Hold Fast to the Truth

By Bishop Glenn L. Pace

second counselor in the Presiding Bishopric

(Adapted from an April 1989 general conference address. See Ensign, May 1989, pages 25–27.)

Sometimes we appear to be enslaved by fads and trends in our society. Some are good. Some are silly but harmless. Others can be harmful to our physical or spiritual health.

Knowing that the shortest distance from the world to the celestial kingdom is a straight line, the Lord has restored His gospel, which contains the truth and guidance that we need to make the journey as smooth as possible. We can avoid unnecessary detours by reading the scriptures and listening to our prophet. As the Church holds fast to the values taught by prophets of previous dispensations and reaffirmed by our modern-day prophets, the pointing finger of a failing society seems to be regularly aimed at us. One can hardly get through a day without hearing some criticism about the Church.

In this regard, my counsel to members is to relax, lighten up, and not get so huffy. While the gospel is sacred and serious, sometimes we take ourselves a little too seriously. A sense of humor, especially about ourselves, is an attribute worth developing.

As a Presiding Bishopric, we work closely with our current prophets, seers, and revelators. I testify that these men have no desire or goal other than to assist the Lord in His purpose “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39). They are highly intelligent men who understand the problems currently facing members of the Church throughout the world. I testify to you that Ezra Taft Benson is a prophet of God and is surrounded by other special witnesses of the Savior. Jesus stands at the head of this Church, and He has personally called these servants to preside over us.

Photo by Craig Dimond