We Thank Thee, Oh God, for a Prophet
Watching General Conference caused me to pause and consider just how very thankful I am to have living prophets and apostles on the earth today. Where else could we receive such truth and light? In a world that is often filled with chaos, misinformation, distortion, and deception; where evil is called good and good is called evil; it is such a blessing to have the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ and to be guided by the counsel and examples prophets and apostles.
As I look back, I realize that the guidance and examples from our prophets have been life-changing for me.
I would like to share just a few examples.
President Ezra Taft Benson – The Power of Book of Mormon
In 1986 and 1988, President Benson gave two seminal talks on the Book of Mormon. He called upon the members of the church to read from the Book of Mormon daily.
For me, the most impactful statement in his talk was the following: “It is not just that the Book of Mormon teaches us truth, though it indeed does that. It is not just that the Book of Mormon bears testimony of Christ, though it indeed does that, too. But there is something more. There is a power in the book which will begin to flow into your lives the moment you begin a serious study of the book.”
Since that time, the Book of Mormon, with its teachings and testimony of Jesus Christ, has indeed been a foremost source of strength and power in my life. I testify of its power.
President Gordon B. Hinckley – Forget yourself and go to work
As a new missionary serving in Preston, England, Elder Hinckley was sick, discouraged, and frustrated.
He wrote a letter to his father that he felt he was wasting his time and his father’s money. A little while later, Elder Hinckley received a reply from his dad.
It said, “Dear Gordon, I have your recent letter. I have only one suggestion: forget yourself and go to work.”
Earlier that morning during scripture study, Elder Hinckley had read in the Bible, “Whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it” (Mark 8:35). He said, “With my father’s letter in hand, I went into our bedroom in the house at 15 Wadham Road, where we lived, and got on my knees and made a pledge with the Lord. I covenanted that I would try to forget myself and lose myself in his service.”
What a wonderful example of losing oneself in the service of the Lord.
President Thomas S. Monson – On the Lord’s Errand
President Monson, ordained an apostle at the age of 36 and serving until he passed away at 90 years old, has literally spent his life “on the Lord’s Errand.” My favorite quote from President Monson is this: “The sweetest experience I know in life is to feel a prompting and act upon it and later find out that it was the fulfillment of someone’s prayer or someone’s need.
And I always want the Lord to know that if He needs an errand run, Tom Monson will run that errand for Him.”
I marvel at the countless experiences President Monson has shared about following a prompting and finding someone in need. He seemed to never doubt those promptings. He, and others, were so blessed for it.
President Russell M. Nelson – An Example of Humility
Having just read President Nelson’s biography, I am quite in awe of how talented he is. Yet, what I have been most impressed with is his humility.
I was very moved by the experience he shared about the two girls in the same family that died after he was unable to fix their hearts, and how grieved he was by this. And later, after many years of the family harboring resentment towards him and the church, he knelt in front of the father to implore the family to return to activity and be sealed to those girls. Though he was unable to fix the hearts of those little girls, his later efforts healed the hearts of many. I have been inspired to be humble and to strive to repent daily as he has counseled.
I humbly share my testimony of and gratitude for living apostles and prophets on the earth today.
What a blessing! Indeed, we thank thee, oh God, for a prophet.
Akron Ohio Stake News 