When to Follow a Fallible Prophet

Q1: If prophets are fallible (as I believe they are, same as every other imperfect mortal in this world) then how can people trust in their EVERY word as if from God?

A1:

This very question is why it is so important to learn how to gain a confirming witness of the truth via the personal witness of the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost will bear witness of truth, especially the truth of prophetic counsel. However, sometimes that witness doesn't come until after the trial of your faith. Following the prophet is not blind obedience. It's acting in faith, as informed by the spirit.

“We listen to the Lord’s prophet with the faith that his words are “from [the Lord’s] own mouth.” Is this blind faith? No, it is not. We each have a spiritual witness of the truthfulness of the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ. By our own will and choice, we raised our hand this morning, declaring our desire to sustain the Lord’s prophet with our “confidence, faith, and prayer[s]” and to follow his counsel. We have the privilege as Latter-day Saints to receive a personal witness that President Nelson’s call is from God” (Neil L. Andersen, The Prophet of God,” Ensign, May 2018, 25).

“We can tell when the speakers are ‘moved upon by the Holy Ghost’ only when we, ourselves, are ‘moved upon by the Holy Ghost.’ In a way, this completely shifts the responsibility from them to us to determine when they so speak.” (J. Reuben Clark, When Are the Writings or Sermons of Church Leaders Entitled to the Claim of Scripture? [address delivered to seminary and institute of religion personnel, 7 July 1954], p. 7).

It is true that not every word a prophet speaks comes directly from God, but their counsel and opinions often have great value. A Prophet's human failings do not mean that they do not have authority and keys that make them worth listening to and heeding. God will always use imperfect servants, because we are all He has to work with. A Prophet's fallibility does not negate the importance or the truth of his teachings.

Q2: But what a prophet teaches isn't always true...In that case, is it still wise to heed their words?

A2: Be careful not to throw the baby out with the bathwater. Just because there have been instances in which prophets have made mistakes, that doesn't automatically make it unwise "to heed their words." Fallibility does not equal or imply deception, intent to deceive, or even simple unreliability.

What Does A Prophet Actually Do?

A friend of mine, who is only nominally a member of the LDS Church, recently posted this short (34 second long) video on Facebook. While I find the video to be a little childish, and feel that it shows a distinct lack of understanding on the part of its creators, I also find it useful as a gateway through which to address certain misconceptions in the world and among the members of the church concerning precisely what it is that a prophet of God does (and does not) do, how prophecy functions, and how each of us can recognize a true prophet at work.


This video was posted on Youtube by someone who goes by the name "Smithbusters," which by itself should tell you that it is not intended to flatter the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and that those who posted the video hardly represent a credible or objective source. However it does raise some interesting questions like: "Why isn't General Conference filled with predictions about the next big financial crash or weather disaster?" or, "Why haven't there been any major changes to the standard works in 20 or more years?"

I feel that I should respond to these questions, and this video, by first stating that I feel that the people who posted the video do not have a proper understanding of what it is that a prophet actually does, but then again if they did, we wouldn't be having this discussion. More to the point, there are many people (including some members of the church) who are less than entirely clear as to what exactly it is that a prophet actually does.

For many people (in America anyway) this problem has much to do with the fact that, in my experience, most Americans seem to get the bulk of their religious knowledge from sources such as the movies, the History channel, and the Discovery channel.

If you rely on sources like these to get your knowledge, here is what you will learn:

The Priesthood and Women: Are men and women equal in the church? What role does the priesthood play in a strong marriage?

Q: "Does it say in 1 Timothy that women should not be pastors?"

A friend of mine sent me this question some time ago in the wake of some controversy among a group of conservative churches concerning the role of women in the ministry. At the time she was interested in hearing what the Bible had to say on the question of whether or not women can hold the priesthood, and she was interested to see if my interpretation of certain passages coincided with that of certain factions within the debate. Recently I revisted my answer and expanded it to address an issue which more directly relates to women as they approach the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (both from within and from without). Namely the relationship between women and the priesthood (both in the time of Christ and His apostles as well as in this day and age), and the question of whether or not the seeming "exclusivity" of the priesthood constitutes sexism or gender discrimination. This is an issue that this particular friend had before she joined the church, and I know that she is certainly not alone in these misgivings. As I sought to address this question, I found that gaining an understanding of the role and function of the priesthood in an eternal marriage is crucial to finding the answer to these questions.

The Great Apostasy-Part III: Apostasy and Dissension from within the Church

Apostasy and Dissension from within the Church

This is the third installment in my series of presentations on the Great Apostasy. In this segment we examine the catastrophic effect that internal heresy and strife had on the primitive church, and the Apostles' responses to and prophecies about this increasingly widespread apostasy.  If you have not already done so you should go back and view Part 1 and Part 2 first before you start Part 3.

**For ideal viewing, click the fullscreen button on the bottom left hand side of the player, or hit Ctrl+Shift+F to view the presentation at its full size.

The Great Apostasy - Part 2

What caused the Great Apostasy?/External Persecution?

Here is the second part in my series on the Great Apostasy.  If you have not yet viewed Part 1 you should follow this link so you can view it first before you start part 2.  In this segment we examine the persecution that was heaped upon the early saints, and attempt to determine how and if that persecution contributed to the eventual demise of the primitive church as it was established by Christ. As always, feedback is appreciated.  Also, when you are done you can move on to Part 3.

**For ideal viewing, click the fullscreen button on the bottom left hand side of the player, or hit Ctrl+Shift+F to view the presentation at its full size.

The Great Apostasy - Part 1

Introduction/Prophets and Apostles

This is the first in a planned series on the Great Apostasy. For ideal viewing, click the fullscreen button on the bottom left hand side of the player, or hit Ctrl+Shift+F to view the presentation at its full size. Let me know what you think of this format in general, and my presentation in particular.  Also, here are links to Part 2 and Part 3

A question about the Bible

Last year a friend of mine sent me an interesting question about the Bible. In many respects it is similar to questions that I was asked on a regular basis while I was on my mission, but in this case I got to talk a lot longer and, perhaps, develop my ideas more fully. That's code for: I enjoyed answering this one.


A. K.
September 22 at 8:17pm

Do you know how many different versions of the bible there are? I don't understand how any of it could be true when it's been edited so much. I was thinking about getting a Hebrew bible once. I figured that might be as close to true as you could get but I'm sure that's been edited way beyond truth too.



Michael Maier
Today at 4:35pm
I hope that this answers some of your questions: