With much talk of the OW movement I have come closer in my desire to follow and love our prophet. Prophets play such a crucial role in this, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. We believe that prophets are called of God and that they are God's spokesman here on Earth. They lead our church under direct and divine revelation (instruction) from God.
One of my favorite prophets from the scriptures is spoken of in Luke, chapter one. In verse 41 we read, "And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost" (Luke 1:41). Who was this great babe that when Mary, carrying the Savior of the world, entered, lept in the womb? This was John the Baptist.
Even his birth was quite something of a miracle. We know that Sarah and Zacharias were late in age, well past the childbearing age, however, when Gabriel visited Zacharias he prophesied that they would have a child, and nine months later, what do you know?
We read in Luke 1:14, "14 And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth." Now we know that Zacharias and Sarah must have been pretty excited to have a baby after all these years, but why would anyone else have cause to rejoice over this new baby boy?
They had cause to rejoice because this new baby boy was to prepare way for the Son of God. He was sent to prepare the people for the Savior of the world. Can you imagine a day without a prophet? Not only a day without a prophet, but imagine if one day someone came and told you that there was a man willing to die for you. A man who loved you so much that he was about to make all the impossible, now possible. A man who would enable us to live even after death. Someone who would take away all our pains and sorrows, and understand everything we could ever experience? I don't know about you but I would fall down right there and kiss his feet, and then probably insist that he take me to him right away.
John the Baptist brought the Holy Ghost, he carried the Priesthood, he personally tutored members of the twelve apostles. "We learn that he was “ordained by an angel,” when he was eight days of age, to overthrow the kingdom of the Jews and to prepare a people for The Lord" (John the Baptist, Bible Dictonary). Truly John was foreordained for this wonderfully calling, a calling in which he would ultimately sacrifice his life in honor of. To be called as the messenger of the Savior was truly a great calling and a man worth marveling over. In the short accounts we have of John the Baptist we learn so much of his faithfulness and love for our Savior.
How lucky we are to have prophets in this, the latter day. Prophets who continue John the Baptists work of preparing the world for the coming of our Savior. I am truly grateful for the words of our loving prophet President Thomas S. Monson and for the counsel that we provides us to live by each day. I know that if we follow his counsel we can partake of the wonderful gifts of the atonement, and the love of our Savior.
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