Prophet Of God

It is the second Sunday of the month and as such it is my week to teach in Elders Quorum.  I was excited several weeks ago when I looked up who we would be studying this year and found that it was President Ezra Taft Benson.  The lesson this week was an introduction to the book and a look at the life and ministry of President Benson.  There were 33 pages alone on the life and ministry and no way we could cover all of that information in the time allotted.  I did a review of the introduction to the book and reviewed the guidelines on personal study and preparing ourselves for the lesson.  I hope each of us can spend time in these lessons and can learn what it is the Lord would have us learn.  As an instructor I get so much out of preparing the lesson and I know, because I don't always review the lesson on the weeks I am not instructing, I know that often times we come to class unprepared.  I would love to be in front of a class where those attending had read the lesson and pondered it some with impressions at the ready.  I think it would add so much and am committing myself to be better prepared in those weeks when I am not instructing.

Anyway, we didn't have much time today so after touching on that we got into the life and ministry and really couldn't get very far.  I began with a few thoughts from President Hinkley that discussed the childhood of President Ezra Taft Benson. They were just thoughts describing his life on a farm and lessons he learned relative to reaping what we sow.  I could barely get through it and finally stopped and explained that I was struggling to read it because my mind was caught up on these two great men who served with each other as Apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ and I had a feeling for the brotherhood that existed between them.  As I ponder on that moment further I am just moved by these men, Prophets of God, who have meant so much to me in my life.  I was called to serve as a missionary by President Benson and served under three Presidents of the church in that time as President Benson passed away and then President Hunter.  They are heroes to me and I love them. 

At some point, knowing that we had no time I simply encouraged the brethren to be in the book, to take time to read the life and ministry of President Benson, to see the Lord's hand in his life.  And then I testified that he was a Prophet of God.  I know that to be true and am humbled by the life he lived and by his dedication to the Lord.  I am excited to be learning from his teachings this year.