A Living Prophet

Something that distinguishes The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from other churches is our belief in a latter-day, living prophet who teaches us what God wants us to know. A living prophet is one for our own day. He teaches, preaches, and leads the Church.

Divine Calling to Lead The Church

The latter-day Church was established on April 6, 1830 in Peter Whitmer’s home. A total of six people joined that day. Joseph Smith was the first elder, or leader of the Church.

He received a revelation that day, which is recorded in section 21 of the Doctrine and Covenants. It says, “4 Wherefore, meaning the church, thou shalt give heed unto all his words and commandments which he shall give unto you as he receiveth them, walking in all holiness before me;

5 For his word ye shall receive, as if from mine own mouth, in all patience and faith.

6 For by doing these things the gates of hell shall not prevail against you; yea, and the Lord God will disperse the powers of darkness from before you, and cause the heavens to shake for your good, and his name’s glory.

7 For thus saith the Lord God: Him have I inspired to move the cause of Zion in mighty power for good, and his diligence I know, and his prayers I have heard.”

The Lord is speaking of Joseph Smith and his divine calling to lead the Church. “He” in these verses refers to Joseph Smith. The Lord is telling us to receive the words of the prophet, as if they were coming from His own mouth. He reminds Joseph Smith to walk in holiness and reminds us to receive these revelations in patience and faith.

Role of The President

The role of the president of The Church, also referred to as the prophet, is to be a mouthpiece of the Lord. The prophet shares with us what God wants us to know.

Yes, we have scriptures. We have writings we can refer to, and we can learn the doctrines of the kingdom within the pages of the Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price. We can learn so much from studying and pondering the scriptures. We can come to know God and what He expects of His covenant people through reading, studying and pondering these scriptures.

The living prophet can give us guidance today. Moses didn’t have to counsel the children of Israel about the dangers of social media because it didn’t exist. The principle of prioritizing time is universal, but having a handheld computer that can suck us in for inordinate amounts of time is a new twist. It is something about which our living prophet can counsel us because he is living in our day.

The current president presides over the Church. He alone is entitled to revelation for the entire Church. If someone feels he or she has had revelation that all the members should pay 20% tithing, that is not the correct order of things because only the living prophet can receive revelation for all members. Since the kingdom of God is a kingdom of order, we can rest assured that only the current president can receive this kind of revelation.

A stake president is entitled to revelation for the stake over which he presides. The bishop is entitled to revelation for the ward, just as the primary president is entitled to revelation for the primary. Mothers and fathers are entitled to revelation for their family and each individual is entitled to revelation for himself or herself. Anything out of order has not come from God.

Personal Revelation

In 2018, President Nelson gave an excellent talk during general conference entitled, “Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives.” In this talk, he encouraged members to seek for personal revelation. We are all entitled to that, if we seek it. We can be consistently guided by the Holy Ghost in our lives if we desire.

President Benson taught, “Learn to keep your eye on the prophet. He is the Lord’s mouthpiece and the only man who can speak for the Lord today.” He also taught, “God knows all things, the end from the beginning, and no man becomes president of the church of Jesus Christ by accident, or remains there by chance, or is called home by happenstance. The most important prophet, so far as we are concerned, is the one who is living in our day and age. This is the prophet who has today’s instructions from God to us.”

The current prophet is the most vital for us. Having a living prophet means we can receive revelation specific to our time and circumstances. For example, we now have church for two hours. We used to have church for three hours. Just because we now have it for two hours does not mean it was wrong for us to have it for three hours. It simply means the living prophet received revelation that it was time to make a change.

“God’s revelation to Adam did not instruct Noah how to build the ark. Every generation has need of the ancient scripture, plus the current scripture from the living prophet. Therefore, the most crucial reading and pondering that you should do is of the latest inspired words from the Lord’s mouthpiece. That is why it is essential that you have access to and carefully read his words” (Ezra Taft Benson).

It’s important to remember that when something changes, it does not mean a prior prophet was wrong or that he was a fallen prophet, it means that the Lord wants to make a change and it is our responsibility to receive our own withness and then to support that.

Following a Living Prophet

Following the prophet does not equate to blind obedience. If we believe that the prophet speaks for the Lord, then trying to follow the prophet’s counsel means we are being intentional. We should seek confirmation for ourselves when a prophet gives counsel, especially if it contradicts personal views.

“Don’t be surprised if at times your personal views are not initially in harmony with the teachings of the Lord’s prophet. These are moments of learning, of humility, when we go to our knees in prayer. We walk forward in faith, trusting in God, knowing that with time we will receive more spiritual clarity from our Heavenly Father. (Neil L. Andersen, “The Prophet of God,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2018, 26).

Following the prophet can be difficult. We may not agree with or like what he has said. We may feel that there are eventuating circumstances or that our particular situation is unique. That’s when we need to humbly ask God ourselves and receive our own understanding and revelation. If we ask God sincerely and with real intent, He will answer us. We will then know what it is we need to do.

Blessings from Following the Prophet

When we follow the words of the prophet we will receive protection and blessings. In Doctrine and Covenants 21: 6, we are promised that the Lord will disperse the powers of darkness from before us, Satan will not prevail against us, and we will receive blessings from heaven. Those are some significant promises.

I have experienced blessings in my life from following the prophet. I have had my own witness that Russell M. Nelson is the living prophet today. I received similar witnesses with past prophets.

We are very blessed to have a living prophet to lead and guide us. It is amazing to have a a worthy leader who is in direct contact with the Lord and will teach us all we need to know. This world can be confusing and complex, but having a prophet who can show us how to live is a wonderful blessing. The more we try to follow the prophet, the closer relationships we will have with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.