When I hear this, my mind often turns to a scripture found in the Book of Mormon:

And now, my beloved brethren, I perceive that ye ponder still in your hearts; and it grieveth me that I must speak concerning this thing. For if ye would hearken unto the Spirit which teacheth a man to pray ye would know that ye must pray; for the evil spirit teacheth not a man to pray, but teacheth him that he must not pray. (2 Nephi 32:8 in the Book of Mormon)

God knows the truth of everything, and while man might lead you astray, God never will. For this reason, Satan is very afraid of having people pray about truth. Once they receive truth from God, their faith can become so strong he finds it difficult, if not impossible, to reach them. So it’s in his best interests to discourage us from praying—but it’s certainly not in our own best interests. If we’re unwilling to pray about truth, we are forced to trust mere men.

Throughout the Bible, God instructs us to pray. Never does He say to avoid prayer for fear you won’t recognize the answer. The scriptures regularly assure us that if we have faith and learn to know the Father, we will recognize God’s voice.

Have you ever met someone briefly and then, when you met them again, didn’t recognize them? They weren’t recognizable to you because you didn’t know them well. Have you ever developed a close friendship with someone, gotten to know their heart, and then been separated for many years? When you encounter them again, you remember them, even though you haven’t seen them in years. The difference is in how well you know them.

This is how it is in our relationship with God. When we build a relationship with Him as we study the scriptures, ponder in our hearts, and spend time talking to God, His voice becomes more familiar to us. In time, we know Him so well there is no doubt who is speaking to us.

God has given us the ability to recognize His voice through the Light of Christ. When we pray, sincerely seeking truth for all the right reasons and committed to doing whatever God tells us, the Light of Christ will whisper in our hearts that it’s true. Satan can’t bring true peace, so when we feel peace, joy, or contentment, we know the answer is from God.

God wants you to ask Him what is true and He’s prepared to give you an answer you will recognize as His. I know this because I know God can do anything at all, including this, and I’ve tried it.

This article was originally published in July 2008. 

Terrie Lynn Bittner

The late Terrie Lynn Bittner—beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and friend—was the author of two homeschooling books and numerous articles, including several that appeared in Latter-day Saint magazines. She became a member of the Church at the age of 17 and began sharing her faith online in 1992.

Brigham Young, the second prophet of the restored Church

Brigham Young had an answer for this question. He’s said to have told people his greatest fear was that people in the Church would start to take what he said as the will of God and not take the time to go to God personally to receive confirmation of it.

Although the Saints are taught to honor their prophets and to follow them, it’s not a blind following. Only God can be completely trusted to always tell you the truth, and only God knows the truth of all things. Latter-day Saints are taught even before they join the Church to pray and ask God if the current prophet really is God’s prophet. Then, afterwards, at any time, they can return to God and ask about specific teachings the prophet has given.

In the case of those hypothetical situations the Saints are always being asked about, a member who reads an article by a Church leader will generally follow this pattern:

Before reading or listening, they pray for the Spirit. This will often tell them what is true while they’re receiving the information. Once they receive the counsel, they place it in context of other teachings they’ve received. For instance, if the prophet said to store food away so you’ll have enough to eat if you lose your job, a member would say, “Oh, I’ve heard that many times before and already know it’s true.” He wouldn’t likely take time to pray about this, since it’s repeated often.

If it’s new counsel, he might compare it to see if it fits in with previous teachings. For instance, prophets often tell us to store wheat. If this were the first time we’d been told to store wheat, we might think to ourselves, “Well, that’s the first time wheat’s been mentioned, but we’ve often been told to store food in general, so I’ll just add that to it.” It fits into previously given counsel.

However, if a member heard entirely new counsel, and just couldn’t quite feel comfortable with it—maybe because it would require him to stop doing something he loved—he could then take it to God in prayer. Following the established pattern for prayer, he would study the problem in his mind, come to a decision (probably based on what he already knows about God and the gospel), and then come to a conclusion. He’d then kneel in prayer and ask God if he’s made the right choice.

Spencer W. Kimball, a past prophet, spoke on the subject of blind faith.

Spencer W. Kimball, the 12th president of the Church

“When men obey commands of a creator, it is not blind obedience….God’s every command is righteous, every directive purposeful, and all for the good of the governed. …

 

Is it blind obedience when one regards the sign “High Voltage-Keep Away” or is it the obedience of faith in the judgment of experts who know the hazard?

 

Is it blind obedience when the air traveler fastens his seat belt as that sign flashes or is it confidence in the experience and wisdom of those who know more of hazards and dangers?

 

Is it blind obedience when the little child gleefully jumps from the table into the strong arms of its smiling father, or is this implicit trust in a loving parent who feels sure of his catch and who loves the child better than life itself? …

 

Is it then blind obedience when we, with our limited vision, elementary knowledge, selfish desires, ulterior motives, and carnal urges, accept and follow the guidance and obey the commands of our loving Father who … created a world for us, loves us, and has planned a constructive program for us, wholly without ulterior motive, whose greatest joy and glory is to “bring to pass the immortality and eternal life” of all his children? [See Moses 1:39.]

 

It is not blind obedience, even without total understanding, to follow a Father who has proved himself.” (”Chapter 13: Obedience Born of Faith in God,” Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball, (2006),135-44

In the case of the hot stove, it’s likely a child touched a hot stove against the advice of a parent at some time in his childhood. Having done so, he learned first that stoves can be hot, and secondly, that parents can be trusted. Over time, as his parents continued to be right about physical danger, it’s likely he stopped feeling the need to touch every stove or try out every dangerous thing. Whereas, as a toddler, he might have heard a parent say the stove was hot, but he had to find out for himself. As an eight-year-old, if his parents told him it was too dangerous to go outside in the current weather conditions, he might obey without first testing, having learned his parents were usually right.

In the same way, Latter-day Saints learn to trust their prophets, and they learn to trust God. A new member is likely to pray about every individual doctrine, but a more seasoned member, having learned that when he prays, God always answers, “Yes, the prophet is right,” no longer needs to do this. He can spend his limited life doing more important things. He saves his confirmation prayers for those situations which leave him uncertain or which require greater sacrifice to carry out.

The current prophet of the Church, President Russell M. Nelson

Being able to turn to God is one way God protects his children from unscrupulous leadership. They need never take anyone’s word for any part of the gospel, but can always go directly to the source. The prophet delivers God’s message and guides the Church, but each member is individually responsible for confirming the truthfulness of what they’re being told.

Someone just learning about the Church through Latter-day Saint missionaries will be taught how to pray almost immediately. Then, after each lesson, he will be asked to pray about it privately to know for himself it’s true, rather than taking the word of the missionaries. This is a critical step in the member’s progression, because someone who does this is far less likely to fall away from the Church in the future. His testimony will be based on a firm foundation—God.

This article was originally published in March 2009. Minor changes have been made for consistency. 

Lead image via Church News. 

Terrie Lynn Bittner

The late Terrie Lynn Bittner—beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and friend—was the author of two homeschooling books and numerous articles, including several that appeared in Latter-day Saint magazines. She became a member of the Church at the age of 17 and began sharing her faith online in 1992.

Latter-day Saints sustain the First Presidency and Twelve Apostles as “prophets, seers, and revelators.” We also believe that other general leaders such as those in the Quorums of the Seventy and the General Relief Society, Young Women, and Primary presidencies have been called of God to their positions—and that one way the Lord speaks to us is through our Church leaders.

Many inspirational talks have been given at general conferences over the years. General conference archives are available online at www.lds.org and may be perused by anyone.

Conference lasts for two days, a Saturday and a Sunday. It is usually held on the first Saturday and Sunday of the months of April and October. Two general sessions are held each day, one running from 10:00 a.m. till 12:00 p.m. MST both days, and another running from 2:00 p.m. till 4:00 p.m. MST both days. There is also a session for priesthood holders on that Saturday evening in April, and one for women on that Saturday in October.

The practice of holding general conference began under Joseph Smith, the first prophet of the restored Church. At that time, the Church had only 26 members. Today there are over 16 million members worldwide. The Conference Center can hold over 20,000 people; however, because of high demand to view the proceedings there, tickets are needed for attendance. They are free and can be obtained through your local Church leadership.

via Newsroom | The Conference Center during a session of general conference

Many other Latter-day Saints view the proceedings live through television, radio, or Internet streams in their homes. Still others gather to their local church buildings to watch the sessions of conference via satellite. Those living in areas where this is not practical may watch the proceedings on a delayed basis. The talks are also available after conference online at www.lds.org, and are printed in the Ensign and the Liahona (official Church magazines) later on. This allows people to study the words of the Church leaders on an ongoing basis.

This post was originally published on October 12, 2007. Updates have been made to reflect current Church leadership, guidelines, and policies. 

Katie P

On one hand, there is the group that says we evolved slowly over eons of time from a one-celled creature that came ashore from the oceans billions of years ago. Gradually, that creature evolved or grew upward, step-by-step, through all phases of development and became the men and women we are today. There are many sources of evidence that might suggest this to be true, at least in part. Numerous museums and universities are filled with archaeological remnants of species and findings from the past that are purported to give proof to this theory of biological evolution. But no archaeologist or anthropologist can really prove, without doubt, that this theory is unequivocally true.

On the other hand, there are those who live by faith and accept the definition, though very basic, that man is the creation of God as stated by Moses when he wrote, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” (1 Genesis 1:27)

Surely, there is much more to be learned before either theory can be accepted as totally true or that a combination of the two satisfies our quest. Men will continue digging in the ground to find more physical proof to support their theories that we came about in a natural, self-guided manner without the interference from God or any other outside directing forces.

The faithful, however, quietly wait until the coming day when the Lord will reveal to us the workings of our all-wise Father in Heaven regarding our creation. He is testing our patience and faith now by not revealing too much on the subject. But someday, He will explain all He has done to create us “in his own image.”

While we wait to have all the missing blanks filled in concerning our creation, it would do us well to consider an old Jewish tale of two brothers who spent their entire life living in the city, never once going out into the countryside.

One day, one of the brothers out of curiosity said, “It’s time for us to see what there is outside our home. It might prove interesting. We might even enjoy such an outing.”

So they began their expedition by hiking out on an old country road. They were amazed at the beauty all around them that they had never seen before. For the first time, they saw beautiful trees, streams and rivers, all sorts of flowers, and rich, fertile fields running as far as the eye could see.

After a while, they turned to see a lovely fenced-off field filled with grass and wild flowers.  As they watched, an old man entered the field with some sort of steel implement. He climbed up onto it and had his horse pull him back and forth over the field. As they looked on, the young men were aghast—the old man was destroying all the grass and flowers! Back and forth, he rode, over and over again. When he finished, there wasn’t one blade of grass or a single flower left. They saw only a dirty gray field with small rocks and clumps of dry ground. All the beautiful things had been destroyed.

The two brothers were very upset. One said to the other, “Look at what that stupid old man has done. He has destroyed everything.”

As they continued to watch, the old man came back into the field holding a large bag of what looked to be grain over his shoulder. He reached into it and started to throw it all over the field.  This incensed them even further. One brother cried out, “Not only has he ruined the field, but now he is throwing perfectly good grain away! I have had enough. I am going back home.” He stamped his feet, turned around, and huffed his way back home.

The other young man found the old man’s behavior very interesting, and was eager to see more, so he stayed in the country a season. As time passed, he saw something wonderful happen to the once “ruined” field. Slowly, it came back to life. It was now covered with beautiful and tall grass. Excited, he ran to get his brother again to share in this change with him. They both marveled at the new growth until the farmer returned with a scythe in his hand. All at once, he thrust it into the new grass. Before long, he had cut every blade down.

The impatient brother cried out once again. “There that fool goes again! He has destroyed the beautiful field a second time. Now I really have had enough of this stupid old man. I am going home again and hope never to return.”

Again, the other brother remained to see what would happen next. He saw the farmer carefully rake up all the grass and bundle it. He then took it to a building not far away. There, he beat it with a heavy stick until it was divided into two parts: the chaff and the grain. He blew away the chaff and bagged up the remaining grain. The old man had been growing wheat. He bagged up enough grain to fill his whole wagon and left for home.

Suddenly, it all became very clear to our young man. He cried out, “How naive and ignorant we have been! This good old farmer by his labor, wisdom, and faith has turned one bag of wheat into a hundred bags for his family. He never destroyed the field but used it for his benefit.” As he rejoiced at what he had learned, he ran back to the city to tell his brother all about this now wise old farmer.

The time will come when all of our questions on the origin of man will be answered. Everything will fall into place. At present, we have only bits and pieces of knowledge about our creation. We will feel as humbled at the answers to our questions as these two young men were about the origin of the wheat.

God the Father has said, “For behold this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.” (Moses 1:39)

When we grow enough spiritually to grasp the depth of love that our Father in Heaven has for us, He will reveal all the missing pieces we need to have a perfect understanding of the story of our creation. Everything will fall into place and at last we will know the true origin of man.

By George Domm

George Domm

George Domm was born and raised in upstate New York around historical LDS sites such as the Hill Cumorah and Palmyra. He was very familiar with the Church long before he was baptized in 1959. Soon after joining, he found himself serving a full-time mission for the Church in Berlin, Germany. That was his first of four missions! George currently lives in American Fork, UT with his wife, Margaret, and busies himself trying to keep up with their 11 children and 42 grandchildren. He loves to do family history and play golf with “all the old men in our neighborhood.” His goal is to one day shoot his age, 74.

Latter-day Saints believe that God is real, that He created the world and all of us on it, and that he is literally our Heavenly Father. He has a glorified and perfected body (Doctrine and Covenants 130:22). Humans, His spirit children, were created in His image (Genesis 1:26-27). This means that we were formed in His likeness. So, when we want to know what God looks like, we need only look at each other for the initial answer.

God’s body is glorified and perfected, unlike those mortal bodies we have here and now. We do believe in a literal resurrection, when we will one day all rise again with glorified and perfected bodies of our own. This is made possible through the Atonement of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

According to the first Article of Faith, as articulated by Joseph Smith, “We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.” We believe in all three of these members of what we call the Godhead. We see these three members as unified in purpose, working together to “bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39, in the Pearl of Great Price). God is our Father, Christ is our Savior who atoned for our sins and works to bring God the Father’s purposes to pass.

Both of these beings have bodies, but the Holy Ghost does not. “Were it not so, the Holy Ghost could not dwell in us.” (Doctrine and Covenants 130:22). The Holy Ghost whispers truth to us in our hearts and minds, testifies of truth, and comforts us in times of need. While these three glorious beings are one in purpose, they are three distinct personages. God the Father and Jesus Christ each have their own distinct bodies. Joseph Smith bore witness of this in his First Vision:

When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other — This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him! (Joseph Smith History 1:17; found in the Pearl of Great Price)

Joseph Smith’s First Vision

God is not a disinterested or uncaring being. Rather, He is our loving Father who does all things for our eternal good. He has provided a Savior to atone for our sins, and has given us scriptures, prophets, families, a wonderful world on which to live, and the gift of prayer through which we may always approach Him.

For more information on God and His plan for us, visit mormon.org.

Katie P

Latter-day Saints began their wild speculation as to who the new apostle would be . . . and it is a favorite pastime. Names are suggested at the dinner table, on email lists, at the workplace . . . even in the park where parents are keeping a close watch on their playing children.

Who will the new apostle be? But it is not up to the general membership of the church, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles or even the prophet. A new apostle is called by the Lord and only the Lord.

From Selecting an Apostle we read:

Members of the Quorum of the Twelve serve for their lifetimes, unless removed from their position for iniquity or through resignation. When there are fewer than twelve men in the quorum, it is necessary for a new apostle to be chosen.

 

New apostles for the Quorum of the Twelve are selected by the First Presidency, by revelation. The position is not open to lobbying or application, although several candidates may be considered. The selection is made by applying the same general principles as were followed by the ancient apostles in New Testament times, that is, the First President and the remaining members of the Twelve meet and prayfully consider new candidates. They voice their opinions on who it should be and the finally selection can only be unanimous. (See Acts 1:15-26.)

 

 

Thomas S. Monson at General Conference

Once a decision is reached, the individual’s name is submitted to the remaining members of the Quorum of the Twelve for their approval. The individual is then interviewed by the President of the Church and a calling is issued. The name is announced in a conference of the Church for the sustaining vote of the membership as a whole. Such vote does not constitute an election in the political sense of the word; it indicates that the calling is approved by the membership and that the membership accepts the new apostle as such.

 

The newly sustained individual is then ordained as an apostle by the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve, who bestow upon him the keys (authority) of the holy apostleship. These keys are the same as were given by Christ to the ancient apostles and restored to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery in modern times by Peter, James, and John. The keys given to the new apostle include the authority to preach the gospel in all the world and to seal ordinances on earth that will be sealed eternally. (See Matthew 16:19, 28:19-20).

 

Apostles are special witnesses of the name of Jesus Christ in all the world; they possess a knowledge, by revelation, of the literal resurrection of Christ and a knowledge that he directs the affairs of His Church.

Since the church was restored and formed on April 6, 1830, 95 men have been called, sustained and have served as apostles of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

From that same article www.mormonwiki.com, we find Joseph Smith’s definition of an apostle.

LDS General Conference

They are the Twelve Apostles, who are called to the office of the Traveling High Council, who are to preside over the churches of the Saints, among the Gentiles, where there is a presidency established; and they are to travel and preach among the Gentiles, until the Lord shall command them to go to the Jews.

 

They are to hold the keys of this ministry, to unlock the door of the Kingdom of heaven unto all nations, and to preach the Gospel to every creature. This is the power, authority, and virtue of their apostleship. (Joseph Smith, History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 7 vols. 2:200)

And so, last Saturday in General Conference, October 6, 2007, a new apostle was called, Quentin L. Cook.

Now here is what sets The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints apart from the rest of the world. We believe in personal revelation.

Revelation is communication from God to His children. This guidance comes through various channels according to the needs and circumstances of individuals, families, and the Church as a whole. When the Lord reveals His will to the Church, He speaks through His prophet. Prophets are the only people who can receive revelation for the Church, but they are not the only people who can receive revelation. According to our faithfulness, we can receive revelation to help us with our specific personal needs, responsibilities, and questions and to help us strengthen our testimony.

The scriptures are filled with prophet after prophet after apostle encouraging the reader to learn to communicate with heaven. (1 Corinthians 2:9-14, Revelations 19:10, Alma 5:43-48, Alma 17:2-3, D&C 76:5-10, D&C 121:26-33)

We are expected to pray to our Father in Heaven and ask for confirmation of the calling of Henry B. Eyring to the First Presidency and of Quentin L. Cook to the Quorum of the Twelve. It is a wonderful and enlightening privilege given unto the followers of Jesus Christ. And so I prayed, and I asked, and as these men spoke in the Sunday Morning session of General Conference, it was testified unto me that the Lord had indeed called these men to serve in these roles and my spirit sighed. Once again confirmation had been given to me when I petitioned the Father and I was, and am, so grateful for this continual reminder of the love our Father in Heaven has for each of us. We ask He will answer.

Interestingly, all of Heavenly Father’s children have this right. We’ll discuss more of personal revelation under the Learning About the Church section of this site. In the meantime, I’d like you to stop, ponder and pray and exercise this tremendous privilege you hold. When was the last time you petitioned the Father?

Candace

Why does the LDS Church put such a strong emphasis on missionary work? Because the Lord commanded it.

“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” Mark 16:15

 

Latter-day Saints believe that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the restoration of the church Christ organized during His ministry on earth; they believe that the LDS Church is the only one to contain the full gospel of Jesus Christ. As such, members of the Church believe it is their responsibility to share the message of Jesus Christ and the doctrines of the LDS Church with all of God’s children.

It is because of their belief in a restored church that members of the Church seek out all who might be interested in learning more. They naturally want to share this knowledge with all who will hear their message. They share because of love for the gospel and love for their friends and neighbors.

Latter-day Saints are not only encouraged by their leaders to share the gospel with love and respect, but to also honor the religious beliefs of our friends and neighbors.

“But even more important than respecting other churches for the good work they do, we should respect our fellow human beings—not in spite of their beliefs, but because of them! A man or woman who carefully obeys all the laws and teachings of the Catholic or Buddhist or Shinto or Lutheran religion is obviously striving to do right.” (Gerald E. Jones, “Respect for Other People’s Beliefs,” Ensign, Oct 1977, 69)

It is not the desire of the LDS Church to condemn or criticize those of other faiths but to share their beliefs and knowledge to those who desire to learn more about them. Latter-day Saints are encouraged to share with an attitude of love, accepting their friends and neighbors as they are. Former Church President, George Albert Smith, explained:

“President George Albert Smith, a man of unusual warmth and compassion, expressed very cognecently the attitude we ought to take into a conversation with nonmembers: ‘We have come not to take away from you the truth and virtue you possess. We have come not to find fault with you nor to criticize you. We have not come to berate you because of things you have not done; but we have come here as your brethren. …

 

We are asking [you] to keep all the glorious truths that you have acquired in your churches, that you have absorbed from your scriptures. … Then let us sit down and share with you some of the things that have not yet come into your lives that have enriched our lives and made us happy.’ (Sharing the Gospel with Others, pp. 12–13, 217–19.).” (Gerald E. Jones, “Respect for Other People’s Beliefs,” Ensign, Oct 1977, 69)

When the Lord commanded all who believe in Him to go forth and “preach the gospel to every creature,” He did not say, “except those who might believe something else or who do not look interested.” His intent was for every person to hear His gospel and be provided an opportunity to accept or reject it by their own free will and choice. Therefore, every member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is obligated to share the message of the gospel with everyone.

Rebecca W

Thomas S. Monson is the current prophet of the Mormons.

Mormon prophets serve for life. As of this writing, none have ever retired. However, they are supported by two counselors and twelve apostles, as well as leaders at additional levels. When a prophet does not have the health to carry out his normal duties, most of the work can be done by those who work with him. The apostles are also prophets, seers, and revelators, although they do not fulfill the role of the president of the Church. On rare occasions, there have been three counselors to help with the workload

When a prophet dies, the method for choosing a new prophet is very different from that used by most churches. There are no elections. No one campaigns for the office. No one applies for it. There is a smooth and orderly procession. As we study the Bible, we note that God always chose the prophets and there was no doubt among people of faith as to who that person would be.

In the same way, there is no question as to who will be the next Mormon prophet. In fact, Mormons know today who it will be if he is still alive when the time comes. If he is not, they know who is in line behind him.

As mentioned earlier, the Mormon prophet has two counselors. These three make up the First Presidency, which is the highest authority in church leadership. Below them in authority are twelve apostles. The counselors and the prophet are also apostles, making an actual total of fifteen apostles. Each has an assigned seniority based on when they were called to the role of an apostle.

The person with the greatest seniority is the prophet. President Monson, the current Mormon prophet, has served in the role of apostle longer than any of the others. The second most senior apostle is the president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. If he is serving as a counselor, the next in seniority fills the role as the acting president of the quorum.

When a prophet dies, the First Presidency is automatically dissolved and the counselors return to their usual place in their quorums. The apostles run the church as a body with equal authority until the new prophet has been officially ordained. The apostles meet in the temple as soon as possible and two questions are presented to them. They are asked if the First Presidency should be reorganized at this time or if the Church should continue to function with the Quorum of the Twelve presiding.

After they discuss the questions, a formal motion is made and accepted. Then, if it has been decided to reorganize at this time, a unanimous decision is made to accept the highest ranking apostle as the new prophet and each one gives his testimony of the person God has chosen. The most senior apostle becomes the prophet but it is important that the apostles pray and confirm this personally before the transition is made. This leaves the selection in God’s hands, since He controls life and death and since He can send testimony through the Holy Ghost.

Once the new prophet has been ordained, a solemn assembly is held that allows the membership of the Church to sustain the new prophet. Today, these are broadcast. To sustain does not mean to vote in the temporal sense, even when it is referred to as such. Mormons do not vote on who will be the prophet. When they sustain their prophet—or any other person serving in a church position—they are agreeing to support that person in that position. They are promising God that they will honor and support this person in his role.

The new prophet prays for inspiration in choosing his new counselors. When an apostle dies, inspiration, not an election, selects the new apostle as well. In this way, the church progresses in an orderly and peaceful manner, without the drama and suspense found in many other faiths, but also without the speculation and controversy.

After Joseph Smith was murdered, there was confusion over who ought to lead the church. A number of men campaigned for the position, causing dissension and division in the church. However, there were many who understood what God had taught on this subject and a miracle confirmed this to those of faith. These people continued with the church, while those who merely sought power and honor often went on to found their own churches, most of which did not last very long.

“Men do not obtain place in this Church because they seek for it. If it were known that a man was ambitious to hold a certain office in the Church, that fact itself would lead to his defeat because his desire would not be granted unto him. This is the case with the officers of this Church. … [They] are responsible to God. God chose and nominated [them], and it is for him to straighten [them] out if [they] do wrong.” (George Q. Cannon, in Deseret Weekly, May 21, 1898, p. 708.)

Since that time, the process has continued unbroken, with church members fully informed as to how it works. You can learn about the leaders who are in succession for the presidency here:

http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/leadership-and-organization/

Terrie Lynn Bittner

The late Terrie Lynn Bittner—beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and friend—was the author of two homeschooling books and numerous articles, including several that appeared in Latter-day Saint magazines. She became a member of the Church at the age of 17 and began sharing her faith online in 1992.

The Journal of Discourses contains talks given by Brigham Young in the 1800s, as well as other types of discourses and prayers. He did not write the book. Listeners recorded the talks using shorthand that was then transcribed and published. The purpose was to get his talks to people in Europe who were Mormon. Brigham Young gave approval to the project, but it was carried out for profit by individual Mormons, not by the Church. Brigham Young was never asked to look over the transcriptions and did not validate the transcriptions, nor did he give approval for any specific discussion or talk to be included.

In modern times, researchers have uncovered many transcription errors. In addition, not all talks were formally given to members in General Conference. Some were funeral talks. Some were prayers. Some were reports from missionaries. They were given in a variety of settings for various reasons. While they may have historical value, they are not meant to serve as proof of doctrine. General Conferences were different in those days—more informal, less official, and often included questions from the congregation.

Aside from the obvious problems of mistranslation, people who rely on the journal do not understand how Mormonism operates. It is very difficult for outsiders to understand another person’s faith, which usually has many complexities.

For Mormons, revelations is an ongoing process. Brigham Young is not still the prophet and we react to him the same way we react to Moses. Both were great prophets, but what they taught was not the final word in God’s plan for us. Each prophet added to our body of knowledge concerning the gospel. Sometimes what one prophet taught contradicted what another taught. Jesus taught a higher law than the one Moses taught. He also instructed his apostles to avoid teaching the Samaritans and the Gentiles. Later, however, Peter received a vision telling him that nothing of God is unclean and he was to take the gospel to anyone. Does that mean Jesus was prejudiced or taught  false doctrine? No, it meant it was now time for the next step. This is why we still need prophets today—God never meant for knowledge and progress to end with the last word in the Bible.

So, although Brigham Young taught the gospel, it was the gospel as God wanted it taught at that time. Today, many things have changed as we become better prepared for the next step. What you hear Brigham Young teaching was for his generation, not ours.

In addition, it is important to understand how Mormon doctrine becomes canonized. First, the prophet approaches God with a question. If he receives a revelation in response to the question, it is presented to the apostles for a sustaining vote—which means they will also be praying, providing a layer of protection for the church. Next, it is presented to the membership of the church. Many things Brigham Young said were not the result of revelation, were not presented to the apostles, and were not put to the members for a sustaining vote. This means they are not canonized doctrine.

Then what are they?

They are opinions. God gave us great intelligence and the ability to think and to reason. He has never seen a need to tell us everything at once, and so there are many things about which we know nothing at all. Where there is no canonized doctrine, each Mormon is free to make his or her own decision. That decision, even when spoken by a prophet, does not make it doctrine. It makes it opinion. Even a prophet is allowed to have and to speak opinions. Today, most prophets and apostles are more careful to distinguish between official doctrine and opinion, due to the advent of faster mass communication. You will often hear a talk prefaced as being the opinion of the speaker only, or hear a leader say the he personally believes something. This was not the case in earlier days, when leaders focused on the audience right in front of them, who were aware of the context of the discussion and knew what was opinion and what was not.

Journal of Discourses is an interesting historical document (although one that is not always accurate) but it must never be quoted as official unless the writer can also site an official doctrine from the most recent leaders.

Terrie Lynn Bittner

The late Terrie Lynn Bittner—beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and friend—was the author of two homeschooling books and numerous articles, including several that appeared in Latter-day Saint magazines. She became a member of the Church at the age of 17 and began sharing her faith online in 1992.

Those who understand how Mormon leadership works realized that would not be possible, at least not immediately. Let’s take a look at how the process works.

At most levels of the church, all work is done by unpaid volunteers. The work is part-time and done at a local level. People are invited to take on specific responsibilities, called callings, and these callings are changed regularly. This gives Mormons the opportunity to develop a wide range of skills. Since Mormons aren’t promoted, it is possible to be the bishop (lay pastor) one year and the assistant toddler nursery teacher the next without feeling demoted. It’s just the next calling.

At the highest levels, positions are full-time but still without a salary. If a leader cannot afford to stop his or her paid employment for the role in a General (international) presidency or an apostle, he or she receives a modest stipend that does not come from tithes. The money comes from the small number of for-profit businesses the church owns and pays taxes on.

General Authorities, the priesthood holders who serve at the highest levels, can come from anywhere in the church. They hold the positions of apostle, Seventies, and Presiding Bishops. Apostles most often come from the lower levels of General Authorities, although that is not a requirement. The president of the Church selects the new apostles through prayer and study.

The apostles have seniority based on when they were called. There are fifteen men. Three serve in the first presidency, which consists of the president of the Church, who is also the prophet, and his two counselors. The counselors can be any apostle, not necessarily the highest ranking. The remaining twelve serve as the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. The senior apostle—the one who has served the longest—is the president of the Quorum. If that person is in the First Presidency, the next highest ranking apostle who is not in the First Presidency is the Acting President.

That sets the foundation for leadership. Now, when the prophet dies, the president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (the real president, not the acting one) becomes the new prophet. This means it goes automatically to the longest serving leader and that means Mitt Romney can’t be the next prophet. The current prophet, Thomas S. Monson, will serve as long as he lives. When he dies, Boyd K. Packer will replace him if Elder Packer is still alive.

Each time an apostle dies, the remaining apostles below him in seniority move up one step in the seniority process. The prophet then prays to select a new apostle.

There is clearly great wisdom in God’s decision to operate this way, as there is in all of God’s perfect plan. The choice of prophet is entirely in God’s hand. The current prophet prays and seeks God’s guidance in choosing an apostle, but after that, it is fully under God’s control, since he controls life and death. There is no campaigning, no politicking, and no suspense.

When the first Mormon prophet, Joseph Smith, died, this plan had not been made known to the general membership. As a result, people campaigned for the job and some left the church because they didn’t get chosen or because their favorite candidate didn’t get chosen. It created chaos and conflict at a critical moment in the church. It was a test of faith, to be certain, and helped to weed out those who did not pray for personal confirmation that God’s will had been done. While Brigham Young spoke to the people about the plan of succession, many reported in their journals that he was transfigured and they saw and heard Joseph Smith’s voice and likeness in him, serving as a confirmation of God’s choice. Even with this, however, Mormons are expected to pray for a personal testimony of the prophet and so, whether or not a person saw the transfiguration, he would still be able to find out what God wanted.

Today, with the plan clearly outlined, there is no drama in the selection of the new prophet. We are not distracted from the real work of the church—teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ.

So, Mitt Romney could not be the next prophet, since there are many other people who would be ahead of him. It is possible, of course, that he could become a General Authority, but they are not chosen because they are famous. They are chosen through inspiration because God wants them in that position. This means no one can predict who will be the next General Authority—except, of course, for God.

Terrie Lynn Bittner

The late Terrie Lynn Bittner—beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and friend—was the author of two homeschooling books and numerous articles, including several that appeared in Latter-day Saint magazines. She became a member of the Church at the age of 17 and began sharing her faith online in 1992.