APPRENTICESHIP OF A PROPHET

The summers between the 10th and 11th and the 11th and 12th grades of High School, Morgan Gardner asked me if I would like to work for him and learn the trade of lathing. I spent the early part of that first summer hauling and stacking button board, which were 3 foot by 1 ½ foot button boards of gypsum covered by a thick paper product, which had replaced wooden strips as a plaster base nailed to the interior studs of a house.

By the end of those summers I had become fairly proficient at ‘hanging’ these button boards on the walls of houses. I had also graduated to on occasion hanging ‘lids’ or ceilings which is what most of us would call them. If I leave off being modest, I would have to admit I had become very good and fast at the task.

After graduating from High School and serving my 6 month active duty obligation in the Army, I worked at this trade until going on my LDS mission to Northern Mexico. Before I left, I had even graduated to where I was left in a house to hang the button board on the walls and lids in preparation for them being taped before the plasterers went to work. I had also started to learn how to ‘wrap’ houses with black paper and chicken wire which would then be stuccoed over.

When I returned from my mission I convinced Morgan Gardner that I was now a stronger man and it would be to his benefit to put me back to work. By this time dry wall had pretty well replaced button board and plaster, because it was less expensive, created more consistently straight walls and was a much faster process. Therefore, when I went back to work the only thing lathers were doing was ‘wrapping houses’ as a base for stucco. I worked at the trade long enough to earn my card as a Journeyman wood, wire and metal lather. Once again leaving modesty aside, when I quit working in the lathing trade I seldom was with anyone who did the job faster or better that I did. I had successfully done my apprenticeship and was indeed a journeyman.

As is often the case whenever anyone starts to read my Thoughts, I suspect you have arrived at the point where you are asking yourself, why is he telling me this stuff, I really don’t want to spend my Sabbath thinking about an ‘old school’ trade. Therefore, if you are ready for a transition into the real Thought for today we will proceed into that area.

As I started rereading the Book of Jacob in preparation for writing a Thought for this week, It became apparent there is an exceedingly long apprenticeship Heavenly Father puts his children through before entrusting them with the calling of being a Prophet.

An interesting side note is that during this transition from Nephi to Jacob there was also a split in the keepers of the records. There would for a time be one record, which was kept by the kings Nephi II, Nephi III etc., which becomes the source material for Mormon’s abridgement on the gold plates, the translation of which we start reading from in the Book of Mosiah in our current addition of the Book of Mormon. The other, was contained on what are referred to as the Small Plates of Nephi, which comprise the source for the translation for the Books of Nephi through Omni in our current addition of the Book of Mormon.

Jacob – Starts his record by stating it had been 55 years since his father Lehi left Jerusalem. We know he was born while his family wandered in the wilderness during an 8 year period, therefore, Jacob could easily have been 50 by the time he is entrusted with keeping the sacred records and becoming the prophet serving the Nephite people.

We know from the blessing Jacob received from Lehi when he was about to go the way of all the earth, that his earthly prophetic apprenticeship probably started when Jacob was still in his youth when he had the privilege of seeing the Lord. We also know that he was always near Nephi, offering his voice in sustaining testimony, while Nephi was serving as the Prophet/King to the Nephite nation.

No matter what religion we examine, the extended apprenticeships of prophets seem to be the normal pattern rather than the exception.

Adam – It is somewhat difficult to determine his apprenticeship or even when to start the clock on it. I suspect we would have to count the tutorial time he spent in the Garden as part of that training period. During this part of his existence the time line is not just fuzzy, but completely hidden from our understanding. When Adam and Eve left the garden we know their earthy instruction included mentoring from Angels. We don’t know how much of his 930 years Adam spent on earth he was learning and how much was spent teaching, but if Lehi and Nephi are used as examples, he was involved in both activities until his death.

Moses – We only have to realize that it took 80 years to prepare Moses to stand before Pharaoh as a prophet of the Lord and eventually lead the children of Israel from slavery, in order to comprehend he likewise had an extensive and at times brutal apprenticeship for that monumental assignment. I suspect the first 40 years as an ‘under pharaoh’ in Egypt didn’t hurt his ability to feed and lead the children of Israel in the desert for 40 years. An interesting observation is that the mortal occupational apprenticeships most of us have in life seldom have much in common with the commissions we receive from the Lord.

Ruth – There is little doubt that there has ever been a prophetess or prophet who has more profoundly demonstrated the only way to becoming a proclaimer of the word is by being a follower of the word. Her inspired pronouncement has rung down through the ages; Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God. Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried. I suspect if we were able to see clearly the apprenticeship of all who have eventually become a spokesperson for the Lord and were privy to their personal creeds they would all in some way resemble Ruth’s declaration.

Joseph Smith – It may be doubtful that Joseph ever advanced beyond his period of apprenticeship during his short 38 plus years of sojourning upon the earth. There is also little doubt that the refiner’s fire was turned up high while he was going through the process. Maybe what we should learn from his life is that the Lord can use someone as a great instrument even while they are going through their on the job training. Just a few of the assignments he fulfilled while still being instructed include the translation, printing and distribution of The Book of Mormon Another Testament of Jesus Christ, the reopening of revelatory experiences between heaven and earth, the restoration of the truthfulness to the gospel, establishing and organizing of the Lord’s Kingdom on earth and reinstituting the saving ordinances.

Jesus the Christ – There is no doubt the Savior had completed His apprenticeship long before he was born of Mary. He was the actuator of Heavenly Father’s Plan during the creation of the earth. He was the great Jehovah who taught the nations of the world prior to his earthly mission. His pre-mortal training was so successful that He alone was able to pass this period of probation flawlessly and He alone was worthy and capable of completing the saving and exalting sacrifice of His Atoning act.

Latter Day Prophets – Those who are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints have to date confirmed 17 men as Prophet, Seer and Revelator of the Church. Their apprenticeship, most assuredly started long before and in many different vocations, no doubt, beginning before they were ordained into their official apprenticeship by being called as prophets, seers and revelator and sustained as members of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles. Although the length of their official apprenticeship varies it is seldom less that 20 years and often as many as 50 plus years. Joseph Smith at the age of 25 was by far the youngest and Joseph Fielding Smith was the oldest at 93 when they were confirmed as Prophet, Seer and Revelator of the Church.

Other than the Savior, we have only addressed the mortal apprenticeships of these men, but in the Book of Abraham in The Pearl of Great price we learn that much like the Lord their proofing started long before their mortal birth.

Now the Lord had shown unto me, Abraham, the intelligences that were organized before the world was; and among all these there were many of the noble and great ones; And God saw these souls that they were good, and he stood in the midst of them, and he said: These I will make my rulers; for he stood among those that were spirits, and he saw that they were good; and he said unto me: Abraham, thou art one of them; thou wast chosen before thou wast born. (Abraham 3: 22, 23)

I am pretty certain if we had the privilege of sitting with any who have been called, as was Moses, to be the voice of the Lord, as they were about to go the way of all the earth, we would hear them say that their apprenticeship had been a marvelous experience to this point in their eternal journey and that their most earnest prayer was to continue to faithfully learn how, progress further and be eternal publishers of peace.

I will be forever grateful that during my time on earth I had the privilege of having those who were chosen and called to be His earthly voice by Heavenly Father as a guiding force in my daily walk. I am grateful for the times when I was blessed for faithfully walking as they counseled and even grateful for the days when I had to pass through the consequences of not following the word of the Lord given to me through them.

I sincerely pray we will be wise enough to learn about apprenticeships and how to successfully complete our own journey by learning from those the Lord has sent because they were noble, great and good while being taught during their premortal estate.


THOUGHTS FOR A SABBATH DAY – WILLIAM L. RILEY

EDITED BY – KATHLEEN W. RILEY