November 2014 Liahona
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By Elder Russell M. Nelson head of God’s Church in all dispensa- Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles tions, from Adam to the present day.4 Prophets testify of Jesus Christ—of His divinity and of His earthly mission and ministry.5 We honor the Prophet Joseph Smith as the prophet of this Sustaining the Prophets last dispensation. And we honor each man who has succeeded him as Our sustaining of prophets is a personal commitment that we President of the Church. When we sustain prophets and will do our utmost to uphold their prophetic priorities. other leaders,6 we invoke the law of common consent, for the Lord said, “It shall not be given to any one to go forth to preach my gospel, or to build resident Eyring, we thank you experience doing such a procedure on up my church, except he be ordained for your instructive and inspiring a 77-year-old patient in heart failure. I by some one who has authority, and Pmessage. My dear brothers and did not recommend the operation and it is known to the church that he sisters, we thank you for your faith so informed President Kimball and the has authority and has been regularly and devotion. Yesterday, we were First Presidency. But, in faith, President ordained by the heads of the church.” 7 each invited to sustain Thomas S. Kimball chose to have the operation, This gives us, as members of the Monson as the prophet of the Lord only because it was advised by the Lord’s Church, confidence and faith and President of the Lord’s Church. First Presidency. That shows how he as we strive to keep the scriptural And often we sing, “We thank thee, sustained his leaders! And his decision injunction to heed the Lord’s voice 8 O God, for a prophet.” 1 Do you and made me tremble! as it comes through the voice of His I really understand what that means? Thanks to the Lord, the opera- servants the prophets.9 All leaders in Imagine the privilege the Lord has tion was a success. When President the Lord’s Church are called by proper given us of sustaining His prophet, Kimball’s heart resumed beating, it authority. No prophet or any other whose counsel will be untainted, did so with great power! At that very leader in this Church, for that matter, unvarnished, unmotivated by any moment, I had a clear witness of the personal aspiration, and utterly true! Spirit that this man would one day How do we really sustain a become President of the Church! 3 prophet? Long before he became You know the outcome. Only President of the Church, President 20 months later, President Kimball Joseph F. Smith explained, “It is an became President of the Church. And important duty resting upon the Saints he provided bold and courageous who . sustain the authorities of leadership for many years. the Church, to do so not only by the Since then we have sustained lifting of the hand, the mere form, but Presidents Ezra Taft Benson, in deed and in truth.” 2 Howard W. Hunter, Gordon B. Well do I remember my most Hinckley, and now Thomas S. Monson unique “deed” to sustain a prophet. As as Presidents of the Church—prophets a medical doctor and cardiac surgeon, in every sense of the word! I had the responsibility of perform- My dear brothers and sisters, ing open-heart surgery on President if the Restoration did anything, it Spencer W. Kimball in 1972, when he shattered the age-old myth that God was Acting President of the Quorum had stopped talking to His children. of the Twelve Apostles. He needed a Nothing could be further from the very complex operation. But I had no truth. A prophet has stood at the 74 has ever called himself or herself. No The living Lord leads His living The Apostle with the longest prophet has ever been elected. The Church! 12 The Lord reveals His will for seniority in the office of Apostle pre- Lord made that clear when He said, the Church to His prophet. Yesterday, sides.15 That system of seniority will “Ye have not chosen me, but I have after we were invited to sustain usually bring older men to the office chosen you, and ordained you.” 10 You Thomas S. Monson as President of of President of the Church.16 It pro- and I do not “vote” on Church leaders the Church, we also had the privilege vides continuity, seasoned maturity, at any level. We do, though, have the to sustain him, the counselors in the experience, and extensive preparation, privilege of sustaining them. First Presidency, and members of the as guided by the Lord. The ways of the Lord are different Quorum of the Twelve Apostles as The Church today has been orga- from the ways of man. Man’s ways prophets, seers, and revelators. Think nized by the Lord Himself. He has remove people from office or busi- of that! We sustain 15 men as prophets put in place a remarkable system of ness when they grow old or become of God! They hold all the priesthood governance that provides redundancy disabled. But man’s ways are not and keys that have ever been conferred and backup. That system provides never will be the Lord’s ways. Our sus- upon man in this dispensation. for prophetic leadership even when taining of prophets is a personal com- The calling of 15 men to the holy the inevitable illnesses and incapaci- mitment that we will do our utmost to apostleship provides great protection ties may come with advancing age.17 uphold their prophetic priorities. Our for us as members of the Church. Why? Counterbalances and safeguards sustaining is an oath-like indication that Because decisions of these leaders abound so that no one can ever lead we recognize their calling as a prophet must be unanimous.13 Can you imagine the Church astray. Senior leaders are to be legitimate and binding upon us. how the Spirit needs to move upon constantly being tutored such that one Twenty-six years before he became 15 men to bring about unanimity? day they are ready to sit in the highest President of the Church, then-Elder These 15 men have varied educational councils. They learn how to hear the George Albert Smith said: “The obli- and professional backgrounds, with voice of the Lord through the whisper- gation that we make when we raise differing opinions about many things. ings of the Spirit. our hands . is a most sacred one. It Trust me! These 15 men—prophets, While serving as First Counselor to does not mean that we will go quietly seers, and revelators—know what the President Ezra Taft Benson, who was on our way and be willing that the will of the Lord is when unanimity is then nearing the end of his mortal prophet of the Lord shall direct this reached! They are committed to see life, President Gordon B. Hinckley work, but it means . that we will that the Lord’s will truly will be done. explained: stand behind him; we will pray for The Lord’s Prayer provides the pattern “The principles and procedures him; we will defend his good name, for each of these 15 men when they which the Lord has put in place for and we will strive to carry out his pray: “Thy will be done on earth as it the governance of His church make instructions as the Lord shall direct.” 11 is in heaven.” 14 provision for any . circumstance. It is November 2014 75 First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve [Apostles] assures [us] that it will always be in good hands and that, come what may, there is no need to worry or to fear. Our Savior, Jesus Christ, whom we follow, whom we worship, and whom we serve, is ever at the helm.” 19 President Monson, we thank you for those truths! And we thank you for your lifetime of exemplary and dedicated service. May I presume to speak for the members of the Church throughout the world in our united and sincere expression of gratitude for you. We honor you! We love you! We sustain you, not only with uplifted hands but with all our hearts and consecrated efforts. Humbly and fervently, “we ever pray for thee, our prophet dear”! 20 In the name of Jesus Christ, amen. ◼ important . that there be no doubts doctrine are considered deliberately or concerns about the governance of and prayerfully by the First Presidency NOTES 1. “We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet,” 18 the Church and the exercise of the and the Twelve together.” Hymns, no. 19. prophetic gifts, including the right to Last year, when President Monson 2. Teachings of Presidents of the Church: inspiration and revelation in adminis- reached the milestone of 5 years of Joseph F. Smith (1998), 211; emphasis added. This statement was made in tering the affairs and programs of the service as President of the Church, he 1898, when President Smith was Second Church, when the President may be ill reflected on his 50 years of apostolic Counselor in the First Presidency. or is not able to function fully. service and made this statement: “Age 3. For further details, see Spencer J. Condie, Russell M. Nelson: Father, Surgeon, Apostle “The First Presidency and the eventually takes its toll on all of us. (2003), 153–56. Council of the Twelve Apostles, called However, we join our voices with King 4.