Changes don’t come only by consensus among leaders of the Church, but also, more importantly, by divine revelation from the Lord.
Change isn’t easy, but it’s an inescapable part of life. Lately, there have been several major changes in the Church, like replacing home and visiting teaching with ministering, and revising the Sunday schedule to two hours of church instead of three hours. In his talk “The Doctrine of Christ,” Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explains how the leaders of the Church decide to implement these changes.
Photo by Brett Sayles.
When the prophet, in council with other leaders of the Church, feels that something needs to be changed, he carefully ponders it and takes the matter to the Lord in prayer. Elder Christofferson tells us that the Lord communicates his answers “by His own voice or by the voice of the Holy Spirit—a communication of Spirit to spirit that may be expressed in words or in feelings that convey understanding beyond words.” The prophet then has “the right, the power, and authority to declare the mind and will of God to his people.”
Some people may think that change is made for convenience, or because leaders decide it is a good idea. Elder Christofferson counters these perspectives: “The objective is not simply consensus among council members but revelation from God. It is a process involving both reason and faith for obtaining the mind and will of the Lord.” Recent changes are the results of revelation from God, given to his chosen servants, to guide his church. God is always the power behind the change.
Read more of Elder D. Todd Christofferson’s talk here.
Source: ChurchofJesusChrist.org
—Laura Bushman, Mormon Insights
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