking the things of God; and, finally, exercising unrighteous dominion over others.
"Pride quickly desensitizes our hearts to spiritual promptings," Elder Lund said.
"Let us make it a part of our everyday striving to open our hearts to the Spirit," he said in closing.
