Two of our meetings at church today focused on the same issue: What Has the Prophet Said Lately?
The first speaker in sacrament meeting related a story from her mission where a person they were teaching about the gospel got very excited about the idea of a living prophet and asked the two missionaries, “Well, what has the prophet said lately?” Unfortunately, the sisters were caught unaware and could not think of anything the prophet had said in recent months. It is a remarkable claim that we are able to make, that we have a Living Prophet who speaks to us as a mouthpiece for God; as such, we should be thirsty for any messages or information that comes from him.
I found myself unable to recollect anything the prophet has said recently. Fortunately I know where to look to find this information and will relay to you what I have found in links and brief summaries.
There are a few different avenues where we are able to hear from the Prophet. Most notably is the semi-Annual General Conferences of the church, held in the first weekend of April and October. (it’s coming up!) The church also publishes a monthly magazine (The Ensign) wherein the opening article comes from one of the three members of the First Presidency. The Ensign also publishes all the addresses from General Conference in the May and November issues.
In General Conference the Prophet generally addresses the church 4-5 times, usually the opening and/or closing remarks come from the prophet as well as other more instructive talks throughout the two day event. So in the past year (two conferences) here is what our Prophet, Thomas S. Monson, has had to say to us:
April 2010 Conference
- Welcome to Conference
- Recent humanitarian aid, 25 years since humanitarian aid program began. Listing of Temples recently announced or built.
- Preparation Brings Blessings
- This message was given to the priesthood brethren (men ages 12+). Good choices in youth will lead to blessings later in life. Stay away from destructive thoughts, influences and environments. Blessings will result if faithful.
- He Is Risen!
- “Our Savior lived again. The most glorious, comforting, and reassuring of all events of human history had taken place—the victory over death. The pain and agony of Gethsemane and Calvary had been wiped away. The salvation of mankind had been secured. The Fall of Adam had been reclaimed.”
- A Word At Closing
- Study the words which have been spoken at this conference. Look to the lighthouse of the Lord to direct your paths.
October 2009 Conference
- Welcome to Conference
- Temples recently built, temple work is important. Members should embrace new converts.
- School Thy Feelings, O My Brother
- This message given to the Priesthood Brethren (Men ages 12+). Refrain from anger and angry actions. “To be angry is to yield to the influence of Satan. No one can make us angry. It is our choice. If we desire to have a proper spirit with us at all times, we must choose to refrain from becoming angry. I testify that such is possible.”
- What Have I Done For Someone Today?
- “My brothers and sisters, we are surrounded by those in need of our attention, our encouragement, our support, our comfort, our kindness—be they family members, friends, acquaintances, or strangers. We are the Lord’s hands here upon the earth, with the mandate to serve and to lift His children. He is dependent upon each of us.” Focus on helping someone else everyday.
- Closing Remarks
- “We live at a time when many in the world have slipped from the moorings of safety found in compliance with the commandments. It is a time of permissiveness, with society in general routinely disregarding and breaking the laws of God. We often find ourselves swimming against the current, and sometimes it seems as though the current could carry us away…He is ever mindful of us. He loves us and will bless us as we do what is right.”
Ensign Articles since September 2009 written by President Monson:
- Canaries With Gray on their Wings June 2010
- To live greatly, we must develop the capacity to face trouble with courage, disappointment with cheerfulness, and triumph with humility. You ask, “How might we achieve these goals?” I answer, i“By gaining a true perspective of who we really are!” We are sons and daughters of a living God, in whose image we have been created. Think of that: created in the image of God. We cannot sincerely hold this conviction without experiencing a profound new sense of strength and power.
- On Being Spiritually Prepared February 2010
- “In the search for our best selves, several questions will guide our thinking: Am I what I want to be? Am I closer to the Savior today than I was yesterday? Will I be closer yet tomorrow? Do I have the courage to change for the better? …”
- Finding Strength Through Obedience October 2009
- The best examples of Obedience can be found in the scriptures. “Obedience is a hallmark of prophets, but it should be realized that this source of strength is available to us today.”
These are the messages we have been given most recently. In the first weekend of October, we will be given some more. We believe as Amos taught, “Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secrets unto his servants the prophets.”
We are privileged to get such access to the prophet and what the Lord wants for us through his messages.
Either Joseph Smith was honest about his first encounter with God or he lied about it. He was visited frequently by angels or he wasn’t visited at all. He was a prophet or a hoaxer. If one is not Mormon and will not be baptized, “Joseph Smith was a fraud” is the stance one is required to take. The middle ground is removed.
You too can learn what all the hullabaloo is about: this weekend is the semiannual, world-wide broadcast of the General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Over the course of two days, our beloved prophet, Thomas S. Monson (along with his two counselors and the twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ) will gives us the guidance that the Lord wants us to receive about issues that matter to us,today.
Today and tomorrow are what is known to Mormons worldwide as “General Conference Weekend.” It happens twice a year — the first weekend of April and of October. It’s a broadcast service in which