Plan Your Work and then Work Your Plan

Elder L Tom Perry passed away on May 30, 2015, just after April conference.  Elder Boyd K Packer passed away on July 3, 2015. Yesterday, September 22, 2015, Elder Richard G Scott passed away.  Over the years there have been a number of times when two apostles have passed away between conferences but this is the first time I can remember there ever being three vacancies among the apostles as we approach conference. Its unprecedented, at least in my life time. Not since 1906 have there been three vacancies at once. So there have been lots of news articles about each of these apostles and, in the social media, there has been lots of comment about who the people called to fill the vacancies might be, or ought to be.

There has been a lot of noise about how there needs to be more diversity in the quorum. Someone who isn't a white, north american (read "Utah insider"). Someone of foreign origin, like African, Latin American, or Asian descent. After all, those nationalities are very well represented among the church membership. They should therefore be better represented among the highest leadership. Or there needs to be someone called who is more "progressive", which is a political euphemism for less conservative, more "left-leaning", more liberal.  Someone with a more open mind toward gays, or women and the priesthood, or some other favorite cause.

It makes me sad, I think.  When it comes right down to it, the people that make such comments pit their own judgement against God's and find Him lacking.  Of course whoever is called will be an "insider", someone already well experienced in their church background. The Lord prepares the people that fill these positions as a general rule. I thought the Lord had departed quite from the norm several years ago when He called Elder Russell M Nelson, who was a practicing physician at the time.  Sure, he'd had plenty of church experience but he wasn't currently in a general authority position at the time of his call.  The same happened with Elder Dallin H Oaks. He was a Utah Supreme Court Justice at the time of his call.  David A Bednar had just recently been released as president of BYU-Idaho.  Elder Uchtdorft was an airline executive.  I'm not sure any of those were "insiders".  But they all had extensive background and experience in their church callings.  I guess my thought is that this is the Lord's church and He will call whomever He wants.  Whoever he calls quite possibly could end up being president of the church in 30 or 35 years.  Elder Russel M Nelson was called 30 years ago at the same time as Elder Oaks but set apart first because Elder Oaks had to clear his case load before he could leave the bench.  Now Elder Nelson stands next in line for the presidency, there because of a small detail that seemed inconsequential at the time he began his service as an apostle.

People who put up all these comments about what qualifications the people called ought to have just don't get it.  Jacob said it well, "Wherefore, brethren, seek not to counsel the Lord, but to take counsel from his hand. For behold, ye yourselves know that he counseleth in wisdom, and in justice, and in great mercy, over all his works." (Jacob 4:10)  God has a plan and He's working the plan.  And it will unfold as He wants regardless of how we mortals, with our limited perspective, think it should happen.  I somehow doubt that the Lord is all that interested in a progressive agenda or cause.  He is more interested in following the plan that was determined and laid out before the world was ever created.

Me? I'm more curious as to whether or not they'll fill all three positions at conference in two weeks.  But then again, this didn't catch the Lord by surprise so there's no reason why they shouldn't fill all three.  Unless that's not in the plan.