Grateful for Living Prophets and Apostles

With the death of the Lord’s Apostles and the start of the Great Apostasy, the world was plunged into an age of spiritual darkness. Then, centuries before the time of Joseph Smith, the Lord began to lay the groundwork for the Restoration of the fulness of the gospel.

The invention of the printing press, the Renaissance, the Reformation, the Europeans’ discovery of the Americas, and so forth were all preparatory for what would occur in the Sacred Grove “on the morning of a beautiful, clear day, early in the spring of eighteen hundred and twenty” (Joseph Smith—History 1:14). On that spring morning a prophet of God was once again on the earth, and the age of spiritual darkness was finally over!

In this month’s Liahona, President Dallin H. Oaks, First Counselor in the First Presidency, teaches us of the indispensable role of modern prophets and apostles, their priesthood keys and authority, and their role as special witnesses of the name of Jesus Christ (page 4).

A key element of their witness is of the Savior’s divine character and attributes, and they echo His invitation to be “even as I am” (3 Nephi 27:27).

On page 10, I share insights on how each of us can “practice virtue” (Doctrine and Covenants 46:33) in our efforts to become more like Jesus Christ.

How grateful I am for living prophets and apostles—special witnesses of Jesus Christ!

Elder Lynn G. Robbins

Emeritus General Authority Seventy