Pinocchio and the Holy Ghost

Kelly Bingham
May 25, 2006

"Just like Pinocchio, we don't have strings and people controlling us. We have the free agency to make our own decisions..."

In the movie, Pinocchio, Gepetto creates a boy out of wood and names him Pinocchio. Now Pinocchio was no ordinary puppet, no one was pulling his strings or controlling what he did. Pinocchio was able to make his own decisions.

Pinocchio didn't want to be just a puppet; he wanted to become a real boy. He wanted to go to school, play with friends, go out into the real world, and live with his father.

Gepetto decided to let Pinocchio go out into the world, but he knew that there were a lot of influences that would try and get Pinocchio to make wrong choices, or do bad things, or even hurt Pinocchio. He knew that Pinocchio would need a guide to help him make good choices. So Gepetto sent Jiminy Cricket to go along with Pinocchio wherever he went.

Jiminy Cricket would follow Pinocchio and let tell him when he was doing good things, or if he was about to do something bad. Sometimes Pinocchio listened to Jiminy and choose to do what he said. Sometimes he disobeyed Jiminy and got into a lot of trouble.

One of these times was when a bunch of boys talked Pinocchio into skipping school and go with them to Pleasure Island. Pinocchio knew it was wrong, but it sounded like so much fun that he ignored Jiminy's advice and went anyway. Pleasure Island seemed like fun at first, but then he got into more and more trouble and then something really bad happened and he got lost. He couldn't find his way back home again.

He was sorry for what he did, apologized to Jiminy and promised to listen to him from then on. Jiminy was able to help Pinocchio find his way back to his father, and because of his obedience he eventually became a real boy.

Just like Pinocchio, we don't have strings and people controlling us. We have the free agency to make our own decisions. Heavenly Father has given us our own Jiminy Cricket to help us through life. It's not a little talking cricket, because that would be creepy. Heavenly Father gave us the gift of the Holy Ghost. When we choose to listen, the Holy Ghost will help guide us so we too can live with our Father in Heaven and become the real boys and girls He wants us to be.

I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.