Words of a Prophet

In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we believe we are led by modern day prophets. (Click here to read more about prophets, both ancient and modern.)
God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He called prophets to speak for him from the beginning of mortal time: Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and many, many more. We believe that God continues to call prophets to lead us today.

Prophets don't always speak earth-shattering new doctrines to the world. Sometimes their counsel is simple and forthright, but sometimes in this day and age, simple, forthright reminders are what the world needs the most.

President Spencer W. Kimball served as the 12th President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1973-1985. Here is some counsel I ran across recently that I think would bless the world if each of us remembered this every day.

"We must remember that those mortals we meet in parking lots, offices, elevators, and elsewhere are that portion of mankind God has given us to love and to serve. It will do us little good to speak of the general brotherhood of mankind if we cannot regard those who are all around us as our brothers and sisters." (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, ed. Edward L. Kimball (1982), 483)

Scriptures & General Authority Gems

From the Bible:

“Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

“But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:4-5)

From the Book of Mormon:

“And [Christ] shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.

“And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities” (Alma 7:11–12).

“Thus, the Savior has suffered not just for our sins and iniquities—but also for our physical pains and anguish, our weaknesses and shortcomings, our fears and frustrations, our disappointments and discouragement, our regrets and remorse, our despair and desperation, the injustices and inequities we experience, and the emotional distresses that beset us.

“There is no physical pain, no spiritual wound, no anguish of soul or heartache, no infirmity or weakness you or I ever confront in mortality that the Savior did not experience first. In a moment of weakness we may cry out, “No one knows what it is like. No one understands.” But the Son of God perfectly knows and understands, for He has felt and borne our individual burdens. And because of His infinite and eternal sacrifice (see Alma 34:14), He has perfect empathy and can extend to us His arm of mercy. He can reach out, touch, succor, heal, and strengthen us to be more than we could ever be and help us to do that which we could never do relying only upon our own power.” (Bear Up Their Burdens with Ease)

~ Elder David A. Bednar, member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints