thoughts on the 14 points of a prophet.

[Blackmarch]

As requested I have moved this to a new thread.

FOURTEEN FUNDAMENTALS IN FOLLOWING THE PROPHET

BY

ELDER Ezra Taft Benson

February 26, 1980

thank you for posting.

this will be my experience or regards to what Pres. Benson wrote.

Summary:

First: The prophet is the only man who speaks for the Lord in everything.

I can't find fault with this, until God comes to reign on the earth this duty falls on the shoulders of the head apostle.

Second: The living prophet is more vital to us than the standard works.

Neither can i find fault with this , supposing that revelation has any relevence at all... having an instruction pamphlet is great, but having someone that has connections to the writer/authority is better still.

Third: The living prophet is more important to us than a dead prophet.

this would be for the same reasons as the previous point.

Fourth: The prophet will never lead the Church astray.

This comes from the statement that were a prophet to try lead the church astray he would be removed from his place (IE Die), which has been assumed to mean the aforementioned statement.

Fifth: The prophet is not required to have any particular earthly training or credentials to speak on any subject or act on any matter at any time.

they don't. God calles from all walks of life from both rich and poor to educated to uneducated. Certainly training can help other times it can be a hindrance. Either way tho those who are called do not remain untrained.

Sixth: The prophet does not have to say "Thus saith the Lord" to give us scripture.

unlike what many like to say they don't, as a prophet is a man and will tell what they are commanded to tell, and will use their experience to teach what they have been commanded to share. IF they do recieve a direct revelation pertaining to something they are usually good to let us know that hey it's not from them.... but theres nothing that says they have to do that.

Seventh: The prophet tells us what we need to know, not always what we want to know.

generally because that's how God gave it to them. They don't always get the full story either.

Eighth: The prophet is not limited by men's reasoning.

meaning they don't have to be bound to any certain system created by man. They still use their own reasoning from their experiences on how to best share what they need to.

Ninth: The prophet can receive revelation on any matter, temporal or spiritual.

I can't see anything wrong with this, if supposing God cares for us, then as anything can have an effect on how we live then god needs to be able to reveal on whatever may be important for us to watch out for or to do, spiritual or temporal.

Tenth: The prophet may be involved in civic matters.

As a leader I can't see how he can't be in volved at any level... now as to what level that can be, that may be debatable.

Eleventh: The two groups who have the greatest difficulty in following the prophet are the proud who are learned and the proud who are rich.

From experience I'd have to agree, mainly because of that pride thing.

Twelfth: The prophet will not necessarily be popular with the world or the worldly.

never have been, can't see any reason why that would change any time before the second coming.

Thirteenth: The prophet and his counselors make up the First Presidency--the highest quorum in the Church.

self explanatory there. any higher in the church and you wouldn't be living on the earth

Fourteenth: The prophet and the presidency--the living prophet and the First Presidency--follow them and be blessed; reject them and suffer.

I can testify to this.

[Windseeker]

Either you believe in prophets or you don't.

If I look at the antithesis of these 14 points it makes no sense and does not seem like a Prophet at all.

First: The prophet is not the only man who speaks for the Lord in everything. He gives opposing information to several prophets and then the truth is decided via death match.

Second: Scriptures have more value than a living Prophet.

Third: The dead prophets from thousands of years ago are more relevant than the living one.

Fourth: The prophet can lead the church astray.

Fifth: The prophet must have a degree in General prophecy from an accredited 4 year institution.

Sixth: The prophet has to say "Thus saith the Lord" to give us scripture. If he says “The Lord told me” or “The Lord said” it doesn’t count.

Seventh: The prophet tells us what we want to know, not always what we need to know.

Eighth: The prophet is limited by men's reasoning.

Ninth: The prophet cannot receive revelation on any matter, temporal or spiritual. He can only receive information on antimatter.

Tenth: The prophet may not be involved in civic matters or anything that may impact our lives.

Eleventh: The two groups who have the greatest difficulty in following the prophet are the humble who are uneducated and the meek who are poor.

Twelfth: The prophet is somewhere between Lady Gaga and Justin Beiber in popularity.

Thirteenth: The prophet and his counselors do not make up the First Presidency--the highest quorum in the Church. They preside over the run the nurseries in their respective wards.

Fourteenth: The prophet and the presidency--the living prophet and the First Presidency--follow them and be cursed; reject them and blessed.

[Guest mormonmusic]

Either you believe in prophets or you don't.

I take exception to this one. We tend to absolutely LOVE dichotomies in the Church and in religous circles in general. They are neat, simple, and make the neurons fire.

But unfortunately, they rarely hold up universally. It's so easy to poke holes in the false dichotomy by pointing to some of life's messy circumstances that defy either/or categorizations.

[cwald]

If one was to apply the principles of 14 F's to any other religion or civic or political organization or any other kind of group, most logical and reasonable people would reject them immediately and utterly.

I respect that LDS people believe they have a prophet that speaks to god and leads the church. I have no problem with people trusting their church leader. What I have a problem with is teaching this kind of "logic" and "doctrine" and the potential damage that this belief can do in the hands of the wrong organization and leader.

The issue I have, is teaching these kind of principles and concepts to find truth and a spiritual pathway, is VERY dangerous, and it absolutely handcuffs any kind of logic and reason and moral authority.

I mean, people like Jim Jones and David Koresh and Islamic extremest and the the leaders of the FLDS polygamist groups etc etc use these exact same principles that are espoused in the 14 F's to disarm their followers. They are nothing more than a mind trap that people cannot escape, and once taken hold, there is no morality or choice except for what the leader put's forth. That is the issue. Yes, Mormons believe they are following gods prophet. Yeah, but so are millions and billions of other people using the same concept believing THEY are following god's prophet. That is a dangerous faith to be teaching young folks.

I really believe the LDS church DOES NOT espouse these principles. Yes, I know we heard them in conference, but I don't think our church really wants it's membership to think like this. I have no problem with the concept of listening to the counsel of the prophet. But, god gave us a brain, a conscience, reason and logic, and most importantly - the spirit. We need to use them, and not just rely on the "prophet" of any organization, or in our case in the LDS church, the 14 F's, to decide what is moral and which pathway we will follow.

If the prophet's words are from god - we can know it by the spirit. If the prophet's words are not from god - we can know it by the spirit, and by their fruits you shall know them.

Edited November 17, 2011 by cwald

[Snow]

First: The prophet is the only man who speaks for the Lord in everything.

You will note that God Himself has remained unsurprisingly silent on the matter.

Second: The living prophet is more vital to us than the standard works.

Prophets (presidents) come and go, some leaving not much more than a blip on the screen in the grand scheme of things. On the other hand, The Standard Works outlasts them all and informs everything we do and think in the Body of Christ.

Third: The living prophet is more important to us than a dead prophet.

Who knows what that even means. Is President Monson more important that Joseph Smith? Paul?

How would you measure that?

Fourth: The prophet will never lead the Church astray.

That is demonstrably untrue, if by "astray" you mean teach things that are erroneous.

Fifth: The prophet is not required to have any particular earthly training or credentials to speak on any subject or act on any matter at any time.

"Required?" No, but that doesn't mean that when the prophet speaks, he will be correct or accurate. Prophets are just as entitled to be wrong as are trained experts.

Sixth: The prophet does not have to say "Thus saith the Lord" to give us scripture.

No, but in order for anything said by a prophet to be officially recognized as scripture, the Church needs to agree, by common consent.

Eleventh: The two groups who have the greatest difficulty in following the prophet are the proud who are learned and the proud who are rich.

I am curious if there is any appreciable evidence that is true.

Twelfth: The prophet will not necessarily be popular with the world or the worldly.

No, but the Church's PR arm works very hard to try and make it so.

[beefche]

Who knows what that even means. Is President Monson more important that Joseph Smith? Paul?

How would you measure that?

Stick wrestling. I think that is a worthy metric.

[LittleWyvern]

Something fascinating I recently discovered about this talk by Ezra Taft Benson is that is was not without controversy even when it was delivered. Here's what Spencer W. Kimball is recorded to have thought about the talk:

Spencer felt concern about the talk, wanting to protect the church against being misunderstood as espousing ultraconservative politics or an unthinking "follow the leader" mentality. The First Presidency called Elder Benson in to discuss what he had said and asked him to make explanation to the full Quorum of the Twelve [Apostles] and other general authorities. Elder Benson told them that he meant only to "underscore President Kimball's prophetic call.

The way I think about this is that the 14 points are correct, but some of the points are worded such that they can easily be taken very wrong (leading to the very wrong uses of this talk that cwald mentioned). For instance:

First: The prophet is the only man who speaks for the Lord in everything.

Which is technically true, but it could be easily taken to mean that in everything, the prophet is the only person who speaks for it, which isn't true. Yes, it is true that the prophet is the only person that has the authority to give revelation for all mankind, but I've observed that if God wants to speak to one person's goals, actions, or achievements, He will either speak directly to the person (via the Holy Ghost, of course) or his most immediate priesthood leader.

Sixth: The prophet does not have to say "Thus saith the Lord" to give us scripture.

Which is technically true, but it can easily can be taken to mean that everything the prophet says is scripture (which isn't true) and does very little to clear away the confusion that currently bogs down any conversation on whether a certain statement by a past or present prophet is doctrinally binding. Snow has already mentioned the proper procedure, but even without that procedure it's a little tricky. Lastly,

Tenth: The prophet may be involved in civic matters.

...and the Church has been trying to figure out what exactly "involved" means (especially recently) ever since.

Maybe this is nitpicking, but I don't think this talk can be fully understood without some exposition. I'd say that remarks by modern prophet helps a lot with understanding these, but I wonder what would happen to #3 in the process.

[Guest gopecon]

Cwald you are correct that the 14 points could be applied to the way that various cult leaders have been treated by their followers. That doesn't mean that it is without value to us. If Jesus was not the Son of God, then the things that he said about himself would have been blasphemous. Likewise it's dangerous to follow a false prophet, but if there is a true one alive it can be absolutely essential for us to follow them.

Snow questioned what "leading the Church astray" means. I don't think that a missed point of doctrine here and there constitutes leading us astray. In this context (which has been repeated numerous times) leading astray means calling on us to act in some way. We won't be asked/commanded by the Prophet to do something that is contrary to God's will.

[Blackmarch]

Astray doesn't necessarily means something that is erroneous, altho erroneous doctrine could certainly be a part of it, it means leading against God's will. There are quite a few teachings that whether right or wrong have little to no impact on the works and doings of the Lord and his church.

I'm pretty sure there has yet to be an individual that has walked the earth save for Christ that would know every truth of God's perfectly.

Is President monson more important today to us than Joseph Smith? I would say that yes he is- and why is simply if for nothing else, he is alive and we can get whatever we need right now if God thinks we need to be told something as a church or to the world.

Edited November 17, 2011 by Blackmarch

[Windseeker]

For me, my simple understanding of the gospel allows me to look at these 14 points and say "no duh". I look at these points in the context of the gospel knowing that all this is supported by underlying free agency and an ability to receive direct and personal direction and confirmation. Also the fact we are encouraged to study and understand the gospel and to seek truth from all sources (in the church and out).

I failed to find the requirement in these points that we must follow blindly. If I didn't know what I know, I suppose I would be alarmed as well given the history of false prophets and wicked cult leaders. But that's for me and I don't disparage anyone who may define a Prophet differently. Believing in and following a Prophet is a personal thing.

[cwald]

For me, my simple understanding of the gospel allows me to look at these 14 points and say "no duh". I look at these points in the context of the gospel knowing that all this is supported by underlying free agency and an ability to receive direct and personal direction and confirmation. Also the fact we are encouraged to study and understand the gospel and to seek truth from all sources (in the church and out).

I failed to find the requirement in these points that we must follow blindly. If I didn't know what I know, I suppose I would be alarmed ....

Yeah, but isn't this the same kind of logic or argument that followers of Warren Jeffs might make?

I guess, if one believes that the church encourages us to study and understand the gospel and seek truth from all sources, like you mention, than what is the point of the 14 Fs at all? Why would anyone even talk like this? It's unnecessary.

I have no problem believing a prophet speaks to god, but, that concept is used by so so many cults and religions and other groups, that to teach the concepts and principles of the 14 F's to mormon children, is, well, scary to me. Why do it? Why not just teach people to use the scriptures, their conscience, and the spirit to determine if their leader is speaking for god, rather than saying stuff like, the prophet will never lead us astray? I mean, I'm quite positive that the followers of Warren Jeffs have been taught from an early age and continue to believe that the "prophet," Warren Jeffs in this case, will never lead them astray either. Yet, if they would use logic and the spirit and reasoning, and the concept that by their fruits you shall know them, I think they would be a lot better off. I think that could be applied to many groups and religions and cults.

And I think that any logic and reasonable LDS person who heard these concepts applied to any other religion or organization, outside of the mormon church, would reject them immediately and utterly. I say this, because we teach it all the time --- use the spirit to determine if what we teach is true. We say this to people of other religions all the time who believe they are following the true "prophet of god."

So we tell our people to just believe what our leaders say, yet we tell other folks to use the spirit to decide if they should believe what their leaders say. That doesn't work. It doesn't make sense? IMO.

I'm not criticizing the mormon prophets. If one wants to follow them and listen to their counsel, than fine. I do to some extent. I'm criticizing the 14 F's concepts, which, are taught by many many religions and I think are perhaps the most cult-like and dangerous teachings that any person can fall victim too. Once one buys into them, they are caught into a mind trap where there is no escape.

I was very sad to see this kind of teaching resurface after 30 years. I do not believe Bro. Costa did the members of the church any favor by resurrecting this kind of dogma and thought process. And I don't think this is the kind of direction that the Mormon people or it's leaders want the membership to go. That is just my opinion.

[beefche]

Who is Bro. Costa?

[pam]

Elder Costa is a member of the seventy

[pam]

I was very sad to see this kind of teaching resurface after 30 years. I do not believe Bro. Costa did the members of the church any favor by resurrecting this kind of dogma and thought process. And I don't think this is the kind of direction that the Mormon people or it's leaders want the membership to go. That is just my opinion.

You mention the fact that Elder Costa brought this out and don't think this is what the people or it's leaders want. I find it amazing that in the same general conference, 2 general authorities talked about the 14 points. Seems rather strange that 2 separate general authorities would share this if that's not the direction they want the membership to go.

And not to be rude..but please don't speak for me.

[Guest gopecon]

"I'm criticizing the 14 F's concepts, which, are taught by many many religions and I think are perhaps the most cult-like and dangerous teachings that any person can fall victim too. Once one buys into them, they are caught into a mind trap where there is no escape." Cwald

They are only dangerous if you are following a false prophet. We are encouraged to pray for confirmation of a prophet's calling and to pray about any teachings that we are unsure about. For me there is great comfort in knowing that I can find safety in following the prophet. Once I am confident that he has been called of God, I can and do trust that he won't lead me off of a spiritual cliff. Don't follow him blindly - get a testimony of his calling. Once that is firmly in place, you don't have to worry about the truth of each pronouncement.

[Tyler90AZ]

The 14 Points would be dangerous if we were taught not to get educated. To me education does a lot to eliminate possible abuses of power. Even so, the 14 points are things I would expect of a Prophet, so it isn't really that big of a stretch. If you believe he is a prophet then these things naturally apply.

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches its member to get educated:

D&C 88

School of the Prophets

Apostles on Education:

Apostles Emphasize Value of Education

Women and Education:

Insights - Ensign Mar. 1975 - ensign

[Windseeker]

Here are some quick fundamentals that might make it easier to understand the context in which the 14f’s lie.

Agency

2Nephi2:27

“Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and call things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.”

The Articles of Faith #11

“ We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may”

Joshua 24:14-15

“And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

Testimony

Moroni 10:3-5

"Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.

"And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.

"And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things."

D&C 9:8

"But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right."

Faith and Knowlege

Matt 7:15-20

"Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

Even so every good tree bringeth forth good bfruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth devil fruit.

A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them."

John 7:17

“If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.”

Ether 4: 11

"But he that believeth these things which I have spoken, him will I visit with the manifestations of my Spirit, and he shall know and bear record. For because of my Spirit he shall know that these things are true; for it persuadeth men to do good."

Priesthood

D&C121:41-46

“That the rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven, and that the powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only upon the principles of righteousness.

That they may be conferred upon us, it is true; but when we undertake to cover our sins, or to gratify our pride, our vain ambition, or to exercise control or dominion or compulsion upon the souls of the children of men, in any degree of unrighteousness, behold, the heavens withdraw themselves; the Spirit of the Lord is grieved; and when it is withdrawn, Amen to the priesthood or the authority of that man.”

------------------

“It has become unpopular to preach the unadulterated gospel in the stakes of Zion.” –Life of Joseph Fielding Smith, Joseph Fielding Smith & John J. Stewart, Deseret Book 1972, page 211

I think this might explain why the 14fs

[beefche]

I'm reading those 14 fundamentals with Moses in mind. That prophet lived every one of those in vivid detail with the children of Israel.

[cwald]

And not to be rude..but please don't speak for me.

I don't want to be rude either, but I don't know what you are talking about. I made it very clear I was just expressing my opinion, and how I perceive this issue. Perhaps you should cut me some slack - you've been on my case since I signed up here. What's the problem?

[cwald]

You mention the fact that Elder Costa brought this out and don't think this is what the people or it's leaders want. I find it amazing that in the same general conference, 2 general authorities talked about the 14 points. Seems rather strange that 2 separate general authorities would share this if that's not the direction they want the membership to go...

Okay Pam, do you think the Mormon church truly believes, teaches and wants it's members to adopt the mindset espoused in the 14 Fs?

Perhaps they do, that SLC DOES want it's members to buy into the concepts? Perhaps, but I sure hope not. I want to give them the benefit of the doubt that these two GA's were just speaking as men and weren't expressing the opinion of the Monson and the other Apostles on this issue.

[cwald]

"I'm criticizing the 14 F's concepts, which, are taught by many many religions and I think are perhaps the most cult-like and dangerous teachings that any person can fall victim too. Once one buys into them, they are caught into a mind trap where there is no escape." Cwald

They are only dangerous if you are following a false prophet. We are encouraged to pray for confirmation of a prophet's calling and to pray about any teachings that we are unsure about. For me there is great comfort in knowing that I can find safety in following the prophet. Once I am confident that he has been called of God, I can and do trust that he won't lead me off of a spiritual cliff. Don't follow him blindly - get a testimony of his calling. Once that is firmly in place, you don't have to worry about the truth of each pronouncement.

yes, but wouldn't the followers of Warren Jeffs say the same thing? I mean, they have also gotten a spiritual testimony that Jeffs is the true prophet. Perhaps that is why we still need to use reason, logic, the scriptures and the spirit to determine the truth about every pronouncement that our "prophet", whichever religion one belongs too, is actually speaking for god? That is why I would argue the 14 Fs are unnecessary and bad doctrine. It doesn't fit in with what I know about the Mormon philosophy of finding truth.

[LittleWyvern]

yes, but wouldn't the followers of Warren Jeffs say the same thing? I mean, they have also gotten a spiritual testimony that Jeffs is the true prophet. Perhaps that is why we still need to use reason, logic, the scriptures and the spirit to determine the truth about every pronouncement that our "prophet", whichever religion one belongs too, is actually speaking for god? That is why I would argue the 14 Fs are unnecessary and bad doctrine. It doesn't fit in with what I know about the Mormon philosophy of finding truth.

Well, certainly these principles can be used to support thoroughly un-Christian ways of doing things. Expressing reservations isn't out of the question eitheir: even Spencer W. Kimball felt uneasy and concerned about this talk when it was given, and he was (then) the current prophet. However, I don't think this gives us a reason to throw the entire talk out as "bad" doctrine. There's some good things here, even if some of them require squinting at a bit to understand. I think what you've proven instead is that we should take this talk with a grain (or several) of salt, and keep in mind statements by other prophets regarding this topic.

This generally goes along with the Mormon philosophy of finding truth, as far as I understand it: just because one thing doesn't contain 100% truth, doesn't mean that it contains 0% truth. Yes, sometimes past Apostles (and even prophets) have said things that are wrong, but does that make them completely wrong? Not at all. We live in a world of imperfection and variance, and I think God is practical and uses whatever He can use to further His plans, even if the things He uses aren't the most optimal tools that could possibly exist for the job.

[Windseeker]

It doesn't fit in with what I know about the Mormon philosophy of finding truth.

How doesn't it fit? You need to be more specific.

LDS.org - Sunday School Chapter Detail - Prophets of God

..seems to match fairly well.

yes, but wouldn't the followers of Warren Jeffs say the same thing?

First off I'm tired of you bringing up this Warren Jeffs guy.

I'm knowingly exposing a spot of blackness that contaminates my heart...but my eternal wish would be to ride shotgun with the avenging angels as they go to extract the vengance prepared for this scum.

Your concern is that it's the 14f's that allow someone like him to perpetrate his evil.

In the 14fs it does not say anywhere to follow blindly, to ignore everything we know, to ignore the Holy Ghost, to extinguish the very light of Christ that is given to all men to judge good from evil, to put aside our God given instinct and responsibility as parents to look after and protect our children and offer up their most sacred innocence to the evil lusts of some wicked scum bag.

Edited November 18, 2011 by Windseeker

[Guest gopecon]

yes, but wouldn't the followers of Warren Jeffs say the same thing? I mean, they have also gotten a spiritual testimony that Jeffs is the true prophet. Perhaps that is why we still need to use reason, logic, the scriptures and the spirit to determine the truth about every pronouncement that our "prophet", whichever religion one belongs too, is actually speaking for god? That is why I would argue the 14 Fs are unnecessary and bad doctrine. It doesn't fit in with what I know about the Mormon philosophy of finding truth.

If Warren Jeffs, David Koresh or anyone else is a false prophet, then I can assure you that the Holy Ghost has not testified to anyone that they are true prophets. By their fruits ye shall know them. Given the life of Christian service that Pres. Monson has led, and the confirmation I have received of his calling as President of the Church, my default response on anything that he teaches or asks us to do is that it is from God. I can't think of a single thing that the prophets of my lifetime (Kimball, Benson, Hunter, Hinckley, and Monson) have asked or taught that seemed too controversial to me, or that I have had difficulty accepting. With the repeated promise that God will not allow the prophet to lead us astray (which I take to mean an unwarranted call to some sort of action), I find great comfort in following the prophet, and I have no problem with my kids being taught the same.

[JudoMinja]

I think cwald has a good point. I believe that these 14Fs are true and correct, but written the way they are, it would be very easy to "brainwash" a young and/or uneducated mind into not thinking for themselves. IF any of these points proved to actually be incorrect and our prophet was wrong or espoused some very dangerous concepts, someone who did not learn to think for themself would think it was right. The prophet is given a lot of responsibility, and a lot of power. Sometimes, we fail to remember just how much power- because he does not misuse it, and I don't think he COULD misuse it. Because his power comes from God, if he were to try to use it in a way contrary to what God wants, it would be taken away from him. IF he COULD misuse it though, it would be something very frightening...

Behold, thou art Nephi, and I am God. Behold, I declare it unto thee in the presence of mine angels, that ye shall have power over this people, and shall smite the earth with famine, and with pestilence, and destruction, according to the wickedness of this people.

Behold, I give unto you power, that whatsoever ye shall seal on earth shall be sealed in heaven; and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven; and thus shall ye have power among this people.

And thus, if ye shall say unto this temple it shall be rent in twain, it shall be done.

And if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou cast down and become smooth, it shall be done.

And behold, if ye shall say that God shall smite this people, it shall come to pass.

And now behold, I command you, that ye shall go and declare unto this people, that thus saith the Lord God, who is the Almighty: Except ye repent ye shall be smitten, even unto destruction. (Helaman 10:6-11)

This is a very real power with very real and dangerous possibilities. It is given to the prophet that whatever he says will be done. He can call upon the name of God, the powers of God, and utilize them. If we believe that he is God's prophet, then we believe that this is so. We have to trust in both his judgment of the use of that power, and trust that God would not give such power to someone who would misuse it, or allow them to misuse it.

To follow such power without question would be very terrible- if we are wrong. This is why we are also taught to learn, to question, to gain our own personal revelation... BUT

If someone were to "follow blindly", the laws of God also dictate that these individuals do not bear the responsibility. The leader is responsible for the actions of his/her followers, just as the sins of the children fall on the parents if the parents do not put forth every effort to teach their children correct principles. If a leader sends his people astray, he is the one responsible for the results. Coming to our own understanding and making our own intelligent decisions gives us a sense of "adulthood" and puts the responsibility of our own actions on our own shoulders, but simply trusting our leader and doing what we are told would put the responsibility back on our leader. Just who bears the responsibility is something God will easily be able to sort out and identify- but we basically will not be punished for TRUSTING our leaders.