I loved President Kimball and still do. He was and is the prophet of my conversion. However, it was hard for me at the time. I could not understand why the prophet did not see things as I did. I mulled over it for some time, and then felt the sweet peace come to me that we were in deed being led by a prophet of God, and that I was to trust in him. Accordingly, I laid down my weapons of debate and arguing and followed the prophetic counsel.
Today, on the way back from the Temple, after our Adam ondi Aham visit, I had great discussion with my Priesthood leader about the BSA, and all that has happened. Apparently someone had forwarded my writings to him, to tell on me:). We discussed the issue for some time. His main point, and one I fully agree with, was that we must be careful to not do or say something that might, even unwittingly, sow seeds of apostasy in others.
As we drove on, I pondered over the Manifesto with regard to polygamy. It must have been a very trying and hard time for the Saints, particularly those who were living the law, and had been imprisoned for it, defended it up to the Supreme Court, argued for it zealously over the years, to have the Church declare they were stopping the practice. I can imagine some hard core Saints, understanding (correctly so) that the doctrine was eternal and unchangeable, and perhaps then feeling frustrated, wondering why the church would seemingly allow political expediency to over rule eternal doctrine. Of course in hind sight one can easily see the wisdom of the move and the hand of an all wise God, whose ways are not our ways, in that move.
Here is the lesson. Immediately after Wilford Woodruff made the announcement, it was proposed that the Church recognize his calling and keys as a prophet of God and sustain him in the manifesto. Tellingly the history records that the voting was unanimous in the affirmative. Wow, what a great and faithful people. They knew something that we all must learn. Something that Abraham had to learn through severe trial. That we are required to sustain our Church leaders in all righteous, God directed requests and actions, even when their actions may seem hard for us to understand, or contrary to our deeply held convictions. It is also telling that it was in defense of that Manifesto that Wilford Woodruff taught, what I have come to know by the Spirit to be a true doctrine. That God will NEVER allow the Prophet to lead the Church astray. I know that is true, absolutely.
Thus, like the Saints in Wilford Woodruff's day, once I know absolutely and clearly what the Lord's desires truly are concerning the BSA and the Church, as manifested by the Prophet, I will follow the faithful example of those Saints in 1890, and stand with the Prophet, trusting that God is in control and feeling absolute peace about it.