Prophets as a Pattern

D&C 52:14 "And again, I will give unto you a pattern in all things, that ye may not be deceived; for Satan is abroad in the land, and he goeth forth deceiving the nations—"

This verse was kind of the theme this week in stake conference.  In summary, that Satan is real and he is trying to make us feel inadequate like him, but that God has given us a pattern in all things to protect us from deceit.  This is a typical message that doesn't sound like anything new, but Elder Koelliker made a connection I had never thought of for this verse. He said that "prophets are one of the patterns the Lord has given us to follow."  I started to think and realized that prophets really do help us not be deceived and how they really do give us a pattern or example to follow. Then today in family scripture study we read the following passage:


Enos 1: 22 And there were exceedingly many prophets among us. And the people were a stiffnecked people, hard to understand.

 23 And there was nothing save it was exceeding harshness, preaching and prophesying of wars, and contentions, and destructions, and continually reminding them of death, and the duration of eternity, and the judgments and the power of God, and all these things—stirring them up continually to keep them in the fear of the Lord. I say there was nothing short of these things, and exceedingly great plainness of speech, would keep them from going down speedily to destruction. And after this manner do I write concerning them.

Before, I thought of this verse as only referring to the Lamanites and didn't pay much attention to it.  However, this verse took on new meaning as I realized that it is very applicable to us.  We too live in a day of many prophets (true prophets) that give us an example so that we are not deceived into following the philosophies of men.  But let us not be as stiffnecked and hard to understand that the only hope for us is to strike fear into our hearts.  Following because of fear (when it is meant in the literal sense of trembling) is not as uplifting as following because of love.