Sunday, March 29, 2009

A Prophet's voice

Amos 3:7 Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.

I believe that Jesus Christ stands at the head of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and that he directs his church, as he did in ancient times, through a living Prophet, whose most important responsibility is to testify of Christ. The prophet is the only one authorized to deliver revelations from God to the entire church.

Following the Lord’s prophets has been the way of God’s people from the days of Adam, Enoch, Noah, Moses, Abraham, and many others through the ages and there is great safety in doing so. I trust the counsel of the prophet, both because I believe that he was called of God and because his counsel is always good and wise. No one in the church is compelled or expected to blindly follow the Prophet’s counsel. We are expected to counsel with the Lord in all things, this includes seeking confirmation through the Spirit of the things the Prophet has told us.

In the LDS church, we attribute the same authority to the words of the living prophet as we do to the words left for us in scripture by the prophets of old. The counsel of the living prophet carries special importance for me because, like Noah, he speaks directly to our time and circumstance.

Who chooses the prophet?

I think one of the most inspiring things about the Prophets and other LDS leaders is that they are called through inspiration from God from among the membership of the church. There is no career path nor financial motive for service, you can't apply. You choose whether to lead a Christ-like life and to accept callings when they come. Bishops (the leaders of local congregations) continue to work full-time during the few years that they serve. The prophets and apostles, have left successful careers to serve the church full-time. There is no politicking, no competition, simply a call to serve. I have watched these men for many years. Their entire lives are devoted to serving God and his children, and they serve with their whole hearts.

I feel very blessed to have a living prophet and apostles on the earth today.

We have the opportunity every year of meeting as a church to hear the words of the great men and women who lead the church and its auxiliaries. The conference is this weekend (Apr. 4&5), so if you are curious about Mormon leaders, you can inspect them from the comfort of your own home. The proceedings of the conference will be broadcast on television this Saturday and Sunday from 9:00-11:00 and from 1:00-3:00. I’m not sure which channel—I’ll let you know.

3 comments:

  1. I do not believe that God changes. He is always the same and His principles do not change. "Prophets" from the past in the LDS church have changed their stand on certain beliefs. The one example that comes to mind is the churches stand on polygamy. Joseph Smith condoned this practice and had many wives himself. Later, this was changed because it became illegal. God's "law" always prevails over man made laws. How can you follow a "prophet" who once approved of such a practice? I believe that everything must be measured by the Word of God (Bible).If the prophecy does not line up with scripture, it is false. You cannot take away from or add to the Word of God. You said in an earlier comment that scriptural silence on a topic proves nothing. Doesnt that mean that people can say anything that they want to about God? Another thing that I have a difficult time with is the teaching that the Bible is only true as far as it is translated correctly. I believe that God has protected His Word through the ages. Who is to say that Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon without making mistakes? He was only a man and could have made mistakes as well.

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  2. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the same gospel today as it was when Adam taught it to his children. Some of the observances are different due to changes in dispensation and in society, for example, the discontinuance of blood sacrifices after Christ’s fulfillment of that law. Gods laws are eternal and unchanging. One of God’s laws is that men are free to govern themselves and he respects our right to do so, even when it is to our own condemnation.

    I have a testimony from the Holy Spirit that Joseph Smith was called by God to be his prophet and to lead his church. How then could I reject him for any reason?

    I will address plural marriage and the LDS view of scripture in upcoming posts.

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  3. I don't believe that your comparison of Jesus fulfilling the law is the same thing as changing your mind on a specific practice that you once thought was acceptable in God's eyes. Jesus did fulfill the law therefore we no longer have to make blood sacrifices. That is all scriptural. There was never a law that was fulfilled to abolish the practice of polygamy. Polygamy was established in the mormon church by its leaders and was not based on scripture. I believe that it is very dangerous to follow a leader who "prophesies" anything that does not line up with scripture. How do you know that you have a testimony from the Holy Spirit? Is this based on a feeling? I do not think that spiritual truths are based on feelings. They are based on knowledge from the Word of God! Many men have written prophetic books and proclaim to be directed by God. However, they do not line up with scripture. There must be a measuring rod for all spiritual truth, otherwise, all those who claim to be prophets would be. That rod is the Bible. Jesus said there is only one way to heaven, and that is through Him. I do believe God has prophets here on earth today. There are people who have what the Bible calls the gift of prophecy, however; if the word that they proclam does not line up with scripture, it is false.

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