- Be willing to obey

- Have humility- Follow authorized servants

The choice to ignore prophetic counsel "changes the very ground upon which we stand. It becomes more dangerous," said Elder Henry B. Eyring of the Quorum of the Twelve.

Elder Eyring, in addressing the Saturday afternoon session, encouraged members to remain within the safety of obeying the Lord's counsel as given through the president of the Church.

"There seems to be no end to the Savior's desire to lead us to safety," he said. "Authorized servants are always charged with warning the people, telling them the way to safety."

He told of a historical account when the Prophet Joseph Smith warned members at Haun's Mill to come to Far West, Mo., for safety, but Jacob Haun, the messenger, failed to deliver the message.

"Then the Prophet recorded the sad truth that innocent lives could have been saved at Haun's Mill had his counsel been followed."

Today, warnings are issued where to find safety from sin and sorrow. "One of the keys to recognizing those warnings is that they are repeated. . . . When the words of prophets seem repetitive, that should rivet our attention and fill our hearts with gratitude to live in such a blessed time."

Finding safety in the counsel of prophets makes sense to those with strong faith, said Elder Eyring.

"When a prophet speaks, those with little faith may think that they hear only a wise man giving good advice," he said. "Then if his counsel seems comfortable and reasonable, squaring with what they want to do, they take it. If it does not . . . they see their circumstances as justifying their being an exception to the counsel."

Rejecting such counsel does not mean remaining independent; rather it means choosing to follow a different influence and rejecting "the protection of a perfectly loving, all-powerful, all-knowing Father in Heaven."

He said that rejecting counsel the first time also "lessens our power to take inspired counsel in the future. The best time to have decided to help Noah build the ark was the first time he asked."

Elder Eyring continued: "Our Heavenly Father loves us. He knew that in mortality we would be in grave danger, the worst of it from the temptations of a terrible adversary."

Humility is required to have "listening ears," he said.

Elder Eyring told of the rescue of the Willie Handcart company, and how one steadfast rescuer, Reddick Allred, refused to give up and helped save many lives.

"If someone you trusted," said Elder Eyring, "handed you what appeared to be nothing more than sand with the promise that it contained gold, you might wisely hold it in your hand awhile, shaking it gently. Every time I have done that with counsel from a prophet, after a time the gold flakes have begun to appear and I have been grateful."