For someone new to the Mormon church (officially known as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), there might be an amazing amount of really cool stuff to learn.
That might seem a bold statement, but it is true. I came from another denomination as a kid and it is astonishing to learn what I have from the prophets, the scriptures, and through the Spirit.
First, one needs to know that the Lord still calls prophets today. What an astonishing thought, but how comforting it is. Has there ever been a time in the world more s now as back then?
And with so many confusing voices and so many “trendy” approaches to life surrounding us, wouldn’t it be great to know what the Lord’s perspective is on it all? Well, the awesome thing is that He does share! He does so through His prophets. Just as He called prophets in ancient days, like Moses who led the Israelites away from the dangers of Pharaoh’s court to the beauty of their promised land, today’s prophets do the same (see Amos 3:7).
And the prophets today clarify confusion not just existent in the world, but also in the scriptures. For example, have you ever noticed the apparent conflict in Exodus 33?
Here is verse 11:
“And the Lord spake face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend” (Exodus 33:11).
Yet here is verse 20, just nine verses later:
“And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live” (Exodus 33:20).
So why the conflict … because it obviously can’t be both, because Moses just had seen the Lord’s face and lived (in vs. 11).
Well, have you ever played the “Telephone” game? It’s the one where a long line of people sit side by side during a party. One person whispers a phrase into the next person’s ear. Each person does the best to relay the message, yet try as hard as the group can, the message has always changed by the time it reaches the other end of the line.
Now think about the scriptures. How many times has the Bible been translated? Many, many times. And with each translation, the potential for misinterpretations or mistranslations are present. Many times this is why there are Biblical conflicts – such as the ones in Exodus 33.
So what a beautiful thing to have prophets in our day and age. Not only can they give us guidance regarding new concerns to face mankind, but they can also clarify the revelations given so long ago by the Lord to His ancient prophets. (To read the answer to the dilemma in Exodus 33, visit Joseph Smith’s translation.)
Yes, as a new member of the Mormon church, there was so much for me to revel in. For the first time in my life, things were finally beginning to make sense! If you’d like to explore the prophets’ words spoken in the last thirty years, feel free to visit the Church’s website to read the prophets’ words.
