Hello again, everyone! Earlier today, the Newsroom
reported that updated safety guidelines for the entire Church had been released by the Presiding Bishopric. Although a few of the general guidelines are identical for the entire global Church, there are other recommendations that are specific to Church leaders and units in
North America and others specific to all
international areas in which the Church is established. That is likely because the mergency protocols are different in the United States and Canada than they are anywhere else. And that may well be a product of the increasingly-unique nature of the ever-diverse membership of the Church.
I have a couple other thoughts about this. First of all, it appears to be a prduct of the times in which we live that updated safety protocols, recommendations, and instructions are needed. Secondly, and mucch more importantly, this is yet another in the series of examples we have seen of the Church moving with, adapting to, and accounting for the times in which we live which occurred quite frequently in the months that have elapsed since mid-January 2018 when President Nelson became the Lord's prophet.
My wife and I were discussing that very subject earlier this afternoon. The reason for why everything has accelerated for the Church in the 21 months since President Nelson became Church president is due in large measure to a couple of things. First, President Nelson's prestigious career as a thoracic heart surgeon helped hone his attention to minute details, to zero in on problems that exist, and to precisely apply remedial measures to amelioriate those issues. As a consequence, President Nelson does, has, can and will continue to get to the heart (pun intended) of matters which are rightly of concern to Church leaders in our day and time.
Above and beyond that, however, Sister Wendy Nelson, who has played a vital role in accompanying her husband in his ongoing global ministry to Church members and friends of other faiths, in observing and being able to testify regarding how President Nelson continues to receive revelation. And, as she also has observed frequently, including in during a media interview in Chile, "I have seen him changing in the last ten months. It is as though he's been unleashed. He's free to finally do what he came to earth to do. … And also, he's free to follow through with things he's been concerned about but could never do. Now that he's president of [the Church], he can do those things.”
I have read some coverage of Sister Nelson's statement that implied her words were proof that her husband was just changing things at the drop of a hat simply because he can. But for those of us that accept the president of the Church as the Lord's prophet for our day and time, there is so much more to it than that. The doctrines of our faith teach that the current President of the Church is the only one authorized to speak for the Lord to the Church and the world. With that being the case, before January 2018, if President Nelson had felt strongly about something that needed to be done in or for the Church, he could not in good conscience even suggest some of those things without feeling like he was stepping out of bounds or attempting to go beyond the authority of his own personal stewardship at the time.
In other words, if he felt strongly about certain things that may not have been mentioned in deliberations of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve, there might have been times where he felt like he would be overstepping if he mentioned those issues, since it was the stewardship of someone else at the time to receive revelation for the entire Church. But upon his ordination as Church President, it would absolutely be within his new stewardship to be concerned about those things, to take them to the Lord, to ascertain His will regarding them, and to present it to his Brethren of the FIrst Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
I can understand that in a way. While I am sure that many of those types of impressions may have been of a nature that he didn't necessarily need to be worried about being out of line by mentioning them for consideration, I can also see why he would have preferred to be cautious in that respect. And now, if the Lord inspires him to act on or present certain tihngs for discussion or deliberation, his calling as the one person now authorized to speak for the Lord enables him to act on those things without reservation or hesitation.
I apologize for my lengthy commentary in this regard. My hope and desire in noting these things was to underscore what a blessing it is to have a prophet who recognizes that, as matters facing a world that is drawing ever closer to its' end get more complex, there will be so much more that the Church needs to do to help and assist the global population in general and the membership of the worldwide Church in particular, and that there is much that needs to be more flexible and far less rigid in terms of Church programs, policies, and procedures. And there has also been an added emphasis on unifying Church curriculum, music, and so much more. What a blessing it is to live in a time where so many wonderful developments are occurring in the Lord's Church, even as the conditions of the world in general become more dangerous, troublesome, and wicked.
Having noted all of this, I do continue to monitor any and all Church news and temple updates and will do my level best to bring you, my readers, word of all such developments as I become aware of them. That does it for now. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time, as long as such comments are made in accordance with the established guidelines. Thank you for the privilege of your time. If you enjoyed what you read here and would like to stay informed of newly added content, please feel free to subscribe. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.
