Mormonism and prophets

FAIR Answers Wiki Table of Contents

Prophets and Church Leaders

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• Obedience to Church leaders
• Succession in Church leadership
• The characteristics of Latter-day Saint ("Mormon") prophets
• Revelation after Joseph Smith
• Mormonism and The Family: A Proclamation to the World
• Criticisms related to 19th-century Latter-day Saint ("Mormon") prophets
• Criticisms related to modern Latter-day Saint ("Mormon") prophets

[[{{{L}}}|Obedience to Church leaders]]

• For Latter-day Saints, when our leaders speak, has the thinking been done?

Succession among Church leadership

Jump to Subtopic:

• Question: What are the standards for prophetic succession in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?
• 1844 Succession to Joseph Smith

Question: What are the standards for prophetic succession in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?

Introduction to Question

Many members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and other interested parties have wondered what the standards for presidential succession are in the Church and how they were set up under the direction of the Prophet Joseph Smith. These standards are important to document as the perceived legitimacy of the Church as God's "only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth" (Doctrine & Covenants 1:30) can be threatened by offshoot sects of Mormonism or other Mormon Gnostics if the standards are misunderstood.

[[{{{L}}}|1844 Succession to Joseph Smith]]

• Who were possible successors to Joseph Smith?
• What happened on August 8, 1844?
• How do we know the Quorum of the Twelve were the divinely appointed successors?
• Which groups dissented from leadership of the Quorum of the Twelve?
• Where can I learn more about the 1844 succession?

The characteristics of Latter-day Saint ("Mormon") prophets

Jump to Subtopic:

• Question: Are Latter-day Saint prophets not really "prophets" because they don't foretell unknown events?
• Question: Are General Authorities very silent about some issues, allowing academic or volunteer organizations take their place?
• Question: Does the Church's public affairs department act independently of direction from Church leadership?
• Question: What does the Church say on the propriety of Church members publicizing personal revelations, dreams or visions?
• Question: Did David O. McKay like to be "recognized, lauded, and lionized"?

Revelation after Joseph Smith

Summary: If every President of the Church is a prophet, seer, and revelator, why have so few revelations after Joseph Smith been added to the Doctrine and Covenants? Revelations used to be printed in Church periodicals such as the Times and Seasons and the Evening and Morning Star. Why are revelations no longer published on an ongoing basis?

Jump to Subtopic:

• Do modern prophets prophesy, or are they simply "men of their time?"
• Apostles as personal witnesses of Christ
• Divine manifestations since the time of Joseph Smith
• Prophecy fulfillment
• Blessings given by Oliver Cowdery
• Brigham Young ordination blessing
• President Monson bearing witness of foundational doctrines of Mormonism
• Joseph F. Smith at the Reed Smoot hearings

The Family: A Proclamation to the World

Jump to Subtopic:

• Question: Is the document "The Family: A Proclamation to the World" official doctrine?
• Question: Have the doctrines in the document "The Family: A Proclamation to the World" long been taught in the Church?
• Question: Has the family proclamation been taught frequently?
• Question: Since there are people that are born intersex, experience gender dysphoria, or identify as transgender, does this invalidate the Latter-day Saint ("Mormon") doctrine of eternal male and/or female gender?
• Question: Is The Family: A Proclamation to the World against feminism?
• Question: Was “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” drafted by lawyers in Hawaii in response to legal concerns the Church had over the legalization of gay marriage?
• Question: What sort of scriptural support is there for the doctrines of the family proclamation?
• Question: Is gender a social construct?

Criticisms related to 19th-century Latter-day Saint ("Mormon") prophets

Jump to Subtopic:

• Question: Did Brigham Young state that everything he said could be considered "scripture"?
• Question: Did John Taylor receive a revelation on September 27, 1886 that promised that polygamy would never be abandoned by the Church?
• Question: Will Mormons "walk back to Jackson County" before the second coming of Christ?
• Question: Will all Mormons return to Jackson county before the second coming?
• Question: Will there be immense destruction in Jackson County before the second coming of Christ?

Criticisms related to modern Latter-day Saint ("Mormon") prophets

Jump to Subtopic:

• The fallibility of Latter-day Saint ("Mormon") prophets
• No paid Latter-day Saint ("Mormon") ministry
• Criticisms of Russell M. Nelson
• Paul H. Dunn's baseball and war stories