Whispered Warnings

Something I have begun to notice more is what the Holy Ghost is doing when we are sliding down the Chemical Scale. For years I have trained to notice how Satan messes with me to drag me down the Scale, but over the last several months I have noticed more how the Spirit is also working to persuade me to climb back up the Scale.

He is more noticeable during the Level 4 -Irrational Conversation where he is often actively trying to persuade you to live in alignment with your values. But I have also begun to notice the warnings of the Holy Ghost between Level 2 and Level 3 on the Chemical Scale. In fact, I frequently receive a warning almost immediately before the Level 3 - "Dude!" Moment. This seems to be part of what Elder Boyd K. Packer meant when he said, "It is not expected that you go through life without making mistakes, but you will not make a major mistake without first being warned by the promptings of the Spirit. This promise applies to all members of the Church" (Counsel to Youth, October 2011 General Conference).“No member of this Church—and that means each of you—will ever make a serious mistake without first being warned by the promptings of the Holy Ghost” (“How to Survive in Enemy Territory,” New Era, Apr. 2012,

I have found that this nudge, prompting, or reminder is usually a turning point in the battle. When I honor the prompting, I move closer to Level 0 and almost always win. When I fail to honor the prompting I drift into an Irrational Conversation and almost always lose.

The simplest way (though not necessarily the easiest way) to honor the reminder is to follow through and act on the reminder. If that's to read you scriptures, you start immediately. If that's to text the family you've been called to minister, you pull out your phone and start typing. If it's to not watch that YouTube video, you close the window and do something productive.

Sometimes it's not wise or appropriate to act on the reminder when it comes. For example, perhaps you remember while you are in math class that you committed that morning to clean the kitchen before it becomes time to begin cooking dinner. In the middle of math class is the wrong time to begin washing dishes.  Or maybe you are driving in the car when you recall that you have not yet read scriptures today.  It is definitely not wise or appropriate to begin reading scriptures while driving.  But if you simply tell yourself that you will do it later, or that you will remember to do it later, you have not acted on the prompting and will slide further down the Chemical Scale.  So how can you still act on or honor the nudge or prompting?

One way to honor the prompting is to make appropriate modifications to the action that needs to be done.  For example, if you are driving alone in the car and get the reminder that you have not yet read from the scriptures you could ask your smartphone to read your scriptures to you.  Other times that just isn’t possible.  Unless you have a robotic butler, you probably can’t use technology to wash the dishes for you while you are in math class.  In situations like this, you will need to use a reminder system.  By activating a reminder you are honoring the reminder even though you cannot yet complete the task. That might mean writing down a reminder. Perhaps if you are driving and receive a reminder, you can ask the virtual assistant on your phone to set a reminder. If you are in a situation where you cannot create or activate a reminder system, you can pray and ask God to remind you again. It is helpful to suggest a specific time or location that you would like to receive the reminder. In this way, you are honoring the nudge you received and drawing closer to Level 0 and victory.

As you begin to recognize these nudges, promptings, and reminders you will become more aware of where you are on the Chemical Scale. Acting on these reminders will bring you closer to Level 0 and make it much easier to win that battle.