Guardrails for the Spirit: Protecting Our Spiritual Sensitivity in the Modern World

Brothers and sisters, as we continue to press forward in the work, we are constantly being called to be disciples in the public square—in the coffee shop, on the bus, even scrolling through our phones. It’s a constant, beautiful, and sometimes exhausting effort to keep our focus on the Savior. We are called to be Internet missionaries, disciples everywhere, all the time.

But what happens when the noise gets too loud? When the things we consume—the entertainment, the constant streams of information—start to dull our spiritual senses? It can feel like a subtle erosion, a slow drift away from the pure, clear light of the Spirit.

I was reflecting the other day on a talk given by David A. Bednar, and it really struck me. He spoke about how easily we can estrange the Spirit when we engage in activities we know we should shun. It’s not about perfection, because we are all fallen men and women living in a mortal world. But it *is* about awareness. It’s about recognizing those subtle impressions that pull us off course.

Guardrails for the Spirit: A Practical Approach

The principle here, which I think we need to revisit often, is that the Spirit cannot abide that which is vulgar, crude, or immodest. This isn't a list of prohibitions designed to make us feel guilty; it’s a guide to keeping our spiritual atmosphere clean so that the Spirit can move freely through us when we are doing the Lord's work. Think of it like tuning an instrument—if you let too much static get in, the music suffers.

The key takeaway for us, as disciples, is to become *proactive* in recognizing these influences. We can’t always control the external input, but we can guard our internal reception. When we feel that subtle pull, that momentary distraction that makes us pause and wonder, "Was that worth the distraction?"—that’s the Spirit whispering, "Check your guardrails."

Becoming Spirit-Sensitive

This isn't just for mission prep, though that’s a critical time to hone this skill! This is for the lifelong disciple. It's for the person studying for their Book Club, the one preparing for missionary discussions, and the one simply trying to live *like* a Latter-day Saint in the secular world.

If you’ve been feeling spiritually sluggish lately, I encourage you to make a conscious effort this week to audit your intake. What are you watching? What are you reading? Are you letting entertainment dictate your emotional state, or are you allowing the Spirit to guide your focus?

“As we become ever more immersed in the spirit of the Lord, we should strive to recognize impressions when they come and the influences or events that cause us to withdraw ourselves from the Holy Ghost.”

This requires diligence. It requires us to treat our spiritual sensitivity like a sacred trust—a gift that requires constant tending. Let’s commit to making our hearts places where the Spirit *wants* to dwell, not just where it *can* dwell.

If you are looking for ways to deepen this spiritual focus, I highly recommend diving into the Iron Rod writings on spiritual discipline. They offer wonderful frameworks for building these guardrails. If you’re interested in applying this to your personal study, check out the Social Scripture Study layer in LivingBook—it’s a powerful way to see how others are wrestling with scripture principles in real-time.

For those of you who are preparing for missions, or who have recently returned, this is prime material for your next study session. If you feel the need for a refresher on how to talk about these things with an investigator, don't hesitate to utilize Davee. He’s excellent at walking through those tricky 'what if' questions!

A Small Challenge for the Week

Here’s a bite-sized challenge: For the next 24 hours, every time you are about to engage with media (video, music, article) that is purely for mindless entertainment, pause. Take three deep breaths, and ask yourself, "Does this help me feel closer to the Savior, or does it just distract me?" That moment of pause is where the Spirit speaks loudest.

If you feel the Spirit prompting you to connect with others on this topic, join us for our weekly Disciple Challenge this coming Sunday! It’s a low-pressure, high-Spirit gathering where we can discuss these things openly. Details are linked below.