Hypothetical: What would happen if..

[Blackmarch]

What would happen if there was a person who started prophesying end time events, who got them true, who wasn't a member of the Church? Suppose the Prophet never spoke of any such revelations.

I ask this because supposedly only the President of the Church receives revelation for the Church, yet, does that mean that others can't receive revelation of disasters? Would this person's "authority" be greater than the Church President? Or better yet, does the devil give revelation of future events, that are true, to warn others? If the devil does that, then shouldn't the prophet receive better revelation?

I think it's a fascinating question because supposedly this person should not have the Holy Ghost stronger than a prophet. Could something like that occur?

(Take something like, "There will be a hurricane that will absolutely devastate the US economy and kill hundreds of people in Fall of 2011. This will occur after a California hurricane." Or maybe even giving specific dates, like, "There will be a hurricane in the first week of August of this year in Virginia.")

To some are given the gift of prophesy.

But we must also be careful because in the end times there will also be individuals who will be able to do great and mighty miracles and blinid the saints and draw them away.

[Cassiopeia]

To some are given the gift of prophesy.

But we must also be careful because in the end times there will also be individuals who will be able to do great and mighty miracles and blinid the saints and draw them away.

We can see this in our every day lives as well. It's not always easy to discern what's right when there are very convincing people who may sit next to us during our meetings or even standing at the pulpit or in our classes teaching incorrect principles and should we follow them it could lead to our despair.

For example: Yesterday in Sunday School, the teacher was talking about Isaac and how Rachael and Jacob deceived him into giving Jacob, Esau's birthright. He then went off onto this tangent where he said, that Rachael was right in deceiving him (there are many arguments that can go into talking about how it might have turned out if she hadn't) and then that SS teacher began promoting that it is okay for a spouse to go behind their eternal companion's back and force your spouse to do what you want (I kid you not). And that men, just need that shove and how stupid men can be. He said we take turns stepping out in our marriages to lead and it's okay when one is doing something you feel is wrong to do what Rachael did. As he kept going on, I heard a bit of mumbling but no one would speak up.

What that SS teacher said was slipped right in there with the rest of the lesson and it is misleading. Teachers in their own rights are considered a sort of prophet. They instruct us and lead us. We must always be on our guard that whoever is giving us instruction has taught us correct principles.

When I raised my hand, he tried to avoid me but I wouldn't put my hand down. I knew time was short and we had gone over but I couldn't let that stand. He finally said, quickly please and my words to him were,

"I don't agree with what Rachael did. She went behind her husband's back and she betrayed him. Marriage is a sacred covenant and it is never appropriate for us to do what she did. And I'm certain the Lord would never tell us to do such a thing."

He fumbled for a moment and put his hands directly in front of me as if he were attempting to push me away and said, "I'm sure we don't know everything about that story and then muttered about of course I had a good point."

Of course I had a good point? What he said is in direct opposition to the Lord's teachings. What he did was expand on a lesson to inadvertently teach false doctrine. He's a good man, I like him but I've no doubt in my mind that when he was preparing his lesson, he was misled in his thinking by the adversary. And you can bet your last dollar that there was someone in that classroom listening who bought into the idea that it's okay if you go behind your spouses back because you are doing something more righteous than they are.

This is why we are told to search, ponder and pray and not to just blindly follow.

On a final note, I found it interesting that when the brethren left us and we were preparing for Relief Society, the number of sisters who thanked me for speaking up and yet not ONE of them attempted to do so. Why is that do you think?

[Blackmarch]

We can see this in our every day lives as well. It's not always easy to discern what's right when there are very convincing people who may sit next to us during our meetings or even standing at the pulpit or in our classes teaching incorrect principles and should we follow them it could lead to our despair.

For example: Yesterday in Sunday School, the teacher was talking about Isaac and how Rachael and Jacob deceived him into giving Jacob, Esau's birthright. He then went off onto this tangent where he said, that Rachael was right in deceiving him (there are many arguments that can go into talking about how it might have turned out if she hadn't) and then that SS teacher began promoting that it is okay for a spouse to go behind their eternal companion's back and force your spouse to do what you want (I kid you not). And that men, just need that shove and how stupid men can be. He said we take turns stepping out in our marriages to lead and it's okay when one is doing something you feel is wrong to do what Rachael did. As he kept going on, I heard a bit of mumbling but no one would speak up.

What that SS teacher said was slipped right in there with the rest of the lesson and it is misleading. Teachers in their own rights are considered a sort of prophet. They instruct us and lead us. We must always be on our guard that whoever is giving us instruction has taught us correct principles.

When I raised my hand, he tried to avoid me but I wouldn't put my hand down. I knew time was short and we had gone over but I couldn't let that stand. He finally said, quickly please and my words to him were,

"I don't agree with what Rachael did. She went behind her husband's back and she betrayed him. Marriage is a sacred covenant and it is never appropriate for us to do what she did. And I'm certain the Lord would never tell us to do such a thing."

He fumbled for a moment and put his hands directly in front of me as if he were attempting to push me away and said, "I'm sure we don't know everything about that story and then muttered about of course I had a good point."

Of course I had a good point? What he said is in direct opposition to the Lord's teachings. What he did was expand on a lesson to inadvertently teach false doctrine. He's a good man, I like him but I've no doubt in my mind that when he was preparing his lesson, he was misled in his thinking by the adversary. And you can bet your last dollar that there was someone in that classroom listening who bought into the idea that it's okay if you go behind your spouses back because you are doing something more righteous than they are.

This is why we are told to search, ponder and pray and not to just blindly follow.

I completely agree.

On a final note, I found it interesting that when the brethren left us and we were preparing for Relief Society, the number of sisters who thanked me for speaking up and yet not ONE of them attempted to do so. Why is that do you think?

probably that they did not care or felt to timid to have any sort of conflict whether right or wrong.

We must always search the scriptures top know the truths for ourselves... such as in this case there was something that was being added (probably unknowingly, or perhaps what was the teachers conclusion).

When a teacher is called to teach, they aren't in the priesthood position to reveal new scripture.

I think it is far too easy to find logical conclusions for things that aren't stated in the scriptures but make sense and seem to be supported by scripture - I don't think even prophets are immune to this. These may or may not be correct, and someone may even have had even personal revelation on it... But until the proper authorities recieve inspiration to give that to the church, it should remain personal.

My measuring stick that I use when someone says they have had an inspiration/revelation for me is by a couple things-

What does the revelation or inspiration deal with?

-ie; is it a suggestion, is it something that I need to do, does it involve my spiritual or physical situation? and etc..

What is their authority in relation to me?

-Is the person my spiritual leader, my friend, my parents, the governer, or etc...

and finally, is the Revelation/Inspiration appropriate to their authority in relation to me?

-IE my friend won't recieve a revelation that commands me to do something, but he might get a prompting to suggest something to me that will help me in some way.

[mrmarklin]

What would happen if there was a person who started prophesying end time events, who got them true, who wasn't a member of the Church? Suppose the Prophet never spoke of any such revelations.

I ask this because supposedly only the President of the Church receives revelation for the Church, yet, does that mean that others can't receive revelation of disasters? Would this person's "authority" be greater than the Church President? Or better yet, does the devil give revelation of future events, that are true, to warn others? If the devil does that, then shouldn't the prophet receive better revelation?

I think it's a fascinating question because supposedly this person should not have the Holy Ghost stronger than a prophet. Could something like that occur?

(Take something like, "There will be a hurricane that will absolutely devastate the US economy and kill hundreds of people in Fall of 2011. This will occur after a California hurricane." Or maybe even giving specific dates, like, "There will be a hurricane in the first week of August of this year in Virginia.")

There is no chance of this ever happening. Only One knows the future.

I can't belive the number of replies to the Troll post.