Hear God's word
Know His will
Let His light direct path
Extending an invitation to all Church members, Sister Virginia U. Jensen said Saturday morning: "Come, listen to a prophet's voice and hear the word of God." (Hymns, No. 21)
Sister Jensen, first counselor in the Relief Society general presidency, explained that prophets ancient and modern were and are giants of the Lord, chosen and ordained before they came to this earth. "Our prophets are men whom the Lord has raised up specifically to preside over the Church for the particular time in which they have served.
"The Lord's will to Abraham was not sufficient for the people of Moses' time. The will of the Lord to Moses was not sufficient for the people of Isaiah's time," she said. "Different dispensations required different instructions. That is true today."
Sister Jensen noted that it is a blessing for Church members to live in this dispensation, the dispensation into which the knowledge of all other dispensations of the gospel have merged. "What a blessing it is for us to live in this time when the fulness of the gospel is ours to bless our lives."
She explained the ways in which Church members' lives have been enriched by listening to the prophet's voice are numerous. "We have a clearer picture of who we are and what we mean to our Father in Heaven. We have received commandments and counsel to guide us, reminders to keep us on the straight and narrow path and encouraging words to spur us on when we become disheartened or discouraged.
"If we listen to the voices of the world, we will be misled," Sister Jensen continued. "But if we listen to the voice of the Lord through His living prophet and follow his counsel, we will never go astray."
Sister Jensen noted there are many voices in society announcing the death of honesty, integrity, goodness and righteousness and even the death of the traditional family.
"How blessed we are as Latter-day Saints to know that God can speak to us through our living prophet today and give us guidance and instruction and encouragement so that we may continue, just as the Lord's true Church continues, steadfast and confident on the path that leads us back to Him," she explained.
While nothing man-made or man-controlled can be truly guaranteed, Sister Jensen noted, the Lord has given members some guarantees without any disclaimers.
One of them, she said, is that "He will choose the prophet, and He will never let that man lead us astray. . . . The voice of a living prophet, bearing God's message, is clear and sure and safe and direct."
Quoting President Gordon B. Hinckley, Sister Jensen said, " `It's a great time to be a member of this Church when you can hold your head up without embarrassment and with some pride in this great latter-day work.' "
As she concluded her address, Sister Jensen again admonished: "Come listen to a prophet's voice, that you may know the will of God, that you may have His light to direct your path."
