PROPHETS OF THE LORD and REVELATION

 

Religions of today declare that prophets and revelation from God does not exist today.  They say it all ended with the original Apostles.  They are wrong.  God is not dead or asleep.  There has been a prophet on the earth since 1820 and God has spoken and continues to speak to His chosen servants. 

In the Bible, Amos 3:7

7 Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.  (The Lord inspired the Prophet Joseph Smith to change the word BUT to Until.  Now the meaning is more clear)

 

Latter Day Saints believe that God the Father and Jesus Christ (two separate beings) appeared to Joseph Smith in 1820.  God The Father called him by name and pointing to His Son Jesus Christ said:  "Joseph, This is my beloved son, hear him".  From that moment on, all instructions to the Prophet Joseph Smith came from Jesus Christ, (who was Jehovah in the Old Testament).  According to John, Jesus Christ was "the Word". 

 

We also believe that there has been a succession of prophets since Joseph Smith, down to the present day.  We also believe that the Lord has continued to speak to His prophets, even today.  As of today (3 September 2012)the prophet is President Thomas S. Monson.

 

This is the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (center, President Monson, and his counselors, all Apostles).  Next picture will be of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

There are fifteen Apostles, all considered Prophets, Seers and Revelators.  The secession is that the most Senior Apostle becomes the Prophet of the whole church.  Here is how the Lord has set this up. 

 

Upon the death of the prophet, his two counselors (also Apostles) fall back into the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, making Fourteen.  The most Senior Apostle becomes the prophet of the whole church and chooses two Apostles to be his counselors.  This leaves Eleven.  After prayers in the Temple another is chosen by direction of the Lord to fill the vacancy in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.  These Apostles are chosen for life.  If the Lord wants them to be in the position of Prophet of the whole church, he will live until that time otherwise he will be taken in death.  All the Apostles have sometimes more than 40 years of experience in the Quorum by the time they are chosen.  

Why do prophets of the Lord wear suits today instead of the robes like Moses and Abraham?  Moses and Abraham wore the clothes of their day, prophets today wear the clothes of today.  They are all human beings like us. 

Can the Prophet lead the people astray?  NO.

After his revelation on Ending the practice of Plural Marriage, President Wilford Woodruff said:

"The Lord will never permit me or any other man who stands as President of this Church to lead you astray. It is not in the programme. It is not in the mind of God. If I were to attempt that, the Lord would remove me out of my place, and so He will any other man who attempts to lead the children of men astray from the oracles of God and from their duty." (Sixty-first Semiannual General Conference of the Church, Monday, October 6, 1890, Salt Lake City, Utah. Reported in Deseret Evening News, October 11, 1890, p. 2.)  

 

With the choosing of the Prophet Joseph Smith, the establishment of the Dispensation of the Fullness of Times began.  Each of the prophets that came before had a Dispensation and this is the LAST Dispensation to man before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. 

 

Ephesians 1:10

 

10 That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him.

 

What is a dispensation?  The Bible dictionary says:

 

Dispensations. A dispensation of the gospel is a period of time in which the Lord has at least one authorized servant on the earth who bears the holy priesthood and the keys, and who has a divine commission to dispense the gospel to the inhabitants of the earth. When this occurs, the gospel is revealed anew, so that people of that dispensation do not have to depend basically on past dispensations for knowledge of the plan of salvation. There have been many gospel dispensations since the beginning. The Bible suggests at least one dispensation identified with Adam, another with Enoch, another with Noah, and so on with Abraham, Moses, and Jesus with his apostles in the meridian of time.  The fullness of times is the (7th) and final dispensation, and began with the revelation of the gospel to Joseph Smith. It is a dispensation of restoration and of fulfillment of the Lord’s plans and purposes since the world began. There are also things reserved for the fullness of times that have not been revealed previously.  It is a glorious time, the time in which we live today. 

 

And so, we believe that the modern-day prophet acts and speaks as God's mouthpiece just as Moses did thousands of years ago.

 

Article of Faith 1:9, by the Prophet Joseph Smith says:

 

9 We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.

 

God is the same yesterday, today and forever meaning He is not done with man by guiding and instructing him to become a better son or daughter of God.  We are His children and He cares about us.  He has given us DIRECT communication with Him, through PRAYERS.  Prayers do not go by the slow speed of light, but by the speed of thought.  He has not left us alone, NO MATTER WHAT CIRCUMSTANCE or COUNTRY WE ARE IN.  He loves us all.

 

He has Restored His Church and Kingdom on the earth in this The Dispensation of the Fullness of Times and has given us New and Additional scripture to guide us, which is the Book of Mormon (a second witness of Jesus Christ which strengthens the Bible), The Doctrine and Covenants (modern Revelation to US TODAY) and it is still coming daily. 

 

We are in the Times of the Gentiles Now.

 

Modern Revelation says:  Doctrine and Covenants 45: 24-30

 

24 And this I have told you concerning Jerusalem; and when that day shall come, shall a remnant be scattered among all nations; (Jews were scattered among all nations - already done)

 

25 But they shall be gathered again; but they shall remain until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.

26 And in that day shall be heard of wars and rumors of wars, and the whole earth shall be in commotion, and men’s hearts shall fail them, and they shall say that Christ delayeth his coming until the end of the earth.  (sound familiar?)

 

27 And the love of men shall wax cold, and iniquity shall abound.

 

28 And when the times of the Gentiles is come in, a light shall break forth among them that sit in darkness, and it shall be the fullness of my gospel;  (it's here now)

29 But they receive it not; for they perceive not the light, and they turn their hearts from me because of the precepts of men. 

 

(The church and kingdom and the Restored Gospel IS HERE NOW.  Do not turn your hearts away because of what others say (precepts of men), Let your Heart guide you.

 

30 And in that generation shall the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.

 

For further information or to see these scriptures in full, go to www.lds.org and go into the scriptures.  Also check out your family history.  We have the largest Family History Library in the world.

More will be spoken on Revelation in another article.