Prophets' commentary on selected verses in John 14-17

re: John 14:16, Elder Dallin H. Oaks has said: “Manifestations of the Holy Ghost are given to lead sincere seekers to gospel truths that will persuade them to repentance and baptism. The gift of the Holy Ghost is more comprehensive.… [It] includes the right to constant companionship, that we may ‘always have his Spirit to be with [us]’…. A Christian woman who had spent her life in service to others…had felt the manifestations of the Spirit [before joining the Church. After receiving] the gift of the Holy Ghost [she said:] ‘I felt the influence of the Holy Ghost settle upon me with greater intensity than I had ever felt before. He was like an old friend who had guided me in the past but now had come to stay.’”(See October 1996 Conference Report; quoted in New Testament Gospel Doctrine Teacher’s Manual, 99.)

re: John 14:26-27 …

… President Boyd K. Packer has said: “The Holy Ghost speaks with a voice that you feel more than you hear…. And while we speak of ‘listening’ to the whisperings of the Spirit, most often one describes a spiritual prompting by saying, ‘I had a feeling…’” (Oct 1994 CR; in New Testament Gospel Doctrine Teacher’s Manual, 99-100.)

… After his death, the Prophet Joseph Smith came to President Brigham Young in a dream and told him to tell the members that “the Spirit of the Lord … will whisper peace and joy to their souls [and] take malice, hatred, strife and all evil from their hearts; and their whole desire will be to do good, bring forth righteousness and build up the kingdom of God” (New Testament Gospel Doctrine Teacher’s Manual, 100; also in Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Ezra Taft Benson, 159).

re: John 15:26, “Testimony [is a] knowledge and a spiritual witness given by the Holy Ghost” (Guide to the Scriptures, www.lds.org). “A testimony comes by the revelations of the Holy Ghost and not from any other source” (Elder Bruce R. McConkie, April 1947 Conference Report).

John 17:3,“… that they might know [ginosko: to learn of; perceive; feel; understand; become acquainted with]”. To the Greeks, this meant to know facts, whether or not they affected one’s conduct; to the Jews, one did not know something until it was manifested in one’s life (Greek and Hebrew Lexicon, LDS Infobases).

Quoting John 17:3, Elder Bruce R. McConkie explained “[This refers] not to the worldly knowledge flowing from research, but to the eternal knowledge coming by revelation…. [And] to gain eternal life we must become like the Gods of heaven, knowing and experiencing as they do…. Eternal life thus comes only to those who know the Father and the Son … in the sense of doing and experiencing what [they] do and experience.”(Mormon Doctrine, 426; The Promised Messiah, 521; The Mortal Messiah 4:109.)

re: John 17:6–9, 20 …

... Elder Howard W. Hunter said: “Jesus said his disciples must ‘love one another; as I have loved you’ (John 13:35). … To the very end of his mortal life He was not selfishly engrossed with his own sorrows ... He was anxiously attending to the present and future needs of [others]…. His entire energies [were] directed toward their needs…” (See April 1974 Conference Report.)

... President James E. Faust, “[F]ollowing the Savior means overcoming selfishness…. The Savior gave His life [for us]  without any thought of recompense or recognition…. Where there is selfishness, the Spirit of the Lord is absent.” (See  Oct 2002 CR.)

re: John 17:14-16 …

… Elder Bruce R. McConkie explained: “The earth itself is the Lord's, and he is its ruler; but the world (the corrupt society [of men] on earth) is under the rule of him who is the god of this world” (Mormon Doctrine, 324).  

… Elder John Taylor stated: “The world … has never been under [Heavenly Father’s] control” (The Government of God, 85).

… Elder M. Russell Ballard has said:

“In the Church, we often state the couplet, ‘Be in the world but not of the world.’ …. Perhaps we should state [this] as two separate admonitions… As [various media seek to] make profanity, violence, and infidelity commonplace and even glamorous [we should] ‘be not of the world’ by keeping things that offend and debase out of our homes [and not] bend to accommodate or accept what is not right.

“[But we should also] ‘be in the world.’ Be involved; be informed…. Make meaningful contributions to society through service and involvement… In spite of all of the wickedness in the world, and in spite of all the opposition to good, [we] are to lift the world and help all to rise above the wickedness that surrounds us.” (See April 1989 Conference Report; quoted in New Testament Gospel Doctrine Teacher’s Manual, 101.)

re: John 17:21–22, President Gordon B. Hinckley said that Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost “are one in purpose and effort. They are united … in bringing to pass the grand, divine plan for the salvation and exaltation of the children of God.” (See October 1986 Conference Report; quoted in New Testament Gospel Doctrine Teacher’s Manual, 101.)