President Monson - As We Gather Once Again

April 2012 General Conference Saturday Morning (link to the talks)


President Monson - As We Gather Once Again 
The purpose of General Conference is to "strengthen one another, to extend encouragement, to provide comfort, to build faith. We are here to learn." We can all "be enlightened and uplifted and comforted as the Spirit of the Lord is felt." General Conference brings the Spirit more fully into our lives and helps us make necessary changes by inspiring us with greater incentive and courage. It helps us live worthily and "oppose evil wherever it is found."  

Don't Spurn Revelation

From 3 Nephi 29:5-6:

5Wo unto him that spurneth at the doings of the Lord; yea, wo unto him that shall deny the Christ and his works! 

6Yea, wo unto him that shall deny the revelations of the Lord, and that shall say the Lord no longer worketh by revelation, or by prophecy, or by gifts, or by tongues, or by healings, or by the power of the Holy Ghost!

To spurn means to reject or scorn. If you spurn the Savior of the world, you better be prepared for the consequences. This part jumped out at me: "wo unto him that shall deny the revelations of the Lord, and that shall say the Lord no longer worketh by revelation..." Sadly, there are so many people, even Christians, who spurn the Lord because they deny that he still speaks today through revelation and through his mouthpieces, the prophets.

We can pray to God and have our prayers answered to us. Are not those answers revelations? If I pray for God to help me understand something difficult and my mind is enlightened to be able to comprehend it, is that not revelation? Inspiration? Doesn't that suggest that God does still speak to us?

Whenever God's truths have been on the earth, God has had prophets on the earth. Through these prophets he reveals his will and the prophets preach and write it down. That's how the Bible came to be. Since this has been God's pattern since the beginning of time, why do people now, even Christians, claim that God has changed and no longer speaks his truth through prophets? Do we no longer need God? Has he forgotten us? Abandoned us? NO! God loves us. He wants to help us in our lives. He still communicates with us through revelation, and he still communicates with us through his holy prophets!

Revelation is real. Prophecy is real. Gifts of the Spirit are real, including the gifts of tongues and healings. The power of the Holy Ghost is real. WO be unto those who deny the Lord and these realities. I know that they are true, and they are meant for us.

Find out more at http://mormon.org/.