Do I detect a scent of smugness in this post [#99]?
If names are so important to prophetic status, then pray tell, who is the first prophet after Joshua as mentioned in Judges 6:7-10? Who was the "man of God" in 1 Kings 13:1? Who was the "old prophet" in 1 Kings 13:25?
You can't tell me 'cause it's not there. Prophets were to exalt God's Word & not seek their own glory. The first of these unnamed prophets appeared in the time of Gideon when Israel was falling back into idolatry. Rather than speak of the future, he called Israel to remember the Lord who delivered them from Egypt.
Again, you seem all caught up with status. While some OT prophets were called for a lifetime, others spoke only briefly (Numbers 11:25-26).
The importance is some "office" to be attached to each prophet, rather it's the Word of the Lord Himself. It was to be a faithful proclamation of God's Word--not their own (Jer 23:16; Eze 13:2).
And it's in this vein that the Lord can temporarily use whoever He wants. For example, Balaam is a clear Biblical enemy of the Lord and His people. Yet who was it that prophesied the Lord's message in Numbers 22:6-24:24? Balaam!
You err on several points in your philosophy/theology of prophets:
(1) LDS believe prophets are called by fellow men--general authorities...that God speaks through general authorities or a previous prophet to establish the next prophet or through chronological years to determine who the next prophet will be. No. Prophets in the Bible received their call directly from God. Some, like Jeremiah or John the Baptist, were called before birth (Jer 1:5; Luke 1:13-126). Their authority came from God whose message they bore (Exodus 7:1-2).
(2) Why only one "living" prophet at a time? Four prophets appeared in the time of David (Gad, Nathan, Zadok, Heman). Four prophets appeared during the time of Jeroboam I (Ahijah, Iddo the Seer, "a Man of God" of 1 Kings 13:1, and "an old prophet" in 1 Kings 13:25. Many of the major prophets were contemporaries of each other. The Lord's true prophets know no competition; yet you would have all with a prophetic gift be a rival to the throne of Salt Lake City [note your wording "calling a prophet"].
As for the Scripture that shows Jesus Christ is our Prophet, and is therefore not trumped by any Utah-based mortal: Hebrews 1:1-2.
Don't force me to publish the rest. We'll be here all night.
>>Do I detect a scent of smugness in this post [#99]?
Not intentionally, but I was asked “off the top of your head…”
>>If names are so important…
They are not.
>>Again, you seem all caught up with status.
No, I am caught up with authority. If I say to my wife, go and write some checks to pay your bills, and you overhearing me, or seeing it written down, go and use my checkbook, you would be arrested. Christ told his disciples, people he had called, anointed, set apart and instructed to go and preach. You reading about it years later, assume he was talking to you. I think that’s a stretch, your interpretation is strained, at best.
>> (1) LDS believe prophets are called by fellow men
Absolutely 100% WRONG, Prophets are called of God (Big G here) or not at all. (Heb 5:4 http://scriptures.lds.org/heb/5/4#4 )
>> (2) Why only one "living" prophet at a time?
In the early days, travel and communication were a problem, now the prophet can hop a jet, and be anywhere in the world in less than 24 hours. And that’s if being there in person is required.
>>As for the Scripture that shows Jesus Christ is our Prophet,
>>and is therefore not trumped by any Utah-based mortal: Hebrews 1:1-2
Trumped, no Rerpresented yes. Your scripture: (I find that adding the scripture, or a link to the post helps those who read later.)
1. GOD, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
2. Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
Interesting, I see nothing about “There will be no prophets, If I say to you “yesterday, I spoke to you on a cell phone, but today I am visiting in person” that means there will never be another phone call? And why doesn’t this mean that god and Christ are separate personages? To interpret strictly in one section and loosely in another makes as much sense as what you say we are doing. Oh, Utah is not mentioned anywhere.
BTW Sorry for the delay in responding, the flu… you don’t want to know :-), Still recovering...