GIFTS: Are You Ready for General Conference?

President George Q. Cannon said :

"I have noticed . . . that where the people of God pay attention to the written word, and cherish and observe the written word, they are always better prepared to hear the oral instructions of the servants of God. . . . They have greater interest in seeking to obtain oral instructions, than they have when they are careless about the written word of God" (Conference Report, Oct. 1897, p. 38).

Semiannual general conference is on the first weekend in October. How appropriate to honor the Lord Jesus Christ by giving close attention to His servants the prophets. He said, "What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself . . . my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same."

Notice President Cannon's choice of words : "pay attention to the written word . . . cherish and observe" it. There is always a price to pay. And in thus paying it, we show Whom we really cherish, Whom we really worship and reverence, where our priorities and loyalties really lie.  Think too of the price He paid to make the gospel of redemption available to us. The least we can do is pay close attention to His word.  Those who pay this price in the scriptures between conferences will be rewarded with a feast at conference.  It's the Law of the Harvest.

The prophet and man of God, Job, said, "I have esteemed the words of his [the Lord's] mouth more than my necessary food" (Job 23:12). This has something to do with ". . . hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled with the Holy Ghost" (3 Nephi 12:6). A good teacher will urge the students to have their glasses turned up the right way in order to receive the living water of the gospel in the class instruction. You can't get water into a glass or cup that is turned upside down.

President Brigham Young used to counsel the Saints to be sure to have their minds present in the meeting as they were taught by the servants of the Lord --- to focus, to concentrate, to pay the price mentally. That is one way we can worship and love the Lord our God with all our heart, might, mind, and strength. And there is no better way to make that preparation than to "cherish and observe the written word" in readiness for feasting on the word of God as delivered by His servants live and in person. This will stir the promptings of the Holy Ghost within us.

All of this will have a sanctifying, cleansing effect upon us, and will keep us unspotted from the world, as we seek to be healed from the earth stains we discussed last week.

This doctrine is known as the doctrine of personal revelation. And it is a three-legged stool : the holy prophets, the holy scriptures, and the Holy Ghost. Have you ever tried to sit on a two-legged stool? Hard or nearly impossible to balance. A one-legged stool? We need to hear and be fed by those we sustain as prophets, seers, and revelators as well as we need to be nourished by the words of Christ in the scriptures, all of it sanctioned and brought to us by the Holy Ghost (see 2 Nephi 32:1--7). These three sources --- the prophets, the scriptures, the Spirit of the Lord.

Elder Boyd K. Packer was asked, "How do you know when you are getting revelation through the Holy Ghost, and it is not just you making it up?" Elder Packer, himself a prophet, seer, and revelator, answered with one word, "Practice." Practice indeed! Even prophets have never found it easy to draw down inspiration and revelation. They too have to pay an ongoing price in diligent searching, feasting, obedience and focus. Ask them, they will tell you this is so. They serve as models and examples of all we can and should be. Even now they will be wrestling and striving to get in tune and in unity with Him, that they might deliver in a few days' time. The scriptures and serious prayer will be a central part of their preparation. We might do well to pray for them in their preparation, and pay a similar price ourselves so that we can meet together --- we three --- the prophets, the Holy Ghost, and we --- on equal terms next weekend at general conference.