President Russell M. Nelson on the role of the Lord's Prophet

President Russell M. Nelson (born Sept 9, 1924) was an internationally-renowned heart surgeon when he was called to serve as a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles in 1984. He became president of that quorum on July 15, 2015. Following the death of President Monson, he was set apart as president of the Church on January 14, 2018.

"Prophets see ahead. They see the harrowing dangers the adversary has placed or will yet place in our path. Prophets also foresee the grand possibilities and privileges awaiting those who listen with the intent to obey. I know this is true! I have experienced it for myself over and over again.

"The Lord has promised us that He will never allow the prophet to lead us astray. President Harold B. Lee declared: '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).' (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Harold B. Lee (2000), 84–85.)

"You may not always understand every declaration of a living prophet. But when you know a prophet is a prophet, you can approach the Lord in humility and faith and ask for your own witness about whatever His prophet has proclaimed."

- Russell M. Nelson, "Becoming True Millennials," Worldwide Devotional for Young Adults, January 10, 2016, Brigham Young University–Hawaii
Click here to read or listen to the full talk

One role of a prophet is to be a seer—a see-er, one who "sees ahead" as President Nelson indicates. They have the opportunity and responsibility to warn us of challenges and dangers, as well as opportunities and blessings.

President Nelson emphasized that we need to "listen with the intent to obey." That emphasis is critical. Our attitude of humility and eagerness to be taught and guided makes all the difference in how we receive prophetic counsel. If we are critical and skeptical, we will not receive the same insights and the same power as will a humble, teachable recipient.

The quotation from President Lee is one that I have pondered for many years, trying to remember and implement its crucial teaching:

It's easy to be critical or skeptical when a teaching contradicts our existing personal interpretation or viewpoint. This caution to trust in God's mouthpiece in those situations is so important. Of course, the ability to do that requires that we start from the position of a firm and abiding testimony of the role and calling of latter-day prophets, seers, and revelators. As President Nelson taught, "when you know a prophet is a prophet" we then can prayerfully petition God for a witness of his teachings, and we will be blessed with that confirmation.

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2019)

President Henry B. Eyring on the blessing of general conference

President Henry B. Eyring (born May 31, 1933) served in the Presiding Bishopric from 1985-1992, as a Seventy from 1992-1995, then was called to the Quorum of Twelve Apostles. He has served in the First Presidency since 2007.

"Gathered in this meeting, which stretches across the world, are millions of disciples of Jesus Christ who are under covenant to always remember Him and serve Him. By the miracle of modern technology, the separation of time and of vast distances vanishes. We meet as if we are all together in one great hall.

"But even more important than our gathering together is in whose name we do so. The Lord promised that even with the great number of His disciples on the earth today, He would be close to each of us. He said to His little band of disciples in 1829, 'Verily, verily, I say unto you, … where two or three are gathered together in my name, … behold, there will I be in the midst of them—even so am I in the midst of you' (D&C 6:32).

"Now numbering more than one or two, a multitude of His disciples are gathered in this conference, and as promised, the Lord is in our midst. Because He is a resurrected and glorified being, He is not physically everyplace where Saints gather. But, by the power of the Spirit, we can feel that He is here with us today....

"Today my message to us all is that there will be a precious opportunity in the next few days to choose to have our hearts softened and to receive and nourish the seed. The seed is the word of God, and it will be poured out on all of us who listen, watch, and read the proceedings of this conference. The music, the talks, and the testimonies have been prepared by servants of God who have sought diligently for the Holy Ghost to guide them in their preparation. They have prayed longer and more humbly as the days of the conference have approached.

"They have prayed to have the power to encourage you to make the choices that will create in your heart a more fertile ground for the good word of God to grow and be fruitful. If you listen with the Spirit, you will find your heart softened, your faith strengthened, and your capacity to love the Lord increased.

"Your choice to pray with full purpose of heart will transform your experience in the conference sessions and in the days and months that follow."

- Henry B. Eyring, "Where Two or Three Are Gathered," General Conference April 2016
Click here to read or listen to the full talk

President Eyring shared these thoughts as the first speaker in the opening session of the April 2016 conference. It was an invitation to those participating to "feast" together and receive the blessings of the upcoming sessions. One of the most beautiful promises the Lord has given us is that He will be present when we gather in His name. Our invitation, then, is to have hearts that are prepared, minds that are open, and a willingness to listen and to be taught, both from the speakers and from "on high."

"The music, the talks, and the testimonies" were all prepared by humble servants striving to act under the direction of the Holy Spirit. If they are received in that same spirit, they will result in profound blessings. We must begin our preparation by praying "with full purpose of heart" to receive the blessings; then, as the teachings enter our soul, they will be able to "transform your experience in the conference sessions and in the days and months that follow."

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2019)

Elder Robert D. Hales on receiving personalized messages from general conference

Elder Robert D. Hales (August 24, 1932-October 1, 2017) served as a Seventy from 1976 to 1985, when he was called as a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles.

"In conferences we can receive the word of the Lord meant just for us. One member testified: 'As I listened to your address, I was astounded. … Your talk was personal revelation directly from the Lord to my family. I have never experienced such a strong manifestation of the Spirit in my life as those minutes when the Holy Ghost spoke directly to me.'

"Another said, 'I have never before felt so profoundly that a talk was being given to me.'

"This is possible because the Holy Ghost carries the word of the Lord unto our hearts in terms we can understand. (See 2 Nephi 33:1.) When I take notes at conference, I do not always write down exactly what the speaker is saying; I note the personalized direction the Spirit is giving me.

"What is said is not as important as what we hear and what we feel. That is why we make an effort to experience conference in a setting where the still, small voice of the Spirit can be clearly heard, felt, and understood.

"Oh, how we need general conference! Through conferences our faith is fortified and our testimonies deepened. And when we are converted, we strengthen each other to stand strong amid the fiery darts of these last days. (See Luke 22:31–32.)"

- Robert D. Hales, "Strengthening Faith and Testimony," General Conference October 2013
Click here to read or listen to the full talk

How do we "receive the word of the Lord meant just for us" as we participate in general conference? Elder Hales suggests that is one of the great blessings available, as we allow the Holy Ghost to communicate to our spirit. The conference provides the venue or setting to encourage that personal inspiration. So much depends on how we listen:

Truly, "What is said is not as important as what we hear and what we feel." Participating in conference can deepen our testimonies and fortify our faith in ways that will greatly bless us as we confront the adversary in our time.

Of course, the picture presents a somewhat idealistic image of a family doing this. When younger children are involved, it's more difficult to establish that kind of setting. We do the best we can, and then we take advantage of future opportunities to participate in conference "after the fact" as we personally study and review the messages under the more ideal conditions.

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2019)

President George Albert Smith on sustaining the Church president

President George Albert Smith (1870-1951) was the son of John Henry Smith (1848-1911) and grandson of George A. Smith (1817-1875), both of whom served as members of the Twelve. He was called as an apostle in 1903, and then served as the 8th president of the Church from 1945 until his death in 1951.

"When Moses led Israel from Egypt through the wilderness and into the promised land, Amalek attacked Israel at Rephidim. Moses directed Joshua to choose fighting men to protect Israel. Moses, Aaron, and Hur went to the top of a hill overlooking the battlefield. While Moses held the rod of God above his head, Israel prevailed, but when he let his hands down because of weakness, Amalek prevailed. A stone seat was provided and Aaron and Hur held up his hands in order that the blessings of God could flow to Israel that their warriors might prevail and the battle was won. (Ex. 17:8-13) The power of God was upon Moses and remained with him until he had finished his work. When he had the support of his people they too were blessed, and so it has been with every servant of the Lord who has presided over Israel.

"How grateful we must all be to see the President of the Church stand here this morning, in spite of physical infirmities and advancing years, and yet with that testimony burning in his heart that God gave to him when he was a youth. He has here testified to us of the power of God which has been made manifest unto him. President Grant has been an example of devotion and a tower of strength in this Church. He has been a friend-maker among the gentiles of the world because the Lord has made him so.

"We sit here this morning under the inspiration of his voice, and just as long as the Lord holds up his hands, just as long as he presides over this Church, it matters not how many years it will be, our Heavenly Father will give him strength, power, wisdom, judgment, and inspiration to talk to Israel as they need to be talked to. We, in following his leadership, must be like Aaron and Hur of ancient times; we must uphold his hands, that through him the Lord will let the blessings of heaven descend on us and this people."

- George Albert Smith, "Upholding the Hands of Our Leaders," Conference Report, Apr. 1942, 14
Click here to read the full talk

When President Smith shared these remarks, Heber J. Grant had been serving as President for over 23 years and was now rapidly aging at 85 years of age. President Smith was a relatively young 72; three years later, he would assume the presidency and would serve for 6 years until dying on his 81st birthday.

In a system where our leaders are often aging men, the need to sustain them physically becomes apparent. But the greater need is to sustain spiritually. The story of Moses and his companions at Rephidim is particularly insightful, as the physical sustaining of his raised arms resulted in divine blessings of assistance to the people. God's power would remain with Moses until his work was completed, but the actions of others in this case played a key role in demonstrating that power—"and so it has been with every servant of the Lord who has presided over Israel."

We would do well to ponder what it means for each of us to "uphold the hands" of God's chosen representative on earth. Perhaps it means, at a minimum, to:

• carefully listen to his inspired counsel
• be willing to accept and follow his challenges and directions
• teach and encourage others appropriately to do likewise
• defend him against criticism or false accusations and interpretations

Speaking 26 years before he became Church president, a much younger Elder George Albert Smith said:

"It must be a source of strength to the President of this Church to look into the faces of thousands of honest men and women and observe them raise their hand in covenant with our Father in heaven, and sustain him in the office to which he has been called as president of this great Church. The obligation that we make when we raise our hands under such circumstances, is a most sacred one. It does not mean that we will go quietly on our way and be willing that the prophet of the Lord shall direct this work, but it means,—if I understand the obligation I assumed when I raised my hand—that we will stand behind him; we will pray for him; we will defend his good name, and we will strive to carry out his instructions as the Lord shall direct him to offer them to us while he remains in that position." (CR June 1919, p. 40)

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2019)

President Lorenzo Snow on preparing for general conference

Lorenzo Snow (1814-1901) was an early convert to the Church along with his sister Eliza R. Snow. He was called as an apostle by Brigham Young in 1849. He served as the 5th president of the Church from 1898 until his death in 1901.

"I suppose that many of the audience now before me have come from a long distance to meet with us in this general conference; and that all have been moved to gather here by pure motives—by a desire to improve and perfect themselves in matters that pertain to their usefulness in the kingdom of God. In order that we may not be disappointed in this, it becomes necessary that we prepare our hearts to receive and profit by the suggestions that may be made by the speakers during the progress of the Conference, which may be prompted by the Spirit of the Lord. I have thought, and still think, that our being edified does not so much depend upon the speaker as upon ourselves."

- Lorenzo Snow, 6 October 1898, Conference Report p. 1

President Lorenzo Snow had been president of the Church for less than a month when he offered this counsel. He was 84 years old, and would lead the Church for the next 3 years.

We are blessed in our day to have general conference available to us, in most cases, with very little effort and sacrifice. The need to "come from a long distance" to participate and receive instruction has long passed. With Internet streaming available, anyone with a device and a reliable connection can participate live in scores of languages.

But one thing has not changed, and can't be fixed by technology. The benefit from general conference requires "a desire to improve and perfect" ourselves as we listen in humility and and eagerness to be taught.

And so the burden is on each of us, to "prepare our hearts" in anticipation of an upcoming conference in order that we may be blessed by inspired messages that will speak to our minds and hearts.

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2019)

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland on the "personal prophetic epistles" of general conference

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland (born December 3, 1940) served as Church Commissioner of Education from 1976-1980, as the president of BYU from 1980-1989, as a Seventy from 1989-1994, and as a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles since 1994.

"Perhaps you already know (but if you don’t you should) that with rare exception, no man or woman who speaks here [in general conference] is assigned a topic. Each is to fast and pray, study and seek, start and stop and start again until he or she is confident that for this conference, at this time, his or hers is the topic the Lord wishes that speaker to present regardless of personal wishes or private preferences. Every man and woman you have heard during the past 10 hours of general conference has tried to be true to that prompting. Each has wept, worried, and earnestly sought the Lord’s direction to guide his or her thoughts and expression. And just as Brigham Young saw an angel standing over this place, so do I see angels standing in it. My brethren and sisters among the general officers of the Church will be uneasy with that description, but that is how I see them—mortal messengers with angelic messages, men and women who have all the physical and financial and family difficulties you and I have but who with faith have consecrated their lives to the callings that have come to them and the duty to preach God’s word, not their own....

"In wanting to measure up to the stern as well as embrace the soothing in our general conference messages, please be reassured that when we speak on difficult subjects, we understand not everyone is viewing pornography or shirking marriage or having illicit sexual relationships. We know not everyone is violating the Sabbath or bearing false witness or abusing a spouse. We know that most in our audience are not guilty of such things, but we are under a solemn charge to issue warning calls to those who are—wherever they may be in the world. So if you are trying to do the best you can—if, for example, you keep trying to hold family home evening in spite of the bedlam that sometimes reigns in a houseful of little bedlamites—then give yourself high marks and, when we come to that subject, listen for another which addresses a topic where you may be lacking. If we teach by the Spirit and you listen by the Spirit, some one of us will touch on your circumstance, sending a personal prophetic epistle just to you.

"Brothers and sisters, in general conference we offer our testimonies in conjunction with other testimonies that will come, because one way or another God will have His voice heard. 'I sent you out to testify and warn the people,' the Lord has said to His prophets. (D&C 88:81)"

- Jeffrey R. Holland, "An Ensign to the Nations," General Conference April 2011
Click here to read or listen to the full talk

I appreciated Elder Holland's personal insights into the process of preparation for the speakers at general conference. I would assume the responsibility of delivering counsel to millions of listeners must weigh heavily on them, no matter how many times they have done it. But we are all grateful that divine help is always available! That must be a particular challenge when one of the speakers feels impressed to address one of those challenging issues that may confront only a small subset of the listening audience—but for that small group, the message is eternally critical.

This, however, is a great key:

The promise is that ultimately, there is something for each of us in the messages of conference. If we are open, humble, and seeking, we will find our own "personal prophetic epistle" and be truly blessed by heaven's inspiration.

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2019)

President M. Russell Ballard on the blessings of small and simple things

President M. Russell Ballard (born October 8, 1928) was called as a Seventy in 1976, and has served as a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles since 1985. He became acting president of the Twelve in January 2018.

"We must never ignore or pass by the prompting of the Spirit to render service to one another.

"Great and marvelous events seem to motivate us, but small things often do not hold our attention. Noting that the Liahona worked by faith, Alma stated, 'Nevertheless, because those miracles were worked by small means … [the people of Lehi] were slothful, and forgot to exercise their faith and diligence and then those marvelous works ceased, and they did not progress in their journey.' (Alma 37:41.)

"Is our journey sometimes impeded when we forget the importance of small things? (See Alma 37:46.) Do we realize that small events and choices determine the direction of our lives just as small helms determine the direction of great ships? (See James 3:4; D&C 123:16.) Are we ever like Naaman, the leper, expecting some great thing before we will pay attention to prophets? (See 2 Kgs. 5:1–14.)

"May the Lord bless each one of us to follow the counsel of our prophets. We need to have family and personal prayers; study the scriptures, particularly the Book of Mormon; hold family home evenings; follow the admonition of the Savior to love one another; and be thoughtful, kind, and gentle within the family. Through these and other similar small and simple things, we have the promise that our lives will be filled with peace and joy."

- M. Russell Ballard, "Small and Simple Things," General Conference April 1990
Click here to read or listen to the full talk 

There's no question that we have an easier time paying attention to the "great and marvelous" things that might happen in our lives, or listening to the profound promptings. President Ballard counsels us to also pay attention to the more simple and quiet things that can come. A simple prompting to give service to another can have profound and dramatic impact.

Following the counsel of prophets is a good example of this principle. We often look for dramatic counsel or changed directions, and can easily neglect the ongoing counsel for basic and fundamental obedience to principles and commandments. The simplest things can truly bring the greatest peace and joy.

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2019)