"For many years, I have watched the process of continuous revelation which emanates from God through the keys, authority, and under direction of the President of the Church. I testify that this revelatory power has directed this work since April 6, 1830. That confirmation is the source of the greatest knowledge I have. I counsel and pray that all will heed the ongoing prophetic voice of this Church, revealing the word of God in our day. (James E. Faust, "The Prophetic Voice", Ensign, May 1997, 7)"
Studying this lesson has made me see the magnitude of what the Church is accomplishing in preparation of the Saviour's coming. The Church is a well oiled machine, perfectly organised and run under the direction of the priesthood who continue to receive revelation relative to this preparation. The scriptures speak of prophets as "watch(men) upon the tower" who see "the enemy while he (is) yet afar off" (D&C 101:54). Because we have continuous revelation and living prophets, the Church is always one step ahead to ensure this preparation is ever forging onward.
One of the greatest examples of this is the revelation extending the blessings of the priesthood to every worthy male member of the Church. This revelation was presented to the Church and the world on September 30, 1978, at the 148th Semiannual General Conference of the Church. I stand in awe of President Kimball who had pondered, meditated and prayed much to invite this revelation and bring about such an important change for the Church and its' membership. At the time I was only a new convert in the Church and did not fully grasp what this revelation would really mean to the membership of the Church and the world. I think I was of the opinion that it was 'really nice' that this had happened. The Lord however, doesn't do 'really nice'. He always fulfils his purposes and he does it on a grand scale. This revelation had great impact on accelerating the missionary efforts so the Church can fulfil its' destiny of growing and filling the world, as prophesied by Joseph Smith.
I read the following story about the priesthood revelation and was reminded of what it feels like to long to be in the Church:
"Joseph William Billy Johnson of Cape Coast, Ghana, first received literature about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in 1964. He knew that the Church doctrines he read in it were true, and he immediately began teaching them to his family, friends and anyone else who would listen to him. It was not until four years later that he was able to obtain a copy of the Book of Mormon, to carefully read and pray about it, and to receive a witness of its truth. In letters to Salt Lake City, he had asked for more information about the Church and for missionaries to come to Africa to teach and baptize him. President McKay sent him literature and told him it was not yet time for missionaries to come to his country but that he should continue to study and have faith.
For 14 years Billy Johnson devoted himself to teaching the everlasting gospel and meeting with informal groups of believers. While strengthened by many spiritual experiences, he and members of these groups became discouraged when their pleadings for missionaries were not answered quickly.
During a particularly difficult period, Billy returned home one day much discouraged. As he struggled to obtain comfort and counsel from the Lord, he felt impressed to turn on his shortwave radio and find the BBC news broadcast. He was finally able to tune in the BBC at midnight. He recalls:
"I heard the message of President Kimball's prophecy concerning the priesthood, that all
worthy males in all of the world could receive the priesthood. I burst into tears of joy,
because I knew the priesthood would come to Africa, and if we did the right things, we
would all receive the priesthood".
What joy spread through his heart as he heard the BBC news commentator announce the long-await revelation! (Richard Neitzel Holzapfel, "The Incomparable Blessings of the Priesthood", Ensign Oct. 1997, p. 50)
Why did Billy Johnson have to wait so long to be baptised? Because the Church cannot exist anywhere without the administration of the priesthood. This man felt constrained to preach the Gospel in Ghana and converted so many people to it that he organised several branches and all with just one copy of the Book of Mormon. Members of his branch were allowed just a few moments each to read from it. There is another amazing story of Nigerian saints who had also organised themselves into a branch under the direction of one man, Anthony Obinna, and waited for the priesthood revelation to bring the saving ordinance and missionary work to Africa. Both of these stories can be found in full in the Church History section of the Church site, www.lds.org . It will make you weep and make you reflect on how much you value your Church membership. It is astounding to me how the Lord prepared these people on one side of the world and put in place a prophet on the other side of the world who would consider the constant pleading of the African saints important enough to seek a revelation that would bring salvation to so many souls. Such is the power of continuing revelation to latter-day prophets.
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