We Thank Thee Oh God For a Prophet

Today my lesson was on Prophets of God. I really enjoyed teaching this lesson because I feel like this is a topic I have never put much thought into. Having a living prophet on the Earth is absolutely amazing. Have you ever stopped to think about how fortunate we are as Latter-Day Saints to have a prophet to guide us in our lives? Before this week I hadn't.

Thomas S. Monson is the current President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He has been called of God to lead us in these latter days. He is truly an amazing man! In the lesson I prepared it asked the following question: "What has the current prophet taught or counseled us to do recently?" When I read this question I thought to myself, "I don't know." Do you know what President Monson has counseled us to do recently? I decided that I would go back through each talk he gave at conference since he was sustained as the President of our church. He was sustained in February 2008 so I looked at May and November Ensigns of 2008, as well as May and November Ensigns of 2009. Wow, did I learn a lot. Here are just a few of the things that he has asked us to do:

Don't Gossip
Be Examples - "Have the moral courage to be a light for others to follow."
Be kind and loving to your spouses and children
Be honest in your dealings with others, at all times and in all circumstances
Show kindness and respect for all people everywhere
Demonstrate respect toward those whose beliefs differ from ours
Create a home where the Spirit dwells and where love reigns
Make your home a sanctuary of righteousness and a place of prayer
Go to the temple often - "Doing so will help to strengthen marriages and families."
Pray for the opening of those areas around the world where we are not allowed to share the gospel freely
Be prudent in our planning, conservative in our living, and avoid unnecessary debt
Pray concerning our callings in the Church and seek divine help
For those who hold the Priesthood - use it to bless and serve others ("The man who fails to use it is apt to lose it.")

These are only the beginning of the teachings that President Monson has given us since he has been called and sustained as our prophet and leader. I encourage you all to go back through the talks that he has given over the past 2 years. I know that you will find counsel and wisdom that will benefit your lives! And don't forget to read between the lines in order to find the counsel he is giving us. Many times it is through a story or the sharing of an example that he tells us what we need to do to grow closer to our Heavenly Father and Savior.