First things first

Did you tune in and listen to the new First Presidency’s announcement on October 14th?

I caught it that day or the next and made sure to listen to the “testimony” meeting with Oaks, Eyring, Christofferson and Holland. I wanted to hear what they would say. Would their testimonies help me feel more connected? I could count on these testimonies not being about the Proclamation, nor would there be any policy announcements, it would just be simple.

Here are the words that the LDS Newsroom has chosen to give us from each of their prepared testimony/remarks:

Eyring: “I’m grateful for the trust, and grateful for the people whose faith I know will sustain us in this great work of the Restoration and the final preparation of the Lord’s Church for His coming,” President Eyring said. “I bear you my testimony that preparation is occurring and that President Oaks is the perfect one to do the things that I know the Lord will want done.”

Christofferson: “I recognize that I’m not called to be honored, but called to serve, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve at the side of President Dallin H. Oaks and Henry B. Eyring,” President Christofferson said. “It is Jesus Christ who is the head of the Church. I know that. I bear witness of it. I’m more sure of it every day. I know Him. I honor Him. I pledge my life and discipleship to Him.”

Holland: “We love [President Oaks]. We have known him. We’ve watched him be prepared and have had the confirmation that that is the Lord’s will this day,” said President Holland, speaking on behalf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, the Presidency of the Seventy, the Presiding Bishopric and the General Officers of the Church. “And that has been a unanimous and a very, very moving experience to see that mantle come fully and completely on President Oaks. We stand ready to serve him out to the newest convert and the most recently called missionary.”

Oaks: “Our ministry is a ministry of all the children of God on the face of the earth,” President Oaks said. “We pray for all. We seek to serve all. And we invoke the blessings of the Lord Jesus Christ upon all who seek to serve Him, to do so in worthiness and commitment and optimism. We do not have the answers to all the world’s problems. They have not been revealed. But what we do know is that we are all children of heavenly parents, and that we are called to serve all of the children of God.”

Some interesting words were used and not used. One of the things that each talk mentioned is that Jesus Christ is the head of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I was surprised that this was the thing that all of them had in unison, and for some, the thing that they testified most strongly of, with the greatest amount emotional energy in their voice.

Their testimony, the most fervent testimony that they shared when the world was watching, was not that Jesus Christ loves you. Not that He is here for you. Not that He can heal you. Their testimony is that Jesus Christ put President Oaks in charge.

So, First things First. Jesus put Oaks in charge. That is first. Jesus’ teachings of love, forgiveness, service and His sacrifice for you are not.

In either regard, we know the correct message: Love and kindness for humanity feeds them and feeds us. It’s the amazing solution that grows everyone together.