Follow the Prophet

This past week was General Conference for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was great to be able to hear the counsel from the leaders of the Church. Something that really struck me this time was the truth that President Monson truly is a prophet of God. I felt the spirit witness to me that He has a message for us that will bring us happiness and peace in this life and all we need to do is follow His guidance.
I feel that for the most part of my life I have tried to make good decisions. I know that as I live closer the the spirit, it is not so difficult to do what is right. When I let the little things slip, such as, reading my scriptures daily, praying with a sincere heart, arriving on time to church, etc, it is easy to forget the reason behind the commandment and simply obey.
This conference was special to me because I was able to spend time with some of my mission friends that are from out of the country. One of my former companions is here from Madagascar and another sister I served with at the Washington DC Temple Visitors Center is visiting from Switzerland. As I was talking with this specific sister about her life in Europe, I was very touched at how strong she is in standing for what she believes and keeping the commandments in a place where the majority of the people think negatively about the church. She understands the reason behind the commandment and lives the gospel because she knows it is the way to have happiness in this life and to return to live Heavenly Father again. I know that those that keep the commandments in a society where it is not generally accepted have wonderful opportunities to allow their faith to grow and be a light to those around them.
So putting these two ideas together, this past week I have realized again the importance of keeping the simple commandments, living the gospel for the correct reason, and how we need to heed the counsel of the Prophet and Apostles because they do speak for God. I know that they do reveal what Heavenly Father would say to us if He could speak directly to us today. I am grateful that we know that revelation exists today and that God loves us so much, He would never leave us without direction and guidance. I have recommitted myself to doing the small things that the Prophet (speaker for God) asks because I know that "by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise". (Alma 37:6) I know that recommitting to follow the Prophet and doing the simple things that Heavenly Father asks will bring joy to us daily and we will feel God's love and acceptance more ofthen. I know the Church is true!