Sustaining the Prophet

                The two general sessions and the priesthood session of the 186^th annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were held today.  It is customary in the general conferences to call new members to leadership position and to sustain existing Church officers.   This afternoon President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Second Counselor in the First Presidency read the names and asked for a sustaining vote.  There were apparently some dissenting votes.

                In the April 2015 General Conference there were also some dissenting votes, possibly the first time since the 1980s.  After consulting with President Thomas S. Monson, President Uchtdorf returned to the podium and acknowledged the dissenting votes.  He said that President Monson invited those with opposing votes to contact their Stake Presidents for further questions or answers.

                My Book of Mormon instructor sent his last screen cast for the semester.  Because it is General Conference weekend, he spoke about sustaining the prophet.  He shared the story of Elijah in Zarephath from 1 Kings 17.  As you may remember, Elijah sealed the heavens from rain and then hid from the king.  While he lived in the brook Cherith, ravens brought bread and flesh in the morning and again in the evening.  One day word came from the Lord that he was to go to Zarephath and be sustained by a widow.

                Elijah arrived when the widow was gathering wood to use the last flour and oil to make a cake for her son and herself before they died.  Elijah told her to give him the first cake and then make more for her family.   She was obedient to the prophet – and then received the blessing.  Her “barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by Elijah” (1 Kings 17:16).

                My instructor stated that we too can be blessed by sustaining the prophet.  He suggested three things that we should understand about sustaining the prophet:  (1) We sustain him by not only our sustaining vote but by being obedient, (2) The Lord will often ask us to give Him more/first even when it appears that we have so little to give, (3) We will always be blessed as we follow the prophet.

                I do not know why the dissenters at conference decided to go against the prophet.  I do know that I received confirmation from the Holy Ghost that the prophet speaks for Jesus Christ.  I am grateful for this confirmation because now I know that I need not fear.   I sustain the prophet!