Do Mormons Really Believe there is a Prophet Today?
This article on Mormonism was written by Rebecca. It is one of a series of informational posts about the LDS Church. –Admin
Mormons believe that a prophet is a man called by God to be a witness for Him on earth. Prophets have the authority to speak for God, be a witness of Christ, interpret the word of God, call people to repentance, receive revelations and instructions from God and may be shown the future to warn mankind of future events. Mormons also believe that there is a prophet called by God today. God has always called prophets and He continues to do this as a way to direct His Church.
For a time, there were no prophets or apostles on the earth, because God had taken His Church from the earth. This was the great Apostasy. Then God again called a new prophet; Joseph Smith. Through Joseph Smith God restored His Church to the earth and again gave man the priesthood, which is the authority to act in God’s name. Today, Gordon B. Hinckley is the prophet of God and leader of His Church. He has the authority and has been given the keys of the priesthood needed to fulfill all of the duties of a prophet.
Two counselors assist Gordon B. Hinckley; Thomas S. Monson and James E. Faust. These men make up the First Presidency of the Church, which is the leading head of the Church, just as Peter, James and John led Christ’s Church after His death. Twelve apostles assist the First presidency. These men are also given special authority as witnesses of Christ and to carry out God’s work in the Church.
The prophet is the only person who speaks for the Lord in every instance and members of the Mormon Church are instructed to follow the prophet’s counsel and direction, because it is current revelation. Situations and the world change making it necessary for God to continue to give direction to man, so it is important that members understand and know the counsel of the current prophet. Learning about God’s plan for us through a prophet is the most direct and clear way to receive it. This was done anciently and continues today.
After listening to the prophet members are counseled to learn for themselves that what was spoken by the prophet is true. This understanding is gained through testing the principle, praying and then receiving confirmation from the Holy Ghost that it is true. Sometimes all of these steps do not have to be followed and many members have said that when they learned something from the prophet, the Holy Ghost immediately told them it was true.
Other Links:
Gordon B. Hinckley
Mormon Prophets
Joseph Smith
2 Responses to “Do Mormons Really Believe there is a Prophet Today?”
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Yes. I’m a Mormon and I believe in living prophets and I also believe they lead the “Mormon” Church. Naturally, most of us (mormons) do. I mean, not only is that what makes us most unique among all world religions, it’s also one of the most fundamental tenets of our religion, so of course, we do believe in prophets.
The Mormons aren’t the only ones that believe in living prophets. I am a member of the United House of Prayer For All People. We believe that having a prophet to lead God’s people is a must. It is our belief that God only uses ONE prophet at time. We also have the backing of the scripture to prove that we know who he is.