During the last two General Conferences I remember watching President Hinckley close the last session, as the prophet always does, and understanding somehow that it wouldn’t be very long before he would no longer be speaking, only listening. The day that spirit spoke to me of was today. President Monson finished speaking not five minutes ago.
Yesterday I knelt in prayer and asked that, though I believed in the passing of the mantel and in the ever calling of preordained apostles, I might feel the testifying spirit assure to me and bring me to know. How sweet it was to receive an answer to that prayer as I heard President Thomas S. Monson speak. As he humorously told of his love and of his life, I imagined seeing those patiently in heaven smile as they worked, hearing the living saints of the earth laugh together. I laughed so honestly I cried.
The Lord continuously teaches His people that the work goes on and will not be stayed. With the passing of a beloved Prophet and with added stress and responsibility on the members of this church from all spiritual and worldy fronts, my joy and resolution is inexpressible in the fact that we as a people, led by our prophet, chose, of all things, to laugh together as we parted ways.
My calling in the Relief Society now requires me to choose songs to practice with the sisters. After the first session of Conference, feeling full, I returned to my room to prayerfully pick the song we should sing in two weeks time. As I studied I was led to hymn 312, “We Ever Pray for Thee”. The song struck me, being about sustaining a prophet and about how the Lord would lead both he and the people he watched over if they worked together. Then two hours later, as I listened to President Monson, he closed by saying “I love you. I pray for you. Please pray for me, that the Lord may guide us.” The work that happens in all places and aspects where the brethren labor and the work that goes on in each of our home wards is the same. The testimony of it is everlasting and spans over any barriers.
May we ever pray for our now called and sustained prophet.
Yesterday I knelt in prayer and asked that, though I believed in the passing of the mantel and in the ever calling of preordained apostles, I might feel the testifying spirit assure to me and bring me to know. How sweet it was to receive an answer to that prayer as I heard President Thomas S. Monson speak. As he humorously told of his love and of his life, I imagined seeing those patiently in heaven smile as they worked, hearing the living saints of the earth laugh together. I laughed so honestly I cried.
The Lord continuously teaches His people that the work goes on and will not be stayed. With the passing of a beloved Prophet and with added stress and responsibility on the members of this church from all spiritual and worldy fronts, my joy and resolution is inexpressible in the fact that we as a people, led by our prophet, chose, of all things, to laugh together as we parted ways.
My calling in the Relief Society now requires me to choose songs to practice with the sisters. After the first session of Conference, feeling full, I returned to my room to prayerfully pick the song we should sing in two weeks time. As I studied I was led to hymn 312, “We Ever Pray for Thee”. The song struck me, being about sustaining a prophet and about how the Lord would lead both he and the people he watched over if they worked together. Then two hours later, as I listened to President Monson, he closed by saying “I love you. I pray for you. Please pray for me, that the Lord may guide us.” The work that happens in all places and aspects where the brethren labor and the work that goes on in each of our home wards is the same. The testimony of it is everlasting and spans over any barriers.
May we ever pray for our now called and sustained prophet.
1 comment:
That's a neat story. And it's very true; I'm sure the prophet needs our prayers. I think it's also pretty cool that the prophet himself prays for us. It reminds me of how the Savior Himself says that He becomes our advocate with the Father. It's nice to know that they all really want us to succeed.
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