My dear brothers and sisters, Aloha! As my wife mentioned, it is truly a blessing for us to return to our beloved Hawaii. This is where we raised our children; this is where we learned so very much about Christ-like service; this is where our hearts will forever be.
I need to express to you how much we love President and Sister Tanner. We fully support them in this assignment and truly enjoy our association with them whether it be in Japan, Korea, or the islands of the sea. You are blessed to be led by them and I commend them to you as wonderful examples and role models after which you can safely and happily pattern your own lives.
Now my dear young brothers and sisters, as I prepared my remarks for you today, I felt impressed to speak to you plainly. I think that you deserve that as God’s elect living in a world of increasing moral confusion and wickedness. In order to do so, please let me start with a simple experience from my childhood.
When I was a young boy, we didn’t have video games or other forms of electronic entertainment with the exception of a television that broadcast all of four channels, a radio and a turntable for vinyl records. This is not a complaint. When you don’t know what technological advancements lie ahead, you don’t lament not having them. There is a certain peace about that reality.
Because of this seemingly “backward” time in history, as children we played outside every chance we could. We would play in the neighborhood and occasionally travel to a public park to play on the vast array of playground equipment—a metal slide, swings, metal climbing structure and the ever popular human-powered merry-go-round pictured here. To be honest, the merry-go-round was not something that I enjoyed. I would watch kids playing on it laughing and having a good time and every now and again, I would give it a go only to end up feeling sick, dizzy and miserable. To me the merry-go-round was a cruel invention. The only way that I could even remotely “enjoy” the merry-go-round was if I were to stand in the middle as it spun and constantly adjust my footing so that I could keep my eyes fixed on a certain object. The moment that I stopped looking at that object, I would quickly become disoriented, dizzy and nauseated. My wife, who danced ballet for many years before we were married, tells me that ballet dancers do the same thing when they perform their many elegant pirouettes. It is called spotting. Fixing your eyes on a single point in order to keep your balance and avoid the debilitating and disorienting effects of dizziness. To this day, I won’t get near a merry-go-round, yet my life feels rich and full.
As I think about this simple lesson learned in childhood, I find a deeper more meaningful application of this lesson in my life today.
It is no secret that as we move closer to the second coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the world will continue to descend into greater wickedness. The day is approaching when “[the Lord’s] indignation is soon to be poured out without measure upon all nations; and this will [He] do when the cup of their iniquity is full.” 1 Indeed, we are living in the long prophesied last days of the world when the gap between the world and the Church of Jesus Christ is, perhaps, as wide as it has ever been. The cup of iniquity is fast reaching its full capacity. As we read the daily news reports from across the world, we see unspeakable acts of violence and moral degradation, the erosion of religious liberties and the systematic assault on the family in nations across the world. It is clear that the world is fast spinning out of control.
Just like the merry-go-round on the playground, this spinning of the world can cause us to lose our balance and become disoriented. In order to avoid these potentially devastating effects we need to keep our eyes fixed on a stationary object and adjust our footing as needed.
Blessedly, our loving Heavenly Father has provided us with a stationary object that is fixed, firm and unmoving. That object is His living prophet and apostles on the earth today. Notice that I did not pluralize the word “object” into “objects.” I purposely used the singular, because the living prophet and apostles are singular in their purpose and completely unified in their counsel and teachings. They are all prophets, seers and revelators. Accordingly, from here on I will refer to the prophet and apostles as simply “prophets.”
The Guide to the Scriptures instruct that a prophet is, “a person who has been called by and speaks for God. As a messenger of God, a prophet receives commandments, prophecies, and revelations from God… A prophet denounces sin and foretells its consequences. He is a preacher of righteousness. His primary responsibility, however, is to bear witness of Jesus Christ.” 2
By this very definition, prophets are set at odds against an increasingly wicked world. This is not a situation unique to our times. The scriptures are filled with accounts of the wicked rejecting and even martyring God’s prophets. We cannot forget the great prophet Abinadi who had the courage to denounce the sins of King Noah and his people. He raised his voice to the people and spoke for God when he said, “And it shall come to pass that except this people repent and turn unto the Lord their God, they shall be brought into bondage; and none shall deliver them, except it be the Lord the Almighty God. Yea, and it shall come to pass that when they shall cry unto me I will be slow to hear their cries; yea, and I will suffer them that they be smitten by their enemies.” 3You will remember that Abinadi taught them, “that salvation did not come by the law [of Moses] alone; and were it not for the atonement, which God himself shall make for the sins and iniquities of his people, that they must unavoidably perish.” 4 He taught them the Ten Commandments; 5 how Christ is the Father and the Son; 6 that little children have eternal life; 7 that men can be redeemed from their fallen state; and, that there will be a resurrection. 8 Plainly put, he taught them the gospel of Jesus Christ without excuse, apology, deviation, adaptation or concern for his personal well-being. He was, truly, a fixed object—steadfast and immoveable. We cannot forget that he, “sealed the truth of his words by his [fiery] death.”9
Likewise, the prophet Joseph Smith taught the restored gospel amid great trials and adversity. He was tarred and feathered, subjected to multiple criminal lawsuits (all without merit), he hid and fled from mobs and wicked men attempting to destroy him. In the end, he too, suffered a martyr’s fate.
From these and many other examples in the scriptures, we understand that being a prophet has never been and most certainly is not a popularity contest. The prophet does not seek favored treatment or acceptance with every special interest group or individual representing current societal trends or self-proclaimed progressive movements as may be determined, created or otherwise made popular by the media or those using available digital venues. Prophets stand firm in the face of wickedness and denounce it when it rears its head. It has been so from the beginning, it is so today, and it will be so in the days to come. They are fixed objects. They are steadfast and immoveable by very definition.
In a great prophetic act in this modern day, prophets delivered to all mankind the clear and plain word of God known as “The Family: A Proclamation to the World.” This Proclamation was first publicly read by President Gordon B. Hinckley as part of his message at the General Relief Society Meeting held on September 23, 1995. Many of you were not even born when this was introduced to the world. To show you how much the world has changed in the past 21 years, I personally don’t recall any negative comments or public outcry over the doctrines stated therein. There may have been, but it did not dominate any news cycle or even receive much if any attention by the media. Certainly, the vast majority of members of the Church readily accepted the Proclamation and its contained truths as being just that—truths.
The first two paragraphs read, “We, the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children.”
“All human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.”
As mentioned, these truths were given to us 21 years ago by the prophet. Simple, eternal truths that have been established from the beginning of time are now, in just a few short years, considered by some to be “out of touch,” “phobic,” and “mean spirited.” Just as Abinadi pointed out to King Noah: “Because I have told you the truth ye are angry with me.… Because I have spoken the word of God ye have judged me that I am mad” 10 “or, as Elder Holland included in a recent talk, “we might add, provincial, patriarchal, bigoted, unkind, narrow, outmoded, and elderly.” 11 Critics claim that the Church should change its doctrines to keep pace with societal trends. I have a question for you. When has God or His Son Jesus Christ ever changed an eternal truth to conform to societal trends, or for any other reason for that matter? It is wholly inconsistent with the nature of God. God, just like his prophets, is steadfast and immoveable. The core doctrines of this Church existed before the foundations of the world. They are not made up by man, nor are they changeable by man.
Let’s remember the words of Moroni when he said, “For do we not read that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and in him there is no variableness neither shadow of changing?
And now, if ye have imagined up unto yourselves a god who doth vary, and in whom there is shadow of changing, then have ye imagined up unto yourselves a god who is not a God of miracles.” 12
President Spencer W. Kimball, a prophet, taught that, “There are absolute truths and relative truths.… There are many ideas advanced to the world that have been changed to meet the needs of the truth as it has been discovered. There are relative truths, and there are also absolute truths which are the same yesterday, today, and forever—never changing. These absolute truths are not altered by the opinions of men. As science has expanded our understanding of the physical world, certain accepted ideas of science have had to be abandoned in the interest of truth. Some of these seeming truths were stoutly maintained for centuries. The sincere searching of science often rests only on the threshold of truth, whereas revealed facts give us certain absolute truths as a beginning point so we may come to understand the nature of man and the purpose of his life.…
“We learn about these absolute truths by being taught by the Spirit. These truths are ‘independent’ in their spiritual sphere and are to be discovered spiritually, though they may be confirmed by experience and intellect. (See D&C 93:30)
“God, our Heavenly Father—Elohim—lives. That is an absolute truth. … All the people on the earth might deny him and disbelieve, but he lives in spite of them. … In short, opinion alone has no power in the matter of an absolute truth. He still lives. And Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Almighty, the Creator, the Master of the only true way of life—the gospel of Jesus Christ. The intellectual may rationalize him out of existence and the unbeliever may scoff, but Christ still lives and guides the destinies of his people. That is an absolute truth; there is no gainsaying. …
“The Gods organized and gave life to man and placed him on the earth. This is absolute. It cannot be disproved. A million brilliant minds might conjecture otherwise, but it is still true.” 13
Now, I recognize that just because something is a truth does not mean that it is easily understood or readily accepted even by the most faithful. As mortals we do not know the mind of God and at times His truths may conflict with our personal circumstances or deeply held feelings. The Adversary knows this and exploits this to his purposes. He places in the hearts of men doubt and perhaps even feelings of alienation from other truths that we readily accept. For those so struggling, I restate the counsel given by Elder Holland when he said, “this is a divine work in process, with the manifestations and blessings of it abounding in every direction, so please don’t hyperventilate if from time to time issues arise that need to be examined, understood, and resolved. They do and they will. In this Church, what we know will always trump what we do not know. And remember, in this world, everyone is to walk by faith.” 14
Throughout the history of man, it has always been, and remains so today, that man is the one that needs to change in order to align himself with God not the other way around.
King Benjamin taught, “Marvel not that all mankind, yea, men and women, all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, must be born again; yea, born of God, changed from their carnal and fallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God, becoming his sons and daughters.” 15
And then there is Alma asking, “And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts?”
It cannot be clearer! We must keep our eyes fixed on prophets and adjust and change our footing as the world spins around us in order to keep from becoming disoriented and losing our way. As we change, as we fix our eyes on prophets there is safety and peace.
Elder Ballard shared this observation. “I have discovered in my ministry that those who have become lost [and] confused are typically those who have most often … forgotten that when the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve speak with a united voice, it is the voice of the Lord for that time. The Lord reminds us, ‘Whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same’.” 16
I find such peace and joy in that doctrine—“whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same.” How blessed we are to have a loving Heavenly Father that has provided us with the consistency of His word in these trying times!
As a husband and father I have found great peace in following the counsel of the prophet. While I am certainly not perfect in either role, I improve my performance by listening to and applying the counsel given by the prophet. For as long as I can remember, I have loved and revered the prophet. I was certainly taught to do so in my home by my parents. As my wife and I have raised our family, we have always prioritized the words of the prophet. We have not always been perfect in implementation, but we have tried our best. I have listened to their words. I have read their words and I have and do observe them.
When I was called to be a young bishop here in Hawaii, I needed a new suit. As many of you may know, there are not many places in Hawaii where you can buy a suit. Anyway, my wife and I traveled to one such department store and I began trying on suits. One suit in particular drew a compliment from my wife when I tried it on. That was all I needed to hear and I was ready to buy it. However, as I looked more closely at the suit, I noticed that it had three buttons down the front. To that day, I did not recall ever seeing a prophet wear a three button suit, so I put the suit back on the rack and we left empty handed. A few weeks later, we received a copy of the Church News and there on the cover was President Hinckley standing in front of a recently dedicated temple. I studied the picture closely and discovered that he was wearing a three button suit. I ran to my wife and said, “Look at this picture!” She commented on the beauty of the new temple. I then focused her attention on President Hinckley’s suit and pointed out that it had three buttons. Well, the rest is history as I returned to the department store and bought a three button suit.
Now, I know that this sounds silly and a bit extreme. However, it was, and still is, important to me that I fix my eyes on prophets in all things. I was a bishop. I was representing the prophet to the beloved youth of my ward. I wanted them to see in me, what they saw in the prophet. I did not want to stand out as being different from him. I wanted them to see consistency and steadiness in their bishop. I don’t know if I succeeded in that quest, but I tried, even down to the suits that I wore.
I have found that the prophet will never ask us to do something that we unable to do. At times their counsel may require that we change our footing in order to align ourselves more fully with our Heavenly Father. At times, their counsel will require us to draw upon the cleansing and enabling power of the atonement of Jesus Christ. Drawing upon that power we can make the changes necessary to live with Heavenly Father again. I have also found, that if there is any difficulty in accepting their counsel it is usually because of my own weakness and pride.
I remember the story of Moses and the children of Israel as they wandered in the wilderness for those many years. I remember the serpents that tormented the people with their venomous bites. In the Old Testament we read, “And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, ‘We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee; pray unto the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us.’ And Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said unto Moses, ‘Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.’ And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.” 17
That sounds easy enough, right? A deadly snake bites you, you look at a stick with a brass serpent affixed to it and you live. Don’t look at the stick and you die. Easy choice, right? Well, we learn from Alma, that it was not as easy as it might appear for some. Alma recounted the story to his people with more detail as follows,
“Behold, he was spoken of by Moses; yea, and behold a type was raised up in the wilderness, that whosoever would look upon it might live. And many did look and live. But few understood the meaning of those things, and this because of the hardness of their hearts. But there were many who were so hardened that they would not look, therefore they perished. Now the reason they would not look is because they did not believe that it would heal them. O my brethren, if ye could be healed by merely casting about your eyes that ye might be healed, would ye not behold quickly, or would ye rather harden your hearts in unbelief, and be slothful, that ye would not cast about your eyes, that ye might perish? If so, wo shall come upon you; but if not so, then cast about your eyes and begin to believe in the Son of God, that he will come to redeem his people, and that he shall suffer and die to atone for their sins; and that he shall rise again from the dead, which shall bring to pass the resurrection, that all men shall stand before him, to be judged at the last and judgment day, according to their works.” 18
Alma teaches us that the brass serpent he affixed to the pole was a type or symbol of Christ as he hung on the cross. So important is this lesson, that it is referenced four separate times in the Book of Mormon. 19
We fix our eyes on the prophet by sustaining him. What does that mean, exactly? We sustain the prophet by doing the following: First, we pray for him. We pray that he may have good health and strength and that he will be able to receive and deliver the word of God to us. Second, we listen to him and study his words. We will have the opportunity to listen this weekend, and then to study his words in the weeks following General Conference. And, third, we follow the prophet’s counsel. Exercise your faith. Call upon your Heavenly Father for help. Repent when you need to and change your footing to keep your eyes fixed upon him.
My dear young brothers and sisters, the prophet loves you. I have heard prophets petition heaven on your behalf. I have heard them speak countless times about you with great care and concern over your spiritual and temporal well-being. You are constantly in their thoughts and prayers.
As this world continues to spin toward greater wickedness, erosion of religious liberties and rationalization against God’s fixed standard and those who proclaim it, I implore you to keep your eyes fixed on the prophet and to adjust and change your footing as may be required.
I echo the words of one such prophet, Elder Ballard, when under apostolic authority he said, “I make you a promise. It’s a simple one, but it is true. If you will listen to the living prophet and the apostles and heed [their] counsel, you will not go astray.” 20
I bear you my witness that this is true. I bear you my witness that this is the Church of Jesus Christ and that He stands at its head. I bear you my witness that Thomas S. Monson is, as a prophet of God, a fixed object. He is steadfast and immovable as are his counselors and the Twelve Apostles. I sustain them with all my heart. I bear you my witness that they will not lead you astray.
Finally, I bear you my witness that Jesus is the Christ. That He is the Son of God and that He lives! Of these absolute truths I bear my witness in His sacred name, Jesus Christ, Amen.
[1]D&C 101:11
[2]Guide to the Scriptures, “Prophet”; scriptures.lds.org
[3]Mosiah 11:23-24
[4]Mosiah 13:28
[5]Mosiah 13:12-24
[6]Mosiah 15:1-5
[7]Mosiah 15:25
[8]Mosiah 16
[9]Mosiah 17:20
[10]Mosiah 13:4
[11]Jeffrey R. Holland, “The Cost—and Blessings—of Discipleship” Ensign, May 2014
[12]Mormon 9:9-10
[13]Spencer W. Kimball, “Absolute Truth” Ensign, Sept. 1978, 3-4
[14]Jeffrey R. Holland, “Lord, I Believe,” Ensign, May 2013
[15]Mosiah 27:25
[16]M. Russell Ballard, “Stay in the Boat and Hold on!” Ensign, Nov. 2014
[17]Numbers 21:6-9
[18]Alma 33:19-20
[19]1 Nephi 17:41; 2 Nephi 25:20; Alma 33:19-22; and, Helaman 8:15,24
[20]M. Russell Ballard, “His Word ye Shall Receive” Ensign, May 2001