Sunday Lesson: July 12th

Our lesson this past Sunday was from our Ezra Taft Benson manual, Follow the Living Prophet. The lesson followed our Sunday School hour perfectly after the Bishop read us the letter from the First Presidency regarding the recent decision of the US Supreme Court to legalize same-sex marriage. Our lesson just reinstated the fact that we should always hearken to the counsel of our living prophet.
 
Pres. Benson remembers when President Joseph F. Smith introduced 'Home Evening' throughout the church. After his parents read the First Presidency letter to the family, his father then said, "The Presidency has spoken, and this is the work of the Lord to us!" From then on the Benson family diligently held family home evening.
 
President Benson teaches us that the President of the Church is the Lord's mouthpiece on the earth. He frequently urged Latter-day Saints to keep their eyes on the living prophet. He also testified of the divine calling of each President of the Church with whom he served. He counsels us, "Learn to keep your eye on the prophet. He is the Lord's mouthpiece and the only man who can speak for the Lord today. Let his inspired counsel take precedence. Let his inspired words be a basis for evaluating the counsel of all lesser authorities. Then live close to the Spirit so you may know the truth of all things." President Benson also reminds us that, "The Church is not being directed by the wisdom of men. I know that. The power and influence of Almighty God are directing His Church."
 
The lesson also teaches us that the most important prophet for us is the living prophet. "God's revelation to Adam did not instruct Noah how to build the ark. Every generation has need of the ancient scripture, plus the current scripture from the living prophet." We also learn, "If we want to know how well we stand with the Lord then let us ask ourselves how well we stand with His moral captain - how close do our lives harmonize with the Lord's anointed - the living Prophet - President of the Church, and with the Quorum of the First Presidency."
 
We learn, "A revealing characteristic of a true prophet is that he declares a message from God. He makes no apology for the message, nor does he fear for any social repercussions which may lead to derision and persecution." Pres. Benson emphasizes that, "The prophet tells us what we need to know, not always what we want to know." Harold B. Lee once said, "You may not like what comes from the authority of the Church. It may conflict with your political views. It may conflict your social views. It may interfere with some of your social life...Your safety and ours depends upon whether or not we follow . . . Let's keep our eye on the President of the Church."
 
In conclusion President Benson gives us a grand key, which, if we honor it, will crown us with God's glory and bring us out victorious in spite of Satan's fury. The grand key is this, Follow the Prophet. "The prophet is the only man who speaks for the Lord in everything." "As members of the Church we have some close quarters to pass through if we are going to get home safely. We will be given a chance to choose between conflicting counsel given by some. That's why we must learn - and the sooner we learn, the better - to keep our eye on the Prophet, the President of the Church."