Obedience to the Prophets

My thoughts on Elder Costa's talk "Obedience to the Prophets"

We are so blessed to live in a time when prophets walk the earth. How sweet it is!

"We are told that “surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets” (Amos 3:7). We learn from this scripture that the Lord will reveal to His prophets absolutely anything that He feels is necessary to communicate to us. He will reveal His will to us, and He will instruct us through His prophets."

This was a scripture mastery when I was in 10th grade. I've taken this to heart in two ways. One: when the prophets speaks as a prophet, he is speaking God's will to us. Two: the prophets know a heck of a lot more than I do and I should listen to them.

I remember when the prophet asked us to wear only one pair of earrings. I don't recall who it was or when it was, but I had two sets in my ears. The first was my right of passage to womanhood (at age 14) and the second set had a significance to me. At 16 my mom and I got my left ear pierce and the jewel was a pearl. As I was dating and thinking about leaving my father's home (left ear--hint, hint) I was to remember that I was a "Pearl of Great Price". When I was engaged I got my right ear pierced (after finding the Right man) and put a diamond in that ear symbolizing our marriage. I wore mismatched earrings for a few years and then the prophet asked us to wear only one pair of modest earrings.

I was crushed. I still cry about it. My second set of holes is still there. They haven't closed up and I think it has been close to 20 years ago, because it was just after I got married (22 years ago). I never was over the top in my choice of jewelry, even today with very short hair (remember I lost it all during chemo) with ears that stick out, I still go very simple--posts most of the time. But I obeyed. I don't know that blessings that will come from this, but I sure hope there is a blessing sometime because my heart broke the day I pulled my pearl and diamond out.

One of my favorite scriptures is D&C 1:38 "What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; ...whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same."

Elder Costa has some great reasons to obey the prophets. Fourteen in fact. I testify that we live a better life when obeying than when we think we know what is best. Sometimes we don't know why, but the blessings of obedience are sometimes better than the blessing of law.