A Remarkable Conference

This is just a short post.  This week I had a number of memorable experiences.  First, on Monday I attended the funeral of Elder Richard G. Scott in the Tabernacle.  It was a beautiful and tender occasion as we honored that wonderful apostle of the Son of God.  I rejoiced at the thought that he was reunited with his beloved Jeanene, who had passed on 20 years earlier.  The following day, I was given the opportunity of touring the newly renovated LDS Church History Museum for work.  It is a beautiful new display and well-worth a visit from anyone who is in downtown Salt Lake for a few hours.  The new First Vision film itself is well worth your time.  Take your children or grandchildren or just take yourself.  I promise that you won't be disappointed.  On Thursday I had a special experience at the Salt Lake Temple with President Cecil O. Samuelson, Jr., but will keep that one private.

The final great blessing of this week came today and yesterday as we participated in another General Conference of the Church.  We were blessed to see something that has not happened since April 1906, with the calling and sustaining of three new members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and we were blessed by their powerful testimonies.  Additionally, we were privileged to hear from the Prophet of the living God, who reminded us that we are to be examples of the believers and to let our lights shine forth unto the children of men, that their faith might increase and grow.

Two short take aways from conference:

1) I think that the image of the Prophet of God holding tightly to the pulpit and delivering each and every last word that he had prepared despite fading energy will stick with me forever.  It was clear that he was struggling to get through the final minutes of his sermon, but there he stood, resolute and determined to bear his powerful witness to the Church of God.  This was a very real and very visible representation of the truth that Elder Bednar taught, that there are lessons to be gained in old and fading health that cannot be obtained in vibrant youth.  We need both, but thank heavens the Lord allows us to see moments when our Prophets soldier on through declining health.

2) Prior to this conference, and at other times in the past, I fell prey to the danger of making predictions about who would fill the vacancies in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.  I knew that President Lee had once declared that speculating about such matters was "not pleasing in the sight of the Lord" (Harold B. Lee, Ensign, January 1973, 107), but I had not understood what the problem was with making a guess.  It seemed harmless.  Last night as I contemplated the new calls to the Twelve, and some of the social media responses to those calls, I realized what was so problematic about those guesses.  When we make guesses, we become tied to those guesses.  We almost expect that our guess must be right, and we run the risk of being angry when the Lord inevitably proves to have a different plan (or even worse, we become prideful if our guess happened to be correct).  What begins as a "harmless guess" may well be the means of undermining our faith in the divine authenticity of apostolic calls.  Rather than attempting to counsel the Lord, I hope that when future vacancies will occur, I will devote more time to praying for the humility to sustain whomever the Lord calls, and leave the process of choosing His chosen messengers to the Lord Himself.

All in all, what a wonderful weekend, filled with inspired and pertinent counsel for our days.  I know that as we heed these words of life that we have received, they will become a veritable fountain of living water within us, renewing our souls, building our faith in the Son of God, and ultimately springing up unto everlasting life.

Brett