Conference and Living-ness: The absolute relevance of the prophets to our day

General conference was fantabulous...President Monson made a very interesting plea at the end of his Sunday morning session: come back. In any context, it would be a very nice gesture of Christian fellowhsip. In this context, it is that and more...President Hunter used very similar language when he became the prophet in 1994. What does this similarity of language tell us?

Incidentally, not long before President Hunter became the prophet, there had been a highly publicized series of excommunications against LDS academics--the (in)famous D. Michael Quinn being among them. President Hunter, like President Monson, implored those that harbored ill-will, those that were hurt or afraid, that they should come back and let the Church dry their tears. Incidentally, we have faced some measure of these same events recently. With the publication of Richard Bushman's biography, the forthcoming publication on the Mountain Meadows Massacre, and the general airing out of the Church's differences from mainstream Christianity, it is significant that President Monson extended his call to the "critic and to the transgressor."

And finally, when we're told to follow the living prophets...what does that mean precisely? I kind find volumes of writings from prophets of the recent past...indeed, I can find talks from apostles who spoke when Kimball, Benson, and Hunter were propherts. Therefore, how do we view those words? How valid are they to today's issues? How about when we quote J. Reuben Clark, Neal A. Maxwell, Brigham Young, or Heber J. Grant?

And for those who want some interesting, official insight into what makes doctrine as such, check out the newsroom.lds.org...do a search for "Approaching Mormon Doctrine"...interesting stuff there...