Until We Meet Again

Pay Attention to the Prophets

By Elder Claudio R. M. Costa

Of the Seventy

Adapted from “Obedience to the Prophets,” Ensign, Nov. 2010, 11–13.

What a great blessing it is to have prophets in our day!

Illustration by Joshua Dennis

I am a convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Before I made the decision to be baptized in the Church, I studied extracts from the history of Joseph Smith. I prayed after carefully reading each paragraph. If you would like to do this yourself, it may take you 14 hours.

After I read, pondered, and prayed, the Lord gave me the assurance that Joseph Smith was His prophet. I testify to you that Joseph Smith is a prophet, and because I have received this answer from the Lord, I know that all of his successors are prophets too. What a great blessing it is to receive the word, commandments, and guidance of the Lord in these difficult days of the earth! The prophets can be inspired to see the future for the benefit of mankind.

We are told that “surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets” (Amos 3:7). We learn from this scripture that the Lord will reveal to His prophets absolutely anything that He feels is necessary to communicate to us. He will reveal His will to us, and He will instruct us through His prophets.

The Lord promised us that if we believe in the holy prophets, we should have eternal life (see Doctrine and Covenants 20:26). In the sixth article of faith, we declare that we believe in prophets. To believe means to have faith and confidence in them and to follow and do what the prophets ask us to do.

We are privileged to have the words of our living prophets, seers, and revelators during this wonderful general conference. They will speak the will of the Lord for us, His people. They will transmit the word of God and His counsel to us. Pay attention and follow their instruction and suggestions, and I testify to you that your life will be completely blessed.