They Marked the Path to Follow

John the Baptist
There is one who marked the path
To rise up, no greater hath
With unfeigned humility
John went forth in his ministry
He alone was sent before
To preach along the river
He trusted and he baptized
And prepared the way for Christ
He modeled how to submit
Though he thought himself unfit
He deferred to who would come
To Jesus the perfect one

Abraham
Abraham modeled great faith

We must trust in God, in all we face

His teachings whisper to us still

As through him, we've much to fulfill

And through him our day is blessed
With Isaac, he'd passed the test
As he went to sacrifice
He thought it but a small price
He feared God enough to give
God was pleased, Isaac could live!
And, then came the pronouncement
He'd been found obedient

Ruth

An ideal of womanhood
Loyalty she understood
Naomi was struck with grief
She bid Ruth "Do not leave.
You are my daughter-in-law,
My sole source to live off of.
And, gone two sons, I've no relief "
Ruth obeyed for she too grieved
Though foreign she would tarry
Ruth was told whom to marry
And Christ came through her gene pool
As she lodged with God's people

Job

Job feared God, he was upright
His life seemed perfect and right
He always eschewed evil
Would he prove to trust God's will?
Gone fortune, prosperity
Scorned by friends, why would that be?
His family too quick to leave
He showed faith, he still believed
He modeled for us, patience
He'd not give in to grievance
He suffered and was alone
Gone was all, yet faith he'd own

Noah

His faith proved unwavering
He gathered beasts with bravery
A just man, he walked with God
Though most thought him rather odd
For they failed to heed his cries
"Repent now and save your lives"
Why should they? They mocked his ark
There's no rain, he'd told them a lark
God showed them, the rain did pour
Forty days, all was a shore
When God spoke, Noah obeyed
From his faith, our way was paved

Nephi
Now we turn to Mormon's book
Of Nephi, the pains he took
To obtain the sacred plates
Should they put their life to fate?
Should they buy King Laban's needs?
No, he took, with eyes of greed!
Nephi prayed he'd obtain the rod
With his trust full upon God
Determined and unflagging
He obeyed without nagging
His brothers must follow him
He was a man of vision

Joseph Smith
Joseph Smith was just fourteen
He saw God and Jesus sheen
He'd entered a grove of trees
Questioning what man believes
His vision, he'd not deny
Courageous though scorned for life
Ridiculed he still stood firm
And God's church, he did govern
Step by step, he taught and led
And from him, prophets were bred
In Carthage, he bravely faced
His blood spilled, with trust embraced

Gordon B. Hinckley

This prophet traversed frontiers
His love transcended barriers
He visited vast members
And met government leaders
To lift Saints, he had vision
A fund for education
Those who're doomed to poverty
Rise from mediocrity!
With a new conference center
And temples near, to enter
He modeled optimism
For world-wide church expansion

One Family's Faith

Years have passed for one family
A son never more to see
His mission car lost control
Which took to flames of petrol
With the mother dead eight years
The father should grieve passed tears
Another son was serving
Could his car, too, go swerving?
But, he'd not let his faith hang
He called the son, they sang
"I Am a Child of God" tuned
Lines together, a prayer bloomed

The Exemplar

May we choose to be guided
By the life He provided
He lived the perfect model
As He taught us the gospel
A higher law was a plus
So we'd receive reward's just
Some reacted, He the Word?
In the end, their cries were heard
"Crucify him," they did mock
And He died, our Living Rock.
Now, He beckons, "Follow me"
May we live thus, Him to see


Thomas S. Monson
Ensign, Oct. 2007
They Marked the Path to Follow