This is exactly something I am researching and am writing on right now. This is a fantastic article and I quote several of the same things you do!
J. RossAugust 23, 2021
Excellent article. I like the author's willingness to question his own personal beliefs. I believe most of us have had a time when we disagreed with a church issue. Sometimes it is the politically liberal among us, now it seem to be the conservatives.The point is none of us has a perfect view.If we think we know more than the prophets, we will be left on the outside.
JimAugust 17, 2021
I agree the Church can advise its members to get vaccinated but I disagree that the shot is safe and effective. If it is effective why are they now saying you will need to get a booster shot every 8 months. Why are people still getting covid who have had the shot? Second, how can they say it is safe? Do they have proof that in 2 years there are no serious side effects? In 5 years? 10 years? They can't. What if there is. How will members feel then about the First Presidency statement? How many may leave the Church because of it?
tfAugust 16, 2021
Thank you Meridian for re-publishing this!
Martin AckleySeptember 19, 2019
Wonderful article. Thank you so much. I agree with everything you wrote, except the the sentence about disagreeing with our prophets being a universal experience. I am a Latter-Day Saint because the prophets are prophets. Either they are or they aren't. If they aren't then I am wasting my time here, but they are. There are many who want to be taught what they want to be taught. There is no growth in that. We ought to desire to be taught what the Lord wants to teach us.
I believe this is relevant. I have always followed politics and of course had very strong opinions and of course was right. I have at times been quite vocal about my beliefs. Under the previous administration I went through a dark period in which I said I am beginning to not recognize my country. For me this was a time of sadness and anger. However, the Spirit spoke to me these words "Countries come and go. Nations rise and fall. You focus on the kingdom of God." This was a powerful Holy Ghost moment and message, and I have never been the same. There is no soundbite or video that could be played on any network news or radio show that can bring me despair again. I know those difficult moments are coming. The Babylon we have all cherished will crumble around us, but it is the Kingdom of God that is unshakable.
"Choose ye this day... I will serve the Lord," and follow the Lord's servant
Also There was no concealed carry allowed by Jesus in His ministry, Peter when Saul was slaughtering the Saints, Paul when the Romans..., Polycarp...
It will probably happen somewhere, sometime; will we say "see I told the Prophet..." or will we follow Paul's teaching to not resist evil, and continue to have faith in Christ and follow the prophet in the face of the most terrible tragedy?
J FoxSeptember 19, 2019
I think this issue is complicated by the distinction between doctrine and policy. it is my faith that the Prophet and Apostles as the final authorities in promulgating correct doctrine and principles. And deviating from these could imperil one's salvation.
It is also my faith that they are also the final authorities on church policy - The "church" being distinguished from the "gospel" as the church is the organized structure that reinforces gospel living. When new church policies are made, especially administrative in nature, I'm just not certain they have the same salvation related significance.
I think this article makes great points, but I suspect there are probably situations where one can take exception to a general policy and it may actual be pleasing to the Lord.
Ben JonesSeptember 19, 2019
When I joined the Church in 1982, Ezra Taft Benson was next in line to be prophet and he had been quoted as saying that you couldn't be a good Democrat and a good Mormon. One of my colleagues, a returned missionary, called Benson a fascist and hoped he'd die before President Kimball did. A year later, I saw Benson speak in General Conference about his experiences as a Boy Scout leader and I decided I was fine with him being the next prophet. A year or so later, he became the prophet and he never said another word about Democrats or Republicans. However, my colleague became a bitter apostate.
EveSeptember 19, 2019
Excellent points. Great reminder that applies to everyone. Thank you so much!
HalSeptember 19, 2019
Wow, what a great article! I will be sharing this with my immediate family. There have been times in my life when I questioned counsel given by church leaders and I have been wrong every time.
YFBSeptember 19, 2019
I want to quarrel with one point: alcohol abuse does not lead to rape. A person does not commit rape because they've had too much to drink. I think it's important to clear up misconceptions like that about sexual abuse once and for all.
RebeccaSeptember 19, 2019
Many people say they would never have "stoned the prophets" as is recorded in the scriptures to have happened. But, how often is this done (not physically casting a stone) when a prophet's stated position - the church's position - on something is not agreed with and fought against in a public, or even private, forum. Ask yourself if your actions/inactions are in effect "stoning the prophets". Thank you for this article - it has given me much to think about. Especially the paragraph that ends with... "If it hasn’t happened to you yet, I can almost guarantee that it eventually will."
Charles DefranchiSeptember 19, 2019
Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the First Presidency had the experience as a young Attorney to consider the Supreme Court's decision to remove any form of religious symbol from public schools and universities as valid...until President David O. McKay stated that this represented the victory of a religion without God over a religion with a God. Brother Oaks later realized that the Prophet had been right all along.
Roberta PetersonSeptember 19, 2019
Excellent, excellent article. Thank you so much. I believe it is arrogant
of us (of me) to think I am always right.
J. HoodSeptember 19, 2019
Well written. I have never questioned the prophets because as you've said, I have received my own revelation from God that they are prophets. But your article made me think about how others might think or feel. I really enjoyed it. It was very informative.
Comments | Return to Story
CurtisAugust 24, 2021
This is exactly something I am researching and am writing on right now. This is a fantastic article and I quote several of the same things you do!
J. RossAugust 23, 2021
Excellent article. I like the author's willingness to question his own personal beliefs. I believe most of us have had a time when we disagreed with a church issue. Sometimes it is the politically liberal among us, now it seem to be the conservatives.The point is none of us has a perfect view.If we think we know more than the prophets, we will be left on the outside.
JimAugust 17, 2021
I agree the Church can advise its members to get vaccinated but I disagree that the shot is safe and effective. If it is effective why are they now saying you will need to get a booster shot every 8 months. Why are people still getting covid who have had the shot? Second, how can they say it is safe? Do they have proof that in 2 years there are no serious side effects? In 5 years? 10 years? They can't. What if there is. How will members feel then about the First Presidency statement? How many may leave the Church because of it?
tfAugust 16, 2021
Thank you Meridian for re-publishing this!
Martin AckleySeptember 19, 2019
Wonderful article. Thank you so much. I agree with everything you wrote, except the the sentence about disagreeing with our prophets being a universal experience. I am a Latter-Day Saint because the prophets are prophets. Either they are or they aren't. If they aren't then I am wasting my time here, but they are. There are many who want to be taught what they want to be taught. There is no growth in that. We ought to desire to be taught what the Lord wants to teach us. I believe this is relevant. I have always followed politics and of course had very strong opinions and of course was right. I have at times been quite vocal about my beliefs. Under the previous administration I went through a dark period in which I said I am beginning to not recognize my country. For me this was a time of sadness and anger. However, the Spirit spoke to me these words "Countries come and go. Nations rise and fall. You focus on the kingdom of God." This was a powerful Holy Ghost moment and message, and I have never been the same. There is no soundbite or video that could be played on any network news or radio show that can bring me despair again. I know those difficult moments are coming. The Babylon we have all cherished will crumble around us, but it is the Kingdom of God that is unshakable. "Choose ye this day... I will serve the Lord," and follow the Lord's servant Also There was no concealed carry allowed by Jesus in His ministry, Peter when Saul was slaughtering the Saints, Paul when the Romans..., Polycarp... It will probably happen somewhere, sometime; will we say "see I told the Prophet..." or will we follow Paul's teaching to not resist evil, and continue to have faith in Christ and follow the prophet in the face of the most terrible tragedy?
J FoxSeptember 19, 2019
I think this issue is complicated by the distinction between doctrine and policy. it is my faith that the Prophet and Apostles as the final authorities in promulgating correct doctrine and principles. And deviating from these could imperil one's salvation. It is also my faith that they are also the final authorities on church policy - The "church" being distinguished from the "gospel" as the church is the organized structure that reinforces gospel living. When new church policies are made, especially administrative in nature, I'm just not certain they have the same salvation related significance. I think this article makes great points, but I suspect there are probably situations where one can take exception to a general policy and it may actual be pleasing to the Lord.
Ben JonesSeptember 19, 2019
When I joined the Church in 1982, Ezra Taft Benson was next in line to be prophet and he had been quoted as saying that you couldn't be a good Democrat and a good Mormon. One of my colleagues, a returned missionary, called Benson a fascist and hoped he'd die before President Kimball did. A year later, I saw Benson speak in General Conference about his experiences as a Boy Scout leader and I decided I was fine with him being the next prophet. A year or so later, he became the prophet and he never said another word about Democrats or Republicans. However, my colleague became a bitter apostate.
EveSeptember 19, 2019
Excellent points. Great reminder that applies to everyone. Thank you so much!
HalSeptember 19, 2019
Wow, what a great article! I will be sharing this with my immediate family. There have been times in my life when I questioned counsel given by church leaders and I have been wrong every time.
YFBSeptember 19, 2019
I want to quarrel with one point: alcohol abuse does not lead to rape. A person does not commit rape because they've had too much to drink. I think it's important to clear up misconceptions like that about sexual abuse once and for all.
RebeccaSeptember 19, 2019
Many people say they would never have "stoned the prophets" as is recorded in the scriptures to have happened. But, how often is this done (not physically casting a stone) when a prophet's stated position - the church's position - on something is not agreed with and fought against in a public, or even private, forum. Ask yourself if your actions/inactions are in effect "stoning the prophets". Thank you for this article - it has given me much to think about. Especially the paragraph that ends with... "If it hasn’t happened to you yet, I can almost guarantee that it eventually will."
Charles DefranchiSeptember 19, 2019
Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the First Presidency had the experience as a young Attorney to consider the Supreme Court's decision to remove any form of religious symbol from public schools and universities as valid...until President David O. McKay stated that this represented the victory of a religion without God over a religion with a God. Brother Oaks later realized that the Prophet had been right all along.
Roberta PetersonSeptember 19, 2019
Excellent, excellent article. Thank you so much. I believe it is arrogant of us (of me) to think I am always right.
J. HoodSeptember 19, 2019
Well written. I have never questioned the prophets because as you've said, I have received my own revelation from God that they are prophets. But your article made me think about how others might think or feel. I really enjoyed it. It was very informative.
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