In conclusion let us summarize this grand key, these “Fourteen Fundamentals in Following the Prophet”, for our salvation depends on them.
1. The prophet is the only man who speaks for the Lord in everything.
2. The living prophet is more vital to us than the standard works.
3. The living prophet is more important to us than a dead prophet.
4. The prophet will never lead the church astray.
5. The prophet is not required to have any particular earthly training or credentials to speak on any subject or act on any matter at any time.
6. The prophet does not have to say “Thus Saith the Lord,” to give us scripture.
7. The prophet tells us what we need to know, not always what we want to know.
8. The prophet is not limited by men’s reasoning.
9. The prophet can receive revelation on any matter, temporal or spiritual.
10. The prophet may advise on civic matters.
11. The two groups who have the greatest difficulty in following the prophet are the proud who are learned and the proud who are rich.
12. The prophet will not necessarily be popular with the world or the worldly.
13. The prophet and his counselors make up the First Presidency—the highest quorum in the Church.
14. The prophet and the presidency—the living prophet and the First Presidency—follow them and be blessed—reject them and suffer.
I testify that these fourteen fundamentals in following the living prophet are true. If we want to know how well we stand with the Lord then let us ask ourselves how well we stand with His mortal captain—how close do our lives harmonize with the Lord’s anointed—the living Prophet—President of the Church, and with the Quorum of the First Presidency.
Ezra Taft Benson
(Address given Tuesday, February 26, 1980 at Brigham Young University) http://www.lds.org/liahona/1981/06/fourteen-fundamentals-in-following-the-prophet?lang=eng
(Oh, you mean like Brigham Young saying that he had never preached a sermon [even given review/editing] that wasn't as "good as Scripture" ... and yet Mormons are frankly are downright embarrassed over MUCH of what Young & MANY other past "prophets" and "apostles" have preached and publicly disseminated?)
(You mean like Mormons who want to immediately honor the words of their "seers" as tantamount to direct revelation when they hear it at General Conferences...until...until...until... a group of their leaders get together...sometimes 40...62...74 years later...and declare as a man-made creed-like council that a certain statement was "scripture" after all...but 99.9% of what they said is somehow less than Scripture-level authoritative status?)
(Ya mean like Mormon "Apostle" but never Mormon "Apostle" Lyman Sherman? ... Early Mormon Sherman died without ever knowing he was called to be an apostle ... Apparently, Unknown to the Amos 3:7 'prophet' Joseph Smith," the Mormon god "calls" Sherman through Lds leaders, yet none of them had a "clue" that Sherman is dying? I thought the way the Mormons interpret Amos 3:7 would "kick in," that the Mormon god doesn't do anything without cluing in his "prophet"? Well, there goes that theory out the mormon window!)
(Ya mean like how Joseph Smith reports in the so-called Mormon D&C "scripture" that David W. Patten would go serve as a missionary. But then Patten dies in Missouri in Oct. 1838 without Patten ever having served such missionary status?)
I can see it now, SP.
Monson @ the next General Conference conveys to all that the Mormon god has called the "next" apostle. It's an "Amos 3:7 sure thing": But he dies, without EVER serving as an "apostle."
Oh well, concludes Monson. It's baseball season. Surely prophets get at least 2 strikes before striking out: So, he cites Amos 3:7, and says of all the missionaries being sent out, the one the Lord has assured him to be one is David W. Falsity of Falls City. Well, alas. David, dies, too.
But were this to happen, we at least know that this mishie's name would NEVER pop up in a future edition of the D&C. (That can't be said of the false prophesy linked forever to Patten's name!)
ALL: In understanding Mormonism, what's "interesting" is that Mormonism always touts having a "living prophet" (where they often cite Amos 3:7) so that they can present-tense revelational guidance given to their "seers." This is supposed to be one of the things they can look at with pride at what "sets them apart" from Christianity...(Of course, they fail to recognize that Jesus Christ HIMSELF...per Hebrews 1:1-2...remains our 'Living Prophet'...a title He no longer has to delegate to somebody else)
Ohhh. You mean God wouldn't have us...
...deciding for generations...
...how many wives we might marry...
...that it would be "all clear" from the get-go...
...I see...
...Or that...
...God wouldn't have us...
...Refusing the priesthood to a certain skin color...
...For almost 150 years...
...but then doing an abupt u-turn...
...that color -- being such a surfacy, irrelevant (not to mention openly racist) basis -- would be "all clear" from the get-go...
...Or that...
...God wouldn't have his "prophets"
...preach from the pulpit for over 20 years...
...that Adam is God...
...that, instead...
...he'd make it quite clear all along Adam's mere mortal status...
...Or that if God was once a man...
...God would have openly stated so...
...At least, I guess, if not in Bible 1.0...
...then, if you believe in Bible 2.0...
...and Bible 3.0...
...and Bible 4.0...
...it would have somehow at least gotten...
...a clear depiction...
...versus trying to decide for the next umpteen years...
...If God the Father has a birth certificate lying around the universe somewhere...
...And leading to debate...
...What's happened to all those other gods...
...who came before him...