God Speaks to His Modern-day Prophets

The ninth Article of Faith of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is “We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.”

The thirteen declarations of belief from which the above Article is taken were published on March 1, 1842 in the Times and Seasons of Nauvoo, Illinois. By that date, the Prophet Joseph Smith had translated the Book of Mormon through the inspiration and power of God, and the printed product had been in circulation for twelve years. Between June 1830 and February 1831, the Prophet received by revelation the contents of the Book of Moses that contains revelations given to the ancient prophets Adam and Enoch as recorded by Moses. The Book of Abraham, a translation by the Prophet Joseph Smith of Egyptian papyri that came into his possession earlier, began to appear in the Times and Seasons on March 1, 1842. These latter two works are published today as a portion of the Pearl of Great Price. In 1831, the Prophet began his inspired translation of the Old and New Testaments that was a work in progress for more than two years. Although he did not live to see his work on the Bible published, we use his translation today to enhance our understanding of many important verses of Biblical scripture. By March 1842, 129 of the 138 revelations and writings published today in the Doctrine & Covenants had been documented by the Prophet Joseph Smith. The remaining nine revelations and writings were received or published by the latter-day prophets, Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, John Taylor, and Joseph F. Smith.

With these evidences before us, what insights may we draw from them? First, God is not a respecter of persons and has manifest Himself to his spirit children in mortality far more than we realize. While instructing the Prophet Nephi concerning the shortsightedness of future generations to accept only the Bible as being the revealed word of God, the Lord said, “Know ye not that there are more nations than one? Know ye not that I, the Lord your God, have created all men, and that I remember those who are upon the isles of the sea; and that I rule in the heavens above and in the earth beneath; and I bring forth my word unto the children of men yea, even upon all the nations of the earth? Wherefore murmur ye, because that ye shall receive more of my word? Know ye not that the testimony of two nations is a witness unto you that I am God, that I remember one nation like unto another? Wherefore, I speak the same words unto one nation like unto another. And when the two nations shall run together the testimony of the two nations shall run together also. And I do this that I may prove unto many that I am the same yesterday, today, and forever; . . .” (2 Nephi 29:7-9).

Second, during the mortal mission of the Prophet Joseph Smith, the “running together” of the words of God to several nations was accomplished with the intended result that in this final dispensation, we are benefited by having available for our use some of the words and testimony of God directed to our distant ancestors.

Third, the heavens are open, and God has spoken to His modern-day prophets. The Lord’s true Church has been restored to the earth, and thus the Kingdom of God is on the earth. If it is His Church and Kingdom, then ought we not to expect that He is at its head? How else other than by revelation to His chosen prophets would He be able to direct His work here? The contents of the Doctrine & Covenants provide tangible proof of this direction.

Fourth, the successful and intricate workings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in these last days complicated as they are by the evil conduct of many and the effects of plagues of disease and natural disasters are evidence that the Lord is still at the head of His Church directing it by revelation. The major thrusts of the Church’s missionary program illustrate the Church’s three major goals and more. Full-time missionaries are preaching the gospel to non-members in most of the world’s nations. Missionaries who have been called to serve in the Church Educational System (CES) are busy teaching the gospel to members of the Church thus working to “perfect the saints” while also spending time to seek out and strengthen particularly the challenged single adults in the areas to which they have been assigned. Other full-time missionaries are serving as temple ordinance workers in many temples around the world where the Church membership is unable to fully staff their local temples. In many areas of the developing world, humanitarian missionaries are working to alleviate the debilitating effects of disease and death through the improvement of medical care, personal hygiene, clean water supplies, and an improved understanding of nutrition, to mention only some of the more obvious areas of focus. All of these endeavors and many, many more illustrate the continuing revelation from God whereby these efforts are administered according to His direction.

So the reality today is as the Prophet Joseph Smith wrote in 1842, we Saints accept and seek to apply in our lives and activities the revealed word of God whether received in ages past or in these modern times. We also believe that revelation continues day by day to the prophets, seers, and revelators who stand next to Jesus Christ in the leadership of His Church. This continuing direction we await and wholeheartedly accept, for by doing so our lives are improved, and we become more valiant workers in His Kingdom.