Relief Society Lesson - Prophets

Once again, I have just finished teaching my Relief Society lesson today. I chose to teach about Prophets because General Conference is coming up next week. I am once again going to post my outline/visual aids/quotes I used on my blog. Something I didn’t anticipate, which I have noticed, is that a lot of people are logging on to my blog because they are googling Relief Society lessons. As a matter of fact, I had over a hundred hits over the past two or three days from all over the world. Granted, most of them were probably the same person logging on multiple times. I guess a lot of people procrastinate until the day before, or even the morning of, the lesson to prepare. But nonetheless, if other people can benefit from my efforts, then all the better. So here it is. Enjoy!

His Servants, the Prophets

Elder F. Michael Watson of the Seventy
April 2009 General Conference

“The First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve are commissioned by God and sustained by you as prophets, seers, and revelators, with the President of the Church sustained as the prophet, seer, and revelator, the senior Apostle, and as such the only man authorized to exercise all of the revelatory and administrative keys for the Church.” -- Elder Jeffrey R. Holland November 2004

The Master speaks to us through his Prophets.

“What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, 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.” -Doctrine and Covenants 1:38

“Important admonition has been given in general conferences of yesteryear and will continue to be expounded by those who have the wisdom of ages past, which allows our hearts to burn within us. It will be in following such counsel that we must be strong, never give up, and endure to the end.”-F. Michael Watson

“You may not like what comes from the authority of the Church. It may contradict your political views . . . [or] your social views. It may interfere with some of your social life. But if [we] listen to these things, as if from the mouth of the Lord himself, with patience and faith, the promise is that . . . ‘the Lord God will disperse the powers of darkness from before you, and cause the heavens to shake for your good, and his name’s glory’.” -Harold B. Lee 1970

“One who rationalizes that he or she has a testimony of Jesus Christ but cannot accept direction and counsel from the leadership of His church is in a fundamentally unsound position and is in jeopardy of losing exaltation” -- Ezra Taft Benson 1982

“That which would be of greatest importance to you would be the words of the current President of the Church, for his words are directed to our day and our needs.” -- Ezra Taft Benson 1979

“If we have a prophet, we have everything. If we do not have a prophet, we have nothing. We do have a prophet. We have had prophets since the founding of this Church. We shall never be without a prophet if we live worthy of a prophet.”-Gordon B. Hinckley 1992

“The Lord is watching over this work. This is His kingdom. We are not as sheep without a shepherd. We are not as an army without a leader.”  -Gordon B. Hinckley 1992

Quotes I used but did not make visual aids for:


“In the Doctrine and Covenants, section 88, verse 118, we are admonished to "seek . . . out of the best books words of wisdom." Surely these books must first include the scriptures. Next, and alongside them, must be the words of the Presidents of the Church. In the Doctrine and Covenants, section 21, verse 5, the Lord said of the President of the Church, "His word ye shall receive, as if from mine own mouth." These books make up what has been referred to as "the Lord's library"--namely the standard works and the various volumes that contain the words of the different Presidents of the Church. Of the latter volumes, that which would be of greatest importance to you would be the words of the current President of the Church, for his words are directed to our day and our needs.


The Lord has also given a special mantle to the apostles, and the significance of their words is pointed out in section 1, verse 14--the Lord's preface to the Doctrine and Covenants-- where he says that those who will not "give heed to the words of the prophets and apostles shall be cut off from among the people." The writing of other General Authorities should be given consideration also.” -- Ezra Taft Benson March 4, 1979 BYU fireside “in his steps”


“... The most vital knowledge you can learn is the saving truths of the gospel--the truths that will make the difference in your eternal welfare. The most vital words that you can read are those of the Presidents of the Church--particularly the living prophet--and those of the apostles and prophets.” -- Ezra Taft Benson March 4, 1979 BYU fireside “In His Steps”

From President Gordon B. Hinckley:


“I heard President Grant on several occasions before I met him. As teenage boys, my brother and I came to this Tabernacle at conference when there was room for anybody who wished to come. As boys are wont to do, we sat in the balcony at the very far end of the building. To me it was always impressive when this tall man stood to speak. Some kind of electricity passed through my boyish frame. His voice rang out in testimony of the Book of Mormon. When he said it was true, I knew it was true. He spoke with great power on the Word of Wisdom and, without hesitation, promised blessings to the people if they would observe it. I have often thought of the human misery, the pain that has resulted from the smoking of cigarettes, the poverty that has resulted from the drinking of liquor which might have been avoided had his prophetic counsel been followed.

He spoke on the law of tithing. I can still hear his great testimony of this principle. He spoke of the fast offering and said, as I remember him from my boyhood days, that if all the world would observe this simple principle, which came as a revelation from God, the needs of the poor over the earth would be met without taxing the people for welfare purposes.

He warned against the enslavement of personal debt. The world at that time was on a reckless pursuit of riches. Then came Black Thursday of November 1929. I was nineteen years of age, a student at the university. I saw the economy crumble. I saw men whom I knew lose everything as their creditors moved against them. I saw much of the trauma and the stress of the times. I thought then, and I have thought since, how so many people might have been saved pain and misery, suffering, embarrassment, and trouble had they listened to the counsel of a prophet concerning personal debt.” -- Gordon B. Hinckley May 1992 “Believe His Prophets”

“President Grant carried to his grave a deep sense of sorrow that, contrary to his counsel, the people of Utah cast the final vote, in 1934, that repealed the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution.…

Now again, as always, we are faced with public moral issues, this time concerning lotteries, pari-mutuel betting, and other forms of gambling. The Presidents of the Church have spoken clearly and unequivocally on these matters.

These are little things, but they are important things. They bring to mind the great contest between the prophet Elijah and the priests of Baal. Said Elijah on that occasion, “How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him.” (1 Kgs. 18:21.)

… may I repeat that I have worked with seven Presidents of this Church. I have recognized that all have been human. But I have never been concerned over this. They may have had some weaknesses. But this has never troubled me. I know that the God of heaven has used mortal men throughout history to accomplish His divine purposes. They were the very best available to Him, and they were wonderful.

These men whom I have known and with whom I have worked have been totally unselfish in their zeal to build the kingdom of God and bring happiness into the lives of the people. They have been unsparing in giving of themselves to the great work for which each had responsibility in his particular season.

I speak to the priesthood of this Church, wherever you may be gathered across the world, in gratitude for a prophet to guide us in these latter days. I plead for loyalty to him whom the Lord has called and anointed. I plead for steadfastness in upholding him and giving attention to his teachings. I have said on another occasion at this pulpit that if we have a prophet, we have everything. If we do not have a prophet, we have nothing. We do have a prophet. We have had prophets since the founding of this Church. We shall never be without a prophet if we live worthy of a prophet.

The Lord is watching over this work. This is His kingdom. We are not as sheep without a shepherd. We are not as an army without a leader.” - Gordon B. Hinckley, May 1992 “Believe His Prophets”