Having A Prophet, We Have Everything

In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints we often sing the hymn, “We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet.”

President Gordon B. Hinckley expounded on the background of that song in a talk he gave with the same title. He said,

“It was written more than a century ago by a man of humble circumstances who lived in Sheffield, England. He worked in the steel mills and was discharged because he joined the Mormon Church. But there burned in his heart a great and fervent testimony; and out of an overflowing spirit of gratitude, he penned these moving lines. They have become a grateful expression of appreciation for millions over the earth. I have heard them sung in many different languages as a reverent prayer of thanksgiving for divine revelation.

How thankful we ought to be, how thankful we are, for a prophet to counsel us in words of divine wisdom as we walk our paths in these complex and difficult times. The solid assurance we carry in our hearts, the conviction that God will make His will known to His children through His recognized servants, is the real basis of our faith and activity. We either have a prophet or we have nothing; and having a prophet, we have everything.”

I believe that the last line in the quote could use further emphasis. We either have a prophet or we have nothing; and having a prophet, we have everything.”

What is the "everything" we really have?

In Amos 3:7 it is written, “Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.”

The most important blessing we receive by having a prophet of God on the earth today is that of authority.

The Lord gives his prophets, seers, and revelators both the priesthood authority and the keys they need to act in his name. The keys are the right of presidency. President Joseph F. Smith wrote:

“It is necessary that every act performed under this authority shall be done at the proper time and place, in the proper way, and after the proper order. The power of directing these labors constitutes the keys of the Priesthood. In their fullness, the keys are held by only one person at a time, the prophet and president of the Church. He may delegate any portion of this power to another, in which case that person holds the keys of that particular labor.”

Our modern day prophet literally holds ALL the keys necessary for our salvation and exaltation concerning our progress here on earth. He is the key holder of the Aaronic Priesthood which gives him the right to administer in the ordinances of the gospel of repentance and baptism, and allow the ministering of angels. These ordinances then prepare us to receive the Melchizedek ordinances of which he also holds the keys. These Melchizedek Priesthood keys allow us to “know the mysteries of kingdom and the knowledge of God” receiving the higher ordinances of the temple.

His “right to presidency” turns all those keys on our behalf and allows us to choose to return back to the presence of our Father.

He also has been given, through the laying on of hands, the same keys that were given to Joseph Smith in the Kirtland Temple. These keys allow for the gathering of Israel and the restoration of the Ten tribes to commence, given by the original key holder Moses, himself. Also given are the keys to the sealing power, binding in Heaven that which is bound on earth, under the direction of Elijah the prophet. This is literally everything!

As you can see it is evident that without a prophet we have nothing, and with him we have everything, as a people, a nation, and a church.

Fourteen Fundamentals in Following the Prophet

On February 26, 1980 in a Brigham Young University address Ezra Taft Benson, who was then president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles gave a “grand key” of knowledge. It was to “Follow the Prophet”. In reference to the upcoming 85^th birthday, soon to be celebrated by the Prophet Spencer W. Kimball who was prophet at the time, Benson stated that the best way to honor him would be to simply, “Follow the Prophet.” President Benson then gave fourteen fundamentals in following the prophet. Listen carefully as he expounds on each of them in the video below.

I believe that these fourteen fundamentals are still important for us today. Soon we will have the opportunity once again to be instructed directly from our Prophet and other church leaders during General Conference in April. Some of the direction and counsel we will be asked to live may seem hard. Perhaps some of the correction they have to offer may be stinging, or some may even have cause to find offense. I believe that the inspirational message that President Benson gave nearly 30 years ago, is just the counsel we need to hear today, for as he stated, “our salvation depends on them.”

“Not only is the Church growing in number today, it is growing in faithfulness and, even more important, our young generation, as a group, is even more faithful than the older generation. God has reserved you for the eleventh hour—the great and dreadful day of the Lord (D&C 110:16). It will be your responsibility not only to help to carry the kingdom to a triumph but to save your own soul and strive to save those of your family and to honor the principles of the inspired constitution of the United States.” Ezra Taft Benson

“Fourteen Fundamentals in Following the Prophet”

• 1. The prophet is the only man who speaks for the Lord in everything.
• 2. The living prophet is more vital to us than the standard works.
• 3. The living prophet is more important to us than a dead prophet.
• 4. The prophet will never lead the church astray.
• 5. The prophet is not required to have any particular earthly training or credentials to speak on any subject or act on any matter at any time.
• 6. The prophet does not have to say “Thus Saith the Lord,” to give us scripture.
• 7. The prophet tells us what we need to know, not always what we want to know.
• 8. The prophet is not limited by men’s reasoning.
• 9. The prophet can receive revelation on any matter, temporal or spiritual.
• 10. The prophet may advise on civic matters.
• 11. The two groups who have the greatest difficulty in following the prophet are the proud who are learned and the proud who are rich.
• 12. The prophet will not necessarily be popular with the world or the worldly.
• 13. The prophet and his counselors make up the First Presidency—the highest quorum in the Church.
• 14. The prophet and the presidency—the living prophet and the First Presidency—follow them and be blessed—reject them and suffer.

Have you ever felt that the counsel given from our leaders was hard to follow? How did you deal with that dilemma?