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Greater Things > Chiasms > General Conference > Gordon B. Hinckley |
Excerpt from Talk Given by
President Gordon B. Hinckley
Sunday Afternoon, April 6, 1997, General Conference
A-1 Our critics at home and
abroad
A-2 are watching us.
A-3 In an effort to find fault, they listen
A-4 to every word we say,
A-5 hoping
. . B to entrap us.
. . . . C(1) We
. . . . C(2) may
. . . . C(3) stumble
. . . . . . D now and again.
. . . . . . . . E-1 But the
work
. . . . . . . . E-2 will not be materially hindered.
. . . . . . . . . . F We will stand up where we fell
. . . . . . . . . . . . G and go forward.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . H We have
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I-1
nothing to fear
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I-2 and everything
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I-3 to gain.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . J-1
God is
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . J-2 at the helm.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . J-3 We will seek
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . J-1
His
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . J-2 direction.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . J-3 We will listen
to
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I-1
the still,
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I-2 small
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I-3 voice of
revelation.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . H And we will
. . . . . . . . . . . . G go forward
. . . . . . . . . . F as He directs.
. . . . . . . . E-1 His
Church
. . . . . . . . E-2 will not be misled.
. . . . . . D Never fear that.
. . . . C(2) If there
were any disposition
. . . . C(1) on the part of its leaders
. . . . C(3) to do so,
. . B He could remove them.
A-1 All of us
A-2 are beholden to Him
A-3 for life
A-4 and voice
A-5 and strength.
Structuring by Sterling D. Allan; Fountain Green, Utah; April, 1997
Comment
On the surface, this talk excerpt appears to sustain the notion that the prophet will not, even cannot lead the people astray -- that he (and the Church) can be implicitly trusted. The divinely instilled chiasm of the text, however, properly places the focus on the Lord as the only one we can ultimately trust, individually and institutionally.
Therefore, ironically this text epitomizes the dividing role. Depending on the heart/mind-set of the listener, the religious leader functions either as a prophet pointing to God or he is set before the people as god for them, sitting in the holy of holies in their hearts.
