The Watchman On The Tower

Stake Conference Talk by President Joel Wilson - Sunday Morning Session - January 14, 2018

I have always enjoyed games of strategy on any scale, some of my capture the flag stories are of epic proportions! So I would always try to bring those same skills to all games that I play. In Dodgeball, you get the ball and try to throw it at the other team without them catching it. If you get pegged by the ball you're out and you go to the backside of the opposing team. When you have powerful throwers on both sides of a team, you can get them in a frantic pickle where they are constantly running back and forth between sides. The stratagem that I resolved upon was to stand at the very back and edge of my zone so that at a quick glance you would think that I was "out" and to try to trick my opponent into thinking I was actually on his team. It took patience but In the chaos of the back and forth, I didn't run or seem concerned that the person standing next to me (who really was on the other team) had the ball. Amid the confusion and speed of the game, my opponent was momentarily confused but then assumed, as I'd hoped he would, that I was on his team and threw the ball at my team mates instead, completing phase 1 of my plan. The game went on and as others joined us on the backside of the court they too were convinced that I was on their team. The rouse was so complete that some of my own team even forgot that I was one of them. Finally the time had come for me to spring the trap. When one of my enemies standing next to me had the ball, I very causally asked, "can I have the ball, I haven't had a turn yet." At which point he handed me the ball, I thanked him and charged the line of the shocked other team who didn't have time to regroup. The trap was sprung and My trick had changed the momentum of the game to give my team a much needed boost of morale. My plan was only good once, but once was enough to end the game for a few.

In many ways life is like a dodgeball game! We are constantly under attack by the fiery red rubber dodge balls of Satan. Most of the time, we can clearly see the enemy and try to anticipate how they will attack, but also like me with my scheme, there are wolves in sheep's clothing among us and those who would love to see our demise! I assure you, and any of the youth in the Chaffey ward who have played dodgeball with me can attest, I'm not very threatening with a dodgeball in hand but when you don't know which team I'm on, I can be deadly! So too in life, Small and insignificant obstacles when seen in their true light can be harmless but when ignored can lead to our spiritual destruction! If, in the dodgeball game, the other team had had a team captain, someone who knew their players and was able to spot an imposter then I would have very easily been tagged out.

In Life we need a team captain, a watchman on the tower, one who can point out to us dangers and pitfalls that we can't see for ourself! One source describes watchmen in this way: "The scriptures liken the Lord’s prophets and leaders to watchmen. Through revelation these watchmen are able to see the enemy from afar and can warn the Saints of coming danger." (Doctrine and Covenants Institute Student Manuel, chat. 39) Elder M. Russell Ballard put it this way, "The Lord's servants are inspired to help us avoid obstacles that are spiritually life threatening and to help us pass safely through mortality to our final, ultimate, heavenly destination." ('God is At the Helm' Gen. conference; Oct. 2015)

The President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the Lord's watchman to the world. Right now, We have the opportunity to witness the smooth transition that occurs with the passing of a Church President. The Lord's system of church governance is beautifully designed with its fail safes. President Howard W. Hunter said “the Church will move forward without interruption. The governance of the Church and the exercise of the prophetic gifts will always be vested in those apostolic authorities who hold and exercise all of the keys of the priesthood.” (4Howard W. Hunter, “Exceeding Great and Precious Promises,” Oct. 1994 general conference.) We love President Monson and will miss him dearly but We will soon have the opportunity to sustain the 17th president of the Church. We will sustain him as "prophet, seer, revelator, and as the only person... who is authorized to exercise all of the priesthood keys." (Temple Recommend Questions) In this calling he is the mouth piece for the Lord and communicates the Lord's mind and will to us. He is a special witness of Christ who denounces sin and warns us of life's pitfalls. President Gordon B. Hinckley said that the Prophet has "the authority and responsibility to govern the Church, to administer its ordinances, to expound its doctrine, and to establish and maintain its practices.” ( Gordon B. Hinckley, “God Is at the Helm,” Apr. 1994 general conference.) He is aided by the other "members of the First Presidency and the Quorum of Twelve Apostles" who we also sustain as "Prophets, Seers, and revelators." (Temple recommend questions) Apostles are also special witnesses of Christ sent to testify to all the world. They too are watchmen on the tower and we can look to them for guidance and safety as we plot our course through this life to our heavenly home. In the book of Amos we read that famous scripture "Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets." (Amos 3:7) This is the Lord's church and He calls His servants to do His work.

Another description goes a little further this way: "Watchmen are leaders who are called by the Lord’s representatives to have specific responsibility for the welfare of others." (Guide To The Scriptures: Watch, watchman) With this knowledge, I feel more confident and secure knowing that there are more watchmen on the tower. All of the other general and local authorities, and general auxiliary leaders are also watch men and women And There still are others by this definition, We have a relatively new watchman on our Rancho Cucamonga tower! Just six months ago at our last stake conference President Smith was sustained as our Stake President and we have every other stake leader along with a plethora of ward and branch leaders from the bishop or branch president all the way to the primary teacher, including home and visiting teachers, who have been called with "specific responsibility for the welfare of others," as watchmen in their own sphere and own way. To Often we have a harder time accepting local leaders as watchmen because we know them as regular people, we've grown up with them and may even be aware of their short comings. Shortly after receiving this calling, a member of our stake who is friends with my sister in the upland stake, asked her: "Isn't it crazy that Joel is in the Stake presidency?" Without any hesitation my sister immediately replied, "He ain't in my stake presidency!" Despite being human, Our local leaders of the church are called by God and are His watchmen on the tower also. With all of these valid definitions, we all have many people who have been specifically called or assigned to watch out for our welfare. Also in that vain, almost all of us ARE a watchman for someone else! You youth practice now in your various responsibilities! Young men, as junior home teaching companions learn to watch over your families. Young women, I have seen nothing in a handbook that would prevent you from aiding your mothers or the sisters of the relief society in their visiting teaching assignments, especially when there is a need for a companion! And all of you, my young friends, either are or will some day be called to serve in your class or quorum presidencies and you will be a watchmen on the tower to those members. But there are still more! Parents, have we not been scripturally mandated to care for and watch over our children? And finally, at the end of the day don't we need to work out our own salvation? Don't we need to watch over ourselves? We ALL MUST WATCH! So there are two questions that we must ask ourselves: 1: Are we being the kind of watchman that others can look to for safety and guidance and 2: Are we staying close to the watchman over us?

First: Are we being a good watchman or woman? I've come to believe that There are three things that we need to be a good watchman on the tower: First, with a combination of prayer, service, and time we must learn to love those we have stewardship for. When we begin to see them as the Savior and Heavenly Father see them, being a watchman comes naturally as we truly want to watch for what is best for them. Second: We must work consistently to magnify our callings! We will be responsible for how well we execute our duties and for those that we can help, so we must work to not let anyone slip by! Growing up, My grandmother, Donetta Mackay, was an example of such a watchman. She served many times in both ward and stake relief society presidencies but I remember her stewardship as a primary teacher. She loved those children as though they were own grandchildren. If one was missing from class she always sought after them to find them and see why they weren't there and to. Are sure they came back. She supported them in their school activities and outside of the primary classroom. I actually remember being momentarily jealous when the picture of a few of her students made it onto the mantle intermingled with the pictures of the grandkids! She loved them and they loved her! Their testimonies of the gospel were strengthened, they were all active in the gospel, and when she passed away, they were all at her funeral. She was a good watchman! The third thing: A good watchman stays close to their watchman! A watchman on the tower will not contradict those in a place of higher authority. For example, the prophet has said that a full tithe is 10% of your annual increase, a bishop will not receive revelation that an individual would only need to pay 5%. The primary teacher must stay close to the primary president as she stays close to the bishop and the stake primary president. Bishops stay close to President Smith as he keeps his eye on the members of the Seventy and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and so forth.

Now to the second question: we must heed the watchman on the tower! When it comes to following the prophet, the Lord gave us this promise through Wilfred Woodruff, 4th president of the Church: "The Lord will never permit me or any other man who stands as President of this Church to lead you astray. It is not in the program. It is not in the mind of God. If I were to attempt that, the Lord would remove me out of my place, and so He will any other man who attempts to lead the children of men astray from the oracles of God and from their duty. It matters not...who is called to lead this Church, they have got to lead it by the inspiration of Almighty God. If they do not do it that way, they cannot do it at all."(Sixty-first Semiannual General Conference of the Church, Monday, October 6, 1890). Everyone of us has the privilege of receiving spiritual confirmation that what the prophet says is true. This confirmation comes differently to different people and all ways are valid! For some, the spiritual confirmation comes of the prophet himself. They have had the Spirit confirm to them that the mantle rests with President of the Church and that is enough for them to believe. Others listen to the prophet and the Spirit will confirm that the words they have spoken are true. Both ways are valid and I suspect that for most of us we experience a bit of both, having a testimony of the Prophet and having the Spirit confirm the words to us. Nephi was a bit of both: When Lehi, the prophet, asked him to return to Jerusalem for the Brass Plates he responded famously with: "I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them." (1 Nephi 3:7) that demonstrated that Nephi already had a testimony of the prophet and didn't feel the need to question. But there was also the time when after Lehi shared his dream that Nephi said: "I, Nephi, was desirous also that I might see, and hear, and know of these things, by the power of the Holy Ghost..." (1 Nephi 10:17) Because he wanted to know for himself and asked in faith, he had a powerful revelation opened up to him. This was also the same advice that he gave his brothers when they didn't understand what their prophet/father had told them: "And I said unto them: Have ye inquired of the Lord?...Do ye not remember the things which the Lord hath said?--If ye will not harden your hearts, and ask me in faith, believing that ye shall receive, with diligence in keeping my commandments, surely these things shall be made known unto you." (1 Nephi 15:8-11) Not only does he tell them to ask the Lord but he tells them how to ask the Lord: While being obedient to the commandments, ask sincerely, with faith in the Lord, and a willingness to follow the answer, then the Lord will answer!

Brothers and Sisters, I testify that we have watchmen on the tower to lead and guide us, that President Smith is that watchman for our stake, I love him and I am blessed to labor alongside him. I testify that Prophets and Apostles lead this church, that Russel M. Nelson, as the senior apostle, is the Lord's mouth piece today and that the Lord lives and directs this church through his chosen servants. To quote two beloved songs "We thank thee, Oh God for a prophet to guide us in these latter days." And a great primary song: "Follow the prophet, he knows the way!" And I say...