Area Leadership Message
Prophets and the Blessings of Following Their Counsel
A prophet is a man called of God and he speaks on behalf of God. His role is to reveal the will and true nature of God to all the children of men. But his divine role is to testify of Christ. Since the beginning of time, all prophets have repeatedly testified of Christ. The Lord also reveals His secrets to His prophets. Therefore, He builds His Church upon the foundation of apostles and prophets.
I always like to think about the story of the widow of Zarephath. When the prophet Elijah asked her for some water to drink, he also asked her to bring him a morsel of bread so he could eat. The widow made it known to Elijah she had only a handful of meal and a little oil left; it was all she had. It was only enough for a last meal for herself and her son and then they would die.
Elijah said she should make the cake with her last supplies as she had planned, but he asked her to feed him first and then cook for herself and her son.
Elijah then showed her the power of God; he left a miracle and a blessing when he said, “For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth” (1 Kings 17:14).
“And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by Elijah” (1 Kings 17:16).
This all came about because of the faith and obedience of the widow when she followed the words of Jehovah through Elijah. The Lord has commanded, “Whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same” (Doctrine & Covenants 1:38).
One of the blessings of the Restoration in this last dispensation and in the fulness of times is that the Lord called Joseph Smith as the greatest prophet in this last dispensation. Since then, prophets continue to use the keys of the priesthood to guide The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
President Spencer W. Kimball (1895–1985) was the first prophet I met personally when he visited Tonga back in 1976. I was serving as a full-time missionary. That memory seems to me like it happened just yesterday. President Kimball looked at me straight in the eye and slowly asked me with his hoarse voice, “Do you love your companion?” My heart beat fast and I was confused. When I finally replied I said, “Yes.”
My testimony was strengthened because I knew President Kimball was a prophet of the Lord.
We are grateful for our beloved living prophet, President Russell M. Nelson. He gave four invitations to the women of the Church in the October 2018 general conference. One was to read the Book of Mormon and to finish it before the end of the year (2018). Just as Jehovah spoke to the widow of Zarephath through Elijah, the Lord again spoke through President Nelson and said, “As you prayerfully study, I promise that the heavens will open for you. The Lord will bless you with increased inspiration and revelation.
“… And changes, even miracles, will begin to happen.”1
I testify that as we follow the living prophet, the Lord will bless us. Jesus Christ is our Saviour and our Redeemer.