Armchair Prophet

Elder Gibbons recounted a story from church history I had never heard before in this month's Ensign.

In May 1978, before this revelation [on the priesthood] was announced to the Church, the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles met in the Salt Lake Temple. At the conclusion of the meeting, Elder LeGrand Richards (1886–1983) asked if he might say a few words. He told the Brethren that during the meeting he had seen a personage sitting in an armchair above the organ. He said the personage was President Wilford Woodruff (1807–1898) and suggested that perhaps he had seen President Woodruff because he was the only one who would recognize him. Elder Richards, who was six years old when he saw President Woodruff dedicate the Salt Lake Temple, was the only one in the room who had seen him alive.

Isn’t it interesting that this former prophet, who himself had announced a significant revelation related to Church policy, appeared as a witness of the truth and importance of this new revelation about to be announced?

I can see President Woodruff now...gazing upon the brethren with his piercing eyes...approving of the next great leap forward in church policy since he had issued The Manifesto...firmly ensconced in his prophetic La-Z-Boy.