12|Page
18
RussellM.Nelson,“TheTempleandYourSpiritualFoundation,”October2021.
19
SeeIsaiah2:2;also3Nephi20:22,DoctrineandCovenants84:2‐4.
20
JanEvensen,“SpiritualleaderinAzerbaijangetsanewviewofAmericawithUtahvisit,”deseret.com,3March2023.The
GrandMuftialsometwithEldersDavidA.BednarandRonaldA.RasbandandthankedtheChurchfor“itsfraternalattitude
towardsusasMuslims.”(SeeRyanJensen,“AzerbaijaniSheikh
ul‐IslammeetswithFirstPresidency,”thechurchnews.com,4
March2023.)
21
SeeTadWalch,“ThestorybehindanNAACPiconcallingPresidentNelsononeofthegreatfaithleaders‘southof
heaven,’”deseret.com,17June2021.
22
SeeTadWalch,“HistoricallyBlackcollegehonorsPresidentNelsonwithfirstGandhi‐King‐Mandelapeaceprize,”
deseret.com,13April2023;SydneyWalker,“MorehouseCollegehonorsPresidentNelsonwithpeaceprize,announces
collaborationwithTabernacleChoir,”thechurchnews.com,13April2023.
23
DoctrineandCovenants107:23.
24
AscitedbyBrighamYounginJournalofDiscourses,1:137;alsoreferredtobyElderNealA.Maxwellin“Behold,the
EnemyIsCombined,”Ensign,May1993.
25
SeeMosiah8:15,16,17.Aseerhasthecapacitytoseethefutureandrevealtruth,becausetheLorddoes“nothing,but
herevealethhissecretuntohisservantstheprophets”(Amos3:7).
26
SeeBradyMcCombs,“Mormonchurchappoints93‐year‐oldex‐surgeonaspresident,”ChicagoTribune,January16,2018.
27
SheriDew,EzraTaftBenson,DeseretBook,1987.PresidentEzraTaftBensonoftenbeganmessageswith,“Iamnothere
totickleyourears.”PresidentBenson’swordsechoedKingBenjamin,whotoldhispeople,“Ihavenotcommandedyouto
comeuphithertotriflewiththewordswhichIshall
speak.”(Mosiah2:9.)AndIsaiahdescribedhowmanypeoplewould
respondtotheveryideaofprophets:“Prophesynotuntousrightthings,speakuntoussmooththings,prophecydeceits.”
(Isaiah30:10.)
28
JeffreyR.Holland,“TheCost—andBlessings—ofDiscipleship,”Ensign,May2014.
29
AbinadiexplainedthatwhentheSaviorwasborn,Hewasalreadydivine:“Godhimselfshallcomedownamongthe
childrenofmen,andshallredeemhispeople.AndbecausehedwellethinfleshheshallbecalledtheSonofGod.”See
Mosiah15:1‐2;alsoMosiah3:5;7:27;
Alma7:9.
30
HistoryoftheChurch,6:366.JosephSmithwasnotaloneinmakingmistakes.Lehimurmured.Jonahran.CaptainMoroni
lambastedPahoran.PeterandthetwosonsofZebedeecouldn’tevenstayawakewhiletheSaviorsufferedandatonedin
theGarden.Evenlarger‐than‐lifeNephilamented,“Owretched
manthatIam!Yea,…mysoulgrievethbecauseofmine
iniquities.”
(2Nephi4:17.)PerhapsPresidentDavidO.McKaysaiditbest,that“whenGodmakestheprophetHedoesnot
unmaketheman.”(ConferenceReport,April1907.)
31
Forexample,in1993,DeseretBookpublishedOurSearchforHappinessbyElderM.RussellBallard.Thatbookbecamea
bestsellerandhasintroducedtheChurchtothousandsofindividuals.Andyet,notlongago,PresidentBallardsaidtome,
“Youknow,IoughttorewriteOurSearchforHappiness.
Iknowalotmorenow.”Hisstatementwasaboutwhathehas
learnedratherthanwhathedidn’tknow.
32
SeeChurchNewsvideo,October2018.
33
DoctrineandCovenants107:27.
34
JamesE.Faust,“ContinuousRevelation,”Ensign,November1989.
35
RussellM.Nelson,“RevelationfortheChurch,RevelationforOurLives,”Ensign,May2018.
36
2Nephi2:30.AlmatheYoungerexplainedhowhisfatherwasconverted:“DidnotmyfatherAlmabelieveinthewords
whichweredeliveredbythemouthofAbinadi?Andwashenotaholyprophet?DidhenotspeakthewordsofGod,andmy
fatherAlmabelievethem?”
(Alma5:11.)
37
“MyTestimony,”ChurchNewsvideo,30November2020;http://thechurchnews.com/2020/11/30/23265192/elder‐
holland‐testimony‐video‐covid‐19‐pandemic.
38
See1Nephi6:4.
39
Themotivesofprophets,seers,andrevelatorstodayarethesameasNephi’s.“Forthefulnessofmyintent,”Nephi
wrote,“isthatImaypersuadementocomeuntotheGodofAbraham,andtheGodofIsaac,andtheGodofJacob,andbe
saved.”(1Nephi6:4.)
40
SeeAlma56:47,48.
41
EmailfromRussellM.NelsontoSheriDew,10April2023.
42
RussellM.Nelson,“TheAnswerIsAlwaysJesusChrist,”April2023generalconference.
43
SeeAlma26:12.