The Paradox of Following Prophets

One thing that I've noticed in the conversations I've overheard in the past few days, whenever the topic turns to General Conference, is that there's really only one person that everyone is talking about, one name that is on everyone's lips--and no, it isn't President Thomas S. Monson. It isn't the Prophet Joseph Smith. And no, it isn't even Jesus Christ, the Savior and Redeemer of the world.

It's Elder Jeffrey R. Holland.

The most amusing conversation so far--BY FAR--was the discussion between two girls at the BYU bookstore who were pondering what his wife must have been thinking after his remarks, and how much praise and adoration they would have showered upon him had it been either of them in that position. It was such a fan girl-style expression and I had to laugh--especially since there wasn't a time all that long ago when I sounded the same exact way, and I'm perfectly aware of it. That's half of who I was laughing at!

Even now, if you looked on my iPod, I have 30 of his talks on it. Elder Holland's remarks have helped me through the hardest experiences of my young life. With the graceful, yet powerful prose of a seasoned craftsman, his speech bore light and testimony in a language that my mind could easily understand--in the deepest poetry of the human soul. Thinking on it, I cannot help but be grateful for the fact that he lives a life worthy of his office, and that I would have the comfort of his inspired words in times of trouble.

But one thing I had to learn, and I'll admit it wasn't easy, is that Elder Holland would find such specific adoration of himself inappropriate. In fact, I'm willing to say that he would advise me strongly against becoming too preferential in favor of or against any prophet. He would much rather that I turn my adoration heavenward, treasuring for myself the truest jewels of heaven. He would have me look beyond the powerful expression of his testimony and at the testimony itself.

"I ask that my testimony of the Book of Mormon and all that it implies, given today under my own oath and office, be recorded by men on earth and angels in heaven...
I want it absolutely clear when I stand before the judgment bar of God that I declared to the world, in the most straightforward language I could summon, that the Book of Mormon is true, that it came forth the way Joseph said it came forth and was given to bring happiness and hope to the faithful in the travail of the latter days." [Emphasis added]

The straightforward language was meant to lead us safely into the arms of the Church's embrace, where we would surely find our God waiting for us. And it's only because I've come to know the Spirit in ways I never imagined that I understand what John the Baptist meant when he said of Christ, "He must increase, but I must decrease." (John 3: 30) There will come a day when we'll have to look beyond even the most loyal servants of Christ--our favorites, as it were--and see that which they've seen, to commune with our God through the Holy Ghost, and to receive the testimony that makes these servants so impressive at all. While we cannot carry the mantle of their responsibility, we can gain all the certainty that Elder Holland expressed with his testimony at General Conference. If anything, he was crying any and ALL to repentance who haven't yet communed enough with the Spirit to gain such certainty of the Book of Mormon, of Joseph Smith, and essentially of the Church.

In the end, being a disciple of Elder Holland, or John the Baptist, or even President Monson, won't be enough to save us. We have to make the transition into a genuine and individual faith of Jesus Christ. We must be servants of the Master, even Jesus Christ, who will surely lead us back to the Father if we will be exact in our obedience. Such is the purpose of having prophets and apostles--to help all of us learn the administration by which all of creation is organized--and we'll just as soon be guided by the Spirit back to those servants of the Lord into whose care we've been entrusted.

We can trust President Thomas S. Monson and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles to lead Jesus Christ's true and restored church on the earth today--the only one of its kind. However, we must remember that they, and their words, experiences, testimony, and the power by which all these things are accomplished is through Jesus Christ. If we do not leave General Conference talking of the marvelous power of our God to deliver, to instruct, to chasten, to atone for, and in essence to LOVE us, we've looked beyond the mark and missed the point of General Conference entirely.