Friday, October 5, 2012

"We're sorry we can't come to the phone right now..."


 This weekend my family and I will be unavailable for activities or phone calls on both Saturday and Sunday, from 10 a.m. to Noon, and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.  During those 8 precious hours, we will be eagerly listening to prayerfully-prepared words of wisdom delivered to us from the mouths of the Lord's servants here on the earth.

There was a brief period of time after I graduated from high school that I wasn't making the best choices in my life.  And, like many teenagers, I began to question some of the doctrine and principles of the religion in which I'd been raised.  And yet I could not fully separate myself from it, because there was one thing that I knew I absolutely could not, and would not, deny: that the President of the Church truly was a man of God, and that the men who serve with him, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, truly were men of God also, set apart and devoted to further His work on the earth.  I could not see these men - whether in person (as living and working where I did at the time, I occasionally I would have the pleasure of bumping into one of them), or on a television broadcast, without feeling overwhelming love and an increase of the Spirit.  I know that was the Lord's way of saying, "Hold on.  Don't give up.  The answers will come."  And they did.  Because I was able to cling to my faith in a modern-day prophet, in time my faith was restored in other doctrines and principles as well.  Now I can say that I do not question the gospel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  I do not fully understand every little detail of it, but that doesn't bother me.  I don't expect to be an expert on it until well after this life is over!  I am comforted that I understand all that I need to know at this point in time and that if I continue faithful on the right path, more knowledge, enlightenment, and comprehension will come as I'm prepared for it.

Some say Divine Revelation is an ancient tradition, and no longer applicable to us in these modern days.  My heart (and my mind) tell me this is not so.  Why would a loving Father in Heaven only speak to His children from days past?  I tell you that the hand of the Lord is in our lives today and that He speaks to us - through prayer and personal revelation, scriptures, even beautiful sacred music, and most He definitely continues to speak to us through Prophets and Apostles, just as was done in ancient times.  Our God is unchanging and unwavering, and for the great blessing of modern-day leadership, directed by Jesus Christ, I am so very, very grateful!
"The democracy will cease to exist when you TAKE AWAY from those who are willing to work AND GIVE to those who would not."



Thomas Jefferson