Faithfulness and Prophets—Past and Present

Naturally, Satan has always sought to diminish confidence in prophets and apostles. After all, throughout history they have been the principal witnesses of the name of Jesus Christ to all the world (see Doctrine and Covenants 107:23).

In our time, the adversary seeks to impede what President Russell M. Nelson called “the most important thing taking place on earth today,” the gathering of Israel, which must precede the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. The prophets and apostles hold the keys of this gathering. Thus, they are always faced with opposition.

Whether anciently or in the latter days, Satan has even found ways to deceive some of God’s own covenant children to fight against the Apostles of the Lamb, past and present (see 1 Nephi 11:34–36).

Here are five principles that can help us avoid falling into this trap.

Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ

The first of these principles is also the first principle of the gospel: faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and His Atonement.

Faith is directional. President Jeffrey R. Holland, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, taught that faith always points toward the future.

As our faith in Christ and trust in God increase, we “look forward with an eye of faith, and view” Their promises fulfilled (see Alma 5:15; see also Mosiah 18:21; Alma 32:40). At the “Be One” celebration commemorating the 40th anniversary of the 1978 revelation on the priesthood, President Dallin H. Oaks, First Counselor in the First Presidency, invited all to “look forward in the unity of our faith and trust in the Lord’s promise [see 2 Nephi 26:33].”

This forward focus moves us toward the fulfillment of President Nelson’s promise during this same event of “perfect peace and harmony” and the day when, as President Henry B. Eyring, Second Counselor in the First Presidency, taught, “the Lord Jehovah will return to live with those who have become His people and will find them united, of one heart, unified with Him and with our Heavenly Father.”

By contrast, Satan seeks to harden God’s children into being stuck in a backward focus, dwelling on past circumstances, statements, or teachings—even those clarified by later prophets and apostles. As “the accuser of our brethren … day and night” (Revelation 12:10), he instigates perpetual criticism of God’s prophets and apostles and their teachings. This cleverly undermines faith in the object of their witness, Jesus Christ—his ultimate diabolical aim.

Statements of unity, peace, and harmony from modern Apostles are clear that while Satan is clever at stirring up contention and disunity, this is the time for all God’s covenant children (see 1 Nephi 11:34–36) to be unified in embracing and acting upon the eternal truths God reveals through His prophets and apostles. By so doing, we may become a unified, happy, powerful, covenant, faith-filled people with zero racial, gender, ethnic, or other disharmony.

The teachings of prophets and apostles inspire this unity and sure faith in Jesus Christ, which will always move us forward.

Seeing our day, Moroni taught how we can be shielded from becoming critical of prophets and apostles: the principle of not condemning or judging.

“Condemn me not because of mine imperfection,” Moroni said, “neither my father, because of his imperfection, neither them who have written before him; but rather give thanks unto God that he hath made manifest unto you our imperfections, that ye may learn to be more wise than we have been” (Mormon 9:31; emphasis added).

In other words, we focus on and learn from prophets’ and apostles’ teachings and witness of Christ and His gospel and avoid looking for their imperfection. Throughout history, God has revealed some of these imperfections for our profit and to help us learn to be more wise. I give thanks unto Him for doing so.

Still, we must be careful. In the April 2019 general conference, President Eyring quoted this teaching of President George Q. Cannon (1827–1901), First Counselor in the First Presidency: “God has chosen His servants. He claims it as His prerogative to condemn them, if they need condemnation. He has not given it to us individually to censure and condemn them. No man, however strong he may be in the faith, however high in the Priesthood, can speak evil of the Lord’s anointed and find fault with God’s authority on the earth without incurring His displeasure. The Holy Spirit will withdraw himself from such a man, and he will go into darkness. This being the case, do you not see how important it is that we should be careful?”

You and I have the Lord’s blessing and mandate regarding prophetic teachings and actions, including any we may find difficult to understand or accept:

“Thou shalt give heed unto all his words and commandments which he shall give unto you as he receiveth them, walking in all holiness before me;

“For his word ye shall receive as if from mine own mouth, in all patience and faith” (Doctrine and Covenants 21:4–5; emphasis added).

Again, we do not condemn or judge (see Matthew 7:1–2). As I have moved forward with faith in Jesus Christ and gratitude for the blessing of prophets and apostles, I have been richly blessed (see Doctrine and Covenants 21:6).

Another key principle is to avoid exceeding our authority or assuming roles we don’t have. These mindsets deceive us into thinking too highly of our own opinions, which naturally occurs when we think too lowly of the teachings of prophets and apostles. Condemning prophets and apostles, including those of the past, obviously exceeds our authority, as the Lord reserves this ability to Himself. I am fully confident that our all-knowing, loving, and merciful Savior has addressed or will address and eagerly forgive any mistakes or imperfections of the past, as we hope He will do for us in the present.

Another example of exceeding our authority is to presume to direct prophets and apostles as to what actions the Church should take or how it should be governed. That is the Lord’s role, not ours (see Doctrine and Covenants 28:2–7). However well-intentioned we may be, condemning and presuming to direct prophets and apostles both flow from pride and lead to deception and failure to follow prophetic authority.

From 1820 until now, the Lord has continually tutored His prophets, seers, and revelators in the revelatory process by which He leads His Church.

President Nelson taught:

“When we convene as a Council of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve, our meeting rooms become rooms of revelation. The Spirit is palpably present. … Though we may differ in our initial perspectives, the love we feel for each other is constant. Our unity helps us to discern the Lord’s will for His Church.

“In our meetings, the majority never rules! We listen prayerfully to one another and talk with each other until we are united.”

Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles observed: “The objective is not simply consensus among council members but revelation from God. It is a process involving both reason and faith for obtaining the mind and will of the Lord.”

This restored, fine-tuned principle of safety increases confidence in the ability of our current leaders to always govern the Church according to the Lord’s will.

Of course, Jesus Christ stands at the head of His Church, and He directs His prophets. What we may perceive as imperfections in their words or actions may, in fact, reflect imperfection in our perception or mortal understanding. Remembering that the Lord’s ways are higher than our ways and that His thoughts are higher than our thoughts (see Isaiah 55:8–9) allows us to avoid judging prophets, including those of the past. This humble attitude enables us to give heed to the words of living prophets “in all patience and faith” (Doctrine and Covenants 21:5; see also 1:28).

It also helps us receive increased revelation, hope, and faith in Christ in an increasingly difficult world. Jacob taught, “We search the prophets, and we have many revelations and the spirit of prophecy; and having all these witnesses we obtain a hope, and our faith becometh unshaken” (Jacob 4:6). If we are humble, these sacred experiences can take away from us any desire to be faultfinding toward prophets and apostles, including those of the past (see Doctrine and Covenants 88:124; 136:23). Humility helps us “search the prophets” for truths that increase our joy and peace and not search for imperfections.

In that spirit, I bear my certain and loving witness that the prophets from Joseph Smith onward were prophets of God in an unbroken line of succession to and including President Russell M. Nelson. It has been a profound blessing for me to “search the prophets” and to come closer to God through the teachings of each of them.

I bear witness that those called to the holy apostleship under the direction of these prophets were and are special witnesses of the name of Jesus Christ in all the world. What a privilege it is to look and move forward unto Jesus Christ through the teachings of these witnesses.