Confirmation

With the first session of conference beginning tomorrow I find myself thinking about the reasons for my belief. Although there have been many pivotal moments in my spiritual journey, at this time of year this one stands out the most.

Spencer W. Kimball was not the first prophet that I remember, but he was the prophet during most of my formative years. He was small and soft spoken and because of earlier throat surgery his voice was raspy and quiet and he had to speak with the aid of a special microphone attached to his glasses... and his spirit could fill a basketball arena. Many of the questions that I had were answered by him as I listened at conference.

He passed away while I was serving my mission and in fact, I was informed of his death on the doorstep of a home in a neighborhood where I was tracting. The gentleman at the door said I needed to stop what I was doing and quickly return home because my prophet had pass away.

I will not say that my testimony faltered because it didn't, but I was concerned that I wouldn't be able to feel the same spirit from another prophet. I prayed that I would be able to know for myself that Ezra Taft Benson was a prophet of my Heavenly Father.

At our very next Zone conference President Ludlow had a video tape of the most recent General Conference, the one in which the membership of the church has an opportunity to stand and sustain the new prophet, and he wisely decided that he would share this session with the missionaries. As a missionary I had the opportunity to stand with other missionaries and sustain and recognize Ezra Taft Benson as the new Prophet, Seer and Revelator of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints.

Just as it might have been if he had been standing in that very chapel. I could feel the spirit and I knew that my Heavenly loved me because he not only grant me through confirmation of the spirit, that Ezra Taft Benson was the new prophet, but at the same time I knew that he knew the desires of my heart and my spiritual well being was important to him. Since then three other men have served as Presidents of the Church, and in each situation I have had the same confirmation of the spirit.

More importantly, as I have faced difficult situations in my life, in those times especially, I have had the knowledge that I did not stand alone. This knowledge of my importance to my Heavenly Father along with an increase of the spirit, has seen me through every difficulty.