Prophetic

It seems like I can't escape the feeling like everything I read is tailored to me. Yesterday I spent a few hours reading UN Resolutions. I never knew something so parliamentary and diplomatic could speak to my heart.

Today my meetings were much the same, but there wasn't so much surprise in me feeling, at times, that somehow the teacher or speaker had gotten a hold of my heart and mind and tried to figure out a pattern to sew the two together. It must have been an awkward task. But each day I'm feeling more connected and more at peace.

Today during this a quote was read from this talk that was so poignantly prophetic it caught me off guard. I know we're lead by inspired men, I rely on that fact even, but sometimes things that they say decades ago are so prevalent now I am literally stunned.

"Make no mistake about it, brothers and sisters, in the months and years ahead, events are likely to require each member to decide whether or not he will follow the First Presidency. Members will find it more difficult to halt longer between two opinions. President Marion G. Romney said, many years ago, that he had 'never hesitated to follow the counsel of the Authorities of the Church even though it crossed my social, professional or political life.'

"This is hard doctrine, but it is particularly vital doctrine in a society which is becoming more wicked. In short, brothers and sisters, not being ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ includes not being ashamed of the prophets of Jesus Christ. . . . Your discipleship may see the time when such religious convictions are discounted. . . . This new irreligious imperialism seeks to disallow certain opinions simply because those opinions grow out of religious convictions.

". . . Concern over the institution of the family will be viewed as untrendy and unenlightened.... Before the ultimate victory of the forces of righteousness, some skirmishes will be lost. Even in these, however, let us leave a record so that the choices are clear, letting others do as they will in the face of prophetic counsel. There will also be times, happily, when a minor defeat seems
probable, but others will step forward, having been rallied to rightness by what we do. We will know the joy, on occasion, of having awakened a slumbering majority of the decent people of all races and creeds which was, till then, unconscious of itself. Jesus said that when the fig trees put
forth their leaves, 'summer is nigh.' Thus warned that summer is upon us, let us not then complain of the heat."

- Elder Neal A. Maxwell

I felt empowered today, continually fortified by that which I know is right. It can be that simple, even if, sometimes, it hurts.