As the Church and its teachings were still in their infancy in Corinth, the Saints grappled with conflicting ideas and remembering what they had been taught. In response, Paul reminded them of basic gospel doctrine and then cautioned:
“There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world” (1 Cor. 14:10)
In a world filled with the steady drumbeat of deafening voices, it can be hard to hear (and heed) the only voices that truly matter: Christ and the voices of His living prophets and apostles.
On September 23, 1995, the voice of a prophet of God echoed throughout the world when President Gordon B. Hinckley stood at the pulpit in the Salt Lake Tabernacle. Like Paul, he reminded the Saints of core gospel doctrines and issued a prophetic caution and a proclamation:
“With so much of sophistry that is passed off as truth, with so much of deception concerning standards and values, with so much of allurement and enticement to take on the slow stain of the world, we have felt to warn and forewarn. In furtherance of this we of the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles now issue a proclamation to the Church and to the world as a declaration and reaffirmation of standards, doctrines, and practices relative to the family which the prophets, seers, and revelators of this church have repeatedly stated throughout its history. I now take the opportunity of reading to you this proclamation:
“We, the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children.”
Amidst these trusted voices, the world’s drumbeat can be deafening. When we face differing opinions on gospel matters on family, marriage, and gender, we may wonder what is doctrinally correct. But remember, “God is not the author of confusion but of peace” (1 Corinthians 14:33). Listening to the Lord’s appointed servants and embracing their simple, consistent teachings can help us stand firm in our faith.