A prophet may come from various stations in life. He may be young or old, highly educated or unschooled. He may be a farmer, a lawyer, or a teacher. Ancient prophets wore tunics and carried staffs. Modern prophets wear suits and carry briefcases. What, then, identifies a true prophet? A true prophet is always chosen by God and called through proper priesthood authority (see Articles of Faith 1:5)…There have been prophets on the earth since the days of Adam…”
Gospel Doctrine, p 158; “OFFICERS DEPENDENT ON VOICE OF PEOPLE…It is well understood that we meet together in general conference twice a year for the purpose of presenting the names of those who have been chosen as presiding officers in the Church, and it is understood that those who occupy these positions are dependent upon the voice of the people for the continuance of the authority, the rights and privileges they exercise.” – Joseph F. Smith
Matthew 15:9; “But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.”
Why did the Church define the role of a prophet in this manner?
Look, I’ll be the first to admit I’m not the most articulate person in the world, nor am I the best writer, but really? Does their posting sound professional or even godly to you?
Now on to our topic and as you might imagine I have more questions!
1.If a prophet or other leader in the Church is chosen by God to lead people then who is man to ‘vote’ on whether or not someone should be in that position?
2.If a prophet can be schooled or unschooled, why does every Mormon prophet wear a suit and carry a briefcase? Who was the last unschooled person you know that carries a briefcase?
3.Is carrying a briefcase a requirement for being a prophet?
4.Can you name all the prophets in the OT that carried a staff? Was there more than one?
5.Who were the prophets in the days of Adam? Can you name them? Where in the Bible does it say this?
6.What happens at General Conference if/when a group of people voted against sustaining a church officer? Is the prospective officer not put in that position, or do the people who voted no kicked out of the service?