[Though this post begins with a political reference, it is not a post about politics or partisanship.]
I was listening to Sean Spicer yesterday try to explain when Donald Trump should be taken at his word and when he is merely joking. It’s actually a tough distinction to make, as a rule, in advance. (Try it.) But what caught my attention was the way he chose to answer. His response was that you know Trump is being real when he speaks “with authority” or when he is being “presidential.”
That answer is both (1) totally unhelpful in judging tweets and (2) so much like how Mormons often talk about prophets. When are they speaking for the Lord? When they are speaking for the Lord.
In order to resolve this difficulty I know Mormons who adopt a simple prescription: Follow the Prophet. Don’t worry about whether he’s right or wrong, speaking for the Lord or not, just follow.
I’ve written about this before and it came to my mind again in a recent Sunday School lesson. We read D&C 21:4 and were discussing the injunction to “give heed unto all [Joseph’s] words and commandments which he shall give unto you as he receiveth them, walking in all holiness before [the Lord].” Pretty soon I was hearing strains of “Follow the Prophet” as class members talked about this command to obey Joseph.
But “heed” does not mean “obey.” It means listen carefully, consider, weigh, pay close attention. That’s what it meant when the word entered the English language. That’s what it meant when Joseph wrote it. And I remain convinced that’s what it means now.
That’s difficult. It’s challenging to listen to and recognize the voice of the Lord, to know when “I, the Lord have spoken” and when a prophet is just doing their imperfect best to guide us.
Frankly, I think that’s part of why we have the Doctrine & Covenants and why it’s worth studying. The Introduction says that “In the revelations, one hears the tender but firm voice of the Lord Jesus Christ, speaking anew in the dispensation of the fulness of times.” So reading these revelations – many of them answers to questions from real, historical people – can help us learn to listen (heed) the voice of the Lord in our own lives. We can better learn to recognize when he is speaking to us and what he is trying to say.
I think that’s at least part of what the Lord was telling the saints in D&C 21:4. Giving heed and walking in holiness go hand in hand not because holiness is a reward for obedience but because it will take holy living to be able to hear the Lord’s voice. It’s challenging but worth the growth that it can bring.
(Photo Credit: “Listen” by Ky – used under CC License)
Are there any scriptural injunctions to follow/obey the prophets elsewhere?
There are at least injunctions/scriptures that we cite plenty. I was going to write about the constant mis-interpretation of D&C 1:38. And this isn’t the only place we’re told to ‘heed’ the prophets. Basically, in my experience, anything that promotes obedience gets applied to obeying the prophet.
“Follow” was the plan of Satan. Listen, ponder, think, …and then CHOOSE. .was the plan that Heavenly Father accepted from Jesus as the PLAN of SALVATION for humankind…(as I have been told by the missioneries when I was taught about the Church and one of the main reasons why I was baptized. I follow the “way” of Jesus not Satan
I agree. The Plan of Salvation requires constant choice, not a one-time decision. Making those choices well requires constantly listening. I think this is basically the heart of the sacrament prayers – always remembering Christ and having the Holy Ghost to assist us will help us learn to hear our Heavenly Father’s direction.
Even Nephi when told to kill Laban by the spirit didn’t just say “OK, if you say so”. He thought about it, reasoned it out and came to the same conclusion and took responsibility for his actions. We can’t outsource our agency, even to God.
Well written article. I think the song “Follow the Prophet” should be changed to “Follow the Spirit.” My wife is a perfect example of this: when we were dating at BYU in the late 90s, Pres. Hinckley said in General Conference that young women should not go on missions if they have viable marriage opportunities (paraphrased). As much as my then-girlfriend wanted to follow the prophet, stay home, and marry me, the Spirit wouldn’t let her rest until she committed to putting in her mission papers. Serving a mission changed her life for the better, and two years later we were married. Now 15 years later, a new prophet has lowered the age for sisters to serve missions, in effect reversing the previously stated position, and a flood of new sister missionaries have entered the field.