Modern Prophets

Benjamin Franklin boasted attending church five times in a row.  His opinion of the minister was that his sermons were “dry, uninteresting, and unedifying, since not a single moral principle was inculcated or enforc’d…”  Being disgusted, he composed “a little Liturgy, or form of prayer, for my own private use.” This made up his private religious practice. (Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin,  pp. 70-71)

The minister of his Presbyterian church admonished him to attend the services being the only minister of that sect in the area. Probably the minister was trained in religious instruction and felt authorized to administer the various sacraments.

I share both of these scenarios as examples of unauthorized religion in America.  The first, Ben Franklin, created his own religion for his own use.  The second, the minister, administered the sacraments without finding out first if God would honor those sacraments.

The Lord has said, “And if they be literal descendants of Aaron they have a legal right to the bishopric, if they are the firstborn among the sons of Aaron; For the firstborn holds the right of the presidency over this priesthood, and the keys or authority of the same.” (D&C 68:16-17)

Of course it is doubtful that an American colonial minister was also a literal descendant of Aaron. The authority to officiate in the church comes from someone who has the authority. When Joseph Smith was commanded to organize the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he asked God a question about the authority to baptize.  In answer to his prayer, John the Baptist, a resurrected being came down from heaven and gave to him and his scribe Oliver Cowdery the Aaronic Priesthood which is the authority to baptize.  That authority has been handed down to the present day. Explore more on this topic here.

Notably, the authority to act as a spokesman for the Lord on Earth with the title of Prophet, has been a guiding force in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  This post is about the prophets from Joseph Smith to the present.

“A prophet is one who has been called and raised up by the Lord to further God’s purposes among his children. He is one who has received the priesthood and speaks with authority. Prophets are teachers and defenders of the gospel. They bear witness of the divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ. Prophets have foretold future happenings, but this is not the most important of their responsibilities, although it may be some evidence of prophetic power.” Source

All prophet testify of Jesus Christ. Starting with Joseph Smith, “God has spoken anew and continues to provide guidance for all his children through a living prophet today.” ibid

So how have prophets guided the Saints and what has been revealed to be the will of the Lord?

Joseph Smith (1805-1844):  was a visionary who both restored ancient practices and organized the Saints into a Church.  He saw the Zion of the last days and the building of temples.  He built two temples under the direction of God the Father. One of his great works was to translate an ancient record into English that retold the stories of prophets and the coming of Christ to a civilization in the American continent.  This civilization is long gone but their words were preserved to prepare and guide believers back to the truth in a world of so many choices and voices.

Brigham Young (1801-1877):  He was a visionary who saw the Saints new home in the Western territories of North America and directed them to begin colonizing the land.  Instead of allowing the saints to all bunch together for survival at first, he immediately sent them out to distant places in the West to begin settlements.  He began the construction of three temples.

John Taylor (1808-1887): He was a scholar and spokesperson for the Church as it faced opposition in other parts of the United States. He helped translate the Book of Mormon into French and oversaw the expansion of religious settlements in Wyoming, Colorado, Arizona, Canada and Mexico. Source

Wilford Woodruff (1807-1898): He was the prophet who decided to formally end the practice of plural marriage with a document called the Manifesto. He kept extensive journals which give a first-hand account of life on the frontier and the dealings of the early church.

Lorenzo Snow (1814-1901): He was the prophet to bring financial stability to the church by emphasizing the payment of tithes. His efforts were to bring the church stability just 30 years before the Great Depression. He envisioned the world-wide expansion of the church which took many years to become a reality.

Joseph F Smith (1838-1918): He encouraged the Saints to stay in their homelands where previous converts had all emigrated from their homes to the United States. In response to public interest in the theories of evolution, he issued a statement affirming that men are created in God’s image. He had a vision of the the nature of the “Spirit world” where the dead reside which can be read here. He envisioned future Church programs such as Family Home Evening, seminaries and the use of priesthood counsels in local government which were implemented fifty years later.

Heber J Grant (1856-1945): As members of the Church grew, he organized the first stakes outside the Western territories in California and New York. To communicate with these Saints he used phone networks and radio broadcasts.  Following the Crash of 1929 and the Great Depression, he organized the Church’s Welfare Program.

George A Smith (1870-1951): As the prophet who saw the end of World War II, he expanded missionary work. He reconciled with disaffected Saints in the Mormon colonies in Mexico.  He was an avid genealogist.

David O McKay (1873-1970): He was the prophet who formed the first stakes outside the United States.  He broadcasted the General Conference of the church worldwide.  He sent the first home teachers to individual member families to teach the gospel and assess needs.  He introduced Sunday School manuals and the Family Home Evening program to the Saints.

Joseph Fielding Smith (1876-1972): He announced the Youth programs of the Church and coordinated the participation of Church youth in the Boy Scouts of America program.  He began a training program for Bishops, (lay leaders of the Church).

Harold B Lee (1899-1973): A prophet for only one and a half years, Lee did much to support earlier prophets in their inspired leadership.  He was a dynamic speaker and defender of the faith.

Spencer W Kimball (1895-1985): His great contribution to the spirituality of the Saints was the annotated King James Translation of the Bible with footnotes, dictionary and appendix.  He also standardized the additional texts of the Church into a bound book of three texts with footnotes and appendix.  These tools helped the Saints study the gospel on their own and increase in faith. He condensed the worship services scattered throughout the week to one three-hour block on Sundays. He opened the work of spreading the gospel in Africa with his “Revelation on the Priesthood” allowing all worthy males to receive priesthood authority from someone who has been duly ordained.

Ezra T Benson (1899-1994): He reemphasized the study and use of the Book of Mormon and dedicated nine new temples. He was an advocate for freedom and the US Constitution.

Howard W Hunter (1907-1995) Another prophet to only serve for nine months, he helped to draft the Proclamation on the Family which was released the year after his death and he encouraged the Saints to worship more often in the temple closest to them.

Gordon B Hinckley (1910-2008) A energetic prophet who envisioned the construction of “Little Temples” after visiting Saints in Northern Mexico who could not travel across the US Border to Arizona to worship in the closest temple. He constructed a new Conference Center.  He added six quorums to the seventy who administer the world-wide church.  He also introduced the Perpetual Education Fund which helps Saints in foreign countries receive a micro loan  to get a higher education. He increased the standards of worthiness for missionaries to serve.

Thomas S Monson (1927-present) He has been known as the Rescuer who sent more local saints out to find apostate members and also increased the number of missionaries serving by lowering the age at which they could serve.  His most recent address to the Saints can be read here.

Thanks to Wikipedia for providing the dates when these men were born and died.

Do You See Small Enough?

I been thinking about the repentance process and my last post talked about some of the BIG changes that repentance can bring about in a person’s spiritual progression.  I gained additional insight today as I was listening to a horse trainer explain how basic maneuvers are repeated with the horse until the amount of pressure to the reins can be reduced to just a few ounces of pressure and yet the horse responds. Horses learn very quickly but often the trainer fails to get the results he wants.  This is not because the lessons are difficult for the horse or difficult for the trainer.  This is not because the horse is somehow unable to achieve that level of mastery.  The reason that the trainer fails to achieve the desired results is that the trainer stops repeating the lessons.  The trainer stops because he or she doesn’t see the smallest changes.  Every repetition of the exercise produces smaller and smaller results.  This is logical. The horse becomes better at the exercise and responds quicker. The trainer sees big improvement at first but does the trainer continue to see the subtle changes in behavior, attitude and stance?

Amyloplasts

In the repentance process, the biggest changes occur first.  As the spiritual progression continues, the changes are smaller. Each repetition brings a quicker response, a more submissive reaction and a humbler stance. God being infinite can see infinitely small changes.  He is the Creator and his designs reach all the way down to the atomic level. In God’s training methods, we can expect to see repetition.  We might even wonder why he is repeating a lesson that we feel we have already mastered.  What is the purpose in this uniquely challenging Earth experience? 

As we repent, we show submission and humility.  We can choose to accept the changes or we can choose to distance ourselves from God and avoid his correction.  C.S. Lewis’s great quote gives insight into the purpose to God’s training and our acceptance of his correction.  He said, “Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of - throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.”  (Lewis, C.S. Mere Christianity.) The process of repentance does change us in large structural ways but it also changes us in the details of our souls. Do you see small enough?

Hohenschwangau Castle, Bavaria

The best way to benefit from repentance is to choose to make corrections rather than having correction forced upon you by the circumstances.  Any person can choose to become more spiritual by designing a course of action that includes regular study, meditation and prayer.  Any person can choose to become more charitable by engaging in a service project that takes 20+ hours to complete. The choice to engage in faith-building activities is a choice to repent because changing from a habit of less engagement to one of more engagement entails progress.  Personal growth will happen and within a short time the new self will be significantly improved. As a mentor of youth, I often give them a set of exercises to do that will result in these kinds of changes.  Being young and easily influenced, they do the exercises without knowing why or how it will change them.  As adults, we are less likely to be mentored in this way, however we can learn from and adapt the programs designed for youth to our own purposes.  Begin today on a self-directed exploration of your faith and commitment to our Heavenly Father. I promise you it will be worth the effort.

Programs for Youth

Faith In God

Personal Progress

Duty to God

Awana

Focus on the Family's Spiritual Development Program

This video is about why parents take a leadership role in mentoring kids spirituality

Image credits: All photos are in the public domain and available on Pixabay

Four Stories about Repentance plus My Own Thoughts

Enos was a guy who had grown up in a religious family but he hadn’t thought much about it.  He attributes his father to what he does know.  When he finally started to feel that “hunger” to know, he took the opportunity to pray in private while out hunting.  He says he prayed all day.  And when night came he was still praying. He doesn’t specify what exactly he was praying for or about but he heard a voice that gave him a sense of Divine forgiveness and his “guilt was swept away.”  He asked the Divine a question, “How is it done?”  This is truly the essence of repentance stories.  How is it done?  What does it feel like?  When is it over?

God’s answer to Enos was: “And he said unto me: Because of thy faith in Christ, whom thou hast never before heard nor seen. And many years pass away before he shall manifest himself in the flesh; wherefore, go to, thy faith hath made thee whole.”

This answer is very similar to the kinds of things Christ said when he healed a person.  Repentance is a process that makes a broken, damaged, corrupted person whole.

Lamoni was what we would call an indigenous man who was a minor king since his father was still alive and reigning in a different part of the land.  He believed in “the Great Spirit” which is a common belief in native peoples of America.  He was taught about Christ and he believed what he heard completely.  However, his culture valued prowess in war and he had recently killed some servants who had lost his sheep to plundering villagers.  So his past actions conflicted with the new value system and he was worried about the repercussions.  In this story Lamoni falls to the ground and remains unconscious for a period of 48 hours during which he experiences the Divine and is taught the truth.  Wouldn’t that be wonderful if we could all have a personal experience with the Divine?  The only reason I can think of why Lamoni got this when most people don’t get it is that he was a king and had the ability to influence many people by virtue of the leadership position he held. The kind of Divine manifestation Lamoni had is not the major takeaway.  What is instructive is that his unmitigated faith led to a complete change in his character.  He went from a leader who routinely punished small offenses by death to a leader who had “no desire to do evil” and was willing to bury all his weapons of war in the ground and give up his life before committing another murder.  That commitment was tested and he and his people did experience a war where they refused to fight.  Who do you know that has made a commitment to shun evil and been true to that commitment when their life was in jeopardy?

The third story is about a man named Alma.  He grew up in a religious climate and chose to fight it.  “He was a man of many words, and did speak much flattery to the people; therefore he led many of the people to do after the manner of his iniquities.” The fire of rebellion gained strength especially when it got social approval from other people. His father was understandably concerned and began to pray for him. In a Divine manifestation much like that which Saul/Paul had in the New Testament, an angel stops Alma in his tracks.  He describes his repentance process, “I have repented of my sins, and have been redeemed of the Lord; behold I am born of the Spirit…Nevertheless, after wading through much tribulation, repenting nigh unto death, the Lord in mercy hath seen fit to snatch me out of an everlasting burning, and I am born of God.

“My soul hath been redeemed from the gall of bitterness and bonds of iniquity. I was in the darkest abyss; but now I behold the marvelous light of God. My soul was racked with eternal torment; but I am snatched, and my soul is pained no more.”  The great passion with which he attacked the religion is redirected to a passionate testimony of how God frees the soul from the bondage of sin and leads it into the marvelous light of truth.

In the fourth story, Ammon talks about the great anger that motivated his actions before he went through the repentance process.  He was a friend of Alma in the third story and witnessed Lamoni’s change of heart in the second story.  He explains how God’s justice should have resulted in eternal despair for himself and his friends. Instead Ammon took the mercy offered him to repent and change his ways. His anger was dissipated. His life took on new meaning. In addition, the same process that he took personally, he also witnessed in the people of Lamoni who he says “were encircled about with everlasting darkness and destruction; but behold, he has brought them into his everlasting light, yea, into everlasting salvation; and they are encircled about with the matchless bounty of his love. For behold, they had rather sacrifice their lives than even to take the life of their enemy; and they have buried their weapons of war deep in the earth, because of their love towards their brethren.” (Alma 26:15, 32)

The repentance process is one of change from dark to light, a shift from bondage to freedom, a shift from despair to purpose.  In the traditional sense, it implies a wrong action on the part of the repentant person.  In my opinion, repentance is a generic process that neutralizes the wrong actions of anyone whether I did them or someone did them to me. If I feel any bitterness or bondage, and I’m willing to face it and work through it, the atonement of Jesus Christ can and does dissipate my anger and hurt.  Allen Bergin described the process of repentance as a person who came “before the Lord in mighty prayer and confessed fully and frankly exactly what they had done, step-by-step, intention by intention, they began to realize more deeply how they had betrayed the Lord who loves them; how they had violated their own ideals as followers of the Savior; and how they had betrayed, in many cases, sacred covenants. This self-examination is like psychotherapy in that the process of spiritual reform requires overcoming defenses and accepting painful self-awareness. It is an exercise in honesty, guided by the spirit of truth. This is not an easy thing to achieve.”  I have noticed in my personal introspection that my desire for evil often is tied to an injury I received. In my repentance, I have experienced the bondage of sin break under the light of truth and the desire for evil shift to a desire for goodness.  I want to emphasize that walking through the gall of bitterness is often a part of the repentance process. On the other side of this proximity to “death” is the matchless bounty of God’s love. The fear of “death” is real but if you understand that what is dying is the corrupted part of yourself, then you can walk with confidence the path that burns it out of you. I testify that the result of repentance is wholeness. If you run away from repentance you may end up in an addiction which is a flawed attempt to assuage guilt and pain without resolving it.  There are a hundred ways to run but only one way to be free.  Ultimately a personal experience with the Divine is essential.  I believe faith in Jesus Christ and participation in the nuanced repentance process is the only way to experience lasting peace in this life.

Watch a video about the repentance process here

Additional Scriptures on Repentance

• Matthew 9:10–13; Luke 13:3; Ezekiel 18:30 (repent or perish)
• Alma 7:21 (no unclean thing can dwell in God’s presence)
• 2 Corinthians 7:9–10 (godly sorrow)
• Mosiah 4:10–12 (steps to repentance)
• Isaiah 1:18; Mosiah 26:28–32 (repentance brings forgiveness)
• D&C 58:42 (sins remembered no more)
• 2 Nephi 9:23 (repentance necessary to salvation)
• 2 Nephi 2:21 (repent while in the flesh)
• D&C 19:15–20 (the Lord has commanded us to repent so we will not have to suffer as He did)

If you liked this post you might also like What It Takes to Turn Around

Credit:
Allen Bergin, Psychology and Repentance. BYU Speeches. 1994.
Image used with permission