[Teachldsseminary] TEACH Pictures of GBH/ 14 Fundamentals inFollowing Prophet

[tassmus at comcast.net]

Do anyone know how you can burn one of these videos to a DVD........or how could one of these be shown in class? Or is it even legal.........

-------------- Original message -------------- 
From: "Barb Gardner" <mbgardner2 at cox.net> 

> Thanks Marji -- we are going to put this together for a family home 
> evening.... 
> B 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Marji" 
> To: "Free Email list for LDS Seminary Teachers" 
> 
> Sent: Monday, January 28, 2008 12:07 AM 
> Subject: [Teachldsseminary] TEACH Pictures of GBH/ 14 Fundamentals 
> inFollowing Prophet 
> 
> 
> I'm going to use these links, videos, and the photos tomorrow in 
> class. I likely will have my students write their feelings about the 
> Prophet and submit them to Meridian mag, as well. 
> 
> Gone home to God. 
> 
> Marji 
> ======================= 
> 
> 
> http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/ 
> 
> 3 touching videos of President Hinckley, plus 14 photos 
> 
> http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/news-releases-stories/beloved-church-pre 
> sident-gordon-b-hinckley-dies-at-97Kim 
> ================ 
> 
> These are a Few of My Favorite…. 
> Photographs of President Hinckley 
> 
> http://www.ldsmag.com/photoessay/060331Hinckley.html 
> 
> We have been around President Hinckley in some wonderful places - in 
> the Kirtland Temple, in the White House, in the Nauvoo Temple, in 
> Moscow, in Ghana, and in Manhattan to name a few. He has been with us 
> so long, we thought he would live forever. Come and remember him with 
> some of our very favorite pictures. 
> 
> By Scot Facer Proctor 
> 
> =========== 
> 
> Time line of Significant Events as President 
> 
> Year by year events during President Hinckley's administration. 
> 
> http://www.ldsmag.com/churchupdate/080128presidenthinckleypassesaway3.html 
> 
> Share Your Feelings about President Hinckley 
> 
> President Hinckley has had a profound and personal influence in all of 
> our lives. His passing leaves us with tender memories and sweet 
> impressions. Meridian invites you today to submit your thoughts about 
> President Hinckley to editorial at meridianmagazine.com and we will 
> publish some of them this week. Please limit your remarks to two to 
> three paragraphs or less, so we can print many of them. Include your 
> full name and city and state. 
> 
> ========== 
> 
> Testimony of President Gordon B. Hinckley 
> 
> "I leave you my testimony, my witness and my love for each of you." 
> http://www.ldsmag.com/churchupdate/080128presidenthinckleypassesaway2.html 
> 
> ============ 
> 
> Fourteen Fundamentals in Following the Prophet 
> EZRA TAFT BENSON 
> 
> 
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
> 
> Ezra Taft Benson was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of 
> The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when this 
> devotional address was given at Brigham Young University on 26 February 
> 1980. 
> 
> (c) Intellectual Reserve. All rights reserved. 
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
> 
> My beloved brothers and sisters, I am honored to be in your presence 
> today. You students are a part of a choice young generation--a 
> generation which might well witness the return of our Lord. 
> 
> Not only is the Church growing in numbers today, it is growing in 
> faithfulness and, even more important, our young generation, as a 
> group, is even more faithful than the older generation. God has 
> reserved you for the eleventh hour--the great and dreadful day of the 
> Lord. It will be your responsibility not only to help bear off the 
> kingdom of God triumphantly but to save your own soul and strive to 
> save those of your family and to honor the principles of our inspired 
> constitution. 
> 
> To help you pass the crucial tests which lie ahead I am going to give 
> you today several facets of a grand key which, if you will honor them, 
> will crown you with God's glory and bring you out victorious in spite 
> of Satan's fury. 
> 
> Soon we will be honoring our prophet on his eighty-fifth birthday. As 
> a Church we sing the song, "We Thank Thee, O God, For a Prophet." Here 
> then is the grand key--follow the prophet--and here now are fourteen 
> fundamentals in following the prophet, the President of The Church of 
> Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 
> 
> First: The prophet is the only man who speaks for the Lord in everything. 
> 
> In section 132, verse 7, of the Doctrine and Covenants the Lord speaks 
> of the Prophet--the President-- and says: "There is never but one on 
> the earth at a time on whom this power and the keys of this priesthood 
> are conferred." 
> 
> Then in section 21, verses 4­6, the Lord states: 
> 
> Wherefore, meaning the church, thou shalt give heed unto all his words 
> and commandments which he shall give unto you as he receiveth them, 
> walking in all holiness before me; 
> 
> For his word ye shall receive, as if from mine own mouth, in all 
> patience and faith. 
> 
> For by doing these things the gates of hell shall not prevail against you. 
> 
> Did you hear what the Lord said about the words of the prophet? We are 
> to "give heed unto all his words"--as if from the Lord's "own mouth." 
> 
> Second: The living prophet is more vital to us than the standard works. 
> 
> President Wilford Woodruff tells of an interesting incident that 
> occurred in the days of the Prophet Joseph Smith: 
> 
> I will refer to a certain meeting I attended in the town of Kirtland 
> in my early days. At that meeting some remarks were made that have 
> been made here today, with regard to the living oracles and with 
> regard to the written word of God. The same principle was presented, 
> although not as extensively as it has been here, when a leading man in 
> the Church got up and talked upon the subject, and said: "You have got 
> the word of God before you here in the Bible, Book of Mormon, and 
> Doctrine and Covenants; you have the written word of God, and you who 
> give revelations should give revelations according to those books, as 
> what is written in those books is the word of God. We should confine 
> ourselves to them." 
> 
> When he concluded, Brother Joseph turned to Brother Brigham Young and 
> said, "Brother Brigham, I want you to take the stand and tell us your 
> views with regard to the living oracles and the written word of God." 
> Brother Brigham took the stand, and he took the Bible, and laid it 
> down; and he took the Book of Mormon, and laid it down; and he took 
> the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, and laid it down before him, and 
> he said: "There is the written word of God to us, concerning the work 
> of God from the beginning of the world, almost, to our day. And now," 
> said he, "when compared with the living oracles those books are 
> nothing to me; those books do not convey the word of God direct to us 
> now, as do the words of a Prophet or a man bearing the Holy Priesthood 
> in our day and generation. I would rather have the living oracles than 
> all the writing in the books." That was the course he pursued. When he 
> was through, Brother Joseph said to the congregation: "Brother Brigham 
> has told you the word of the Lord, and he has told you the truth." [In 
> Conference Report, October 1897, pp. 18­19] 
> 
> Third: The living prophet is more important to us than a dead prophet. 
> 
> The living prophet has the power of TNT. By that I mean "Today's News 
> Today." God's revelations to Adam did not instruct Noah how to build 
> the ark. Noah needed his own revelation. Therefore, the most important 
> prophet, so far as you and I are concerned, is the one living in our 
> day and age to whom the Lord is currently revealing His will for us. 
> Therefore, the most important reading we can do is any of the words of 
> the prophet contained each week in the Church Section of the Deseret 
> News and any words of the prophet contained each month in our Church 
> magazines. Our marching orders for each six months are found in the 
> general conference addresses, which are printed in the Ensign 
> magazine. 
> 
> I am so grateful that the current conference report is studied as part 
> of one of your religion classes--the course entitled "Teachings of the 
> Living Prophets," number 333. May I commend that class to you and 
> suggest that you get a copy of the class manual at your bookstore 
> whether you're able to take the class or not. The manual is entitled 
> "Living Prophets for a Living Church." 
> 
> Beware of those who would pit the dead prophets against the living 
> prophets, for the living prophets always take precedence. 
> 
> Fourth: The prophet will never lead the Church astray. 
> 
> President Wilford Woodruff stated: "I say to Israel, The Lord will 
> never permit me or any other man who stands as president of the Church 
> to lead you astray. It is not in the program. It is not in the mind of 
> God." (The Discourses of Wilford Woodruff, selected by G. Homer Durham 
> [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1946], pp. 212-213.) 
> 
> President Marion G. Romney tells of this incident which happened to him: 
> 
> I remember years ago when I was a Bishop I had President [Heber J.] 
> Grant talk to our ward. After the meeting I drove him home. . . 
> .Standing by me, he put his arm over my shoulder and said: "My boy, 
> you always keep your eye on the President of the Church, and if he 
> ever tells you to do anything, and it is wrong, and you do it, the 
> Lord will bless you for it." Then with a twinkle in his eye, he said, 
> "But you don't need to worry. The Lord will never let his mouthpiece 
> lead the people astray." [In Conference Report, October 1960, p. 78] 
> 
> Fifth: The prophet is not required to have any particular earthly 
> training or credentials to speak on any subject or act on any matter 
> at any time. 
> 
> Sometimes there are those who feel their earthly knowledge on a 
> certain subject is superior to the heavenly knowledge which God gives 
> to His prophet on the same subject. They feel the prophet must have 
> the same earthly credentials or training which they have had before 
> they will accept anything the prophet has to say that might contradict 
> their earthly schooling. How much earthly schooling did Joseph Smith 
> have? Yet he gave revelations on all kinds of subjects. We haven't yet 
> had a prophet who earned a doctorate in any subject, but as someone 
> said, "A prophet may not have his Ph.D. but he certainly has his LDS." 
> We encourage earthly knowledge in many areas, but remember, if there 
> is ever a conflict between earthly knowledge and the words of the 
> prophet, you stand with the prophet, and you'll be blessed and time 
> will vindicate you. 
> 
> Sixth: The prophet does not have to say "Thus saith the Lord" to give 
> us scripture. 
> 
> Sometimes there are those who haggle over words. They might say the 
> prophet gave us counsel but that we are not obligated to follow it 
> unless he says it is a commandment. But the Lord says of the Prophet 
> Joseph, "Thou shalt give heed unto all his words and commandments 
> which he shall give unto you" (D&C 21:4; italics added). 
> 
> And speaking of taking counsel from the prophet, in D&C 108:1, the 
> Lord states: "Verily thus saith the Lord unto you, my servant Lyman: 
> Your sins are forgiven you, because you have obeyed my voice in coming 
> up hither this morning to receive counsel of him whom I have 
> appointed" (italics added). 
> 
> Said Brigham Young, "I have never yet preached a sermon and sent it 
> out to the children of men, that they may not call scripture" (Journal 
> of Discourses, 26 vols. [London: Latter-day Saints' Book Depot], 
> 13:95). 
> 
> Seventh: The prophet tells us what we need to know, not always what we 
> want to know. 
> 
> "Thou hast declared unto us hard things, more than we are able to 
> bear," complained Nephi's brethren. But Nephi answered by saying, "the 
> guilty taketh the truth to be hard, for it cutteth them to the very 
> center" (1 Nephi 16:1, 3). Or, to put it in another prophet's words, 
> "Hit pigeons flutter." 
> 
> Said President Harold B. Lee: 
> 
> You may not like what comes from the authority of the Church. It may 
> contradict your political views. It may contradict your social views. 
> It may interfere with some of your social life. . . . Your safety and 
> ours depends upon whether or not we follow. . . . Let's keep our eye 
> on the President of the Church. [In Conference Report, October 1970, 
> p. 152-153] 
> 
> But it is the living prophet who really upsets the world. "Even in the 
> Church," said President Kimball, "many are prone to garnish the 
> sepulchers of yesterday's prophets and mentally stone the living ones" 
> (Instructor, 95:257). 
> 
> Why? Because the living prophet gets at what we need to know now, and 
> the world prefers that prophets either be dead or mind their own 
> business. Some so-called experts of political science want the prophet 
> to keep still on politics. Some would-be authorities on evolution want 
> the prophet to keep still on evolution. And so the list goes on and 
> on. 
> 
> How we respond to the words of a living prophet when he tells us what 
> we need to know, but would rather not hear, is a test of our 
> faithfulness. 
> 
> Said President Marion G. Romney, "It is an easy thing to believe in 
> the dead prophets." And then he gives this illustration: 
> 
> One day when President Grant was living, I sat in my office across the 
> street following a general conference. A man came over to see me, an 
> elderly man. He was very upset about what had been said in this 
> conference by some of the Brethren, including myself. I could tell 
> from his speech that he came from a foreign land. After I had quieted 
> him enough so he would listen, I said, "Why did you come to America?" 
> "I am here because a prophet of God told me to come." "Who was the 
> prophet;" I continued. "Wilford Woodruff." "Do you believe Wilford 
> Woodruff was a prophet of God?" "Yes, I do." "Do you believe that 
> President Joseph F. Smith was a prophet of God?" "Yes, sir." 
> 
> Then came the sixty-four dollar question. "Do you believe that Heber 
> J. Grant is a prophet of God?" His answer, "I think he ought to keep 
> his mouth shut about old age assistance." 
> 
> Now I tell you that a man in his position is on the way to apostasy. 
> He is forfeiting his chances for eternal life. So is everyone who 
> cannot follow the living Prophet of God." [In Conference Report, April 
> 1953, p. 125] 
> 
> Eighth: The prophet is not limited by men's reasoning. 
> 
> There will be times when you will have to choose between the 
> revelations of God and the reasoning of men--between the prophet and 
> the politician or professor. Said the Prophet Joseph Smith, "Whatever 
> God requires is right, no matter what it is, although we may not see 
> the reason thereof until long after the events transpire" (Scrapbook 
> of Mormon Literature, vol. 2, p. 173). 
> 
> Would it seem reasonable to an eye doctor to be told to heal a blind 
> man by spitting in the dirt, making clay, and applying it to the man's 
> eyes and then telling him to wash in a contaminated pool? Yet this is 
> precisely the course that Jesus took with one man, and he was healed. 
> (See John 9:6-7.) Does it seem reasonable to cure leprosy by telling a 
> man to wash seven times in a particular river? Yet this is precisely 
> what the prophet Elisha told a leper to do, and he was healed. (See 2 
> Kings 5.) 
> 
> For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, 
> saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are 
> my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. 
> [Isaiah 55:8, 9] 
> 
> Ninth: The prophet can receive revelation on any matter--temporal or 
> spiritual. 
> 
> Said Brigham Young: 
> 
> Some of the leading men in Kirtland were much opposed to Joseph the 
> Prophet, meddling with temporal affairs. . . . 
> 
> In a public meeting of the Saints, I said, "Ye Elders of Israel, . . . 
> will some of you draw the line of demarcation, between the spiritual 
> and temporal in the Kingdom of God, so that I may understand it?" Not 
> one of them could do it. . . . 
> 
> I defy any man on earth to point out the path a Prophet of God should 
> walk in, or point out his duty, and just how far he must go, in 
> dictating temporal or spiritual things. Temporal and spiritual things 
> are inseparably connected, and ever will be. [Journal of Discourses, 
> 10:363-364] 
> 
> Tenth: The prophet may be involved in civic matters. 
> 
> When a people are righteous they want the best to lead them in 
> government. Alma was the head of the Church and of the government in 
> the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith was mayor of Nauvoo, and Brigham 
> Young was governor of Utah. Isaiah was deeply involved in giving 
> counsel on political matters and of his words the Lord Himself said, 
> "Great are the words of Isaiah" (3 Nephi 23:1). Those who would remove 
> prophets from politics would take God out of government. 
> 
> Eleventh: The two groups who have the greatest difficulty in following 
> the prophet are the proud who are learned and the proud who are rich. 
> 
> The learned may feel the prophet is only inspired when he agrees with 
> them; otherwise, the prophet is just giving his opinion--speaking as a 
> man. The rich may feel they have no need to take counsel of a lowly 
> prophet. 
> 
> In the Book of Mormon we read: 
> 
> O that cunning plan of the evil one! O the vainness, and the 
> frailties, and the foolishness of men! When they are learned they 
> think they are wise, and they hearken not unto the counsel of God, for 
> they set it aside, supposing they know of themselves, wherefore, their 
> wisdom is foolishness and it profiteth them not. And they shall 
> perish. 
> 
> But to be learned is good if they hearken unto the counsels of God. 
> 
> And whoso knocketh, to him will he open; and the wise, and the 
> learned, and they that are rich, who are puffed up because of their 
> learning, and their wisdom, and their riches--yea, they are they whom 
> he despiseth; and save they shall cast these things away, and consider 
> themselves fools before God, and come down in the depths of humility, 
> he will not open unto them. [2 Nephi 9:28, 29, 42; emphasis added] 
> 
> Twelfth: The prophet will not necessarily be popular with the world or 
> the worldly. 
> 
> As a prophet reveals the truth it divides the people. The honest in 
> heart heed his words, but the unrighteous either ignore the prophet or 
> fight him. When the prophet points out the sins of the world, the 
> worldly either want to close the mouth of the prophet, or else act as 
> if the prophet didn't exist, rather than repent of their sins. 
> Popularity is never a test of truth. Many a prophet has been killed or 
> cast out. As we come closer to the Lord's second coming, you can 
> expect that as the people of the world become more wicked, the prophet 
> will be less popular with them. 
> 
> Thirteenth: The prophet and his counselors make up the First 
> Presidency--the highest quorum in the Church. 
> 
> In the Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord refers to the First Presidency 
> as "the highest council of the Church" (107:80) and says, "whosoever 
> receiveth me, receiveth those, the First Presidency, whom I have sent" 
> (112:20). 
> 
> Fourteenth: The prophet and the presidency--the living prophet and the 
> first presidency--follow them and be blessed; reject them and suffer. 
> 
> President Harold B. Lee relates this incident from Church history: 
> 
> The story is told in the early days of the Church--particularly, I 
> think, at Kirtland--where some of the leading brethren in the 
> presiding councils of the Church met secretly and tried to scheme as 
> to how they could get rid of the Prophet Joseph's leadership. They 
> made the mistake of inviting Brigham Young to one of these secret 
> meetings. He rebuked them, after he had heard the purpose of their 
> meeting. This is part of what he said: "You cannot destroy the 
> appointment of a prophet of God, but you can cut the thread that binds 
> you to the prophet of God and sink yourselves to hell." [In Conference 
> Report, April 1963, p. 81] 
> 
> In a general conference of the Church President N. Eldon Tanner stated: 
> 
> The Prophet spoke out clearly on Friday morning, telling us what our 
> responsibilities are. . . . 
> 
> A man said to me after that, "You know, there are people in our state 
> who believe in following the Prophet in everything they think is 
> right, but when it is something they think isn't right, and it doesn't 
> appeal to them, then that's different." He said, "Then they become 
> their own prophet. They decide what the Lord wants and what the Lord 
> doesn't want." 
> 
> I thought how true, and how serious when we begin to choose which of 
> the covenants, which of the commandments we will keep and follow. When 
> we decide that there are some of them that we will not keep or follow, 
> we are taking the law of the Lord into our own hands and become our 
> own prophets, and believe me, we will be led astray, because we are 
> false prophets to ourselves when we do not follow the Prophet of God. 
> No, we should never discriminate between these commandments, as to 
> those we should and should not keep. [In Conference Report, October 
> 1966, p. 98; emphasis added] 
> 
> "Look to the Presidency and receive instruction," said the Prophet 
> Joseph Smith (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, selected by 
> Joseph Fielding Smith [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1938], p. 
> 161). But Almon Babbitt didn't, and in the Doctrine and Covenants 
> section 124, verse 84, the Lord states: "And with my servant Almon 
> Babbitt, there are many things with which I am not pleased; behold, he 
> aspireth to establish his counsel instead of the counsel which I have 
> ordained, even that of the Presidency of my Church." 
> 
> In conclusion, let us summarize this grand key, these "Fourteen 
> Fundamentals in Following the Prophet," for our salvation hangs on 
> them. 
> 
> First: The prophet is the only man who speaks for the Lord in everything. 
> 
> Second: The living prophet is more vital to us than the standard works. 
> 
> Third: The living prophet is more important to us than a dead prophet. 
> 
> Fourth: The prophet will never lead the Church astray. 
> 
> Fifth: The prophet is not required to have any particular earthly 
> training or credentials to speak on any subject or act on any matter 
> at any time. 
> 
> Sixth: The prophet does not have to say "Thus saith the Lord" to give 
> us scripture. 
> 
> Seventh: The prophet tells us what we need to know, not always what we 
> want to know. 
> 
> Eighth: The prophet is not limited by men's reasoning. 
> 
> Ninth: The prophet can receive revelation on any matter, temporal or 
> spiritual. 
> 
> Tenth: The prophet may be involved in civic matters. 
> 
> Eleventh: The two groups who have the greatest difficulty in following 
> the prophet are the proud who are learned and the proud who are rich. 
> 
> Twelfth: The prophet will not necessarily be popular with the world or 
> the worldly. 
> 
> Thirteenth: The prophet and his counselors make up the First 
> Presidency--the highest quorum in the Church. 
> 
> Fourteenth: The prophet and the presidency--the living prophet and the 
> First Presidency--follow them and be blessed; reject them and suffer. 
> 
> I testify that these fourteen fundamentals in following the living 
> prophet are true. If we want to know how well we stand with the Lord, 
> then let us ask ourselves how well we stand with His mortal captain. 
> How closely do our lives harmonize with the words of the Lord's 
> anointed--the living prophet, the President of the Church, and with 
> the Quorum of the First Presidency? 
> 
> May God bless us all to look to the prophet and the presidency in the 
> critical and crucial days ahead is my prayer. In the name of Jesus 
> Christ. Amen. 
> 
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