Well it's official, my last General Conference is over. It's a bitter sweet feeling. But at least it was a super good one. I felt that everything was directed to me and the questions I had. It gave me motivation to finish strong! It was very much needed. This one was also special because I went into it with different questions. Not just doctrinal, but questions on what I need to do to stay spiritually alive when I do eventually come home. President Thomas challenged us to do so. I am so grateful to have living prophets and apostles! We, as members of the church don't realized how important it is for us. And we take it for granted. There are literally over 30,000 christian denominations (not counting other religions like Muslim, or Hindu) that think that there are no more prophets. Or that revelation from God has ceased! And they are ok with it.
When I look at it that way it makes me feel like the sons of Mosiah when they would "tremble" because the people didn't know the truth. Mosiah 28:3, "Now they were desirous that salvation should be declared to every creature, for they could not bear that any human should should perish; yea, even the very thought that any should endure endless torment did cause them to quake and to tremble."
We need to take what the prophets say to heart and have "ears to hear" (Matt 11:15) just as Christ's apostles did. When this scripture talks about hearing, it isn't just to listen. The context that this is used in is to hear to build faith. As taught in Romans 10:17, "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of god." And when we read James 2:17, we learn that, "Even so faith, without works, is dead." (For more explanation read versus 14-26) So if we are going to have our faith built at all by listening to general conference, we need to "hear" or listen with the intent to act. If not, it will profit us nothing, and we will have listened in vain.
Mosiah 2:33,36 says, "33 For behold, there is a wo pronounced upon him who listeth to obey that spirit; for if he listeth to obey him, and remaineth and dieth in his sins, the same drinketh damnation to his own soul; for he receiveth for his wages an everlasting punishment, having transgressed the law of God contrary to his own knowledge."
36 And now, I say unto you, my brethren, that after ye have known and have been taught all these things, if ye should transgress and go contrary to that which has been spoken, that ye do withdraw yourselves from the Spirit of the Lord, that it may have no place in you to guide you in wisdom’s paths that ye may be blessed, prospered, and preserved—"
And then King Benjamin goes on to say in verse 41, "And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it."
Let us all take King Benjamin's advice and consider how blessed the people are that keep the commandments given to them by the prophets. I challenge all of you to do so. I know that we will be blessed in all things, that God will give us the strength to endure (not take away) all of the trials that we face in this mortal life. And he has given us prophets for this very reason. And I am personally grateful for them.
I am out of time, but I am glad to hear from everyone and hope this next week is awesome!
Elder Ethan Miles