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Give Heed to the Words of the Prophets
In the doctrines of the Church, faith and the quest for knowledge are not inconsistent; they are compatible and complementary.
From a devotional address given at Education Week at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, USA, on August 16, 2022. For the full address, visit speeches.byu.edu.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members have a doctrinal commitment to education. President Russell M. Nelson recently said, “I consider [education] a religious responsibility.”1
My purpose today is to examine certain knowledge through the lens of revealed doctrine. The doctrine I have chosen is significant in that it provides an immunity to protect against specific challenges and evils not only for the times in which revelations were received but also to protect future generations. These teachings provide an immunity for future events that could have serious adverse impact on members.
President Heber J. Grant—The Word of Wisdom
In 1922, Heber J. Grant was the prophet and president of the Church. One principle he continually emphasized was the Word of Wisdom.
President Grant was inspired during his service as the prophet to make compliance with the Word of Wisdom a requirement for receiving a temple recommend.2 He also was noted for continuing to teach the principles of the Word of Wisdom over the many years he served.
The knowledge or science of evaluating the health risks from smoking and consuming alcohol was unusually slow to develop. It was not until 1964—several decades after President Grant’s strong prophetic support for the Word of Wisdom—that the surgeon general of the United States concluded, “Cigarette smoking is a health hazard of sufficient importance in the United States to warrant appropriate remedial action.”3
I am grateful that prophetic revelations and declarations have provided both immunity and a safe harbor for faithful members of the Church.
President David O. McKay—Family First
I will next address President David O. McKay. He is remembered for teaching that every member is a missionary and for promoting enhanced missionary opportunities.
I desire to emphasize the revelatory declarations and guidance he provided with respect to successful eternal families. He reinstituted family home evening and encouraged families to carve out time for religious observance in the home. His pronouncements were significant at the time but have also provided protection against the deterioration of the family unit.
President McKay expressed a dramatic concern for concentrating our righteous efforts to bless our families at a time when it was very important, but the necessity of building strong families has increased and will become even more important in the future.
President Spencer W. Kimball—“All Are Alike unto God”
I will next address President Spencer W. Kimball. He is remembered for many things, including his emphasis on repentance and his revelation on the priesthood.
In describing that revelation, he said, “We had the glorious experience of having the Lord indicate clearly that the time had come when all worthy men and women everywhere can be fellow heirs and partakers of the full blessings of the gospel.”4
I am grateful that the Lord made it very clear to President Kimball what was to be done. Not enough can possibly be said about this revelation on the priesthood that has blessed and protected both individuals and the Church. It is even more important today than when it was received.
President Gordon B. Hinckley—The Proclamation
I will next address President Gordon B. Hinckley. He taught many principles and emphasized the well-established doctrine of the Church.
When you reflect on the period President Hinckley served as president—and before that as a counselor in the First Presidency—you likely remember that his exceptional administrative and communication skills allowed him to address a broad range of important matters. He was also a man of wit and wisdom. It would be fair to say that he provided prophetic guidance to expand the Church across the entire world.
President Hinckley constantly emphasized family and the sanctity of marriage. He was also known for reaching out to new converts, building temples, constructing the Conference Center, empathizing with those suffering trials, and encouraging those losing hope. His testimony of Jesus Christ was powerful.
President Thomas S. Monson—Ministering
I will next address President Thomas S. Monson. During his service, he was a powerful advocate for Jesus Christ and for His restored Church.
Every General Authority strives to live a Christlike life, yet even among a group of leaders who are valiant in this regard, President Monson was exceptional.
President Monson’s spiritually led ministering to the one was legendary. He both taught and was an example of going “to the rescue.”5 When the Spirit impressed upon his mind that someone needed assistance, he would drop everything and go to his or her aid. Without request or notice of any kind, he would arrive to give a final blessing before someone passed away, often before anyone else knew the sufferer was ill. He was receptive to promptings of the Spirit. He emphasized and epitomized the principle of ministering to the one as a fundamental doctrine of the kingdom.
President Russell M. Nelson—Make Homes Sanctuaries of Faith
I will next address President Russell M. Nelson. I have previously publicly referenced the revelatory guidance that he has received. Let me share it with you at this time:
The new home-centered, Church-supported integrated curriculum has the potential to unleash the power of families, as each family follows through conscientiously and carefully to transform their home into a sanctuary of faith.6
How blessed we are to have had this guidance during the pandemic.
I believe the immunity and protection that will come from making our homes sanctuaries of faith and fully implementing home-centered, Church-supported religious observance may be among the most important of the last one hundred years. I believe future generations will be blessed by this revelation and that it will be a seminal instrument in helping to build faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
These prophetic declarations that I have addressed have provided and will provide immunity and protection in the future to allow members to be in the world but not of the world and prepare them for the Second Coming of the Savior.
We would be wise to always measure the knowledge we seek through a doctrinal lens. President Nelson has taught us that doctrine and true knowledge will ultimately support each other. That is why faith and the quest for knowledge are not inconsistent but are completely compatible and complementary.