Elder Ezra T. Benson, Part One: The Point of Everything I Do Here

For Part Two, Part Three, or Part Four, select your link and go. 

We're continuing forward now with Elder Ezra T. Benson talk from the April 1972 General Conference, entitled "Civic Standards for the Faithful Saints". Of course, Elder Benson would talk about civic duty, having served as the Secretary of Agriculture under President Eisenhower. His interest in politics permeated many of his talks.

This quote is a little bit of a cheat, if I'm being honest. It's an interior quote instead of an exterior one, having been given by an apostle of our church, Elder Orson F. Whitney. My rule is to stick to external quotes instead of interior ones by Church leaders.

However, this one floored me when I read it, because it so perfectly encapsulates the entire mission of my blog, and I had to include it.

 

The Quote 

“Perhaps the Lord needs such men on the outside of His Church to help it along,” 

said the late Elder Orson F. Whitney of the Quorum of the Twelve. 

“They are among its auxiliaries, 

and can do more good for the cause where the Lord has placed them, than anywhere else. … 

Hence, some are drawn into the fold and receive a testimony of the truth; 

while others remain unconverted … 

the beauties and glories of the gospel being veiled temporarily from their view, 

for a wise purpose. 

The Lord will open their eyes in His own due time. 

God is using more than one people for the accomplishment of His great and marvelous work. 

The Latter-day Saints cannot do it all. 

It is too vast, too arduous for any one people. … 

We have no quarrel with the Gentiles. 

They are our partners in a certain sense.” 

(Conference Report, April 1928, p. 59.)

 

I've always been someone who wanted to learn more about the good in the world, and bring it back for the members of my faith to remember and appreciate.

We've never been isolationists.Since we're all children of God, we're open to helping all people everywhere, whether or not they believe as we do. Those in the world who understand gospel principles in other ways and who do good in the world are all doing God's work, and we appreciate them for their goodness and good principled living wherever it is.

If I have anything to do with it, they won't be forgotten.