President Russell M. Nelson, who serves as the President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, spoke to Young Adults last Sunday in a CES Fireside for Young Adults. One of the things he emphasized in his address is the importance of following those sustained as prophets, seers, and revelators by gaining personal confirmation that what they say and do is in harmony with the Lord's will. He talked a lot about how he's personally endeavored to follow the prophet. He particularly talked about learning Mandarin Chinese at President Kimball's urging. This enabled President Nelson to open up greater understanding of and appreciation for the Church in China. He touched on President Benson's charge to him to open the countries of Eastern Europe to the preaching of the Gospel, recounting some of the miracles he saw in striving to follow the counsel of President Benson.
President Nelson also talked about how revelation was received in the matters of lowering the age of eligibility for young men and young women and in the handbook changes that were made as a result of the US and other nations legalizing the marriage of homosexual individuals. He talked about how every aspect and nuance of these issues is thoroughly discussed and how a decision is not reached until there is total unanimity among the apostles. He talked about how each of us can receive our own witness that the revelation coming from these prophets, seers, and revelators is truly the will of the Lord.
That is a very timely message in light of what happened following the calling of our three newest apostles. I've done enough research on the matter to know that many expressed their shock, dismay, and disappointment about the fact that none of those called were born outside the United States. It is to these people I want to address this post. I can understand the temptation to find fault with those chosen. They are all from Utah and are all older than many, including myself, had anticipated. I would have loved to see the apostleship get some younger international blood added to it. As many will remember, a few days prior to the conference, I gave specifics about who I thought would be called. All of my picks were international and younger.
However, I was prepared to accept whoever was called, because I had prayed to know that those called would be the ones the Lord wants to become apostles at this time. After the initial shock and dismay I felt about none of them being international or on the younger side, there was the instant confirmation for which I had sought that the Lord had directed the calls of Elders Rasband, Stevenson, and Renlund. That feeling was only heightened as I watched the press conference where they fielded questions about why no one was called from a foreign land. They all stated that they had international experience (having served previously in Area Presidencies outside of the United States, and that they were called to be witnesses of the name of Jesus Christ in all the world. I thought they did very well.
I've taken a long, hard look at this, and, in every case of anyone I've come across who expressed their dismay about the Lord's choices, none of them posted additionally to say they had received their own witness that those called had the Lord's stamp of approval. I don't claim to be any more righteous, faithful, or inspirationally inclined than any or all of such individuals, but I can say that I have learned for myself what should have been abundantly clear to anyone who sustains Thomas S. Monson as the Lord's prophet on the earth today. Those who were called are the ones whom the Lord needed to take the apostolic mantle at this time.
There is another element to this, which I mention reluctantly. Joseph Smith once said, "I will give you one of the Keys of the mysteries of the kingdom. It is an eternal principle, that has existed with God from all eternity: That man who rises up to condemn others, finding fault with the Church, saying they are out of the way, while he himself is righteous, then know assuredly, that that man is on the high road to apostasy, and if he does not repent, he will apostatize, as God lives."
I offer with that quote a disclaimer: I do not mean to imply that any who found fault with the selection of the new apostles will apostatize. However, if any of you have not received your own witness that these new apostles are called of God, I implore you with all the energy of my soul: Take the steps to get that witness. And when you have received such a witness, be sure and share it with those around you. Let us not be silenced by those who have not done so. Gaining your own witness of the validity of the process by which the Lord inspires his servants in all things will be a great boon to you. Then use the public forum of your choice to make known the answer you received. The world will be benefitted by those bold enough to witness that those called to speak with and for the Lord are truly his servants.
We have scriptural precedents for such testimonies. Amos 3:7 says, "Surely the Lord God will do nothing [unless and until] he revealeth his secrets unto his servants, the prophets." And in modern times, the Lord has said, "What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself. And though the heavens and the earth pass away, my words shall not pass away but shall all be fulfilled; whether by my own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same." The Lord stated in another revelation of this dispensation, "And this is the ensample unto them, that they shall speak as they are moved upon by the Holy Ghost. And whatsoever they shall speak when moved upon by the Holy Ghost shall be scripture, shall be the will of the Lord, shall be the mind of the Lord, shall be the word of the Lord, shall be the voice of the Lord, and the power of God unto salvation."
Wilford Woodruff once stated "The Lord will never permit me or any other man who stands as President of this Church to lead you astray. It is not in the programme. It is not in the mind of God. If I were to attempt that. the Lord would remove me out of my place, and so He will any other man who attempts to lead the children of men astray from the oracles of God and from their duty."
When we remember this, we can be reassured that whatever comes from our general or local Church leaders is in harmony with the Lord's will.
I would like next to speak of a time when I had a problem accepting counsel from my local leader and what came of that. In so doing, I quote from a talk I gave shortly after our marriage, the first time in which Amy and I together spoke.
[I would like to share an experience from my life that has taught me the importance of following the counsel of leaders, both general and local.]
"At the conclusion of my part-time missionary service, I remained in my home ward, the American Fork 9th Ward. In February last year, Kendall Warburton became my bishop. I knew he had been serving in the Singles' Ward Bishopric for a couple of years. I figured he'd probably try and get more of our ward's young single adults to go to the singles’ ward. I also figured he wouldn’t bother trying with me, because I had already told his predecessor that I would go to the Singles’ Ward only when the Lord called me there. With the choice left up to me, I thought I would be safe.
"Then, one day last March, the unthinkable happened. I received word that Bishop Warburton wanted to meet with me. I went there with a little trepidation, but not overly worried because I felt he might just have another calling for me. I was ready for one. I loved where I was at, but lately felt that it had become routine to me. So I was ready to embrace whatever change he had for me. But nothing could have prepared me for what happened. To accurately capture what my thoughts and feelings were, I turn to the journal entry I wrote about that visit.
"'He ushered me in, and we chatted (seemingly aimlessly) about my life. We talked of the state of my health, my callings and my schooling. He asked about my family, Neal in particular. Then he lowered the boom on me.
"'He was very kind and gentle, but also very firm and direct. He explained that he wished for me to seriously consider attending the Singles’ Ward in our stake. He reviewed the history of how it came about, recited the great experiences he’d had in the last three years as a counselor in the Singles’ Ward bishopric and explained the benefits I would receive as a result of my attendance there. [In so saying, he carefully dismantled all the arguments I had ever put up against the Singles’ Ward, even arguments I hadn’t realized I was using.] He mentioned that he felt my doing so would allow me to have a greater influence on Neal. He talked to me about not necessarily going over there permanently, but at least giving it a try for a few weeks. He told me they could cover my callings in my absence. I told him that at the conclusion of my missionary service, President Ivins had talked to me about the Singles’ Ward but had made it clear that the when and if of my attendance there would be up to me and the Lord. I also told him that every time I had approached the Lord about it thus far, the answer was ‘no.’ [I need to interject here that, though I didn’t know it at the time, I had been couching my query to the Lord in such a way that I could only get the answer I wanted.] Bishop Warburton acknowledged [what I had said], but suggested it was time to ask the Lord again. This time, he wished for me to do it amidst fasting, prayer, and temple attendance.
"'He told me that if I still felt the same way about this after that, he would say no more about it. He asked me to promise that I would do this. I told him all I could promise him was that I’d think about it. He said that was fair enough. Our interview ended on that note. By this time, I was late for Institute.
"'I had Mom take me to the seminary building, and I was able to catch most of the lesson. But I’m afraid I didn’t get much out of it this time around. I couldn’t get my conversation with Bishop Warburton off my mind. But surprisingly, the thing that bothered me most was not the enormity of what he had asked me to do. Instead, it was the fact that this was the first time my priesthood leader had asked me to do something, and all I could say was that I’d think about it. It was at that point, I think, that I experienced a paradigm shift in my perspective. I resolved then and there that I would do as Bishop Warburton asked. I would make the matter the object of prayer, fasting, and attending the temple as a patron after my shift, all the next day. I resolved that if the answer I got was affirmative, I would delay no longer than necessary and would start attending the Singles’ Ward on the first Sunday in May. This, I reasoned, would give the bishopric and my EQ presidency time to replace me in my callings, if the answer was affirmative…
"'That night, I drifted off to an uneasy sleep, still plagued by the foolishness of the way in which I had responded in-person to Bishop Warburton’s counsel, but knowing that I was on the right track to take action the next day.'
"I turn again to my journal to recount what happened the next day as I followed the plan.'It was a good shift. I received a Japanese patron. The Spirit was extremely strong, even moving me to a quavering voice and quiet weeping. It was in these moments that I knew that the thing which I had considered since the night before was the very thing the Lord wanted me to do. I will go to the Singles’ Ward starting the first Sunday in May.'
"Go I did, and what a blessing it proved to be in my life. Approximately one month after I started attending the Singles’ Ward, I received a letter from one of my fellow temple workers, Amy Nuttall. The letter told me that she liked what she had seen and wanted to get to know me better. We went on 14 dates in a 3 week period, and we became engaged on July 4. Our ability to get married hinged on Amy being able to find a full-time job with benefits. Many times during our engagement, we became discouraged and wondered how and if it would ever work out. But our priesthood leaders provided constant encouragement and help to us. Because of this encouragement we received through the personal and priesthood lines of communication, we were able to stay strong in our belief that things would work out. We adopted as the theme scripture for our marriage the following: 'And Christ hath said, if ye will have faith in me, ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me.'[i]
"So, we exercised our faith and one miracle after another allowed all the necessary pieces to fall into place. One of those pieces was where we now live. I was taking to Brother Poulson from this ward, who I saw regularly at the Singles’ Ward. He asked how things were going. I told him that everything had neatly fallen into place except for us finding a place to live. He mentioned that he knew of a couple in his ward, John and JesAnn Allen, who would soon be losing a tenant in their basement apartment. I called to inquire about that apartment, and we resolved to take it no matter what because we felt we had run out of options. So, we met with the Allens to see the apartment. We talked about it for a few minutes, and at the conclusion of our interview, Brother Allen handed me the key. This was just 4 days prior to our wedding. Miracle is the only word that can describe how that came about."
And so it was that if I had remained prideful and not accepted my good bishop's counsel, I would have missed out on the greatest blessing in my life. Accepting leaders' counsel and decisions, especially when it goes against how we think things ought to be, will be vital as the world spins ever closer to the day when the Savior will return again to the earth. At that time, all of us will be held accountable for how much or little we accept and support the decisions and actions of our general and local leaders. It is my hope and prayer that we may all recognize the high importance of so doing, and I share these thoughts and this post with you in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
[i]
Mormon 8:33.
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