Elder Neal A. Maxwell wrote: “. . . . Another steady follower of the earliest church leaders was President Wilford Woodruff. In an address given October 6, 1856, he observed, “Whatever counsel the Presidency of this Church have been led to give unto this people, it has been dictated by the Spirit and power of God, and our safety and salvation lies in obeying that counsel and putting it into practice.”
President Woodruff then recalled how, when President Young had led them westward, some had “thought it was a wild speculation . . . dangerous. . . .” It even looked to some that Brigham was “leading the people to destruction,” yet in all the ages of the world, it is where the counsels of the Prophets of God are not fully carried out” that destruction is actually assured. (Journal of Discourses 4:94-95)
Should we not relate to the prophets much as we do with the Lord? If we lack full faith now, let us “give place for a portion” of their words and “experiment upon” their words. (Alma 32:27.) As we “try the experiment” of obedience, we will gather spiritual momentum as we gather confirming experiences!
Staying close to the prophets will be vital since, in some ways, the last days in this dispensation may come to resemble the first days in this dispensation. The middle period through which the church has recently past has essentially been a pleasant period—full of growth, understanding, and even some acclaim from the world. But the last days, although they may be characterized by much growth, will also be characterized by much tribulation and difficulty. There will be both wonderful and awful things.
. . . . We cannot fully respond to the divine invitation, “Come follow me,” unless we are willing to follow the Brethren. And it will be most helpful to us all if we renew and reassure ourselves by noting how it has always been the case—that the Lord has always raised up men as His prophets who have just the cluster of talents needed for a particular time. It is no different in the culminating days in the dispensation of the fullness of time. The Lord measured and ordained these men before they came here. Knowing perfectly the conditions that would obtain, he has sent, and will send, men to match the mountains of challenges that are just ahead of us.
In like manner, the Lord has also measured the parents of the rising generations on whom so much will also depend—all to the end that His work will triumph against odds that would stagger all but the true believers! ~ from, “All These Things Shall Give Thee Experience”, Neal A. Maxwell, p. 120-22, Deseret Book, 1979
