The Views Expressed
I don't know how many of you listened to General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Saturday afternoon. I don't know how many of you attended your last Regional, Stake, or Ward Conferences. But I do know I did. I know that President Eyring presented all of the church officers for sustaining vote. I know that I have had the opportunity to read that same list in Ward Conference and ask for the members sustaining vote. I also know that I had the opportunity to raise my hand in that vote.
So what does that mean? Does it mean that if I don't raise my hand, the people being mentioned might be removed from office? Or does it mean that I am outwardly showing the Lord that I accept these leaders as representatives of Him and that I am committing myself to obey their guidance and council with exactness as if the Lord himself had spoken them? I am leaning more to the latter.
Yet after sitting down to my computer yesterday, reading some blogs, visiting some social networking sites, and reading the paper, I began to wonder what others think it means to sustain. I was amazed at how many people lashed out on certain talks and about how it was poor timing for the speaker to bring up that subject or how they liked the general idea of the conference, they just did not agree with all of comments.
Suddenly my mind with filled with that little disclaimer that TV and radio stations play before doing an infomercial or introduce a talk show host. It basically says something like the views expressed and discussed on this program may not necessarily be the views of the network sharing them. In other words, if you don't like what is being said, don't blame the broadcaster. I started wondering if we have the right to add that disclaimer when we raise our hands in sustaining vote.
I don't think it works that way. There were several times in the conference where speakers referred to a talk given by Ezra Taft Benson, "Fourteen Fundamentals in Following the Prophet". I have it printed here next to me.
Number one is - The prophet is the only man who speaks for the Lord in everything.
The Prophet, Thomas S. Monson, asked each of those leaders to speak at conference. Many of them had been or were sustained in this conferences as Prophets, Seers, and Revelators; thus under The Prophets direction, as he received it from the Lord, these leaders represented the Lord in their comments.
To say they are spot on in somethings, but off a little in others is like saying the Lord is as well. How can that be? The Lord is the same today as he was yesterday and will be the same tomorrow. He does not vary. His laws do not change, we have to change.
The talks are available online. I hope you have the opportunity to replay them or read them over and over again. I like to download them on to my MP3 player and listen to them often over the next 6 months. It makes great back ground noise on Sunday afternoons, while riding a bike, driving in a car, or working in the garden. I encourage you do the same.
Let it be know that I views expressed were and are in harmony with my views. I need to change so I am living them.
So what does that mean? Does it mean that if I don't raise my hand, the people being mentioned might be removed from office? Or does it mean that I am outwardly showing the Lord that I accept these leaders as representatives of Him and that I am committing myself to obey their guidance and council with exactness as if the Lord himself had spoken them? I am leaning more to the latter.
Yet after sitting down to my computer yesterday, reading some blogs, visiting some social networking sites, and reading the paper, I began to wonder what others think it means to sustain. I was amazed at how many people lashed out on certain talks and about how it was poor timing for the speaker to bring up that subject or how they liked the general idea of the conference, they just did not agree with all of comments.
Suddenly my mind with filled with that little disclaimer that TV and radio stations play before doing an infomercial or introduce a talk show host. It basically says something like the views expressed and discussed on this program may not necessarily be the views of the network sharing them. In other words, if you don't like what is being said, don't blame the broadcaster. I started wondering if we have the right to add that disclaimer when we raise our hands in sustaining vote.
I don't think it works that way. There were several times in the conference where speakers referred to a talk given by Ezra Taft Benson, "Fourteen Fundamentals in Following the Prophet". I have it printed here next to me.
Number one is - The prophet is the only man who speaks for the Lord in everything.
The Prophet, Thomas S. Monson, asked each of those leaders to speak at conference. Many of them had been or were sustained in this conferences as Prophets, Seers, and Revelators; thus under The Prophets direction, as he received it from the Lord, these leaders represented the Lord in their comments.
To say they are spot on in somethings, but off a little in others is like saying the Lord is as well. How can that be? The Lord is the same today as he was yesterday and will be the same tomorrow. He does not vary. His laws do not change, we have to change.
The talks are available online. I hope you have the opportunity to replay them or read them over and over again. I like to download them on to my MP3 player and listen to them often over the next 6 months. It makes great back ground noise on Sunday afternoons, while riding a bike, driving in a car, or working in the garden. I encourage you do the same.
Let it be know that I views expressed were and are in harmony with my views. I need to change so I am living them.
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