Prophet Quotes
"We cannot go astray if we listen to the prophet's voice and follow him, and as we do so we will be led in the path of truth and righteousness and enjoy the love, respect, and confidence of our fellowmen, and eventually enjoy eternal life with our Father in Heaven."
Harold B. Lee said, after quoting D&C 101:21:
"Thus, the Lord has clearly placed responsibility of directing the work of gathering in the hands of His divinely appointed leaders. I fervently pray that all Saints and truth seekers everywhere will attune their listening ears to these prophet-leaders instead of to some demagogue who seeks to make capital of social discontent and gain political influence."
(Stand Ye In Holy Places, p. 22)
"To his (President Benson's) words I add my own words of testimony as one who has known and worked closely with seven Presidents of the Church, extending over a period of more than half a century. I know that each of these men has been a man of God, raised up by Him, trained and nurtured, schooled and disciplined for the great and singular and unique callings which have come to them. Our people have been blessed as they have followed their counsel. We will continue to be blessed if we will walk in the paths which they have pointed out and will continue to point out to us."
President Gordon B. Hinckley, CR April 1991
"Key statements made by latter-day prophets are not trite cliches. They are vital counsel to us from the Lord through his prophets. We should ponder and act upon such statements."
Joseph B. Wirthlin (Ensign, November 1988, page 37)
Elder Henry B. Eyring on Following Counsel:
"Another fallacy is to believe that the choice to accept or not accept the counsel of prophets is no more than deciding whether to accept good advice and gain its benefits or to stay where we are. But the choice not to take prophetic counsel changes the very ground upon which we stand. It becomes more dangerous. The failure to take prophetic counsel lessens our power to take inspired counsel in the future. The best time to have decided to help Noah build the ark was the first time he asked. Each time he asked after that, each failure to respond would have lessened sensitivity to the Spirit. And so each time his request would have seemed more foolish, until the rain came. And then it was too late.
"Every time in my life when I have chosen to delay following inspired counsel or decided that I was an exception, I came to know that I had put myself in harm's way. Every time that I have listened to the counsel of prophets, felt it confirmed in prayer, and then followed it, I have found that I moved toward safety. Along the path, I have found that the way had been prepared for me and the rough places made smooth. God led me to safety along a path which was prepared with loving care, sometimes prepared long before."
("Finding Safety in Counsel," General Conference, April 1997; Ensign, May 1997, p. 25)
President James E. Faust:
"I strongly counsel all who have membership in this church to follow the teachings and counsel of those who now have the keys as prophets, seers, and revelators. They are the ones who will inspire us to deal with the vicissitudes of our time."
. . . "Great temporal and spiritual strength flows from following those who have the keys of the kingdom of God in our time. Personal strength and power result from obedience to eternal principles taught by the living legates of the Lord. May the Spirit of God rest upon us as we follow the living oracles."
"The Keys That Never Rust" General Conference, October 1994
"Looking for the path to safety in the counsel of prophets makes sense to those with strong faith. When a prophet speaks, those with little faith may think that they hear only a wise man giving good advice. Then if his counsel seems comfortable and reasonable, squaring with what they want to do, they take it. If it does not, they consider it either faulty advice or they see their circumstances as justifying their being an exception to the counsel."
"It has been the rule of my life to find out if I could, by listening closely to what they said and by asking the Lord to help me interpret it, what they had in mind for the Latter-day Saints to do and then do it. I am happy to say, not boastfully but gratefully, that I have never hesitated to follow the counsel of the Authorities of the Church even though it crossed my social, professional or political life."
Marion G. Romney - "Conference Report", April 1941, p. 123
"The Lord has placed prophets in the land. They speak the truth. On whatever subject the prophets choose to speak, LISTEN. Listen with your ears, with your minds, and with your hearts. Do not analyze their mortal preparation to speak upon the subject. That's not where their strength comes from. It is the power of God coupled with his call to them that qualifies them to speak—on any subject. The united voice of the First Presidency and the Twelve will never, never, never lead us astray."
L. Aldin Porter BYU Speeches, 1994-95, p. 118
"I was taken back in my thoughts a quarter of a century to an experience I had with President Heber J. Grant. We were discussing some criticism that had been directed against an action taken by him in his official capacity. Putting his arm across my back and resting his hand on my left shoulder, he said, "My boy, you always keep your eye on the President of the Church, and if he tells you to do something wrong, and you do it, the Lord will bless you for it.
And then he added, 'You don't need to worry, however; the Lord will never let his mouthpiece lead his people astray.'"
Marion G. Romney, Gen. Conf., April 1972
Bruce R. McConkie:
"It is all well and good to sing praises to the ancient prophets and build sepulchres to their names, but there is no salvation in that fact standing alone. If men in this world in our day want to go back to our Father's kingdom, it is incumbent upon them to come to the Living Oracle and have exercised in their behalf the authority of the priesthood. They must accept and live in harmony with the counsels of those men whom God has chosen today."
"Conference Report", April 1947, p.38
"Follow the prophets as they lead us in God's plan of happiness! In the process expect the scorn of the world. Decide in advance how you are going to handle it, for it most surely will come. Now, beware of those whom the world loves and showers with fame and fortune. They are often unreliable guides in your quest for virtue."
L. Aldin Porter BYU Speeches 1994-95, p. 119
"The failure to take prophetic counsel lessens our power to take inspired counsel in the future."
"Prophets don't teach things that are popular. But I promise you that as you exercise faith in their words by following their counsel, there will come a day when you will know that what they have spoken was for your protection and blessing."
Elder C. Scott Grow, President of the Idaho Area, BYU-Idaho Dev. - January 2002
"The great need in the world today is not for the Lord to send a prophet to reveal his mind and will. He has done that; we have a prophet; we are guided by many men who have the spirit of inspiration. The great need today is for men to have a listening ear and to give heed to the words that fall from the lips of those who wear the prophetic mantle."
Bruce R. McConkie, "God Foreordains His Prophets and His People," Ensign, - May 1974
Prophet Joseph Smith:
"There are those who profess to be Saints who are too apt to murmur, and find fault, when any advice is given, which comes in opposition to their feelings, even when they, themselves, ask for counsel; much more so when counsel is given unasked for, which does not agree with their notion of things; but brethren, we hope for better things from the most of you; we trust that you desire counsel, from time to time, and that you will cheerfully conform to it, whenever you receive it from a proper source." (History of the Church, 4:45.)
Quoted by M. Russell Ballard, "The Family of the Prophet Joseph Smith," Ensign, Nov. 1991, 5
Topic: 2 Nephi 9:28-29
"The two groups who have the greatest difficulty in following the prophet are the proud who are learned and the proud who are rich. The learned may feel the prophet is only inspired when he agrees with them; otherwise, the prophet is just giving his opinion— speaking as a man. The rich may feel they have no need to take counsel of a lowly prophet."
Ezra Taft Benson "The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson," [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1988], p. 138
"Happiness and spiritual progress lie in following the leaders of the Church."
Elder Dallin H. Oaks Ensign, May 1999, 37
"The greatest single lesson we can learn in mortality is that when God speaks and a man obeys, that man will always be right."
Thomas S. Monson
"Repeatedly the scriptures declare that the Lord gives His commandments to the children of men through living prophets. No committee, assembly, or any other authority has the right to dictate to Him doctrine that is contrary to His law. God's eternal blessings are contingent upon our obedience and adherence to the word of the Lord that is revealed to us through His holy prophets."
L. Tom Perry, "We Believe All That God Has Revealed," General Conference, 5 October 2003
"These are difficult times. Is there one clear, unpolluted, unbiased voice that we can always count on? Is there a voice that will always give us clear directions to find our way in today's troubled world? The answer is yes. That voice is the voice of the living prophet and apostles.
"It is no small thing to have a prophet of God in our midst. Great and wonderful are the blessings that come into our lives as we listen to the word of the Lord given to us through him. At the same time, knowing that President Gordon B. Hinckley is God's prophet also endows us with responsibility. When we hear the counsel of the Lord expressed through the words of the President of the Church, our response should be positive and prompt."
M. Russell Ballard, "Follow the Prophet," New Era, Sept. 2001, 4
"Brothers and sisters, if God loves us enough to send us prophets, then we need to love Him enough to follow them. Following the prophets will help protect us against the storms of life and lead us to Christ."
Sheldon F. Child, "A Sure Foundation," Ensign, Nov. 2003, 9
"We all need guidance through life. We obtain it best from the standard works and teachings of the prophets of God."
Elder Russell M. Nelson - Ensign, Nov. 2000, 1
Topic: Celestial Transmitting Stations
"Through the ages, God's messages to his children generally have been revealed through prophets. Amos tells us, 'Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.' (Amos 3:7.) These are the prophetic oracles who have tuned in over the centuries to the 'celestial transmitting station,' with a responsibility to relay the Lord's word to others. The principal qualifications of a prophet in any age are not wealth, title, position, physical stature, scholarship, or intellectual attainment. The two
qualifications are that a prophet must be called as such by God, by open prophecy, and ordained by one known to have legal and spiritual authority, and he must receive and declare revelation from God. (See D&C 42:11.) No man knows the ways of God except they be revealed unto him. (See Jacob 4:8.)"
James E. Faust, "Continuous Revelation," Ensign (CR), November 1989, p. 8