TRUTH AND THE FAMILY PROCLAMATION

Over the years, I have developed a very specific approach to our twice-yearly General Conferences. I like to listen to most of the sessions on the radio.That way I can also go for a drive in the car, clean the kitchen or work on a crochet project. Sunday mornings I like to watch on television with my husband because then I can swing my feet into his lap and get a two-hour foot rub. Conference weekend is a lovely, relaxed, casual event in my life (even though there is usually at least one talk that I don't like very much!)

But on Monday morning, my attitude changes. “OK,” I say to myself, “Time to get serious about this. Time to get  to work.” For the next several weeks, I listen again to each conference talk.

Just one talk per day. 

In the years before the internet, I used to record conference on our VCR and then play a part of the tape every day, even though I wasn't sure that taping conference from TV was strictly legal. (My children used to scold me about this: “Mom, you can hide it from everyone else, but THE LORD knows that you are taping conference!)

Nowadays the technology has changed; General Conference is available on both the internet and as a podcast download. But I still use the same approach. I listen to each sermon seriously and prayerfully (especially if it was the one I didn’t like!) I study it and ponder it and I pray that the Lord will send the Holy Spirit to enlighten my mind and heart to hear His voice. 

The fact is, I'm really not that interested in what a man or woman has to say to me. I want to know what the Lord has to say to me.

When I approach a Conference address in this manner, something happens that I find miraculous. The message changes. I hear something different than what I heard over Conference weekend. Sometimes it is radically different, sometimes it is just a little bit different.  But it changes enough to affirm a fundamental doctrine of this church:

“. . . he that is ordained of me and sent forth to preach the word of truth by the Comforter, in the Spirit of truth, doth he preach it by the Spirit of truth or some other way?

And if it be by some other way, it is not of God.

And again, he that receiveth the word of truth, doth he receive it by the Spirit of truth or some other way?

If it be some other way it is not of God.”

D&C 50:17-20

In other words, the word of God can only be spoken or understood by the power of the Holy Spirit-- the Spirit of Truth.

I don’t apply this process over Conference weekend because it takes a serious, sustained focus that I can only keep up for about half an hour. This is also the reason I have never applied it to the document that is generally referred to as The Family Proclamation.

In September 1995, "The Family: a Proclamation to the World" was read by Gordon B. Hinckley during the general meeting of the Relief Society. Since then, it has attracted a great deal of attention and controversy. I have seen some very sincere and compassionate Latter-day Saints decide that they can no longer support the Church because of the ideas expressed in this document. It needs some serious consideration.

However, in 1995, my physical body was rapidly succumbing to a life threatening illness that took years of my life and all of my strength to survive. So I couldn't spare any energy on the important subject of Church doctrines surrounding family and marriage relationships.

But I am blessed with much greater health and energy these days. And it is very important to me discover truth and to know things for myself. So it is time for me to examine the Proclamation--slowly, seriously, thoughtfully and with all the charity and humility I can summon.

Time to get to work.