Awesome talk on the 'Fourteen Fundamentals in Following the Prophet'

Thomas S Monson, is a living prophet and speaks to us today.
According to President Ezra Taft Benson, we have promised our obedience to the living prophet as he receives commandments and revelations from God. Elders Claudio Costa and Kevin R. Duncan, both of the seventy, referred to President Ezra Taft Benson’s 1980 devotional talk entitled: Fourteen Fundamentals in Following the Prophet.

The first of those fundamentals is: The prophet is the only man who speaks for the Lord in everything.
Our prophet, President Thomas S. Monson, has asked us to keep the commandments, to love our fellowman by serving them, and to seek after the less active and inactive. We should understand these are Gods priorities and that President Monson is his voice in communicating this to the church and the entire world. See D&C 21: 4- 6

The second fundamental is: The prophet is more vital to us than the standard works.
Our prophet, Thomas S Monson, receives specific revelations for us at this particular time dealing with our current needs.

Three: The living prophet is more important to us than a dead prophet.
The most important prophet to us right now is our current prophet, Thomas S. Monson, to whom the Lord is currently revealing his will for us.

Four: The prophet will never lead the church astray.
President Wilford Woodruff said, “The Lord will never permit me or any other man who stands as president of the church to lead you astray.”

Five: The prophet is not required to have any particular earthly training or diploma to speak on any subject or act on any matter at any time. Joseph Smith Jr., the prophet who stands at the head of this last dispensation, was a poor farm boy without almost any formal education. He stands as the supreme example.

Six: The prophet does not have to say ‘Thus saith the Lord’ to give us scripture.
Anything our prophet, his counselors or any one of the twelve apostles says is modern scripture. Remember ---President Henry B. Eyring, in the Saturday afternoon session (October 2010) said: It is proposed that we sustain the counselors in the First Presidency and the Twelve Apostles as prophets, seers and revelators.

Seven: The prophet tells us what we need to know not always what we want to know.
See 1 Nephi 16: 1,3

Eight: The prophet is not limited by men’s reasoning.
“Whatever God requires is right no matter what it is, although we may not see the reason thereof until long after the events transpire.” (Scrapbook of Mormon Literature vol 2 pg 173) Consider this revelation, The Word of Wisdom, given in 1833, long before tobacco was discovered to cause cancer.

Nine: The prophet can receive revelation on any matter—temporal or spiritual.
Brigham Young said: I defy any man on earth to point out the path a prophet of God should walk in, or point out his duty and just how far he must go, in dictating temporal or spiritual things. Temporal and spiritual things are inseparably connected, and ever will be. (Journal of Discourses, 10:363-364.)

Ten: The prophet may well advise on civic matters.
Consider: A Proclamation to the World. “The Family is ordained of God. Marriage is between a man and a woman and is essential to His eternal plan. . . .We call upon responsible citizens and officers of government everywhere to promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society.”

Eleven: The two groups who have the greatest difficulty in following the prophet are the proud who are learned and the proud who are rich.

Twelve: The prophet will not necessarily be popular with the world or the worldly.
I caution you to be aware of ‘Selective Obedience.’ Choosing what revelation or counsel one will follow or reject according to ones personal whims can be dangerous. To those who demand chapter and verse of a particular piece of counsel---read the Ensign.

Thirteen: The prophet and his counselors make up the First Presidency—the highest quorum in the Church. See D & C 107: 80, D & C 112: 20

Fourteen: The prophet and the presidency—the living prophet and the First Presidency—follow them and be blessed—reject them and suffer.

I encourage all of us, as we desire to draw closer to God to Follow the Prophets. Read their words in the Ensigns and even pray about those things you find most challenging to accept.
“If we want to know how well we stand with the Lord then let us ask ourselves how well we stand . . . with his living Prophet and the Quorum of the First Presidency.”


On tap for next week--Tribunal book review.