Seek Counsel from our Leaders

As I continue to study the Book of Mormon, I want to testify of the truthfullness of what President Ezra Taft Benson taught us, “There is a power in the book which will begin to flow into your lives the moment you begin a serious study of the book. You will find greater power to resist temptation. You will find the power to avoid deception. You will find the power to stay on the strait and narrow path.”


In my personal study of the Book of Mormon this week, I was reminded of an important principle that applies to all of us as representatives of Jesus Christ, the willingness to seek and follow the counsel from others, especially our leaders. In Alma 39:10 we read the following:

10 And I command you to take it upon you to counsel with your elder brothers in your undertakings; for behold, thou art in thy youth, and ye stand in need to be nourished by your brothers. And give heed to their counsel.

Alma is commanding his son Corianton to seek counsel and ask for help from his older brothers. Corianton had been struggling in his life to do the right thing mainly because of the following:
2 For thou didst not give so much heed unto my words as did thy brother, among the people of the Zoramites. Now this is what I have against thee; thou didst go on unto boasting in thy strength and thy wisdom.

Corinaton was proud and relied more on his own strength and wisdom which led to many wrong choices and serious consequences. In the recent April 2009 General Conference, Elder Russell M. Ballard shared a story that emphasizes the importance to seek and follow the counsel of leaders and those that have experience:

“Years ago when I was in business, I learned a very expensive lesson because I did not listen carefully to the counsel of my father, nor did I heed the promptings of the Spirit giving me guidance from my Heavenly Father. My father and I were in the automobile business, and the Ford Motor Company was looking for dealers to sell their new line of cars. Ford executives invited my father and me to a preview showing of what they thought would be a spectacularly successful product. When we saw the cars, my father, who had over 35 years experience in the business, cautioned me about becoming a dealer. However, the Ford sales personnel were very persuasive, and I chose to become Salt Lake City’s first—and actually last—Edsel dealer. And if you don’t know what an Edsel is, ask your grandpa. He will tell you that the Edsel was a spectacular failure.”

Our ability to seek the help of our mission leaders, especially in time of difficulty such as lack of success, discourgagement, etc, shows our humility and are willingness to be submissive (Mosiah 3:19). We should not be compelled to do so as was Corianton because of his pride but rather we should follow the counsel found in Preach My Gospel, Chapter 8 in the section of Accountablility:

Seek to learn from your leaders, and invite them to suggest ways you can improve.
This implies that we should take the initiative to ask for help and counsel, accept it humbly and follow it. We should apply and have faith that over time, the Lord will bless us. Elder Uchdtorf shared a story about the importance of patiently following counsel:

A friend of mine recently wrote to me, confiding that he was having a difficult time keeping his testimony strong and vibrant. He asked for counsel. I wrote back to him and lovingly suggested a few specific things he could do that would align his life more closely with the teachings of the restored gospel. To my surprise, I heard back from him only a week later. The essence of his letter was this: “I tried what you suggested. It didn’t work. What else have you got?”

It is important that we not only seek the help and counsel from leaders but also understand is part of the Lord´s plan as taught to us by President Henry B. Eyering in the October 2007 General Conference address entitled, O Ye That Embark:

· The Lord will bear you up and will at times do it by calling others to stand with you.

· One is to recognize and welcome those whom the Lord sends to help us.

· We can expect in our service to have help sent to us at the right time who will see strength in us and lift us up.

· And we can look forward to being the one sent by the Lord to encourage another.

It is my prayer that we will humbly seek the counsel and help of our leaders in time of need and we will follow the counsel we receive with a humble and willing heart. As we do so the Lord will pour out his blessings upon us as we bring many souls to Christ through faith in Him, repentance, baptism, reception of the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end is my prayer in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

We love you,

Presidente May