What We Are Learning and Will Never Forget

tinyurl.com/lesaug22

April 2021: What We Are Learning and Will Never Forget

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2021/04/36nelson

Prophets become prophets at just the right time and place to serve when and where they are needed. It’s not a coincidence that Nelson is a Dr.

“Ye are little children, and ye have not as yet understood how great blessings the Father hath … prepared for you;

“And ye cannot bear all things now; nevertheless, be of good cheer, for I will lead you along.” -Doctrine and Covenants 78:17–18.

1. The Home Is the Center of Faith and Worship.

   • “The rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven.”

   • You and your family have received priesthood ordinances.

   • It is “in the ordinances [of the priesthood that] the power of godliness is manifest.”

   • Just 185 years ago, this very day, April 3, 1836, Elijah restored the keys of the priesthood that allow our families to be sealed...

   • The Order of the Patriachal Priesthood
     https://youtu.be/PSGfUejMIaU (Follow Him Podcast, Dr. Barbara Gardner)
     

2. We Need Each Other.

   • God’s plan of happiness would be frustrated if His children remained isolated one from another.

   • love God and...love our neighbor.

   • If you know of anyone who is alone, reach out—even if you feel alone too! You do not need to have a reason...
     

3. Your Priesthood Quorum Is Meant for More Than Just a Meeting.

   • expand your vision of why we have quorums. How does the Lord wish you would use your quorum to accomplish His work—now?
     

4. We Hear Jesus Christ Better When We Are Still.

   • “all things shall be in commotion; and surely, men’s hearts shall fail them; for fear shall come upon all people.”

   • Quiet time is sacred time—time that will facilitate personal revelation and instill peace.

   • Take time to immerse yourself in the scriptures and worship in the temple.

"I have listed only four. I invite you to make your own list,"

4. • What have you learned from the pandemic, that you will never forget?

February 1980: Fourteen Fundamentals in Following the Prophet

https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/ezra-taft-benson/fourteen-fundamentals-following-prophet/

1. The prophet is the only man who speaks for the Lord in everything.

   • Wherefore, meaning the church, thou shalt give heed unto all his words and commandments which he shall give unto you as he receiveth them, walking in all holiness before me;

For his word ye shall receive, as if from mine own mouth, in all patience and faith. -D&C 21:4-5

2. The living prophet is more vital to us than the standard works.

   • “when compared with the living oracles those books are nothing to me; those books do not convey the word of God direct to us now, as do the words of a Prophet or a man bearing the Holy Priesthood in our day and generation. I would rather have the living oracles than all the writing in the books.” -Brigham Young
     

3. The living prophet is more important to us than a dead prophet.

   • "The living prophet has the power of TNT. By that I mean “Today’s News Today.” God’s revelations to Adam did not instruct Noah how to build the ark." -Ezra T. Benson
     

4. The prophet will never lead the Church astray.

   • “I say to Israel, The Lord will never permit me or any other man who stands as president of the Church to lead you astray. It is not in the program." -Wilford Woodruff
     

5. The prophet is not required to have any particular earthly training or credentials to speak on any subject or act on any matter at any time.

   • How much earthly schooling did Joseph Smith have? Yet he gave revelations on all kinds of subjects.
     

6. The prophet does not have to say “Thus saith the Lord” to give us scripture.

   • the Lord said of the Prophet, “Thou shalt give heed unto all his words and commandments which he shall give unto you” -D&C 21:4
     

7. The prophet tells us what we need to know, not always what we want to know.

   • "You may not like what comes from the authority of the Church. It may contradict your political views. It may contradict your social views. It may interfere with some of your social life. . . . Your safety and ours depends upon whether or not we follow. . . . Let’s keep our eye on the President of the Church." -Harold B. Lee
     

8. The prophet is not limited by men’s reasoning.

   • There will be times when you will have to choose between the revelations of God and the reasoning of men.

   • “Whatever God requires is right, no matter what it is, although we may not see the reason thereof until long after the events transpire” -Joseph Smith
     

9. The prophet can receive revelation on any matter—temporal or spiritual.

   • "In a public meeting of the Saints, I said, “Ye Elders of Israel, . . . will some of you draw the line of demarcation, between the spiritual and temporal in the Kingdom of God, so that I may understand it?” Not one of them could do it. . . .Temporal and spiritual things are inseparably connected, and ever will be." -Brigham Young
     

10. The prophet may be involved in civic matters.

    • "Those who would remove prophets from politics would take God out of government." -Ezra T. Benson

    • Alma was the head of the Church and of the government
      

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.

    • O that cunning plan of the evil one! O the vainness, and the frailties, and the foolishness of men! When they are learned they think they are wise, and they hearken not unto the counsel of God, for they set it aside, supposing they know of themselves, wherefore, their wisdom is foolishness and it profiteth them not. And they shall perish.

But to be learned is good if they hearken unto the counsels of God.
-2 Nephi 9:28-29

12. The prophet will not necessarily be popular with the world or the worldly.

    • "As we come closer to the Lord’s second coming, you can expect that as the people of the world become more wicked, the prophet will be less popular with them." -Ezra T. Benson
      

13. The prophet and his counselors make up the First Presidency—the highest quorum in the Church.

    • the Lord refers to the First Presidency as “the highest council of the Church” -D&C 107:80

    • “whosoever receiveth me, receiveth those, the First Presidency, whom I have sent” -D&C 112:20
      

14. The prophet and the presidency—the living prophet and the first presidency—follow them and be blessed; reject them and suffer.

    • “You cannot destroy the appointment of a prophet of God, but you can cut the thread that binds you to the prophet of God and sink yourselves to hell.” -Brigham Young

    • "I thought how true, and how serious when we begin to choose which of the covenants, which of the commandments we will keep and follow. When we decide that there are some of them that we will not keep or follow, we are taking the law of the Lord into our own hands and become our own prophets, and believe me, we will be led astray, because we are false prophets to ourselves when we do not follow the Prophet of God. No, we should never discriminate between these commandments, as to those we should and should not keep." -N. Eldon Tanner