One of my favorite stories in Church history occurred in Kirtland in March of 1837. John Taylor, a new convert to the Church had emigrated from Canada to Kirtland. Upon arriving in Kirtland, Brother Taylor went to see the missionary who had converted him six months earlier, Parley P. Pratt, but John Taylor was shocked to find that Elder Pratt had lost his testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith.
Now, you can imagine how unsettling it must have been for a new convert to hear the missionary who converted him speak against the Prophet. It would have been easy for Brother Taylor to keep his mouth shut and say nothing. Worse, he could have questioned whether anything Elder Pratt had taught him was true; he could have lost his faith and returned to Canada, free of the Church.
But Brother Taylor had not joined the church because of Parley P. Pratt. He had joined the church because he had a testimony—in his study of the gospel, Brother Taylor had had the Spirit confirm truth.
And that was a fact he was not going to forget, nor let Elder Pratt forget.
So after Parley P. Pratt listed some of his grievances against Joseph, this new convert boldly corrected him. John Taylor said to him: “Now Brother Parley, it is not the man I am following, but the Lord.”
And then Brother Taylor added this testimony: “The principles you have taught me have led me to [Christ], and I now have the same testimony you then rejoiced in. If the work was true six months ago, it is true now. If Joseph was then a prophet, he is now a prophet.”
That testimony reminded Elder Pratt of Joseph’s divine mission, and Elder Pratt from that forth had and stayed true to his testimony of the Prophet. Elder John H. Groberg wrote of this moment: “In tears, Parley acknowledged his error and received full forgiveness from the Prophet.”
I love that testimony of President Taylor: “It is not the man I am following, but the Lord.” It is an awesome and true principle of this restored Church.
I know that when I follow the counsel of President Gordon B. Hinckley, that I am following the Lord!
President Hinckley is more than just a cute, little old man, who’s the head of a major religion and sometimes makes funny jokes. He is the Lord’s servant. Jesus Christ speaks through him.
And you can tell that it is God speaking through President Hinckley because the Spirit strongly accompanies his every word.
How grateful I am that the Spirit has burned into my heart time and time and time again a testimony that Gordon B. Hinckley is a prophet of God. I … know … he is!
What a blessing it is to live in a day when there is a prophet of God on the Earth!
What an even greater blessing it is to live in a day when it’s so easy to hear the words that God places into the mouth of his prophet.
I feel so sorry for the people who lived in the days of the Great Apostasy. These were the people who lived through a great famine, foretold the Prophet Amos, and that famine was of hearing the words of the Lord.
Through his servant Amos, the Lord described the people of this era like this:
“And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it.”
In that Apostasy, plain and precious truths were craftily exterminated from man’s understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ. This erosion of truth, administered by Satan, aimed to curb man’s understanding of himself and his relation to God. By selectively removing selected passages of truth, Satan hoped to hide from mankind the truth of why we are here, where we are going and what we can become. Indeed, Satan’s purpose was squash out in every soul the great hope of the Atonement, of miracles, of a loving Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ. Instead of teaching Christ as a merciful being whose arms are stretched out to all continually, Satan rearranged, corrupted and warped man’s understanding of the gospel to the point that some foolishly believed God would not help them at all.
What a sad condition that must have been to live in—to not be able to find the comfort that comes from knowing the fullness of the gospel. We can see how perilous and how brutal that awful famine must have been.
In hearing of the awfulness of that time, are you not glad that you live now and not then.
And, if knowing that the misery of the aptly-named Dark Ages, came because there were no prophets, will you not then rejoice that we now have a prophet, and listen and hearken to his words?
What a blessing it is to have the Light that comes from the Conference Center every six months. As many of you know, directly above the pulpit on the roof flows a fountain going in four directions to symbolize how the word of God flows from that place to every corner of the Earth.
And one of the places it flows is, if you take the time to listen, is to your ears. And one of the places it also flows, if you allow it, is into your heart. And if you allow the word of God to enter into your heart, and you feel the Spirit confirm the truth of it, and you change your life however you need to change your life to be on God’s course, then the blessing of having a living prophet on Earth is not wasted on you.
But what if you don’t listen to the prophet? What if you don’t hearken to the prophet? Well, simply put, you’re not walking the right path. You’re not on the path that leads you back to the Celestial Kingdom, which is where you really want to go. You’re on path that goes elsewhere. Where exactly, I don’t know, perhaps it’s the Telestial or Terrestrial. But I pray that you will never find out which of the Lesser Kingdoms you’re headed to. Instead, I hope that you will correct the path of your feet, and come walk on the strait-and-narrow.
In the early days of the church, there were some leaders who were not walking the strait-and-narrow, to put it kindly. They had started meeting in secret to figure out how to remove the Prophet Joseph Smith from his office.
Of this, President Ezra Taft Benson writes, “They made the mistake of inviting Brigham Young to one of these secret meetings. He rebuked them after he had heard the purpose of their meeting. This is part of what he said: “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.”
Don’t you just love Brigham Young! Once he had a testimony of Joseph Smith, he was committed. He was perhaps Joseph’s most loyal follower. Another story illustrates Brigham’s commitment to Joseph Smith, told by Truman Madsen.
One day, Brigham was sitting in a meeting, when he was asked by the Prophet to stand up. And, once Brigham was standing, the Prophet began to rebuke him, for something that apparently Brigham hadn’t done.
Brother Madsen writes: “Every eye turned to Brother Brigham. He was not known as a weak man. What would he say. He could have said, ‘You shouldn’t do that in public.’ He could have said, ‘You are wrong?’ He could have said, ‘What about Doctrine and Covenants 121, which tells us to deal with others in kindness, persuasion and long-suffering?’ What he said, in a tone that everyone knew was genuine, was, ‘Joseph, what would you have me to do?’ Then, the Prophet Joseph burst into tears, came down from the stand, embraced him, and said, ‘Brigham, you have passed.””
I think in there, we learn something about our relationship to the prophet. It is not our spot to tell them what they should say; that’s the Lord’s job. It’s our job to listen to them, with that thought in our mind, “President Hinckley, what would you have me to do?”
And, really, “What would you have me to do,” is not that different from Christ’s humble answer when he volunteered to be our Savior and so beautifully said to the Father, “Here am I; send me.” In doing so, Christ accepted his Atoning mission from the Lord. By doing the same, we accept our mission from the Lord that he has handed down to us from his servants, the prophets.
In addition to having a living prophet, we are blessed in this day to have the precious Book of Mormon.
Now, there are many ways to read the Book of Mormon. You can read it as a testimony of Christ, and, if you do, you will notice, how many of the prophets in that Book saw and heard Christ. You can read it as a history of the Nephites. You can read it as a book that shows how God deals with mankind. You can view it as a history of covenants that God made with a people. All are great ways to read that sacred book.
But the one of the ways you can read it—and the way we’ll focus on tonight—is a history of following (or not following) God’s prophet. The Book of Mormon is stacked with example after example of what happened when people followed the prophet vs. what happened when they did not.
In each case that they followed the prophet, the people were blessed. Indeed, the Lord each time that happened fulfilled his end of the common covenant of the Book of Mormon
“And inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper in the land.”
And, indeed, that’s what happened every time, and that’s why the Nephites were always richer than the Lamanites.
But each time, the people failed to heed the prophet’s admonitions, the Lord fulfilled the other part of that covenant:
“But inasmuch as they will not keep my commandments, they shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord.”
And, indeed, that also happened every time. And each time, it did, the Nephites suffered the consequences; and, in time, their disobedience so divorced them from God’s aid that they were victims of a great genocide and became an extinct race.
Let’s look at some examples of those who heeded the prophet’s advice.
First, let’s look at Captain Moroni, the skilled leader of the Nephite armies through a terrible war. The war starts when the leader of the Lamanites, Zemnarihah, marches his army to land of Jershon, where he is met by Captain Moroni’s army. But when the Lamanites saw that Moroni, no doubt acting under inspiration, had dressed his soldiers in armor, the Lamanites decided to take another tactic and fled out of there.
So Moroni sends his spies to follow after them and learn of their plans, which is a good tactic. But had he done this alone, the Lamanites would have prevailed, because his spies didn’t get the information they needed.
But the spies’ failure didn’t matter because Moroni had wisely taken another action:
“Moroni, also, knowing of the prophecies of Alma, sent certain men unto him, desiring him that he should inquire of the Lord whither the armies of the Nephites should go to defend themselves against the Lamanites.
And it came to pass that the word of the Lord came unto Alma, and Alma informed the messengers of Moroni, that the armies of the Lamanites were marching round about in the wilderness, that they might come over into the land of Manti, that they might commence an attack upon the weaker part of the people. And those messengers went and delivered the message unto Moroni” (Alma 43:23-24).
Now, look at the faith of Moroni. With the knowledge he had gained from his spies conflicting with the knowledge he had gain from the prophet, Moroni chose to follow the prophet.
He took his army to Manti, concealed some of his army in strategic places, and when the Lamanites marched by, the Nephite army fell on them from behind, as Moroni marched with the main army to meet the Lamanites head-on. The result was decisive, and it was All-Nephites.
Just as the prophet Alma warned Moroni of the enemy’s sneak attack, the prophet Gordon B. Hinckley today warns of the Enemy’s subtles plans to drag us down to hell.
And just like Moroni, if we have the faith to follow the prophet, we will be victorious.
Some of the subtle plans of Satan that President Hinckley has lately exposed are gambling and pornography, which I am going to call spiritual serpents, because, if tried, they can bite you and their poison can be spiritually fatal.
I read a verse recently in Ether 8:33 that I found very interesting:
“And it came to pass that the Lord did cause the serpents … that they should hedge up the way that the people could not pass, that whoso should attempt to pass might fall by the poisonous serpents.”
What I find interesting about that verse is that these snakes had already been among the Jaredites; they knew they were fatally poisonous. Still, in order for the people to know that you couldn’t get by the serpents, it seems someone had to try. And that person paid with their life.
So we go back to gambling and pornography. Perhaps you think you are strong or swift enough to not be infected the poison of these vices.
I’ve got news for you: you aren’t.
And the poison of these spiritual serpents is not physical death; it’s spiritual death. So don’t try to run past the snakes and hope you don’t get bit. Stay away from the snakes!
These are not activities for the Latter-day Saints! Just because they are popular and legal, doesn’t make them right! Alma once said to his son Corianton, after he had “visited” the harlot Isabel: “Yea, she did steal away the hearts of many; but this was no excuse for thee, my son.” The popularity of a sin doesn’t make it justifiable. We know better.
Besides, prophets are never popular. Just look at Abinadi.
Called to warn King Noah to repent, Abinadi paid with his life. But he made a promise to king Noah that however the king chose to execute Abinadi would be the same way the King died.
Sure enough, after burning Abinadi to death, King Noah found himself and some of his constituents fleeing from before the Lamanite army. The men wanted to stop and go back and rescue their wives and children. The king refused. So they bound the king and, true to Abinadi’s prophesy, burned him.
In likening Noah’s fate to our own lives, we see that the consequence of not listening to the prophet is spiritual death.
Another example is either, who prophesied to Coriantumr, the last Jaredite king, this warning in Ether 13:21-22:
“And in the second year the word of the Lord came to Ether, that he should go and prophesy unto Coriantumr that, if he would repent, and all his household, the Lord would give unto him his kingdom and spare the people—
“Otherwise they should be destroyed, and all his household save it were himself. And he should only live to see the fulfilling of the prophecies which had been spoken concerning another people receiving the land for their inheritance; and Coriantumr should receive a burial by them; and every soul should be destroyed save it were Coriantumr.”
“Coriantumr didn’t listen, and he did prove to be the only Jaredite (besides Ether) to survive that war. And, later, he is found, true to Ether’s word, by the Nephites, wandering around as a vagabond rather than as a king.”
Again, we see the consequences of not following the prophet. The Book of Mormon is full of them. The people at Ammonihah imprisoned Alma and Amulek and burned all their followers. What happened? As Alma prophesied, their city was destroyed. The people in Mormon’s time did not heed his words, so the prophecies concerning their destruction were fulfilled.
In contrast, the sons of Mosiah asked their father if they could preach until the Lamanites—he prayed about it, found out it was the Lord’s will and sent them, and they converted half a nation. The prophet Helaman told his sons Nephi and Lehi to go preach to the Lamanites. They did and they converted a nation.
Perhaps the best example is Nephi. After breaking his bow, Nephi and his family were in a tough spot. As so many of us are prone to do, the rest of his family murmured and complained and couldn’t find a way out of their situation. They didn’t see what they could do to solve the problem; they didn’t ask the Lord what He could do to solve the problem.
Nephi, however, just built a new bow. And then he went to his father, the prophet and asked, where should I go hunt!
Nephi found a solution. That solution was a common sense one: solve what part of the problem he could and turn to the Lord to fix the rest. In that way, Nephi was really saying, “Lehi, what would you have me to do.” And Lehi then sought the Lord’s direction and found the answer.
I hope you can see how the Book of Mormon is, in part, a great history of the consequences of following the prophet.
What a great blessing that we have this precious record among us.
And to that, we also have the beautiful words of the Prophets of the Restoration.
In remembering the frustration of those humble seekers of truth in the Age of the Apostasy, I cannot say enough how grateful I am that, before us, God has laid a great feast of gospel knowledge.
We have the words of a prophet before us almost continually. With General Conferences, Ensigns, Books, TV appearances, etc., there is simply no need to be spiritually famished.
The prime rib of this feast is our living prophet, for his words are of prime importance to us.
Ezra Taft Benson taught the truth of following the living prophet:
“God’s revelations to Adam did not instruct Noah how to build the ark. Noah needed his own revelation. Therefore, the most important prophet, so far as you and I are concerned, is the one living in our day and age to whom the Lord is currently revealing his will for us.”
The most important prophet to us is not Moses; it’s not Peter; it’s not even Joseph Smith; it’s Gordon B. Hinckley.
That’s why it’s important to study what he has said. And what he has said recently. Let me ask you this: “Did you take the time last April to listen to General Conference? And if so, then what did President Hinckley talk about?”
So with that in mind we’re going to take a detour here from our main topic of following the prophet to revisit what he said in General Conference.
In the Saturday morning session, he gave an accounting of what has happened in his 10 years as president of the Church.
President Hinckley started by reminding us of quote he made when he became President of the church on March 12, 1995:
“Now, my brethren and sisters, the time has come for us to stand a little taller, to lift our eyes and stretch our minds to a greater comprehension and understanding of the grand millennial mission of this The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This is a season to be strong. It is a time to move forward without hesitation, knowing well the meaning, the breadth, and the importance of our mission. It is a time to do what is right regardless of the consequences that might follow. It is a time to be found keeping the commandments. It is a season to reach out with kindness and love to those in distress and to those who are wandering in darkness and pain. It is a time to be considerate and good, decent and courteous toward one another in all of our relationships. In other words, to become more Christ-like.”
Then, after recounting what has happened in the church in the last 10 years, President Hinckley said: “We know that we have scarcely scratched the surface of that which will come to pass in the years that lie ahead.”
In the priesthood session, he spoke out against gambling. President Hinckley started with this story:
“The story is told that one Sunday Calvin Coolidge, onetime president of the United States and a man noted for few words, returned from church. His wife asked him what the preacher spoke about. He replied, "Sin." "What did he say?" she asked. "He was against it," was his reply.
“I think I could answer the question concerning gambling just that briefly. We are against it.”
Specifically, President Hinckley, while condemning all forms of gambling, focused mainly on poker tournaments.
And, in contrast to gambling, President Hinckley showed the righteous principle of tithing.
“I am so grateful that when the Lord established this Church He gave us the law of tithing,” President Hinckley said. “I talked at one time with an officer of another church which, I understand, relies on the playing of bingo for a substantial part of its income. I said to this man, "Have you ever considered tithing to finance your church?" He replied, "Yes, and oh, how I wish that we might follow this practice instead of playing bingo. But I do not expect this change in my lifetime.’”
Then, after listing quote after quote by church leaders from Joseph Smith to Elder Dallin H. Oaks condemning gambling, President Hinckley added his own condemnation:
“To these statements of the position of the Church I add my own. The pursuit of a game of chance may seem like harmless fun. But there attaches to it an intensity that actually shows on the faces of those who are playing. And in all too many cases this practice, which appears innocent, can lead to an actual addiction. The Church has been and is now opposed to this practice. If you have never been involved in poker games or other forms of gambling, don't start. If you are involved, then quit now while you can do so.
“There are better ways to spend one's time. There are better pursuits to occupy one's interest and energy. There is so much of wonderful reading available. We are not likely to ever get too much of it. There is music to be learned and enjoyed. There is just having a good time together—in dancing, in hiking, in cycling, or in other ways—boys and girls together enjoying one another's company in a wholesome way.”
On Sunday morning, President Hinckley taught of Joseph Smith and bore his testimony of the First Prophet of the Restoration.
President Hinckley recounted some of the revelations that came through Joseph, saying:
“For centuries men gathered and argued concerning the nature of Deity. Constantine assembled scholars of various factions at Nicaea in the year 325. After two months of bitter debate, they compromised on a definition which for generations has been the doctrinal statement among Christians concerning the Godhead.
“I invite you to read that definition and compare it with the statement of the boy Joseph. He simply says that God stood before him and spoke to him. Joseph could see Him and could hear Him. He was in form like a man, a being of substance. Beside Him was the resurrected Lord, a separate being, whom He introduced as His Beloved Son and with whom Joseph also spoke.
“I submit that in the short time of that remarkable vision Joseph learned more concerning Deity than all of the scholars and clerics of the past.
“In this divine revelation there was reaffirmed beyond doubt the reality of the literal Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.
“This knowledge of Deity, hidden from the world for centuries, was the first and great thing which God revealed to His chosen servant.
“And upon the reality and truth of this vision rests the validity of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”
In that same talk, President Hinckley bore testimony of the Book of Mormon, saying: “This sacred book, which came forth as a revelation of the Almighty, is indeed another testament of the divinity of our Lord.”
And he also taught of the Priesthood: “If the [priesthood] authority of [the Primitive] Church was lost, how was it to be replaced?
“Priesthood authority came from the only place it could come, and that is from heaven. It was bestowed under the hands of those who held it when the Savior walked the earth.”
President Hinckley also spoke of the restored truths regarding the family:
“Through the revelations of God to His Prophet came the doctrine and authority under which families are sealed together not only for this life but for all eternity.
“I think that if we had the capacity to teach effectively this one doctrine, it would capture the interest of millions of husbands and wives who love one another and who love their children, but whose marriage is in effect only "until death do you part.’”
Finally, in that same Sunday morning talk, President Hinckley taught of the doctrine of salvation for the dead:
“Men boast that they are "saved," and in the same breath admit that their forebears have not been and cannot be saved.
“Jesus's Atonement in behalf of all represents a great vicarious sacrifice. He set the pattern under which He became a proxy for all mankind. This pattern under which one man can act in behalf of another is carried forward in the ordinances of the house of the Lord. Here we serve in behalf of those who have died without a knowledge of the gospel. Theirs is the option to accept or reject the ordinance which is performed. They are placed on an equal footing with those who walk the earth. The dead are given the same opportunity as the living. Again, what a glorious and wonderful provision the Almighty has made through His revelation to His Prophet.”
On Sunday Afternoon, in his closing remarks, President Hinckley gave us this counsel:
“Wherever we may live we can be friendly neighbors. Our children can mingle with the children of those not of this Church and remain steadfast if they are properly taught. They can even become missionaries to their associates.
“We commend our wonderful youth who for the most part stand up to the evils of the world, who push these evils aside and live lives pleasing to the Lord. We constantly pray that their parents will likewise live worthily in every respect.
“We repeat what we have said before: make a habit of going to the house of the Lord. There is no better way to ensure proper living than temple attendance. It will crowd out the evils of pornography, substance abuse, and spiritual atrophy. It will strengthen marriage and family relations.”
So that is what President Hinckley said in the last general conference. These are the words which the Prophet of God presented to us for our study.
President Benson taught that “the general conference addresses are our marching orders for the next six months.”
So we can look at President Hinckley’s remarks as our marching orders.
But we are also blessed to still have with us what President Hinckley has said before.
First of all, he has written two books that are of great worth to us: “Standing for Something” and “Way to Be.”
In “Standing for Something,” he reminds us of “10 Neglected virtues that will heal our hearts and homes,” and those 10 virtues are Love, Honesty, Morality, Learning, Forgiveness and Mercy, Thrift and Industry, Gratitude, Optimism and Faith.” In “Way to Be,” he instructs in “9 Ways to be happy and make something of your life,” and those ways are to Be Grateful, Be Smart, Be Involved, Be Clean, Be True, Be Positive, Be Humble, Be Still, Be Prayerful.
Also, there are so many great talks he has given over the years that we can turn to and look to for guidance.
May I suggest that in the coming days, you try to find a talk or two of his, and, in it, find a message for you. Find something you can improve about yourself. Find a way you can better follow the prophet. For, in doing so, you will be following the Lord and finding out his will concerning you.
And in that way, what you are really saying is this, “Jesus, what would you have me to do?”
Is there any question more important than that one? In recent weeks, I have had a scripture running through my head. It’s the one where Jesus, after some of his followers have left and sought their own paths, he turns and asks his disciples— brokenheartedly—“Will ye also go away?”
Christ wants us in the Celestial Kingdom. He wants us there so much, that he gave His life for us. And for us, he suffered immeasurable and incomprehensible pain in Gethsemane and on the Cross. He wants us there so badly because he knows that’s where will be the happiest.
Having paid that price for us, Christ looks at us, and asks, “Will ye also go away?” I hope our answer is no. I hope I don’t wander away. I want to be saved. Christ wants me and all of us to be saved also.
For that cause, Christ not only gave us his life, but he has also given us prophets to remind us of the dangers ahead. We have seen tonight many examples of the good that comes from putting aside our wants and following the prophet. After John Taylor’s rebuke, Parley P. Pratt returned to the fold and became a legendary missionary and leader of the Church. Brigham’s humble, “Joseph, what will you have me to do,” statement was symbolic of the devotion to righteousness that he had, and why the Lord could trust Brigham with His church. After receiving Alma’s help, Moroni thereafter always sought the Lord’s guidance and blessing; the Nephites triumphed because of it. Because of Nephi’s diligence to righteous principles, his family reached the Promised Land.
In considering such examples, can you really then brush aside the words of the prophets and go your own way? I hope not. Instead, I hope you listen and heed to every word that the Lord places in the mouth of his prophets.
I know this church is true. I know Christ came and sacrificed himself to rescue me. And I know His church has been restored on the Earth again today, and is truly led by a prophet of God, Gordon B. Hinckley. How grateful I am that I live in the Age of Gordon B. Hinckley, one of the great prophets of God. What a precious gift it is to have him as our prophet. What a special blessing it has been for me to hear with my own ears his words, the words the Lord wants his prophet to speak to the ends of the Earth. I love him so much. I love how the goodness of the Savior reflects through him, and all can see that Gordon B. Hinckley is a man of God. I love the counsel he gives. It has helped me in my life, as I’m sure it has yours. And I know the counsel the Lord will yet give through his prophets will always bless our lives, if we heed to it.
And this I say in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
