“If what you’re doing doesn’t have eternal consequences, why are you doing it?” Gordon B. Hinckley, 15th Prophet, Seer and Revelator of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Tonight, I was listening to Glenn Beck, a national radio personality, talk about the passing of Gordon B. Hinckley. He, as so many of us were, was in complete awe of President Hinckley. Glenn spoke to his millions of listeners and asked for a moment of understanding as he spoke about this great man who effected his life so profoundly. He had once spoken with Larry King about President Hinckley and when asked if he’d met the Prophet, Glenn answered, “No.”
Larry told him he’d call Gordon (I prefer President Hinckley) right up and get it set up right away. Glenn told him, “No, no. I don’t want to meet him. I’m in awe of him.”
This gave me pause for thought. Had the opportunity arisen would I have answered in the negative. My answer is no . . . I would have jumped at the chance to be in the presence of a living prophet of God.
I was born and raised in the Church, and as the years and decades of my life have gone by, my testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ has grown, line upon line, precept upon precept until I now crave the time I am allowed to immerse myself in the scriptures, both ancient and modern. As each new bit of spiritual knowledge is found within these sacred words, my heart sings a little more and my spirit brightens even more than that. I rejoice as more and more knowledge is imparted to me.
So if I were given the opportunity to sit at the feet of a prophet of God, I would jump at the chance. Not to say I’d done it. Not to lord myself over others for having been in the presence of a prophet of God. Not for anything but a deep and burning desire to be in the presence of one who has walked and talked with God. One, who with the very weight of his prophetic calling, would know things far beyond my knowledge and comprehension. But most importantly I would bask in the righteousness and beauty of his spirit and allow my spirit to briefly recall that heavenly home where we all walked, talked and called each brother and sister. My spirit would rejoice in the presence of one who was totally and completely dedicated to God and the building of the Kingdom of God.
It is an exciting time in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (referred to as the Mormons.) By next week a new prophet of God will have been chosen and ordained to the highest office in the Melchizedek Priesthood, living Prophet of God and President of His Church. As Mormons we look forward to the next prophet of the Church and the knowledge he will be entrusted to impart to the world on behalf of Jesus Christ, the Jehovah of the Old Testament and the Messiah of the New.
Just as in the days of old, when prophets such as Adam, Moses, Noah, Abraham and more roamed the land, in this very day, we too have a living prophet who speaks with God. We are saying goodbye to Gordon B. Hinckley and will miss him greatly, but we now look to the future and the new prophet of God.
So it is with little wonder that when I sit down and evaluate my life, as I often do, I hear the same words of wisdom from President Hinckley that Glenn Beck hears:
“If what you’re doing doesn’t have eternal consequences, why are you doing it?”
