Have the Heavens Been Closed for Six Months?

The following article was written by Middleaged Mormon Man and republished with permission: For the 184th time, General Conference is almost upon us. It begins next Saturday, September 27, with the general women’s meeting, The general and priesthood sessions will follow the next weekend, October 4th and 5th. What is your reaction? Some members of the Church are thrilled. They see General Conference as a regular opportunity to listen to the Lord’s servants and learn and feel. They grab onto the counsel provided to improve their lives, and strengthen their testimonies,. After it is over, they feel that their “spiritual batteries” have been recharged, and are ready to tackle life and its challenges. Others are frustrated. They see Conference as yet another litany of guidelines that they are unable to live up to. Loads of guilt applied in two-hour sessions. They walk way feeling despondent, like failures. (I wrote about this earlier this year in a post called Failing Conference. Some treat Conference as just another regular Sunday. Of course they catch a session or two on Sunday. They might even watch or attend some of the four Saturday sessions – provided they don’t conflict with their normal Saturday, chores, hobbies, kid’s soccer games, etc. Others see Conference weekend as a holiday – a Church-free weekend. They are excited to have a “Sunday off’ from their callings. They plan vacations and activities, and relish their free time. Because, you know, they can always read it next month in the Ensign. Some love Conference weekend, but it still turns out to be a church-free weekend, even though the TV is tuned to every session of conference. Cooking, chatting, sleeping, and being immersed in projects, activities and traditions becomes the focus – did I mention the TV was on? Do you see yourself in any of these descriptions? Maybe a mixture? I will confess to catching an occasional nap by the time Sunday afternoon rolls around, but usually, we do our best to clear the decks and pay attention to all the sessions. I have blogged before about ideas to make Conference more meaningful here – but the purpose of this post is not to extol the virtues of General Conference. I have been thinking more about the time in-between Conferences. (I promise I will eventually get there…but first.) As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we believe that God still speaks to prophets. 15 men have been called of God to serve as “prophets, seers, and revelators,” to teach us, warn us, guide us, and bless us. One is called to serve as THE prophet, seer and revelator – currently it is President Thomas S. Monson. That is one of the single most important theological concepts in our Church.   What a claim! That the Lord speaks to us through these men. Either you believe this, or you don’t, and much of our commitment to the gospel hinges on the acceptance of this concept. So, twice a year, we head for Salt Lake City, our Stake Centers, or our family television, to hear what the Lord’s servants have to tell us. But what happens between sessions? Sure, we get a copy of the Conference addresses in the form of a Church magazine. We can log onto LDS.org and read the talks almost immediately after they are given. We have been counseled to make those messages our “walk and talk” for the six months between Conferences. Some do, some don’t. But during those six months between sessions – does it all stop? Do the heavens seal themselves up? Does the prophetic revelation and counsel dry up, if it isn’t the first weekend in April or October? I got curious. Are we expected to receive all of this wonderful counsel in two deluges a year? Frankly, General Conference, at times, has the spiritual feel of drinking from a fire hose. Too much, all at once. Thank heavens for the Ensign and the Internet to revisit. My curiosity found that the living water is not just a biannual flood. It is a near constant flow. We believe in continuing revelation – and the key word here is continuing. Check out what I found: In the 6 months since the last “Amen” of April Conference, I have found 16 instances where one of the prophets has spoken to us, either through the written word, or in public forums. 16! This does not even include Stake and Regional Conferences where a prophet has attended. Did you know that there have been 16 opportunities to learn from our living prophets since April? I didn’t – and I even keep my eyes open for it. Living prophets speak all the time. They don’t just appear twice a year. It is truly a constant flow of Living Water. I love the Brethren. I sustain the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. I have the privilege of doing this ever year in General Conference, in my Stake and Ward Conferences, and every time I get a new temple recommend. Beyond that, I have an opportunity to sustain them every time they give me counsel. I know that they are called of God. And I get to hear them as often as I am willing. Here is a list I collected of the words of the prophets between General Conference sessions. Check them out! April 2014 Elder Dallin H. Oaks Hope for the Years Ahead Utah Valley University’s Constitutional Symposium on Religious Freedom   May 2014 Ensign – April Conference Report 22 talks from the 15   Elder M. Russell Ballard CES Devotional Be Still and Know That I am God   Elder Quentin L. Cook BYU Women’s Conference Devotional The Rewards of Righteousness   Elder Dallin H. Oaks Radio interview A Discussion on Religious Freedom   June 2014 President Thomas S. Monson Ensign – First Presidency Message Hastening the Work   Elder Jeffrey R. Holland The Call to Be Christlike Ensign reprint of Dixie State CES Devotional   Letter from First Presidency Differentiating between asking questions and apostasy   July 2014 President Hanry B. Eyring Ensign – First Presidency Message The Promise of Hearts Turning   Elder Russell M. Nelson Ensign reprint of new mission president training The Book of Mormon, the Gathering of Israel, and the Second Coming   August 2014 President Dieter F. Uchtdorf Ensign – First Presidency Message God’s Harvest   Elder David A. Bednar Education Week Devotional To Sweep the Earth as with a Flood   Elder Russell M. Nelson BYU Summer Commencement Disciples of Jesus Christ — Defenders of Marriage (audio only)   September 2014 President Thomas S. Monson Ensign – First Presidency Message Are We Prepared?   Elder D. Todd Christofferson CES Devotional – BYU Saving Your Life   October 2014 President Henry B. Eyring Ensign – First Presidency Message The Prayer of Faith   Elder David A Bednar Ensign reprint of new mission president training Missionary, Family History and Temple Work   Awesome, right?