The only thing that has come to my mind to write about is a quotation by Lorenzo Snow that I used in my talk today. In a meeting of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve on January 7, 1898, Lorenzo Snow told the brethren, "When I saw the weaknesses and imperfections in [the Prophet Joseph] I thanked God that He would put upon a man who had these imperfections the power and authority which He placed upon him . . . for I knew [that] I myself had weakness and I thought there was a chance for me" (Lorenzo Snow, quoted in George Q. Cannon Journal, 7 January 1898).
Reflecting on this quotation, I was reminded of the myriad men who likewise saw imperfections in the Prophet Joseph, but took a very different approach in dealing with them than Lorenzo Snow. Men like Symonds Ryder, David Whitmer, and Warren Parrish bristled at the thought of imperfections in a Prophet. Whether it was a misspelled name in a revelation, or failed banking venture in Kirtland, these men assumed that Prophets could never make mistakes, and then when they saw these errors they could not endure. (Incidentally, the Kirtland Safety Society was far from Joseph's fault).
Lorenzo Snow, on the other hand, took Joseph at his word, when Joseph declared, "I never told you I was perfect--but there is no error in the revelations which I have taught" (Joseph Smith, 12 May 1844, in Words of Joseph Smith, 369). He accepted the truth that the gospel could be true without the membership, and even the prophets, always being perfect. This decision made all the difference in the world for Lorenzo Snow. While Symonds Ryder, David Whitmer, and Warren Parrish all faded away and lost their places within the Church, Lorenzo Snow stayed steady with the firm conviction that the gospel was true and a Prophet had once more been called to teach here on earth. Later that year, Wilford Woodruff passed away and the prophetic mantle fell upon Lorenzo Snow.
May each of us be this steady, and when trials, perplexities, and human imperfections seek to challenge our faith, may we respond with the same maturity and grace that President Snow did.
Brett
Thanks for this faith-affirming entry, Brett. I've often thought how grateful I am to know that the Gospel is true, because some of the people on this Earth sure aren't. :) I don't mean to sound cynical, truly I don't. I guess this is just my own version of what President Snow said about the Prophet Joseph.
ReplyDeleteThe people on this Earth and in this church -- no matter what their position might be -- are human and, as such, are obviously prone to making mistakes (intentionally or not). If we get hung up on the mistakes, it would be so easy to be offended and walk away, just as David Whitmer, etal. did back in the early days of the Church.
I experienced a moment of frustration just yesterday at our special Stake Conference when one of the speakers (a member of the 70) talked about families and how we need to work diligently to impact the lives of our children. He spoke to the married members (with the underlying assumption that they all have children) and then spoke to the singles.
I was sad and rather hurt that in all of this great counsel, he didn't mention anything about those of us who are married, yet do not any children. I won't get on my giant soapbox over this issue, but needless to say, I'm glad I was packing tissues yesterday.
As I've considered this brother's talk and my reaction to it, it's helped to remind myself that I need to remember Elder ------ is a human being and would in all likelihood be upset to know that he'd hurt someone in the congregation with this omission in his talk. While I'm still sad, I know in my heart that he didn't come to Georgia with the intention of offending anyone. He came to share the love of the Brethren with members of my Stake and to stand as a witness for the Saviour.
It's not always easy, but I think that if I can remember to have faith, to learn how to give it all up to the Saviour -- no matter what "it" might be -- I will find peace and comfort, even amidst the imperfections of this world and the people in it (and that includes me!).
Thanks for reminding me that it is indeed possible to do this. Love you!
Just yesterday I was thinking about my time as Young Women President and feeling rather disappointed in myself for all my shortcomings in that calling. I was thinking about how sad I felt that no matter how hard I tried to serve, there were many times when people were disappointed with me or offended by something I did or didn't say or do. Nice to remember that we are all human. We all make mistakes, intentional or not. We may do everything we think is right, but someone else has a different perspective and is left wanting or expecting more or us--not just as leaders, but as friends, family, etc. One of my favorite quotes by Elder Ashton says that charity is giving others the benefit of the doubt.
ReplyDeleteGood luck in your final week of class (WAHOO!) and looking forward to seeing you soon! Love you!