I Love Having a Living Prophet!

February 24th, 2010

My focus today is on prophets and apostles. I love the scriptures and reading what the prophets of old have taught and finding applications for our day. But, I am SO grateful for living prophets and apostles, that speak to us and teach us even more of what we need to know today. In our house General Conference, which occurs twice a year, is the best! We love the spiritual boost that comes from listening to those called of God to bless our lives. Our prophet today is President Thomas S. Monson. He is amazing. He has two counselors, President Henry Eyring, and President Dieter Uchtdorf. I love listening and learning from all three of them.
President Uchtdorf's life has always amazed me. He was born in Czechoslovakia in 1940. His early life was spent seeing the devastation of war brought about by World Ward II. He was the youngest in his family. His father had to serve in the German Army and left when young Dieter was four years old. His mother took her young family to Zwickau, Germany where his father rejoined them. Their lives were always in danger because of his father's political positions, and so they left Zwickau, once again with nothing, and made their way to Frankfurt. President Uchtdorf writes, "We were refugees with an uncertain future....I played in bombed-out houses and grew up with the ever-present consequences of a lost war and the awareness that my own country had inflicted terrible pain on many nations during the horrific World War II. After the war, my grandmother was standing in line for food when an elderly single sister with no family of her own invited her to sacrament meeting. My grandmother and my parents accepted the invitation. They went to church, felt the Spirit, were uplifted by the kindness of the members, and were edified by the hymns of the Restoration. How grateful I am for a spiritually sensitive grandmother, teachable parents, and a wise, white-haired, elderly single sister who had the sweet boldness to reach out and follow the Savior's example."

Young Dieter was always amazed by airplanes and has told many stories over the years about his passion for flying. He became a Captain for Lufthansa Airlines when he was a very young 29. 10 years later he became Chief Pilot and Head of Cockpit Crews, and then 2 years later he was Senior Vice President of Flight Operations for Lufthansa.

Something else that I love are the church magazines. Last June a message from President Uchtdorf was published in the Ensign magazine. I remember it well. And wanted to share parts of it. "One of the things I loved most about flying was departing from a dark and rainy airport, climbing through thick and threatening winter clouds, and then suddenly breaking through the dark mist and steeply gaining altitude into the bright sunshine and endless blue sky...
"...I think back on my days as a pilot and those times when thick clouds and threatening thunderstorms made all appear dark and gloomy. In spite of how bleak things looked from my earthly vantage point, I knew that above the clouds the sun beamed brightly like a dazzling jewel in an ocean of blue skies. I did not have faith that such was the case-I knew it. I knew it because I had experienced it for myself. I did not need to rely on other people's theories or beliefs. I knew. In the same way that aerodynamic lift can transport us above the outer storms of the world, I know that the principles of spiritual lift can take us above the inner storms of life. And I know something else. Although it was a breathtaking experience to break through the clouds and fly to the bright blue horizon, that is nothing compared to the wonders of what we all can experience as we lift up our hearts in humble and earnest prayer. Prayer helps us transcend the stormy times. It gives us a glimpse of that blue sky that we cannot see from our earthly vantage point, and it reveals to us another vista-a glorious spiritual horizon filled with hope and the assurance of the bright blessings the Lord has promised to those who love and follow Him."

I LOVE that message. February is a particularly difficult month for me...it's just kind of super, duper depressing. It's cold and gray and dreary and the trees are sticks! But I know what's around the corner...spring...and everything comes back to LIFE! I, too, know that prayer is a powerful instrument given to us to bless our lives and help us through dreary, difficult times...and even as an instrument of thanksgiving when things are going particularly well. I feel so grateful for that knowledge! And thank goodness, March is just around the corner!!

(P.S. Thanks to Bethers for the picture!)