Old Prophets vs. Current Prophet?

Moses, Nephi, Joseph Smith, President Nelson.

Which of these prophets should we heed most in our day?

Also, how do we prioritize the words of the past prophets and apostles as it relates to our current culture or to the counsel we have received from the current leaders of the church?

Some of these questions have fairly straightforward answers, while others are more nuanced.

There is a lot of online talk about this issue. Some more conservative members want to place some focus on words from past prophets. And some more progressive members seem to discount them more.

The most important prophet for us today is unequivocally President Nelson. God has foreordained him to be the Prophet of the whole Earth at this specific time in human history. He is the current mouthpiece for God.

The world is constantly changing around us; hence we need ongoing revelation from our Heavenly Father to guide and direct us through the pitfalls of the present world in which we live. The current Prophet and apostles of the church are who we should look to for guidance and direction in the here and now.

Remember, God did not teach Noah how to build the ark through revelation that He gave to Adam. God always gives the revelation that is most pertinent to humanity to the CURRENT prophet. This has always been the case.

This is not to say that the words of past prophets should be discounted. Many things spoken by past prophets are timeless and of great worth. However, others may have been specific for a certain time.

A great example of this is the call for the early saints of the church to physically gather together in “zion” (whether it was in Missouri, Nauvoo, or Salt Lake) vs. now the saints are to gather in each area of the world in which they live.

This doesn’t make the proclamation by Joseph Smith and Brigham Young wrong. It was simply the right thing for the saints at THAT time. Circumstances have since changed, and the need for adherence to that counsel has also subsequently changed.

The idea of struggling between what past prophets have said and the current culture of the day is also not new to us in the 21st century. The saints in the time of Peter and Paul also struggled with this, as was evidenced by the debate over whether or not circumcision was still required for entering into the covenants of the Lord.

Again, the decision to shift circumcision from a mandatory to a voluntary ordinance doesn’t mean that it was always “wrong”, or even that it was “wrong” to still engage in it after the fact. It was a symbol of the Abrahamic covenant to the Israelites for a time and was then later changed.

Additionally, as it relates to past prophets and current culture, over time the world naturally tends to become more progressive, which includes some good and some bad

 Understanding that this will inherently make the statements of past prophets sound more conservative and sometimes even harsh or intolerant offers some clarity. Take Paul’s statements about women in the church, or past church leaders’ statements about those of African descent as examples.

 It is also possible that past prophets or leaders didn’t have a completely detailed understanding of a particular doctrine. An example of this is Alma's self-admission of not knowing for certain the state of the soul between death and the resurrection in his talk to his son Corianton.

 However, wisdom requires us to be cautious of pitting the words of past vs current prophets against each other. Those who engage in this practice are usually trying to find validation for their own personal beliefs, rather than actually trying to discover the true will of God and humbly submit themselves to it.

 It is also critical to understand that we are also trying to INTERPRET the words of the prophets, past and present. Checking our interpretations of the words of the prophets against the words of other church leaders and especially the scriptures, is critical.

 Lastly, seeking guidance from the Holy Ghost when trying to receive guidance for our lives is never out of date. Not surprisingly, this is something that President Nelson has been stressing vigorously for quite some time with very dire warnings.

 “In coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost.”

 Traditions, culture, and policies change, but the core truths and doctrines of the gospel do not. The Holy Ghost will ALWAYS testify of the truth, it's up to us to live worthy of His companionship and to seek out our own personal revelation.

 Best,

Greg Matsen