I have already explained that death entered the world when
Adam and Eve partook of the fruit. In
other words, they became mortal. Until
then, they were immortal and would have lived for ever, as is explained in
Genesis 3: 24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east
of the garden of Eden aCherubims, and a flaming
sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the btree of life.
You will recall that they
were only commanded not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
Evidently, you think that
sin came into the world by accident.
Your god is so impotent that he allowed sin to come into the world, but
at the same time he dictated to everyone exactly what they should do. He was taken by surprise, evidently, when
Adam ate the fruit, so in his wrath he made everyone wicked even if they’d done
absolutely nothing! Added to that, we
have the doctrine of predestination, which states that god and god alone can
choose – even if you keep all the commandments – whether he’s going to admit
you into the kingdom of heaven. So you
believe, apparently, that it matters not whether we are obedient or not. We have no choice in anything, but look at
verse 22 of Genesis 3: 22 ¶And the Lord God asaid, Behold, the bman is become as one ofcus, to dknow good and eevil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take
also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: 23 Therefore the Lord God
sent him forth from the garden ofaEden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.
So they learnt the
difference between good and evil and – yes, Glenn – that was necessary! God knows his children and knows what we are
capable of but we, just like our own children, have to learn from our own
mistakes, even when we’re given guidance.
This is why we have choices in our lives, why we have to
experience health and sickness, pleasure and pain, good and evil. God stands back and lets us suffer as there
must needs be an opposition in all things and we have to grow spiritually by
experiencing all these things. Because there’s mortality in the world, this is
inevitable. Some people live to an
advanced age, like my mother who is in her mid 90s, while some die very young
like my daughter.
But these things strengthen
us and I have felt that real closeness.
When my daughter was dying and I was praying, there was someone with his
arms round me.
Now for prophets:
Prophets Are God’s
Representatives on the Earth
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What powers and gifts does a prophet have?
“Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto
his servants the prophets” (Amos 3:7).
Many people live in darkness, unsure of God’s will. They believe that
the heavens are closed and that people must face the world’s perils alone. How
fortunate are the Latter-day Saints! We know that God communicates to the
Church through His prophet. With grateful hearts, Saints the world over sing
the hymn, “We thank thee, O God, for a prophet to
guide us in these latter days” (Hymns, no. 19).
A prophet is a man called by God to be His representative on earth. When
a prophet speaks for God, it is as if God were speaking (see D&C 1:38).
A prophet is also a special witness for Christ,
testifying of His divinity and teaching His gospel. A prophet teaches truth and
interprets the word of God. He calls the unrighteous to repentance. He receives
revelations and directions from the Lord for our benefit. He may see into
the future and foretell coming events so that the world may be warned.
A prophet may come from various stations in life. He may be young or
old, highly educated or unschooled. He may be a farmer, a lawyer, or a teacher.
Ancient prophets wore tunics and carried staffs. Modern prophets wear suits and
carry briefcases. What, then, identifies a true prophet? A true prophet is
always chosen by God and called through proper priesthood authority (see Articles of Faith 1:5).
Latter-day Saints sustain the First Presidency and the Twelve Apostles
as prophets. However, when we speak of “the prophet of the Church,” we mean the
President of the Church, who is President of the high priesthood.
Through the Ages God Has Called
Prophets to Lead Mankind
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•
In what ways have prophets guided God’s children in the past?
There have been prophets on the earth since the days of Adam. Experiences
of these great men excite and inspire us. Moses, an Old Testament prophet, led thousands
of his people out of Egypt and slavery to the promised land. He wrote the first
five books of the Old Testament and recorded the Ten Commandments. Nephi, a Book of Mormon prophet, journeyed from
Jerusalem to the Americas 600 years before the birth of Christ. This great
leader and colonizer gave us many important writings in the Book of
Mormon. John the Baptist was chosen to prepare the world for the coming of the
Lord Jesus
Christ. Through Joseph Smith, a latter-day prophet, the Lord
restored the Church. Joseph Smith also translated the Book of
Mormon while a young man.
We Have a Living Prophet on the Earth
Today
We have a prophet living on the earth today. This prophet is the
President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He has the right
to revelation for the entire Church. He holds “the keys of the kingdom,”
meaning that he has the authority to direct the entire Church and kingdom of
God on earth, including the administration of priesthood ordinances (see Matthew 16:19).
No person except the chosen prophet and President can receive God’s will for
the entire membership of the Church. The Lord said, “There is never but one on
the earth at a time on whom this power and the keys of this priesthood are
conferred” (D&C 132:7).
The President of the Church is assisted by his counselors in the First
Presidency and the members of the Quorum of the Twelve, who are also prophets,
seers, and revelators.
We should do those things the prophets tell us to do. President Wilford
Woodruff said that a prophet will never be allowed to lead the Church astray:
“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” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Wilford Woodruff[2004],
199).
Many people find it easy to believe in the prophets of the past. But it
is much greater to believe in and follow the living prophet. We raise our hands
to sustain the President of the Church as prophet, seer, and revelator.
The Lord will never allow the President of the Church to lead us astray.
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•
Great Blessings Follow Obedience to
the Prophet
If we obey, the Lord promises, “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”
(D&C 21:6).
When we do as our prophet directs, blessings pour down from heaven.
In order to stand, the true Church must be “built upon the foundation of
the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone” (Ephesians 2:20).
We are blessed in this insecure world to have a prophet through whom the Lord
reveals His will.
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Additional Scriptures
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Numbers 12:6 (God
speaks through prophets)
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1 Samuel 9:9 (prophet
called a seer)
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Amos 3:7 (God
reveals His secrets to the prophets)
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Mosiah 8:16–18 (a
seer can know of things past and things to come)
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Luke 1:70 (God
speaks through prophets)
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D&C 45:10, 15 (God
speaks today as in days of old)
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1 Nephi 22:2 (by
the Spirit things are made known to prophets)
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D&C 68:3–5 (when
the Lord’s servants speak as moved by the Holy Ghost, it is the mind, will, and voice of
the Lord)
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•
D&C 107:65–67, 91–92 (duties
of the President of the Church)
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•
D&C 43:1–7 (only
the prophet is authorised to receive revelations for the Church)
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