Essay

Prophets, Personal Revelation, and Honest Questions

You may have wondered, “Prophets are imperfect, so how do I know when they are really speaking for God?” Maybe you have found an older statement from a Church leader that raises questions, or perhaps there is a current prophetic teaching you are still trying to understand.

The restored gospel gives you a helpful way to approach those questions. Prophets are mortal men, but Jesus Christ calls them, gives them priesthood keys, and authorizes them to teach His Church. He has also given us the Holy Ghost so that following prophets can include sincere study, prayer, and personal revelation. You do not have to be afraid of questions; you can bring them into a pattern the Lord Himself has provided.

President Ballard’s Experience With a Young Man Who Had Questions

President M. Russell Ballard once described a young man had been reading anti-Mormon material and had collected questions he could not resolve. President Ballard listened and agreed to help him look for answers:

What Does Christ Teach About Prophets?

Throughout scripture, prophets are servants whom God calls to reveal His will. In the opening revelation of the Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord said, “whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same” (Doctrine and Covenants 1:38).

Another revelation helps us understand that calling more fully. The Lord said that what His servants speak “when moved upon by the Holy Ghost shall be scripture, shall be the will of the Lord” (Doctrine and Covenants 68:4). Prophets still have personalities, experience, judgment, and the opportunity to learn and grow. Joseph Smith explained that “a prophet was a prophet only when he was acting as such.”

So how do you recognize the teachings the Lord intends His Church to receive? One helpful answer is to look at the larger pattern of revelation.

Look for What the Lord Teaches Repeatedly and Together

Elder Neil L. Andersen gave a simple principle for doing this:

“It is not hidden in an obscure paragraph of one talk. True principles are taught frequently and by many.”

This gives you a useful way to study prophetic teaching. Look at what the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve consistently teach, how those teachings connect with scripture, and how they are reaffirmed over time. The Church’s explanation of how doctrine is established similarly teaches that a single statement by one leader on one occasion does not necessarily establish doctrine for the whole Church.

This helps us understand why The Family: A Proclamation to the World carries such weight. Its teachings about marriage between a man and a woman, the eternal significance of gender, the responsibilities of mothers and fathers, and the importance of children belong to a much larger revealed pattern. We see that pattern beginning with the Creation of Adam and Eve, continuing through scripture and temple covenants, and being taught again by prophets and apostles in our day.

What About My Own Personal Revelation?

Elder David A. Bednar has given reassuring counsel for people who worry about whether they are recognizing revelation correctly. Young adults sometimes analyze every impression and wonder, Was that the Holy Ghost, or was that just me?

How Can the Adversary Affect the Way We Think About Prophets?

After understanding the Lord’s pattern, it becomes easier to notice some of the confusion the adversary may encourage.

One possibility is becoming so focused on a prophet’s humanity that it becomes difficult to see the Lord working through him. Scripture gives us many prophets who had to learn and grow. Moses, Peter, Jonah, and Joseph Smith were not presented as flawless men. Their humanity did not prevent the Lord from calling them, teaching them, and speaking through them. Just like your humanity doesn’t prevent you from doing the things God calls you to do in righteousness.

Another difficulty can arise when our own preferences gradually become the standard by which we measure prophetic counsel. This is understandable, especially when a teaching touches something personal or differs from what we hear around us, like LGBT issues or abortion. Yet one reason the Lord gives us prophets is to help us see beyond the assumptions of our own time.

The adversary would be pleased if questions eventually separated you from prayer, scripture, covenants, temple worship, or the Holy Ghost. You can watch for that without becoming afraid of your questions. Keep bringing them toward Christ, where they can be examined with both faith and patience.

What Does Research Suggest About Working Through Religious Questions?

Research cannot tell you whether a prophet is called by God; that witness comes through the Holy Ghost. But research on religious development can help us understand what supports people as they work through questions.

BYU researcher Sam Hardy and colleagues have studied religious development as adolescents move into adulthood. Their research has found connections between continuing faith and practices such as personal religious devotion, prayer, worship participation, family religious life, and having space for open conversations about religious questions.

That fits naturally with President Ballard’s story. The young man needed answers, but he also needed scripture, prayer, and spiritual connection while he searched for them. You do not have to solve difficult questions alone or decide everything at once. Faith can continue growing while understanding catches up.

What If I Hope Future Revelation Changes Something?

You may wonder what continuing revelation means for teachings about men and women, gender, marriage, or family. The ninth article of faith teaches that God “will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God” (Articles of Faith 1:9). There is still much the Lord can teach us.

Elder Ronald A. Rasband spoke about in his general conference message, “The Family Proclamation—Words from God.” He taught that the principles in the proclamation were revealed by Jesus Christ to His Apostles and encouraged those who struggle with its teachings to turn to Heavenly Father and seek the guidance of the Holy Ghost.

Future revelation can help us understand these doctrines more deeply and live them with greater wisdom. It can teach us more about God’s purposes for His sons and daughters, marriage, gender, and eternal families. That additional light will help us see more clearly the same divine plan the Lord has been unfolding from the beginning.

If some part of that plan is difficult for you right now, you can keep asking Heavenly Father to help you understand it. Spiritual understanding often grows over time. Jesus Christ is patient with sincere disciples who are willing to keep learning and following Him.

A Few Questions Worth Thinking About

• When I am trying to understand a prophetic teaching, have I looked at the larger pattern of scripture and what prophets and apostles consistently teach?
• Is there something I do not understand yet that I could bring to Heavenly Father with more patience?
• Am I giving scripture, prayer, and the Holy Ghost enough room in the way I work through my questions?
• When prophetic counsel feels difficult, what might the Lord be inviting me to learn?
• Who is a faithful person I trust who could help me think through a question without rushing me?

What Can You Do This Week?

Take your question into prayer. Ask Heavenly Father to help you understand what He wants you to learn and how He wants you to live while your understanding is still developing. If you can attend the temple, bring the question there. You might also talk with a bishop, institute teacher, parent, mentor, or faithful friend who can help you think through it carefully.

And keep spending time in the Book of Mormon. President Ballard’s young friend discovered that answers matter, but so does staying spiritually close to the Lord while you look for them.

Jesus Christ has given you scripture, living prophets, priesthood keys, the Holy Ghost, and continuing revelation because He intends to guide you. As you stay close to Him, He can help you recognize His voice, understand His teachings more deeply, and move forward with faith even when some answers take time.