A year after Joseph and Hyrum’s martyrdom at Carthage, the Times and Season published an emotional plea by John Taylor. “O give me back my Prophet dear,” he wrote. They’d had a living prophet! Through him, they’d heard the voice of God. And through him, they’d been taught more clearly how to approach God themselves.
John Taylor, the third prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
O give me back my Prophet dear,
And Patriarch, O give them back;
The Saints of latter days to cheer,
And lead them in the gospel track.
But ah! they’re gone from my embrace,
From earthly scenes their spirits fled;
Those two, the best of Adam’s race,
Now lie entombed among the dead.
Ye men of wisdom tell me why,
When guilt nor crime in them were found,
Why now their blood doth loudly cry,
From prison walls, and Carthage ground
Your tongues are mute, but pray attend,
The secret I will now relate,
Why those whom God to earth did lend,
Have met the suffering martyr’s fate.
It is because they strove to gain,
Beyond the grave a heaven of bliss;
Because they made the gospel plain,
And led the Saints in righteousness.
It is because God called them forth,
And led them by his own right hand
Christ’s coming to proclaim on earth,
And gather Israel to their land.
It is because the priests of Baal
Were desperate their craft to save;
And when they saw it doomed to fail,
They sent the Prophets to the grave.
Like scenes the ancient Prophets saw,
Like these, the ancient Prophets fell;
And till the resurrection dawn,
Prophet and Patriarch-Fare thee well.
“O give me back my Prophet dear” by John Taylor, Times and Seasons, 1 August 1845
John Taylor’s love and devotion to the Prophet are palpable. Joseph’s words and guidance mattered in John Taylor’s life.
Filled From the Crowns of Their Heads to the Soles of Their Feet
I’ve imagined what it must have been like to sit in a conference where Joseph taught doctrine new to me. How truth shattered traditions and expanded minds!
Apostle Orson Pratt described the conference Joseph presided over during the Kirtland Temple’s dedication.
God was there [in the Kirtland Temple], his angels were there, the Holy Ghost was in the midst of the people . . . and they were filled from the crown of their heads to the soles of their feet with the power and inspiration of the Holy Ghost, and uttered forth prophecies in the midst of that congregation, which have been fulfilling from that day to the present time.
Open Your Ears, Hearts, and Minds to Receive during General Conference
Another prophet leader, King Benjamin, convened a conference, too. As he began, he admonished his people to open their hearts and minds so that they could understand the things of God.
My brethren, all ye that have assembled yourselves together, you that can hear my words which I shall speak unto you this day; for I have not commanded you to come up hither to with the words which I shall speak, but that you should unto me, and open your ears that ye may hear, and your that ye may understand, and your that the of God may be unfolded to your view.
King Benjamin’s people received his counsel and became sanctified during that conference! They opened their souls so completely that they entered a new covenant becoming the sons and daughters of Christ!
And now, it came to pass that when king Benjamin had thus spoken to his people, he sent among them, desiring to know of his people if they the words which he had spoken unto them.
And they all cried with one voice, saying: Yea, we believe all the words which thou hast spoken unto us; and also, we know of their surety and truth, because of the Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent, which has wrought a mighty in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do , but to do good continually.
And we, ourselves, also, through the infinite of God, and the manifestations of his Spirit, have great views of that which is to come; and were it expedient, we could prophesy of all things.
The Lord follows a pattern of calling prophets to guide and direct His church. Prophets help prepare people to stay on the covenant path in preparing to enter into the Lord’s presence.
Surely the Lord God will do nothing, he his unto his servants the .
Increase Your Spiritual Capacity to Receive Revelation During General Conference
A prophet lives and guides the Lord’s church today! Like prophets of old, President Russell M. Nelson calls us to a general conference to be instructed and sanctified.
Our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, will perform some of His mightiest works between now and when He comes again. We will see miraculous indications that God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, preside over this Church in majesty and glory. But in coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost.
My beloved brothers and sisters, I plead with you to increase your spiritual capacity to receive revelation. Choose to do the spiritual work required to enjoy the gift of the Holy Ghost and hear the voice of the Spirit more frequently and more clearly.
In his closing remarks during April 2019’s General Conference, President Nelson again challenged us to renovate our lives.
May each of us signify by our actions that we are true disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. May we renovate our lives through our faith and trust in Him. May we access the power of His Atonement by our repentance each day. And may we dedicate and rededicate our lives to serving God and His children—on both sides of the veil.
I leave my love and blessing with you, assuring you that revelation continues in this, the Lord’s Church. It will continue until “the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done.”
What Are You Experiencing During General Conference?
President Nelson’s inviting us to experience the outpouring of the Spirit we’ve read about, the manifestations that occur when the people of God gather worldwide in a conference. He’s taught that our spiritual preparation precedes revelation.
To read more of Delisa’s articles, click here.
He promised that we can see miraculous manifestations of God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. Have we done the spiritual work required? Are we ready? Are we looking? Are we having the experiences our predecessors claimed?
What are you experiencing during General Conference?
The Spirit of God like a fire is burning!
The latter-day glory begins to come forth;
The visions and blessings of old are returning,
And angels are coming to visit the earth.
We’ll sing and we’ll shout with the armies of heaven,
Hosanna, hosanna to God and the Lamb!
Let glory to them in the highest be given,
Henceforth and forever, Amen and amen!
The Lord is extending the Saints’ understanding,
Restoring their judges and all as at first.
The knowledge and power of God are expanding;
The veil o’er the earth is beginning to burst.We’ll call in our solemn assemblies in spirit,
To spread forth the kingdom of heaven abroad,
That we through our faith may begin to inherit
The visions and blessings and glories of God.
How blessed the day when the lamb and the lion
Shall lie down together without any ire,
And Ephraim be crowned with his blessing in Zion,
As Jesus descends with his chariot of fire!“The Spirit of God” by William W. Phelps
I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I have moved 64 times and have not tired of experiencing this beautiful earth! I love the people, languages, histories/anthropologies, & especially religious cultures of the world. My life long passion is the study & searching out of religious symbolism, specifically related to ancient & modern temples. My husband Anthony and I love our bulldog Stig, adventures, traveling, movies, motorcycling, and time with friends and family.
