This Week In the News

Last night I was thinking about what I would write in my blog this week. I was thinking a lot of things but most of all I felt that I would share my feelings about General Conference. Hearing a prophet speak in my home was a real treat for me. I enjoyed listening to the apostles and other general authorities also. The two talks about prophets quoted the same talk by President Benson. Two weeks ago I used the same quotes in my lesson. I would like to just review some of the fundamentals of a prophet:

1.The prophet is the only man who speaks for the Lord in everything.
2.The living prophet is more vital to us than the standard works.
3.The living prophet is more important to us than a dead prophet.
4.The prophet will never lead the church astray.
5.The prophet is not required to have any particular earthly training or diplomas to speak on any subject or act on any matter at any time.
6.The prophet does not have to say “Thus saith the Lord” to give us scripture.
7.The prophet tells us what we need to know, not always what we want to know.
8.The Prophet is not limited by men’s reasoning.
9.The prophet can receive revelation on any matter—temporal or spiritual.
10.The prophet may well advise on civic matters.
11.The two groups who have the greatest difficulty in following the prophet are the proud who are learned and the proud who are rich.
12.The prophet will not necessarily be popular with the world or the worldly.
13.The prophet and his counselors make up the First Presidency—The highest quorum in the Church.
14.The prophet and the presidency—the living prophet and the First Presidency—follow them and be blessed—reject them and suffer. [June 1981 Liahona]

There were other quotes that I used about why we need a living prophet today in my lesson.
President John Taylor said, “We require a living tree—a living fountain—living intelligence, proceeding from the living priesthood in heaven, through the living priesthood on earth. … And from the time that Adam first received a communication from God, to the time that John, on the Isle of Patmos, received his communication, or Joseph Smith had the heavens opened to him, it always required new revelations, adapted to the peculiar circumstances in which the churches or individuals were placed. Adam’s revelation did not instruct Noah to build his ark; nor did Noah’s revelation tell Lot to forsake Sodom; nor did either of these speak of the departure of the children of Israel from Egypt. These all had revelations for themselves, and so had Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Jesus, Peter, Paul, John, and Joseph. And so must we, or we shall make a shipwreck.” (The Gospel Kingdom, [Deseret Book Co., 1944], p. 34.)

Orson Pratt has said, “The very moment that we set aside the living oracles we set aside the revelations of God. Why? Because the revelations of God command us plainly that we shall harken to the living oracles. Hence, if we undertake to follow the written word, and at the same time do not give heed to the living oracles of God, the written word will condemn us. …” (Journal of Discourses, vol. 7, p. 373.)

I love conference and have set some goals for myself from the talks that were given. I remember that Spencer W. Kimball kept a notebook that he wrote in during conference to set goals of things he needed to work on. I love his response and so am following his example.