The Prophet’s Voice: Our Beacon

We’re constantly surrounded by a fog of conflicting messages, but the prophet’s voice is clear, direct, and distinct if we’re willing to listen to it.

San Francisco is famous for its iconic bridges and stunning natural beauty. Because of the city’s proximity to the ocean, dense fog often encompasses the bay and rolls into the city. On especially foggy days and nights, foghorns are used to guide ships safely into the bay. People who live close enough to the water can hear the drone of the foghorns, and after a while it’s easy to tune out the noise. Ship captains, however, must stay attentive and listen to these horns in order to reach their destination safely.

Similarly, the voice of our prophet, President Russell M. Nelson, acts as a guiding influence in our lives if we’re willing to pay attention to it. We’re privileged to listen to the prophet’s voice and receive his counsel often, including during devotionals and semiannual general conferences. However, because these events happen so frequently, we might begin to take modern revelation for granted and tune out the prophet’s voice.

In the devotional “Hope of Israel,” President Nelson speaks clearly and directly to the youth about the importance of the gathering of Israel. While his delivery is loving and kind, there is no mistaking his authority as God’s chosen leader. President Nelson testifies that “when we follow through with whatever the prophet of God asks us to do, the way will be opened and lives will be changed.”

Again and again, President Nelson has displayed his obedience to past prophets’ invitations. Before he even became a General Authority, he said that his philosophy was to “stop putting question marks behind the prophet’s statements and put exclamation points instead.” Here are some ideas for how we can put exclamation points at the end of the prophet’s counsel:

• Participate in events such as general conference and devotionals, demonstrating to God our willingness to seek the prophet’s counsel.
• Listen attentively to the prophet’s counsel in special meetings, and study the teachings of prophets past and present.
• Follow the prophet’s invitations one step at a time. It’s unnecessary and inefficient to take on more than we can handle; instead, we should do little things every day to follow the prophet’s counsel.
• Pray for help. God has given us a prophet for a reason. God wants us to succeed, and he’ll help us if we ask for his help.

Be careful of casual obedience. Cling to the prophet’s words like the lifeline they are. During these tumultuous times, we need the prophet’s recurring reassurance to guide us safely through the dense fog of this mortal journey.

Source: LDS Broadcasts

—Rebecca Purse, Mormon Insights

feature image by jesper christiansen

Find more insights

Read Elder Neil L. Andersen’s talk “The Prophet of God” to learn more about the ministry of President Russell M. Nelson and the importance of following the prophet.