Many have given me wise counsel.
My Father, My Mother, My Husband ... to you I say Thank You!
My Bishops and other ward leaders ... My Stake Presidents and other stake leaders ... to you I say Thank You!
Our Living Prophet and all prophets past. To them I say Thank You!
They are truly men of God and give wise counsel, directly from our Father in Heaven, meant to bless our lives if we follow it.
One of my favorite quotes from our present day prophet, President Thomas S. Monson, is this:
(Image from ... and Spiritually Speaking)
Much of the wise counsel given me has been counsel to follow the teachings of our Savior, to believe in Him and to love and obey Him.
I was just re-reading the conference address by Elder Carl B. Cook and was reminded of his experience.
The short story is that he was standing in the elevator after an especially busy and overloaded week (his first as a General Authority). His head was down as the elevator opened on the next floor and someone walked in, though he did not look to see who it was. He then heard, "What are you looking at down there?" His response was "Oh, nothing." President Monson then lovingly suggested, while pointing heavenward, "It is better to look up!"
After relating this experience to us, Elder Cook shared this counsel;
"Since then I have pondered this experience and the role of prophets. I was burdened and my head was down. As the prophet spoke, I looked to him. He redirected my focus to look up to God, where I could be healed and strengthened through Christ's Atonement. That is what prophets do for us. They lead us to God."
Truly Wise Counsel from our Prophet that applies to all of us!
We heard wise counsel from every speaker at General Conference. Each helping us understand the importance of living the Gospel of Jesus Christ and becoming a better person. "That is what prophets [and apostles] do for us. They lead us to God [by giving us wise counsel and instruction]."
(Image from Poppies at Play)
Always a challenge for me ... there is one more quote from him that I want to share ... sorry if it's too many words ... again!
"If we ... exercise our faith and look to God for help, we will not be overwhelmed with the burdens of life." That paragraph continues with more wise counsel ... his whole talk does ... but that sentence doesn't tell us we won't have burdens in life, it tells us that our burdens will not overwhelm us if we exercise our faith and look to God for help. We will be able to move forward and we will be able to handle the difficulties that do come our way, much better than if we struggle ourselves, without the faith in and reliance on God.
Okay, I'd better stop here. I am so grateful for our living prophet, and for wise men and women that give us wise counsel, helping us look to God and live ... live happier lives.
(The full account of Elder Carl B. Cook's message can be found HERE)