All opinions are always 100% honest and my own. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I also participate in: CJ Affiliate; eBay Partner Network; Rakuten Affiliate Network; ShareASale; Walmart Affiliate Program; independent affiliate networks.
If you were to ask me what one of my all-time favorite talks is, the current First Presidency message would be right up there at the top of my list.
This talk has been a foundational talk in our family for years. We have a quote from the talk on our kitchen wall, so I think of it often. There are several points that strike me.
The Lord wants us to be happy and spiritually safe.
The Savior has always been the protector of those who would accept His protection. He has said more than once, “How oft would I have gathered you as a hen gathereth her chickens, and ye would not.” (3 Nephi 10:5; Matthew 23:37; D&C 29:2)
The Lord has given a predictable, consistent, identifiable way to recognize His protection.
There seems to be no end to the Savior's desire to lead us to safety, and there is constancy in the way He shows us the path. He calls by more than one means so that it will reach those willing to accept it. Those means always include sending the message by the mouths of His prophets whenever people have qualified to have the prophets of God among them….
The Apostle Paul wrote, “In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.” (2 Corinthians 13:1) One of the ways we may know that the warning is from the Lord is that the law of witnesses, authorized witnesses, has been invoked. When the words of prophets seem repetitive, that should rivet our attention…(emphasis added).
We use that phrase often in our home. I love the immediacy and urgency that I feel from that phrase. We don't just casually listen, or say, “Sure, I'll give that some consideration sometime.” We zoom in and focus with our might on what they are saying—and try to live it.
I am of the belief that we should rivet our attention to what the prophets say even if it's the first time we have heard something of the sort, but especially when we hear them repeat counsel, that is a surefire way to know that the counsel comes from God. In my book, you simply don't second-guess the prophets, especially when the law of witnesses has been invoked.
Part of recognizing this pattern is being intimately familiar with the teachings of the prophets. When we have General Conference, the words of our leaders should be our walk and our talk, and should take a prevalent place in our personal and family study. We should review their words often, so that we know what they are saying, and so that we can see the patterns that exist over time. I have been amazed at the power that comes into my life when I do this, and the confidence that I have when I know, without question, that the counsel I am receiving is coming from God.
Following prophets takes faith.
Looking for the path to safety in the counsel of prophets makes sense to those with strong faith. When a prophet speaks, those with little faith may think that they hear only a wise man giving good advice.
I can't tell you how many times I have heard people dismiss the previously mentioned law of witnesses process and the counsel thus given over time, by different ordained prophets of God. Of course, there are times when our leaders speak as individuals, not as divine witnesses and mouthpieces for the Savior. (Frankly, I think those times are pretty rare.) But again, one surefire way to recognize when it's not opinion is to watch for repetition.
As a side comment, my feeling is that if we could figure it all out on our own, we wouldn't need prophets. We should expect that some of the things they say may not make sense to us at the outset, or may stretch or challenge us. I have found time and time and time again that popular opinion (sometimes found within the Church), or political correctness, or whatever the flavor of philosophy of the minute may be, will often not match up with prophetic teachings. I have never felt that I lost something by choosing to accept prophetic counsel, even when it's not popular. We shouldn't expect it to be. Faith won't always ‘make sense' to the natural mind.
If we don't follow the prophets, we put ourselves in spiritual danger.
What more is there to say than what President Eyring has said?
When we reject the counsel that comes from God, we do not choose to be independent of outside influence. We choose another influence. We reject the protection of a perfectly loving, all-powerful, all-knowing Father in Heaven, whose whole purpose, as that of His Beloved Son, is to give us eternal life, to give us all that He has, and to bring us home again in families to the arms of His love. In rejecting His counsel, we choose the influence of another power, whose purpose is to make us miserable and whose motive is hatred. We have moral agency as a gift of God. Rather than the right to choose to be free of influence, it is the inalienable right to submit ourselves to whichever of those powers we choose….
[T]he choice not to take prophetic counsel changes the very ground upon which we stand. That ground becomes more dangerous. The failure to take prophetic counsel lessens our power to take inspired counsel in the future. The best time to have decided to help Noah build the ark was the first time he asked. Each time he asked after that, each failure to respond would have lessened sensitivity to the Spirit. And so each time his request would have seemed more foolish, until the rain came. And then it was too late.
[Incidentally, that whole last paragraph (plus more in the paragraph in the article) is what is hanging in my kitchen.]
By definition, the prophets have authority and keys to teach, counsel, and correct the whole Church.
With those keys comes the power to give counsel that will show us the way to safety. Those with keys are responsible to warn even when their counsel might not be followed.
If you ever hear someone claiming to have received inspiration that something the prophets have said is wrong (like capital-W Wrong), that should be a warning sign. (Like one of the kind in bright, flashing neon.) No one can receive revelation outside of one's stewardship. It's against the order of heaven.
Elder Perry has said:
There is order in the way the Lord reveals His will to mankind. We all have the right to petition the Lord and receive inspiration through His Spirit within the realm of our own stewardship. Parents can receive revelation for their own family, a bishop for his assigned congregation, and on up to the First Presidency for the entire Church. However, we cannot receive revelation for someone else's stewardship. The Prophet Joseph Smith declared:
‘It is contrary to the economy of God for any member of the Church, or any one, to receive instruction for those in authority, higher than themselves.'
‘Revelations of the mind and will of God to the Church, are to come through the [First] Presidency. This is the order of heaven, and the power and privilege of this Priesthood. It is also the privilege of any officer in this Church to obtain revelations, so far as relates to his particular calling and duty in the Church.'
Elder Gerald Lund said:
This principle is described by Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles as the principle of “stewardship in revelation.” This means that “only the President of the Church receives revelation to guide the entire Church. Only the stake president receives revelation for the special guidance of the stake. The person who receives revelation for the ward is the bishop. …When one person purports to receive revelation for another person outside his or her area of responsibility…you can be sure that such revelations are not from the Lord.”
I love how the Lord gives us multiple safeguards to help us recognize what is really from Him and what is not. I love how both the law of witnesses and the principle of “stewardship in revelation” can help us sift through myriad voices and recognize what is and isn't truth. Whenever there is a conflict between repeated prophetic counsel and the study/opinion/experience of others, we can rejoice in the fact that the Lord has always protected those who accept His patterns that provide protection.
This can also apply to those who want to suggest that they know the “higher law” for something that the prophets teach. So, if someone claims to know a “better” way to live the Word of Wisdom, or to outline specifics to any law or commandment that the prophets have not, be cautious. If the adversary can't get us to break a commandment, he could get us to “overlive” it.
The words of prophets are like gold, a treasure to be treated with care and gratitude.
Sometimes we will receive counsel that we cannot understand or that seems not to apply to us, even after careful prayer and thought. Don ?t discard the counsel, but hold it close. If someone you trusted handed you what appeared to be nothing more than sand with the promise that it contained gold, you might wisely hold it in your hand awhile, shaking it gently. Every time I have done that with counsel from a prophet, after a time the gold flakes have begun to appear, and I have been grateful.
I, too, have had this experience, numerous times. I have NEVER regretted following the prophets. Never. I have, however, regretted times when I thought I knew better than they did. Thankfully, those times haven't been frequent, but even in the seemingly ‘little things' I have come to know that following them is right and good, and can help me stay closer to my Savior.
My last point is just something of my own reflection, and ties into President Eyring's point about Noah above. (“The best time to have decided to help Noah build the ark was the first time he asked. Each time he asked after that, each failure to respond would have lessened sensitivity to the Spirit. And so each time his request would have seemed more foolish, until the rain came. And then it was too late.”)
I believe that following the prophets is something we can and should practice. Perhaps there is something that seems “little” or insignificant. For example, I hear people sometimes commenting on how modesty or the no-tattoos/no-earrings thing is silly, unnecessary, or even inappropriate, or how entertainment with violence or immorality isn't that big of a deal. I'm sure we could all add to that list of counsel we have heard dismissed in similar ways.
I would like to suggest that even if we don't think things like this are doctrinal (or just cultural), or important, or whatever, we can follow them simply to practice obeying the prophets. I have not forgotten something then-Elder Eyring said a few years ago:
The prophets of God have foreseen the times in which we live. The Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, ‘This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.' Anyone with eyes to see the signs of the times and ears to hear the words of prophets knows that the peril is great. The peril comes from the forces of wickedness. Those forces are increasing. And so it will become harder, not easier, to keep the covenants we must make to live the gospel of Jesus Christ.
If it will become harder, not easier, to stay true to our covenants, what better way to prepare for the future challenges than choosing now and always to simply follow the prophets, even on the ‘little things,' to willingly hold their counsel close rather than dismiss it because we don't think it matters much. It is my conviction that in the big scheme of things, there are no little things when it comes to following God's authorized servants who have the keys and responsibility to warn and protect (might I add this can apply to our local leaders as well), because each choice we make can either fortify us and invite the Spirit into our lives (line upon line), or can sow seeds of rebellion, doubt, pride, and sin into our lives (think of the danger of being spiritually poisoned by degrees). Why not just stay on the Lord's side of the line?
I know that by following the prophets, we accept the Savior's desire to lead us to safety. It is my hope that we can all recognize His love in sending us prophets and providing patterns of protection, and do all we can to choose to let Him gather and protect us. I know that this is the way to find peace and the power of God in our lives.
Alison Moore Smith is a 61-year-old entrepreneur who graduated from BYU in 1987. She has been (very happily) married to Samuel M. Smith for 40 years. They are parents of six incredible children and grandparents to two astounding grandsons. She is the author of The 7 Success Habits of Homeschoolers.
Michelle, another wonderful and inspiring article. Thank you.
I hope, Michelle, that the Savior will walk into your home and see this message hanging in your kitchen and in your heart and give you the blessings you deserve. Thank you. I admire your determination to be obedient and the wisdom you have to offer.
I’m not sure if it’s a good thing to have a “favorite” gospel principle, but I freely admit that this very subject of having living prophets is probably my “favorite” of the uniquely LDS doctrines.
It’s probably also one of the parts of my testimony that is the strongest.
There’s something about knowing there is an earthly authority with a divine calling from God to lead and guide us that brings me peace and security that I can’t explain. I don’t have to worry about being tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine, you know?
We have prayer and personal revelation of course, and I don’t downplay that at all, nor do I think they are any less important. But for me at least, there’s a greater security when I can take what I feel is an answer to prayer, or what I feel has been a personal revelation and see that it goes hand in hand and fits squarely into the words of the prophet.
I think I’ve just had so many experiences with friends or acquaintences who’ve sincerely CLAIMED to have an answer to prayer or somekind of personal revelation, which seemed to go completely against the teachings of the prophets that I’ve come to realize that what many people THINK is the voice of spirit, is actually a different voice.
One woman always stands out in my mind. Several years ago, a sister in our ward left her temple marriage to marry a non-member. She frequently felt like she had to defend her choice by bearing her testimony on Fast Sundays or bringing it up during a RS lesson, that “God told her” it was what she was supposed to do. She said she asked Heavenly Father in her prayers about the prophets stressing temple marriage to someone who shares our faith, and He answered her saying (about the non-member) “No, he’s not a member. But he’s my son, and I love HIM, too.”
(Um… He loves ALL his children. That doesn’t make them all equal in the “potential spouse” department. And I won’t digress and get on my soap box about how much of a problem I have with Bishops who allow things like this to be said at the pulpit without correcting it or addressing it– it’s enough to say that I LOVE the Brigham Young-like boldness of our current Bishop:)
While she was so frequently defending her choice (even though no one was saying anything about it) I was frequently having to deal with the effects of her choice on her daughter, who was one of my Beehives.
This poor girl was constantly worried about her clothes smelling of her stepfather’s cigarette smoke and furious about the foul language he used. She was frequently in tears during class whenever the subject was family, priesthood/fathers in the home, eternal families, etc.
She confided in the presidency that her stepfather yelled and spanked her younger brother alot, getting really angry over small things that any toddler would do.
Needless to say the marriage only lasted a short while– 10 years I think? And over the course of her short lived marriage to this guy, her older children, including this particular daughter, moved out to go live with their father in another ward. When the mother divorced this second husband, she moved out of state, leaving her children behind.
That’s the most drastic example– but I’ve known SO MANY people who’ve allowed themselves to be distracted from the “plain and precious” truths and teachings of the prophets. Heavenly Father will NEVER lead us to do something or believe something that is CONTRARY to the teachings of HIS OWN prophets! The minute we notice that we’re getting “an answer” that is contrary to the teachings of the gospel and the prophet, red flags should be waving fast and furiously in our minds.
Michelle, this article goes right to the heart of it. The prophet knows the way. We MUST trust that. Anytime we begin to think that we know something the prophet doesn’t or that we’re an exception to something the prophet said, or begin to practice a gospel principle to an extreme beyond that of the teachings of the prophet, we should be very wary. Not that those things are automatically wrong (example, eating even “healthier” than the WOW dictates, or girls ONLY wearing dresses all the time, arent’ “bad” things), but I’ve noticed a rather prevalent tendency to take things to an extreme that leads to scary things, whenever someone starts drifting away from the simple, plain and precious truths taught by our prophet, even in a sincere attempt to be obedient and/or “go deeper”.
I don’t have to worry about being tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine, you know?
Yes, I do know, and I have seen what happens when someone is being so tossed.
We have prayer and personal revelation of course, and I don’t downplay that at all, nor do I think they are any less important. But for me at least, there’s a greater security when I can take what I feel is an answer to prayer, or what I feel has been a personal revelation and see that it goes hand in hand and fits squarely into the words of the prophet.
I always, always, always use the words of the prophets as a measuring stick for what I feel may be revelation, and also for what I hear others claiming to be revelation. It has kept me safe on so many occasions, I can’t even tell you. Having prophets makes life so much easier.
Anytime we begin to think that we know something the prophet doesn’t or that we’re an exception to something the prophet said, or begin to practice a gospel principle to an extreme beyond that of the teachings of the prophet, we should be very wary.
I think a key is to 1) not put one’s self above others for living beyond what the prophets teach. Anytime pride becomes part of our way of thinking or living, we might be heading down a path that could be problematic. And 2) not preaching our approach to others.
I do believe the Lord can give us personal revelation, specifics within the bounds of the general counsel that could be for our good. For example, the whole WoW thing — I mean, if you feel that eating sugar is bad, and you feel that the Lord is leading you to avoid it, then that won’t necessarily be a bad thing. But as soon as such specifics get incorporated into a mode of teaching or preaching or telling others, that could be very problematic. The older I get, the more I am coming to understand this order of things all the more. And again, this has helped keep me from looking beyond the mark when I have heard people trying to convince me that they know ‘a higher way’ when I haven’t felt the Lord pulling me in that direction.
I had to reign in a Gospel Doctrine class on the topic of WoW (I use this because it’s an obvious one where people can get out of the order of things in preaching what has never been preached). Someone wanted to go the way of ‘white sugar is evil’ and someone else wanted to declare that ‘all hot drinks, including soup and cocoa’ are bad for us. Fortunately, I had a quote or two that helped draw a line at the general principles, and got us back on track.
Anyway, I love having prophets.
And thanks, Alison and davidson.
Great article. Thanks for sharing your testimony of the blessings and intelligence in following the prophets.
This was very thought provoking and so glad you followed up with this month’s First Presidency Message. I loved it too. Two weeks ago we had Richard C. Scott at Stake Conference. I love reading his talks but I find it hard to listen to him because he is so slow of speaking. However, after watching him in person I have sure changed my mind. As he talked I felt like he was receiving inspiration as he talked. It was like he had a direct beam from heaven guiding his every word. Most people thought so too that I have talked to. I hung on every word. He words of counsel were so timely. It will be a week end not to forget.
I’d love to hear more about how you do this! I am struggling to learn how to keep control of the discussion in our GD class when it starts to go astray. I know how to do it in a classroom of teenagers, but not so much in a classroom of adults! I try to avoid questions that I know will lead us astray and if that doesn’t work, I look/smile pointedly at the bishop or the SS president–whichever happens to be in class that day!
“Get thee behind me, Satan!” works pretty well. 😉
you know – that’s a great suggestion, Ray, but I suspect that might lead to a decline in attendance :shocked:
I’ve been feeling a bit of turmoil lately about a couple, family members, who have been very vocal in their opinions to the point of forcing them on everyone else, which happen to not exactly fit with the prophet’s counsel. Okay, maybe that’s going a bit far. Just believing in the revelations of those who do not have stewardship over them and pressing it on everyone else–not that it necessarily contradicts the counsel of the First Presidency, because they use the words of the GAs to prove their point, but it does make me extremely uncomfortable. At one point in a conversation, it came out that he felt it would be better to follow the advice of another person than to trust the counsel of the First Presidency. She has not said that, but she is clever and smooth and I’m sure if she did believe it, wouldn’t allow to come up in our presence because of the obvious meaning. It would damage her arguements for following what they believe.
Anyway, my point at this rambling is that it is comforting to hear the defence of the living prophet, clear and simple, with no qualifications. To hear my own thoughts arguements come back to me. To hear my dh’s reply to that particularly discomforting comment repeated even more eloquently. To feel strong in my testimony of the prophet, and that others are strong as well–we’re not alone, when those who could have influence over our decisions are obviously headed down a slippery slope with their testimonies.
Thank you for giving me a bit of peace tonight.
I’d love to hear more about how you do this!
I actually had to be pretty blunt with this situation. I clearly stopped the flow of things, and said, “OK, folks!” I can’t remember exactly what I said, but I was very, very clear about respecting personal choice and application, but making sure that everyone understood that we cannot go beyond the general counsel on a topic like this. We can’t preach the personal. I had a quote or two that helped me reign it in, and then I visited with each person I essentially cut off personally, one after the meeting, and one at their home later that night. I wanted to be sure they didn’t take it personally, but felt very strongly that we needed to get back on track. The Spirit can’t be there if things get extreme. It’s hard, because other personal experiences can often be so helpful in a classroom setting. The Spirit can help us discern when that line has been crossed. This one was obvious!
It’s hard to know how to keep a class in a good flow. Trust the Spirit. He can help you sense when it’s time to take the bull by the horns. Pray lots and keep at it. Good luck!
Rachel, if anything I wrote has been helpful, I am grateful. In a sense, one of the things that I am coming to realize is that all I really have control over is my decisions, and the responsibility to teach my children as best as I can. I seek to teach what the prophets teach, because then I can have confidence in what I am teaching them. If someone else chooses to go a different direction, at some point, I have to let them do that and leave it between them and God. Not all strongly opinionated people will fall away. And we can hope they won’t. But we CAN feel confident in sticking with the Brethren. I simply cannot for myself find any other approach that brings a sense of peace and direction and confidence (I hope not in a prideful way, but in an “I’m not stressed about what to think/feel” kind of a way, about soooo many different things, from choices, what to teach my kids, to philosophies and social forces that swirl around.
thanks for sharing that! That is very helpful! I’ve done something like that before, but only when I was in a position of leadership where I *knew* it was my responsibility only to take care of serious false doctrine. Of course, in the SS classroom, as teacher, I guess I still have that stewardship to keep the conversation in line. I think I need to specifically pray for this type of guidance and be prepared for the possible issues that will come up. One of the things I am trying to improve over the summer is to increase the time I spend preparing my lessons!
I think as a teacher you do have that stewardship, and the Spirit can guide you when and if things start going funny. Again, I respected individual choices to apply the counsel, but felt really strongly in this situation that as a class we needed to stay general.
I also anticipated that that might happen, so I looked specifically for quotes to help us get back on track if we needed to. So if you happen to be preparing on a topic that could go crazy, look for grounding quotes and teachings to help bring you back to center as a group.
Can I present another point of view? Just as the Sunday School manual suggests that it is the duty of everyone in the room to read the lesson and participate in the discussion, it is necessary for every member of the Church to assist in keeping the doctrine true in our discussions. Leaders don’t necessarily have a corner on that market. It’s why we discuss. As Michelle suggested, not just teachers or leaders but everyone together can look for and share General Authorities quotes and teachings so that we can “edify” one another. Personal opinions are another thing altogether, but if a class is floundering, why not have a regular member of the class spontaneously share something from a prophet or the scriptures to help clarify an issue? I think that holding back that information, if you know it, is to add to the detriment of the person who is struggling. As President Kimball said, we don’t share prophets’ words and scriptures to put other people down; we share them to lift each other up. I know I have appreciated it when “regular members” have done that. I have watched in awe as the Holy Ghost has moved some normally quiet class member to respond and share the perfect thing, some bit of wisdom from a prophet that maybe no one else in the room knew. Someone here at Mormon Momma was able to tell me what Elder Oaks said about tattoos and drawing on skin. I’d never heard it before, and it helped me know a direction to take. I was grateful for the help. Elbows and fingers and shins and noses working together.
It is also part of our obligation to share the quotes and teachings that are MOST applicable, especially in a sensitive situation. In our Sunday School class a few weeks ago, we came upon the topic of personal purity, and the teacher and some of the class members went on and on about how evil people were who committed adultery. “I mean, how could they do that, knowing what we know as Latter-day Saints?” Unbeknownst to them was the fact that one beautiful, faithful young mother sitting in our midst was in the two weeks prior to that day dealing with the undeserved consequences of her husband’s unfaithfulness, and it wasn’t the first time. Her husband, making a concentrated effort to repent, was there in Sunday School sitting next to her. I only knew about their situation because she had called sobbing earlier in the week, only moments after she found out herself, and requested to speak to my husband, who wasn’t there at the time. I tried to comfort her.
NOBODY KNEW. The Relief Society president didn’t know. The Gospel Doctrine teacher didn’t know. Everyone sitting in that Sunday School class would have been very horribly shocked to learn of this couple’s situation. They are also good and kind people and would never have said what they said in the way they said it if they knew the situation. This family is the last family anyone would suspect of having such a problem. They have three beautiful daughters, are sealed in the temple, and seem to be faithful in every way. I listened to that Sunday School class discussing that principle, tromping in this couple’s very wet cement, stealing the tiny bit of hope they had in their hearts. It must have taken so much courage to come to Church that day. Surely there is plentiful doctrine to indicate that adultery is a very serious sin. There is also doctrine that teaches that no situation is hopeless, and the Savior is merciful, and everyone will eventually have the need to repent of SOMETHING. I raised my hand and talked about the woman taken in adultery, and the beauty of the Savior’s hope-filled statement to her, “NEITHER DO I CONDEMN THEE; go thy way and sin no more.” I mentioned how his response to that serious sin gave ALL of us hope as we deal with less serious sins. It was a day to put a particular emphasis on a particular doctrine, even though what the class members were saying was accurate.
The week before, after meeting me for the first time face to face following our conversation on the phone, I was surprised at her fury when she looked at me. I had tried to be kind and helpful on the phone, and I couldn’t figure out what I had done wrong, why she was glaring at me in that manner. Maybe she just resented her situation and felt embarrassed. I didn’t talk with her after our Sunday School class that day, but when I saw her in the street last night, she RAN OUT to the road to speak with me, and I could tell that she was feeling better. The Spirit bore witness to me that a few words in Sunday School had helped her and her husband feel a little better about a terrible situation. People’s words at a difficult time carry so much weight. Prophets’ words at a difficult time carry so much weight. We never know whom we help when we share their words.
of course not – but leaders DO have a stewardship over certain areas. Leaders DO have a responsibility to offer correction when false doctrine is taught.
I think this is always appropriate. My question was what to do when that doesn’t happen. I haven’t had the opportunity to really witness a teacher taking a class in hand too often and so hearing how someone else does it is very helpful.
davidson, I have been known to share things as a class member/participant as well, so I agree with you there. I was specifically responding to jennycherie’s concern as a teacher, who does play the ‘official’ role of facilitator — that doesn’t mean she has to have all the answers, but not always will the class correct itself so a teacher should come prepared and be spiritually sensitive to know when to redirect a discussion.
The ideal is of course what you have described, however, where someone in the class can share something. That’s what every teacher dreams for! 🙂
And I think the key for all of us, in whatever role we may have, is to be sensitive to the Spirit.
too true! And when that happens, it is wonderful! Those are the BEST discussions in the world.
mlinford, I like this article. I don’t usually bother to log in to post, but I have enjoyed your postings and want to tell you.
:clap:
ChanJo, thank you for your kind comment. The gospel is awesome, isn’t it? :bigsmile:
Thanks for this post. I LOVED the First Presidency Message this month. My husband told me how great it was, and I devoured it. One thing I particularly liked was this part:
In our own time we have been warned with counsel on where to find safety from sin and from sorrow. One of the keys to recognizing those warnings is that they are repeated. For instance, more than once in general conferences, you have heard our prophet say that he would quote a preceding prophet and would therefore be a second witness and sometimes even a third. Each of us old enough to listen heard President Spencer W. Kimball (1895 ?1985) give counsel on the importance of a mother in the home and then heard President Ezra Taft Benson (1899 ?1994) quote him, and we have heard President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910 ?2008) quote them both.
I like that the example he uses of where to find safety is having a mother in the home. That is very direct counsel (although not necessarily popular with everyone).
I also liked that my husband came home from reading it on the train, showed me that paragraph, and thanked me for being at home with our children. Good things always come from reading the Ensign.
Oh, that’s so SWEET!
Give him a pat on the back from the Mormon Momma crew!!!!
I was struck by how that was his specific example as well. And that is a wonderful little story about your hubby. Thanks for sharing.
Another :clap: from me, Tinkerbell.
Did you guys/gals notice that the First presidency message in the July Ensign is also about listening to the prophet? Interesting. It must be important, or something. 🙂 I wonder if we are being prepared for additional counsel coming up, or if we (as a whole) just aren’t doing a good enough job of listening to the prophet?
I think it is because we need to be better at this and because the reminder is important every time we get a new prophet. Plus, sometimes, there are fringe groups of members that fall away when a new prophet is called because they struggle with accepting a new prophet. A guy I went to high school with still considers himself LDS but he says he only believes in the prophets of some time ago (Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, Joseph F. Smith, etc.) and not the current, living prophets. Ironically, he still goes to church and pretends to be a good member (with his wife and kids) but the last I knew, they were looking for a loving si ster wife to join their family. :shocked: I think of his family when I think of the prophesy that there will be false teachers inside the church in the last days. Of course, I also consider that prophesy to be a warning to myself, when I am teaching that I be careful not to teach false doctrine!:shamed:
I wonder if part of the reason for these back-to-back articles on following the prophet are due to the stuff happening in CA. It seems that a lot of people on the bloggernacle are parting with the prophet on this.
Tinkerbell, I doubt there is a coincidence with the timing of the articles, both with a new prophet and with all that is happening in CA.
Repeated counsel –> Riveted attention –> Safety!
What a wonderful article! Thank you for this..I’m going to use this in my lesson tomorrow 🙂