In today’s world, we’re bombarded with masses of voices and opposing messages of who we should be, how we should act, and what’s the right way of thinking. It’s important that we follow the right voice in a world full of wrong voices. That right voice is God’s voice, and He speaks to us through His living prophets and apostles.
These men have been ordained with power and authority to act in God’s name for all of us on the earth and for our salvation. They hold the keys of the priesthood. They have the authority and responsibility to govern the Church and establish and uphold its practices. We sustain the prophet, as well as the Twelve Apostles, as prophets, seers, and revelators.
So why should you follow the prophet and the apostles?
- The prophet is in direct contact with God, and through him truths and revelations are revealed to help us avoid unhappiness.
- They’ve been called to righteously guide and direct us—not just Latter-day Saints but everyone in the world.
- They instruct us, warn us, and share counsel from the Lord for our time.
- Their teachings reflect God’s will.
It can be hard, more so today than ever before, to follow their counsel. It may even be a trial of your faith at times to follow them. Carol F. McConkie has said: “According to the world’s standards, following the prophet may be unpopular, politically incorrect, or socially unacceptable. But following the prophet is always right.”
Like Sister McConkie said, following these chosen men is the right thing to do, and you’ll be blessed and protected, both spiritually and temporally, when you do.
If you’re finding that it’s hard for you to follow the prophets and apostles, you may want to try what one woman does to help her better follow them. She said whenever the prophet or one of the apostles asks or tells us to do something, she simply does it, and as she’s acted on their counsel, her testimony has grown of these men being called of God and speaking for Him and Jesus Christ.
God speaks through His chosen prophets and apostles, and we will be blessed by listening to them, no matter how big or small their teachings, direction, and warnings may be.