Notable quotes:
Bishop Davies spoke during his general conference address about the prophet:
“We come to fully and truly sustain the living prophet as we develop the pattern of confiding in his words, having the faith to act upon them, and then praying for the Lord’s continued blessings upon him.”“Listening to and hearkening to living prophets will have profound, even life-changing effects in our lives.”“Come, listen to a prophet’s voice; yea, come unto Christ and live.”
Talk summary:
As with the early Saints, so it is with Church members today — the Lord has revealed and continues to reveal to the president of the Church the patterns by which the kingdom of God is to be directed.
“And, at a personal level, he provides guidance as to how each of us should direct our lives, such that our conduct may likewise be acceptable to the Lord.”
Like a temple’s strong foundation, every person needs a strong foundation of faith to ensure he or she will be able to withstand the storms and calamities of life.
"The chief cornerstone and building block of the Church and for our lives is Jesus Christ. This is His Church. President Nelson is His prophet. President Nelson's teachings witness and reveal for our benefit the life and character of Jesus Christ."
Application:
Bishop Davies shared four essential building blocks for individuals to focus on in order to strengthen their faith and testimony:
Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world.The Book of Mormon is the word of God.The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the kingdom of God on the earth.Joseph Smith is a prophet and there are living prophets on the earth today.
Speaker snapshot:
Bishop Dean M. Davies has been serving in the Presiding Bishopric since March 31, 2012.He has served as the first counselor in the Presiding Bishopric since Oct. 9, 2015; and prior to his service as first counselor he served as the second counselor in the Presiding Bishopric from March 31, 2012, to Oct. 9, 2015.As a young man deciding to serve a mission was a tough decision for him, but since deciding to go he recognizes that decision was “an absolute anchor” in his life. “I learned to love the gospel and those I worked with,” he said.Bishop Davies' responsibilities in his professional and ecclesiastical life have included procuring the sites and overseeing the design and construction of temples around the world.He spoke in the April 2013 general conference on the topic “A Sure Foundation”; the October 2014 priesthood session on the topic, "The Law of the Fast"; and in the October 2016 general conference on the topic, "The Blessings of Worship."He has offered graduates advice on two occasions — once to BYU grads and once to BYU-Hawaii grads.He and his wife, Sister Darla Davies, are the parents of five children.
Around the world:
In addition to working on temple sites, Bishop Davies has been involved in many dedications of the Church’s canneries, which bless members around the world. He has also helped dedicate new bishops’ storehouses.During a recent three-day February assignment to Puerto Rico, Bishop Davies, first counselor of the Presiding Bishopric, saluted the efforts of Puerto Rican saints in their relief efforts.
