President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Following are some excerpts from what Thomas S. Monson, president and prophet of the Mormons, has taught about the Savior, Jesus Christ. Follow the links in the credits to read the entire talk. From these, you’ll learn how the Mormons (members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) view their Lord and Savior, who is the foundation of their faith.

The Savior of the World

“He who taught us to love the Lord our God with all our hearts, and with all our souls, and with all our strength, and with all our minds, and our neighbors as ourselves, is a teacher of truth-but He is more than a teacher. He is the Exemplar of the perfect life-but He is more than an exemplar. He is the Great Physician-but He is more than a physician. He is the literal Savior of the world, the Son of God, the Prince of Peace, the Holy One of Israel, even the risen Lord, who declared: “Behold, I am Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified shall come into the world. … I am the light and the life of the world.”  ”I am the first and the last; I am he who liveth, I am he who was slain; I am your advocate with the Father.”  

“As His witness, I testify to you that He lives and that through Him, we too shall live.”

Thomas S. Monson, “The Way of the Master,” Ensign, Jan 2003, 2-7

Choose You This Day

Positioned on the wall of my office, directly opposite my desk, is a lovely print of the Savior, painted by Heinrich Hofmann. I love the painting, which I have had since I was a 22-year-old bishop and which I have taken with me wherever I have been assigned to labor. I have tried to pattern my life after the Master. Whenever I have a difficult decision to make, I have looked at that picture and asked myself, “What would He do?” Then I try to do it. We can never go wrong when we choose to follow the Savior.

Thomas S. Monson, “Choose You This Day,” Ensign, Nov 2004, 67

I Stand All Amazed

“I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me and the love Jesus offers you. I think of the love he provided in Gethsemane. I think of the love he provided in the wilderness. I think of the love he provided at the tomb of Lazarus; of the love he demonstrated on Golgotha’s hill, at the open tomb, and, yes, when he appeared in that sacred grove with his Father and spoke those memorable words to Joseph Smith. I thank God for his love in sharing his Only Begotten Son in the flesh, even Jesus Christ, for you and me. I thank the Lord for the love he demonstrated by providing his life, that we might have life eternal.”

Thomas S. Monson, “Formula for Success,” Ensign, Mar 1996, 2

Listen to the Savior

“On occasion I will be asked, “Brother Monson, if the Savior appeared to you, what questions would you ask of Him?”

My reply is always the same: “I would ask no question of Him. Rather, I would listen!”"

Thomas S. Monson, “For I Was Blind, but Now I See,” Ensign, May 1999, 54

Testimony

With all my heart and the fervency of my soul, I testify as a special witness that God does live. Jesus is his Son, the Only Begotten of the Father in the flesh. He is our Redeemer; he is our mediator with the Father. He it was who died on the cross to atone for our sins. He became the firstfruits of the resurrection. Oh, sweet the joy this sentence gives, “I know that my Redeemer lives!”

Thomas S. Monson, “‘I Know That My Redeemer Lives’,” Ensign, Apr 1982, 6

Several generations ago, a young missionary named Elias Monson taught the gospel in Sweden. One family he converted was that of the Johnson family. Later, members of that family would immigrate to Utah.

The great nephew of Elias Monson grew up in Utah, as did the granddaughter of the Johnsons. One day, the great nephew, Thomas S. Monson, arrived at a Utah home to pick up his date and meet her family. Frances’ father asked the young man if he was related to Elias Monson, and Thomas assured him he was. The man explained that Elias had converted him to the gospel, along with his family and embraced the young man with gratitude and tears. Thomas Monson later married Frances, and it is a marriage that has survived a lifetime of challenges with love and devotion.

With such an important connection between their families, it would seem there were divine plans behind the joining of these two families.

President Monson first saw Frances at a dance, but each was with another date. As he danced past her, he felt a strong desire to meet her, but he didn’t see her again for three months. The next time he saw her, he was waiting for a street car and she was with friends, including a man he had known in grade school. While this gave him a perfect excuse to join them, he discovered he’d forgotten the name of the old friend. He gathered his courage and sidestepped the problem by saying, “Hello, my old friend from grade school days.” This left it to the old friend to confess he couldn’t remember Thomas’ name. Introductions were made and Thomas finally met the girl he had wanted to meet for three months.

President Monson and his wife were married and have been together over sixty years. The years have been challenging for Frances Monson. Her husband has been in high level church work from the start, including being a bishop at only twenty-two years of age. (Most bishops are much older.) People in higher leadership positions, such as bishop, often sit on the stand, with the leaders and speakers, not in the congregation. This meant Sister Monson (a title given adult women in the church) had to take care of their three children alone in the congregation. President Monson traveled often, sometimes five weeks at a time when he became a General Authority (a high ranking church leader.) During these long trips, Frances managed both her work and his in managing the children and the home.

Her daughter, Ann Monson Dibb, said, “Mother conveyed to us that he was doing his duty and that we would be watched over and protected whenever he was away. She communicated this message to us not only with words but by her quiet manner of making sure everything which needed to be done was always accomplished.

“My mother is unlike many of the women of today’s generation. Instead of looking for the recognition of the world, she has always received her acknowledgment of worth from such things as the happy smile of a son or the outstretched hand of a grandchild.” (Jeffrey R. Holland, “President Thomas S. Monson: Finishing the Course, Keeping the Faith,” Tambuli, Oct 1994, 16)

In 1959 President Monson and his wife were called to lead the Canadian Mission. Although it was hard for Sister Monson to leave her home for several years, she went willingly and worked hard being mother to450 young men and women besides her own children. One day she took a telephone call from a man who had learned a little about the church in Holland, where he was from. He and his family had now moved to Canada and wanted to learn more. She enthusiastically promised to make the arrangements and assigned some missionaries to the task. They procrastinated, but, in true leadership form, Frances kept after them, reminding them to get out to see the family. They continued to say they were busy but would get to it. Finally, she told them that if they didn’t go see the family that very day, she and her husband would visit them themselves. Not wanting this to happen, the missionaries discovered they had the time after all. The man they went to see not only joined the church, but would eventually become a high level church leader and his membership can be directly traced to Frances’ determination to see to it the Lord’s work got done.

Frances Monson is an example to church members worldwide. Her husband describes her as “a woman of quiet and profoundly powerful faith.”

Thomas Monson tells sometimes of a man who came to his home when he was a bishop in 1951. A bishop is like a pastor or minister, except that he is unpaid, and serves for a number of years in his “spare” time while raising a family and managing a career. The man said his brother and his brother’s family were coming to Utah from Germany. The man had been a strong church leader, even in the difficult days of the Holocaust and the war, when it was often dangerous to be a Mormon. They would be living within the boundaries of Thomas Monson’s ward (congregation.) Mormons attend church based on where they live, much in the same way a child attends an assigned school based on geography.

He asked Bishop Monson to come with him to look at the apartment that had been rented for his brother. Bishop Monson was dismayed by the sight that greeted him. The paint was peeling off the walls and the wallpaper in other rooms was filthy. The cupboards were empty. There was a giant hole in the floor covering and the room was only lit with a single forty watt light bulb. The man assured Bishop Monson this was far better than what they had in Germany, but President Monson wasn’t reassured. The family would arrive two days before Christmas, and he thought they deserved a better home than that.

He found it hard to sleep that night and arrived at a church meeting tired and worried. When someone in the meeting asked what was wrong, he told them about the family and the apartment. The people in the meeting did what Mormons do best-they went to work on a plan. Mormons love emergencies.

One member arranged to have men from church rewire the apartment and another found new appliances to replace the broken ones in the apartment. Another obtained donations of carpeting and lined up men to lay it. A third man offered to donate paint and to line up men who could paint the apartment. The women offered to fill the cupboards. Nearly everyone in that congregation went to work on making a small, dirty apartment beautiful and welcoming. When the family arrived, they were taken to the apartment, where the ward members were waiting.

If the dirty, dark apartment was more than they’d had in Germany, imagine how they felt walking into a bright, beautiful apartment filled with good things to eat and beautiful surroundings. They were overwhelmed at the realization this all belonged to them.

As the church members left, a teenager asked Bishop Monson why she felt better than she ever had before at that moment. He responded with a scripture from the Bible:

Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” (Matt. 25:40.)

President Thomas S. Monson is the current prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Its members are sometimes nicknamed Mormons. Before President Monson was the prophet, he was an apostle. An apostle serves under the direction of the prophet, with church-wide responsibility. During this time, he visited Germany. His guide for this trip was Dieter F. Uchtdorf, who is now a member of the presidency of the church, but who at that time was a local church leader. President Monson asked about a previous local leader named Michael Panitsch. Brother Panitsch had been one of the pioneers of Germany’s church organization. President Uchtdorf explained that the man was now bedridden.

President Monson decided he wanted to visit the man, but President Uchtdorf, knowing President Monson had just had foot surgery and was in pain when he walked, suggested the trip would be a bad idea. Brother Panitsch lived on the fifth floor and there wasn’t an elevator. President Monson was not concerned and insisted on visiting the man rather than sight-seeing. He had to stop every few stairs to rest, but he made the entire five-flight climb without complaint and had a very nice visit with the man.

 President Monson often receives requests for personal visits from those who are suffering or dying. His secretaries often try to shield him from these requests, knowing he would spend every moment on them if possible. One day, however, a message was relayed to him of a woman who was dying and who longed for a visit from him, because he was her favorite church leader. There was no way to fit the visit into a schedule that had every moment filled, but somehow, President Monson could not get the request out of his mind. He found himself uneasy, even though he’d never met the woman. The next day, he got into his car, purchased a gift, and drove into unfamiliar territory on the long journey to the woman’s home. When he arrived, the woman was semi-comatose. She lay in a room that included a framed picture of President Monson. He took her hand and talked with her, a monologue, since she couldn’t respond in any way. However, her son was certain she knew who he was and understood what he said to her. She died just nine hours later.

 President Monson’s life of service was prepared in childhood. His parents were warm and giving people. They lived near railroad tracks and homeless or transient people often came to their door looking for food. His mother always brought them into her kitchen and prepared a sandwich and glass of milk for them, feeding them right there at her own table. Each Sunday, young Tom Monson was expected to deliver a plate of food to his elderly neighbor before starting his own Sunday dinner. He was never allowed to wait until he’d eaten first, and from these experiences, he learned to put others before himself.

President Monson is well-known for his service to individuals. Although he leads a world-wide church of millions, he never loses sight of the fact that each person in the church is an individual, and he is constantly watching for opportunities to serve that one person.

Thomas S. Monson, prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, whose members are sometimes called Mormons, was called to be a bishop when he was just twenty-two years old. A bishop is similar to a pastor, but he runs his ward (congregation) as a lay minister, and so must also manage a career and a family at the same time. LDS wards are very demanding and the service requirements are great. Most bishops are far older and have far more experience, and young Bishop Monson had an additional challenge. In a large congregation of over 1,050 members, 87 were widows. Wards are made up of all members in an assigned geographical area, and his was one of great need. They had of the largest welfare load in the church. This does not refer to government welfare, but to church welfare. The church does as much for its own as possible and Thomas Monson had the largest number of people in need of any congregation in the entire church.

He wrote of his ward, “The street addresses in that ward did not read like some: Colonial Hills Circle, Mountain View Estates, or Skyline Drive. Rather, they were noted as Orchard Place, Gale Street, Elford Court. The ward was not east of the tracks in Salt Lake City. It was not west of the tracks. That ward spanned the railroad tracks. Many of the widows and those in financial need were hidden away in basement apartments, upstairs back rooms, or dilapidated houses situated at the rear of little-known streets. I became the shepherd. This was my flock. I was reminded of God’s warning through Ezekiel: “Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that feed not my flock” (see Ezek. 34:2-3).”

The young bishop worked very hard to care for the many widows who were under his stewardship. He visited every single one of them at Christmas time, using a full week of his personal vacation to do so.

There is more to this story, however. He continued those Christmas visits every year, even after he was no longer their bishop, and even after he was made a General Authority, one of the highest church positions with international responsibility. He always brought them a gift. In the early days, this was often a dressed hen from his own flock. He met other widows at the nursing homes where some of these women eventually moved to, and added visits to those women as well. And, despite extensive travel for church responsibilities, he spoke at the funerals of every one of those original widows. To this day, he makes regular visits to widows he has met in the course of his great service to the people of the church.

Of one such visit he wrote: “There is a much larger home here where many widows reside. Most are seated in the well-lighted living room. But in her bedroom, alone, is one on whom I must call. She hasn’t spoken a word since a devastating stroke some years ago. But then, who knows what she hears, so I speak of good times together. There isn’t a flicker of recognition, not a word spoken. In fact, an attendant asks if I am aware that this patient hasn’t uttered a word for years. It makes no difference. Not only have I enjoyed my one-sided conversation with her-I have communed with God.” (Thomas S. Monson, “The Long Line of the Lonely,” Ensign, Feb 1992, 2)

President Thomas S. Monson is a powerful example of compassionate, Christ-like giving for the members of the church.

Over thirteen million members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, along with interested friends, are anticipating the upcoming semi-annual Church Conference. At that time, the new First Presidency–Thomas S. Monson, Henry B. Eyring and Dieter F. Uchtdorf– will be sustained by Church members. A unique process, designed by the Lord, marks both their call to leadership and their sustaining.

The sustaining of Church leaders occurs in what is known as a “solemn assembly.” A solemn assembly is a sacred gathering of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for a specific spiritual purpose, including the dedication of a temple or the sustaining of a new First Presidency and other divinely appointed Church leaders before the Lord.

Solemn assemblies have many historical precedents. To ancient Israel, the Lord called for a day of fasting and spiritual cleansing, and a day of assembling for special instruction and the receipt of ordinances. Solemn assemblies were held in conjunction with feast days, such as the Feast of the Tabernacles and the Passover ( Deut. 16: 8; Lev. 23: 33-36) and, specifically, at the dedication of Solomon’s temple (2 Chr. 5: 2-3).

The practice of holding solemn assemblies was restored in our day, through the Prophet Joseph Smith. The Lord re-instituted this particular order of gathering for His sacred purposes. Many assemblies have convened since the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was restored to the earth. In addition to those held in connection with temple dedications and changes in the First Presidency, others are organized to instruct and enable Church members in their responsibilities, or to sustain a particular law or proclamation issued by the Church authorities. Solemn assemblies are often attended with greater manifestations of the gifts of the Spirit, as the Saints purify their lives and come to the meetings offering prepared hearts and minds.

During the first weekend of April, 2008, a solemn assembly session of General Conference will afford each member to signify by the raise of their right hand, their sustaining vote of the 16th First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Additional References:

D&C 88:117
117 Therefore, verily I say unto you, my friends, call your solemn assembly, as I have commanded you.

D&C 95:7
7 And for this cause I gave unto you a commandment that you should call your solemn assembly, that your fastings and your mourning might come up into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth, which is by interpretation, the creator of the first day, the beginning and the end.

D&C 108:4
4 Wait patiently until the solemn assembly shall be called of my servants, then you shall be remembered with the first of mine elders, and receive right by ordination with the rest of mine elders whom I have chosen.

Thomas S. Monson is now the 16th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In a press conference this morning, February 4, President Monson announced his counselors, Henry B. Eyring and Dieter F. Uchtdorf. The meeting was held at 11:00 MST in the Church Office Building in Salt Lake City, appropriately close to the beckoning mural of the Savior on the lobby wall.

President Monson, in response to a reporter’s question about his immediate feelings about his call, indicated that he went to his knees as his new responsibilities as Prophet began to distill on him, asking the Lord to go before him, to be on his right hand, on his left, and for angels to go before him.

President Monson spoke of his newly-called counselors as “tireless and innovative workers, completely dedicated to the Lord.” He indicated that there would be no abrupt changes in direction for the Church; he added that “although procedures and programs may be adjusted from time to time, the doctrines remain constant.” He spoke of our focus as a people on following the Savior, who always went about doing good.

President Eyring shared his feelings of humility and honor in responding to the call to serve as First Counselor in the new First Presidency. Elder Uchtdorf described his sentiments as a result of his call to serve as Second Counselor: In a couplet, he responded: I’m “joyfully overwhelmed,” acknowledging that the call had come from God. Witnessing of President Monson’s capacities, Elder Uchtdorf remarked, “I’ve seen him focusing on the one and bridging continents.” Both counselors pledged their support of President Monson, and shared their desire to further the work of the Lord on the earth.

LDS Newsroom Coverage

In an exclusive web article, “Into the Future,” Newsweek reporter, Elise Soukup, carefully shares the preparations of recent days to call the man the Lord has prepared to become the 16th Prophet and President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are mourning the death of their president, Gordon B. Hinckley, while their top leadership begins to assemble to name his successor-which will almost certainly be Thomas S. Monson, 80. Hinckley was the 15th president in the 177-year history of the church . . .

Of the anticipated change, she writes:

The transition to the new prophet is likely to be smooth. Monson has served for the last 43 years in the top tiers of church leadership and is deeply respected. . . . In Monson’s service as an apostle and counselor, he has served in roles that span the breadth of church life, including missionary work, welfare services, genealogy, education, and leadership training.

Describing the procedure for calling a new prophet, Newsweek reports:

Compared with the process of picking a pope, choosing a new Mormon prophet is fairly routine. . . .

After President Hinckley’s funeral, the 14 apostles will meet on the fourth floor of the Salt Lake temple in the room where they regularly conduct church business. The vote to make Monson the next prophet has to be unanimous. Then President Monson will sit in a chair and the remaining 13 apostles will stand in a circle and put their hands on his head. Boyd K. Packer, the next senior leader, will say a prayer “setting him apart” and blessing him in his new role. . . .

While it’s true, as the article purports, that compared with papal coronation, our outward display is simple; it’s spectacular to contemplate that the voice of the Lord directs the process through which a new Prophet of His is called to lead the Church and influence the world.

To those unfamiliar with the nuances of our faith, that divine intervention may be overlooked in its quietude. It may seem that a unanimous sustaining vote is a kind gesture of approval of someone called to be the next leader. A unanimous vote, in the case of the call of a new Prophet, is actually the result of a process that has taken place, rather than the means through which the Prophet is selected.

Through deliberation and prayer, each member of the Quorum of the Twelve receives revelation as to who the next Prophet will be. Once received, each raises their hand in recognition that they personally know of the divinity of the call, and will sustain the new Prophet.

Their vote is not the means of working into an office someone merely nominated, but rather an affirmation of their revelatory receipt of the Lord’s will. The distinction is important. It marks the very miracle of the Order of Succession, or change in mantle, of one Prophet to another.

In that sense, while it’s not as pomp-filled as coronation ceremonies, as Soukup rightly states, it is, in fact, divine and unique in the calling of Church leadership in the world.

Newsweek article on Thomas S. Monson

“How fragile life, how certain death. We do not know when we will be required to leave this mortal existence. And so I ask, “What are we doing with today?” If we live only for tomorrow, we’ll have a lot of empty yesterdays today. Have we been guilty of declaring, “I’ve been thinking about making some course corrections in my life. I plan to take the first step-tomorrow”? With such thinking, tomorrow is forever. Such tomorrows rarely come unless we do something about them today.”
(”Now Is the Time,” Ensign, Nov 2001, 59)

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“Of course we will face fear, experience ridicule, and meet opposition. Let us have the courage to defy the consensus, the courage to stand for principle. Courage, not compromise, brings the smile of God’s approval. Courage becomes a living and an attractive virtue when it is regarded not only as a willingness to die manfully, but as the determination to live decently. A moral coward is one who is afraid to do what he thinks is right because others will disapprove or laugh. Remember that all men have their fears, but those who face their fears with dignity have courage as well.”
(”Courage Counts,” New Era, Sep 2006, 2-6.)