The LDS Daily WOOL Home Page
(1/15/97)
In many other places Paul also warned us against the deceivers who would
come
even before his departing. And they have continued to come, and they are
among
us today. The authorities which the Lord has placed in his Church
constitute for
the people of the Church a harbor, a place of refuge, a hitching post,
as it
were. No one in this Church will ever go far astray who ties himself
securely to
the Church Authorities whom the Lord has placed in his Church. This
Church will
never go astray; the Quorum of the Twelve will never lead you into
bypaths: it
never has and never will. There could be individuals who would falter;
there
will never be a majority of the Council of the Twelve on the wrong side
at any
time The Lord has chosen them; he has given them specific
responsibilities. And
those people who stand close to them will be safe. And conversely,
whenever one
begins to go his own way in opposition to authority, he is in grave
danger. I
would not say that those leaders whom the Lord chooses are necessarily
the most
brilliant, nor the most highly trained, but they are the chosen, and
when chosen
of the Lord they are his recognized authority, and the people who stay
close to
them have safety.--Spencer W. Kimball, Conference Report, April 1951,
p.104
(1/16/97)
There are some among us now who have not been regularly ordained by the
heads of
the Church and who tell of impending political and economic chaos, the
end of
the world-something of the "sky is falling, chicken licken" of the
fables. They are misleading members to gather to colonies or cults.
Those
deceivers say that the Brethren do not know what is going on in the
world or
that the Brethren approve of their teaching but do not wish to speak of
it over
the pulpit. Neither is true. The Brethren, by virtue of traveling
constantly
everywhere on earth, certainly know what is going on and by virtue of
prophetic
insight are able to read the signs of the times. Do not be deceived by
them-
those deceivers. If there is to be any gathering, it will be announced
by those
who have been regularly ordained and who are known to the Church to have
authority. Come away from any others. Follow your leaders, who have been
duly
ordained and have been publicly sustained, and you will not be led
astray.--Elder Boyd K. Packer, General Conference, October 1992
(1/17/97)
Let us take a course that will be pleasing to our Father, and lay aside
our
follies and our sins, and obtain favour with our God, that his angels
may come
and associate with us. They would do so now, if you would believe and
practice
that which is laid before you day by day. And if you will strictly
follow the
leaders of this people, you never would want for clothing, nor for any
of the
comforts of life; for if it must needs be that we be protected and
delivered
from our enemies, God would cause a famine to scourge them, and would
rain manna
down from heaven to sustain us, as he did to the children of
Israel.--Heber C.
Kimball, October 12, 1856, Journal of Discourses, Vol.5, p.205
(1/18/97)
I say that herein we can see how God has inspired His servants to teach
the
people; and though at times they have not understood the wisdom
concealed in the
counsel that has been given, yet in following strictly that counsel they
have
found blessing and profit. Take, for instance, the principle of tithing.
If you
announced that to the world and asked them to observe it, would they not
consider it one of the most burdensome taxes that could be inflicted
upon them?
Yet every Latter-day Saint is my witness that those who follow strictly
this law
of tithing among the people of God do not find it a burden, but rather
find it a
temporal as well as a spiritual blessing; for their property has been
abundantly
blessed, so that they have not missed the tithing which they have given
to the
work of the Lord. Take, again, the missionaries which we send into the
world. If
a man in the world was called to leave his business for two years or
more to
preach the Gospel, he would think it was ruinous to all his temporal
affairs.
But here are Elders who go out and spend year after year, and the very
men who
have spent the most time in the missionary field, and who stand at the
head of
the Church today, are the men who are the most prosperous and the most
free from
debt. And so the Lord will show forth the wisdom of the course which He
presents
to the people through the results which follow the efforts of the
Latter-day
Saints. We can do no better than to observe strictly every command that
is given
us by the servants of the Lord, however much they may conflict with our
present
ideas, and God will bless us in pursuing this course. We have before us
the
promises of great blessings.--Elder Abraham H. Cannon, General
Conference
October 7th, 1893
(1/19/97)
Now the only safety we have as members of this church is to do exactly
what the
Lord said to the Church in that day when the Church was organized. We
must learn
to give heed to the words and commandments that the Lord shall give
through his
prophet, ‘as he receiveth them, walking in all holiness before me; ...
as if
from mine own mouth, in all patience and faith.’ (D&C 21:4-5.) There
will
be some things that take patience and faith. 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.
But if you listen to these things, as if from the mouth of the Lord
himself,
with patience and faith, the promise is that ‘the gates of hell shall
not
prevail against you; yea, and the Lord God will disperse the powers of
darkness
from before you, and cause the heavens to shake for your good, and his
name’s
glory.’ (D&C 21:6.) — Harold B. Lee, General Conference, October
1970
(1/20/97)
Long years ago when I was in the stake presidency in the St. Joseph
Stake in
Arizona, one Sabbath day I filled an assignment in the Eden Ward. The
building
was a small one, and most of the people were sitting close to us as we
sat on
the raised platform about a foot and a half above the floor of the
building
itself. As the meeting proceeded, my eye was attracted to seven little
boys on
the front seat of the chapel. I was delighted with seven little boys in
this
ward conference. I made a mental note, then shifted my interest to other
things.
Soon my attention was focused on the seven little boys again. It seemed
strange
to me that each of the seven little fellows raised his right leg and put
it over
the left knee, and then in a moment all would change at the same time
and put
the left leg over the right knee. I thought it was unusual, but I just
ignored
it. In a moment or two, all in unison would brush their hair with their
right
hands, and then all seven little boys leaned lightly on their wrists and
supported their faces by their hands, and then simultaneously they went
back to
the crossing of their legs again. It all seemed so strange, and I
wondered about
it as I was trying to think of what I was going to say in the meeting.
And then
all at once it came to me like a bolt of lightning. These boys were
mimicking
me! That day I learned the lesson of my life—that we who are in
positions of
authority must be careful indeed, because others watch us and find in us
their
examples. — The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, p.484-5
(1/21/97)
The prophets of God, from Joseph Smith to the present day, have guided
us and
they have guided us aright, when we have listened to that guidance. The
mistakes
which have been made have been because of our failure to listen to the
prophet
whose right it is to guide the people of God. I will give you one
practical
incident:
Brigham Young stood in front of the home of the late apostle, at that
time
bishop, Marriner W. Merrill, in Richmond. He pointed over to the sandy
country
where Lewiston now stands, and he said to Bishop Merrill: "Call some man
to
go over there and be a bishop, and organize a ward there. That will be
the most
valuable part of this valley, agriculturally, the greatest
grain-producing part
of this country." Brother Merrill told me this, standing upon the spot
where Brigham Young stood, and he said, "I called Brother Lewis to go
over
there, and he was subsequently ordained as a bishop, and set apart to
preside at
Lewiston. After he had been there one season and ploughed up the ground,
a
windstorm came and took all his fine soil and piled it up in a heap by
the
fence. He came back and said, 'Bishop Merrill, I would not give my
little
twenty-acre farm here at Richmond for the whole country over there and I
want to
come back.'" Brother Merrill said: "Well, you will not come back with
my consent. If you come back you will have to run away from the call
that has
been placed upon you. I will not release you. The prophet of God has
said that
is to be the granary of Cache Valley and you go back there." And Brother
Lewis went back disheartened and discouraged. Brother Lewis, who
afterwards
became the president of the Benson Stake of Zion, no doubt thanked
Brother
Merrill that he did not let him run away, seeing that during the last
few years
of his life, he harvested over ten thousand bushels of wheat a year. I
know that
the path of safety for the Latter-day Saints is not only to sing, "We
thank
Thee, O God, for a Prophet, to guide us in these latter days," but to be
ready and willing and anxious to be guided.--CR, October, 1913:88
(1/22/97)
You know, if the Lord wished he could preach this gospel to the world by
declaring it from the heavens. He could have his angels blow their
trumpets and
declare the message of salvation in the ears of all the world. Would not
that be
a much easier way to get the message of truth before the world than the
expensive way of sending messengers clothed with authority at great
expense and
toil to try to teach the world? But the ways of the Lord are not man's
ways. He
works through his witnesses, and in establishing his work in every age,
he uses
the few, not the many. Never since the beginning has the Lord declared
himself
to the unbelieving world, but he has sent out his messengers to preach
the
gospel to the world. — Joseph Fielding Smith Jr., Doctrines of
Salvation,
Vol.1, p.209
(1/23/97)
I believe that Spencer W. Kimball was foreordained to be the president
of The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; to be the prophet seer, and
revelator to the Lord's people; and to be the mouthpiece of God on earth
for the
time and season that lies ahead. I know he was called and chosen and
ordained to
this ministry by the spirit of prophecy and revelation and was present
when the
Spirit of the Lord testified to each member of the Council of the Twelve
that it
was the mind and will of him whose witnesses we are, and on whose errand
we
serve, that President Kimball should now step forward and lead his
people. It
was as though the Lord by his own voice said: "My servant President
Harold
B. Lee was true and faithful in all things that I appointed him to do;
his
ministry among you is completed; and I have called him to other and
greater
labors in my eternal vineyard. And I, the Lord, now call my servant
President
Spencer W. Kimball to lead my people and to continue the work of
preparing them
for that great day when I shall come to reign personally upon the earth.
And I
now say of him as I said of my servant Joseph Smith: `. . .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. "`For thus saith
the
Lord God: Him have I inspired to move the cause of Zion in mighty power
for
good, and his diligence I know, and his prayers I have heard.'" (D&C
21:4-5, 7.) It seems easy to believe in the prophets who have passed on
and to
suppose that we believe and follow the counsel they gave under different
circumstances and to other people. But the great test that confronts us,
as in
every age when the Lord has a people on earth, is whether we will give
heed to
the words of his living oracles and follow the counsel and direction
they give
for our day and time. — Elder Bruce R. McConkie, General Conference,
April
1974
(1/24/97)
Question: ''As you know, some skeptics say that major changes in Church
policy
have come from political pressures, not necessarily as revelations from
God. For
example, the business of ending polygamy say the skeptics, wasn't
because it was
revelation but because Utah wanted to become a state.''
Response: ''One of the purposes of a prophet is to seek the wisdom and
the will
of the Lord and to teach his people accordingly. It was the case with
Moses when
he led the children of Israel out of Egypt. It was the case for the Old
Testament prophets when people were faced with oppression and trouble
and
difficulty. That is the purpose of a prophet, to give answers to people
for the
dilemmas in which they find themselves. That is what happens. That is
what we
see happen. Is it a matter of expediency, political expediency? No.
Inspired
guidance? Yes.'' — Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley, General Conference, October
1996
(portion of interview with Mike Wallace of CBS Television)
(1/25/97)
Repetitive experience teaches Church members that we need not be prey to
pretenders. Besides, "The day cometh that they who will not hear the
voice
of the Lord,... neither give heed to the words of the prophets and
apostles,
shall be cut off from among the people." (D&C 1:14.) Additionally,
the
very process of Church government also ensures that we do not have
secret
leaders: "It shall not be given to any one to go forth to preach my
gospel,
or to build up my church, except he be ordained by some one who has
authority,
and it is known to the church that he has authority and has been
regularly
ordained by the heads of the church." (D&C 42:11.) President Wilford
Woodruff urged the Church flock to follow the Brethren, because, he
said,
"the very moment that men in this kingdom attempt to run ahead or cross
the
path of their leaders,... they are in danger of being injured by the
wolves ....
I have never in my life known it to fail." (In Journal of Discourses,
5:83.)--Elder Neal A. Maxwell, General Conference, April 1993
(1/26/97)
In this age of increased individualism and selfishness, opinions now
matter more
than facts or doctrine; attitudes glorify personal choice above other
values and
principles; and language is typified by "I don't need anyone to tell me
how
to be saved; I don't need prophets, seers, or revelators to tell me what
God
expects of me; I don't need to attend church meetings, to hear talks, or
to be
challenged."
Today the concept of priesthood and Church authority is on trial by the
world
and even by some members who think that the Latin expression vox populi,
vox Dei
can be literally interpreted in the Church as "the voice of the people
is
the voice of God." The commercial slogan "Have it your way"
certainly does not apply in God's plan for the salvation of his children
when we
read that the very cause of apostasy is when "every man walketh in his
own
way, and after the image of his own god' (D&C 1:16). — Elder Charles
Didier, General Conference, April 1994
(8/27/04)
"When Pilate stood on the stage of life and pondered what to do with
Christ, he listened to the voices of an angry mob and consented to his
death.
Now that we are on center stage, whose promptings will we follow? In the
wings
of our stage, prophets of the past and present are pleading for us to
'look to
God and live' (Alma
37:47),
to 'seek this Jesus of whom the... apostles have written' (Ether
12:41), to taste and
know of 'the goodness of Jesus' (Morm.
1:15), and to be men and
women of Christ. (See Hel.
3:29.)"
- Carlos E. Asay, "Three
Questions," Ensign, January 1984, p. 74
(4/28/05)
"Developed nations of the world are becoming so secular in their beliefs
and actions that they reason that a human being has total autonomy. An
individual does not have to give an account to anyone or anything except
to
himself and, to a limited extent, to the society in which he lives.
"Societies in which this secular lifestyle takes root have a deep
spiritual
and moral price to pay. The pursuit of so-called individual freedoms,
without
regard to laws the Lord has established to govern His children on earth,
will
result in the curse of extreme worldliness and selfishness, the decline
of
public and private morality, and the defiance of authority.
"Such secular societies are described in Doctrine
and
Covenants 1:16: "They seek not the Lord to establish his
righteousness, but every man walketh in his own way, and after the image
of his
own god, whose image is in the likeness of the world."
"For this reason, the Lord's Church was instructed to follow the prophet
and seek something different from what the world is seeking." - L.
Tom
Perry, "What
Seek
Ye?" General Conference, April 2005
9/29/08
"When one follows the course
marked by the road signs of the gospel of Jesus Christ and places his
trust in the Lord, its influence is such that it is manifest not only in
action and deed but by a marked and visible change in his very being.
There is a special light and a spirit which radiates from his eternal
soul. It can be described in words like brightness, light, joy,
happiness, peace, purity, contentment, spirit, enthusiasm, etc." - L.
Tom Perry, "Trust in the Lord", Ensign (CR), May 1978, p. 51
6/22/09
“I
take the liberty of again reminding you that you here assembled are
voting for the Church. In a very true sense you are a constituent
assembly, you represent the Church, you will be asked to sustain, or
otherwise, those who are proposed to be sustained, and I would like to
urge upon you the realization that this is not a pro-forma
presentation. It is a presentation in which those who vote in the
affirmative pledge themselves with their uplifted hands that they will
sustain those for whom they vote. And this sustaining means that you
will support, follow, and obey in the proper ways those who preside
over you.” -
J. Reuben Clark, Jr., “Conference Report,” April 1957,
Second Day—Morning Meeting, p. 41
11/8/10
"What
the prophets teach may to some seem outdated, unpopular, or even
impossible. But God is a God of order and has established a system
whereby we may know His will. 'Surely the Lord God will do nothing,
but
he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.' At the
opening
of this, the dispensation of the fulness of times, the Lord reaffirmed
that He would communicate with us through His prophets. He stated, 'My
word . . . shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the
voice of my servants, it is the same.'
"Trusting in and following the prophets is more than a blessing and a
privilege. President Ezra Taft Benson declared that 'our [very]
salvation hangs on' following the prophet." - Kevin
R. Duncan, "Our
Very Survival," Ensign (CR) October 2010
3/1/15
Hear and heed. To hear is relatively simple. To heed and apply what
is heard becomes life’s perpetual challenge. - Charles
Didier, “Man’s
Search for Divine Truth,” Ensign (CR) October 2005