ARTICLE OF FAITH #6 - "We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, and so forth."
ARTICLE OF FAITH #7 - "We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues, and so forth."
ARTICLE OF FAITH #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."
Throughout the history of the world the Lord has called Prophets to lead his people and to teach and call repentance to the wicked. He empowered these Prophets with the Priesthood. It is generally recognized among all Christians that these prophets and the Priesthood power of which they held were upon the earth from the time of Adam and Eve, until the martyrdom of the Peter.
So that we're all on the same page lets discuss what we all understand to be a Prophet and the Priesthood.
Prophet
A Prophet is a person who God raises up for the purpose sending forth his messages to the people of the earth. So what are some of the trademarks of a prophet? Here are some that I’ve come up with from my own personal studies. You may have some others that I missed.
- A Prophet is frequently from humble circumstances.
- A Prophet is NEVER a follower of the popular trends.
- A Prophet will be a leader to those that follow Christ.
- A Prophet will reveal to all people teachings from the Lord.
- A Prophet will work miracles in the name of the Lord, and not take any of the credit for himself.
- A Prophet calls people to repentance.
- A Prophet is ALWAYS CHRISTLIKE; humble, meek, kind, righteous, etc.
- A Prophet will prophesy of things to come.
- A Prophet is disliked among the general world population.
- A Prophet received his Priesthood Authority from God
- A Prophet teaches the people to pray and seek personal inspiration and revelation from God.
Priesthood
The Priesthood is literally the authority for a mortal man to act on behalf of God for the ministering unto others. This everlasting priesthood of God is referenced throughout the scriptures. One example is Exodus 40:15:
"And thou shalt anoint them, as thou didst anoint their father, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office: for their anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations."
Now it is also to be understood that there are two priesthoods of God here on the earth as Hebrews 7:11
"If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron?"
The two priesthoods are known as the Levitical Priesthood (known as the Priesthood of Aaron or Aaronic Priesthood) and the Priesthood after the order of Melchizedek (known as the Melchizedek Priesthood). It is important to understand that the Aaronic Priesthood is a lesser portion of the Melchizedek Priesthood in the same way as accounting department is a portion of the company.
When Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, he wanted to give them the full law of the greater priesthood, but because of their wickedness, he was instructed by the Lord to give them the lower law and its corresponding lesser priesthood. Thus this lesser priesthood became known as the Aaronic Priesthood thus named after Aaron, the brother of Moses. Likewise this lesser law became known as the Law of Moses. Because of their inability to live the higher law that was named after the great High Priest Melchizedek, the people of Israel were taught the lesser law which was known as the Law of Moses.
The Savior Jesus Christ taught the people in Matthew 5:17 "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil." The savior further taught the greater law in the section of scripture known as the Beatitudes found in Matthew chapter 5. One section of these beatitudes is as follows:
38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also.
41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.
42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.
43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
All things taught while the Savior was in his mortal ministry are part of this greater law which he came to reinstitute again among the children of men. My personal favorite of his teachings is probably also the simplest:
John 13:34-35:
"A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."
Modern Day Prophets?
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, we believe that the God loves his children now just as much today as he did in ancient times. And as such he desperately wants us to repent and be obedient just as much as he did his children of ancient times.
We know that God hasn't gotten bored with us and gone golfing, nor has he given up, nor has he gone on vacation.
So why don't we hear from prophets today calling men to repentance and teaching them the will of god like the ancients did from Adam, Noah, Moses, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the rest?
I can tell you emphatically that there is a living prophet today just as there was back then. The Priesthood Power of God has been restored to the Earth and the living Gospel of Jesus Christ in it's entirety is once again taught to Gods children with that same power and authority as it once was. The Prophet today has that same Priesthood power and Authority from God as did the ancient prophets in ancient times. God has followed and continues to follow the same pattern of choosing a prophet today as he did in ancient times. Just as in ancient times, those teachings that are taught by the Prophet today are the revealed word of God and those teachings won't change to accommodate our levels of comfort, desires or lifestyles.
A Real Prophet?
Just as with the prophets of ancient times, we are taught that we can pray for our own personal witness and confirmation from the Holy Spirit that this man really is a Prophet of God and that what he teaches is really the message from God.
James 1:5 - (New Testament)
"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed."
Moroni 10:5 - (Book of Mormon)
"Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts. And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things."
God wants us to follow his commandments and to know His will. He doesn't want us to rely on the word of another, or the arm of flesh as is taught in 2 Chronicles 32:8.
This is why we as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints believe that we have a living prophet today and that he teaches the revealed word of God. We have followed the council of James and Moroni above and prayed about these things and have received our own personal confirmation from God Himself that this man Thomas S. Monson really is a Prophet of God.
Learn more and watch a video about this restoration >>
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