Prophecies of Presidents Monson & Hinckley

[dahlia]

I have to give the lesson on 'Living Prophet' from the RS manual. I've searched the LDS.org site, but when I put in any variation on Monson and prophet/prophecy, I get general information about Pres Monson being a prophet.

 

Can anyone point me to any of the prophecies that Pres Monson and Pres Hinckley have made? Maybe there was something in one of the Conferences that went over my head... I would like to give some examples.

 

Thanks.

[Vort]

I don't recall them making specific predictive prophecies, though President Hinckley did warn of financial difficulties. I see this less as divinely inspired prophecy and more as common sense.

 

I am confident that our prophets receive revelation every day, but it's for the running of the kingdom. It is received in areas far less flashy than e.g. President Kimball's revelation on the Priesthood, but ultimately I think just as important.

[char713]

It's also not a specific prophecy, but the Proclamation to the World on the Family came about during President Hinckley's time. I consider that document to be a series of very timely prophecies.

[Just_A_Guy]

To the Boys and to the Men, from President Hinckley, in 1998, seems rather prophetic in hindsight even though Hinckley himself put things rather modestly:

 

Now, brethren, I want to make it very clear that I am not prophesying, that I am not predicting years of famine in the future. But I am suggesting that the time has come to get our houses in order.

 

So many of our people are living on the very edge of their incomes. In fact, some are living on borrowings.

 

We have witnessed in recent weeks wide and fearsome swings in the markets of the world. The economy is a fragile thing. A stumble in the economy in Jakarta or Moscow can immediately affect the entire world. It can eventually reach down to each of us as individuals. There is a portent of stormy weather ahead to which we had better give heed.

Edited June 5, 2015 by Just_A_Guy

[Palerider]

For me I think of their General Conf talks .... Look at some of that information.

[Palerider]

I also know that Pres Hinckley started the construction of Tempkes. Pres Monson has lowered the age of Missionaries to serve.

[Average Joe]

In 1968 [then] Apostle Monson prophesied of the building of the [then] communist East Germany temple.in Freiberg. [see article here]

Edited June 6, 2015 by Average Joe

[Finrock]

I remember a short talk that Monson gave where in my opinion he made a prophecy. I remember this talk to this day and have actually been looking and waiting to see if the prophecy has been or is being fulfilled.

 

Here is the part that I believe is prophetic (it was given in 2008):

 

It has been my privilege during the past six months to meet with leaders of countries and with representatives of governments. Those with whom I’ve met feel kindly toward the Church and our members, and they have been cooperative and accommodating. There remain, however, areas of the world where our influence is limited and where we are not allowed to share the gospel freely. As did President Spencer W. Kimball over 32 years ago, I urge you to pray for the opening of those areas, that we might share with them the joy of the gospel. As we prayed then in response to President Kimball’s pleadings, we saw miracles unfold as country after country, formerly closed to the Church, was opened. Such will transpire again as we pray with faith.

 

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2008/10/welcome-to-conference?lang=eng&query=ask+you+to+pray

 

-Finrock

[Laniston]

President Hinckly once spoke on the dangers of gambling.  A short while later that world poker tour became a really big deal (Card game pun! woohoo!).  Anyways I always felt his talk was prophetic as I saw a public frenzy generated over poker and other forms of gambling.

[Guest MormonGator]

President Hinckly once spoke on the dangers of gambling.  A short while later that world poker tour became a really big deal (Card game pun! woohoo!).  Anyways I always felt his talk was prophetic as I saw a public frenzy generated over poker and other forms of gambling.

 He was so right about that topic. If I had my dream world all forms of gambling from lottery tickets to casinos would be outright banned. But I'm not in charge, so I'll just ignore it. 

[omegaseamaster75]

A lot of generalities here, I think that the OP is looking for very specific examples. President said X  and X happened sometime later.

[Palerider]

It's only revelation if something is said and later it happens ?? It's not a revelation to build more Temples or to lower the age of Missionaries ?? I could go on and list many other things.

[omegaseamaster75]

It's only revelation if something is said and later it happens ?? It's not a revelation to build more Temples or to lower the age of Missionaries ?? I could go on and list many other things.

Sure it is.....but the OP said Prophesies...

[mdfxdb]

Here is one:

 

In 1924, Elder George Albert Smith, then an LDS apostle, was visiting with a local church leader on the roof terrace of a hotel overlooking San Francisco Bay.

According to Chad S. Hawkins' book, "The First 100 Temples," Elder Smith “ceased talking and for several minutes gazed intently toward the hills above Oakland” before again speaking to his friend W. Aird MacDonald, Hawkins wrote.

"Brother MacDonald, I can almost see in vision a white temple of the Lord high upon those hills, an ensign to all the world travelers as they sail through the Golden Gate into this wonderful harbor," said the future president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. "A great white temple of the Lord will grace those hills, a glorious ensign to the nations, to welcome our Father's children as they visit this great city."

Those prophetic words were fulfilled 40 years later when President David O. McKay dedicated the Oakland California Temple in November 1964.

[Palerider]

Sure it is.....but the OP said Prophesies...

Right

[dahlia]

Thanks, guys. I had my lesson pushed back a week due to my son's wedding. This is all good information, tho, yes, I was hoping for some specific statements of prophesy - tho maybe the leaders don't come right out and say, "I prophesize X."

 

I think that topics of Conference talks is useful. It would be a way of spreading an idea, prophesy, without getting people all freaked out.

[mordorbund]

For your consideration, the Bible Dictionary distinguishes between prophetic messages and prophesy:

 

 

The work of a Hebrew prophet was to act as God’s messenger and make known God’s will. The message was usually prefaced with the words “Thus saith Jehovah.” He taught men about God’s character, showing the full meaning of His dealings with Israel in the past. It was therefore part of the prophetic office to preserve and edit the records of the nation’s history; and such historical books as Joshua, Judges, 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings were known by the Jews as the former Prophets. It was also the prophet’s duty to denounce sin and foretell its punishment and to redress, so far as he could, both public and private wrongs. He was to be, above all, a preacher of righteousness. When the people had fallen away from a true faith in Jehovah, the prophets had to try to restore that faith and remove false views about the character of God and the nature of the divine requirement. In certain cases prophets predicted future events, such as the very important prophecies announcing the coming of Messiah’s kingdom; but as a rule a prophet was a forthteller rather than a foreteller.

 

I've had some musings since our lesson last Sunday since it was taught in the context of the ongoing restoration. If we stopped at Joseph and had "Guardians of the Faith" instead of prophets, we would not have the Sunday School or Primary or the various youth organizations. If we stopped at Brigham Young we would still be getting sealed to prophets instead of our own ancestors and we would still be practicing polygamy (sorry President Taylor, I only know a little about President Woodruff's administration, but that's still more than I know about yours). Fast forward to President Hunter. If we stopped at him, we wouldn't have the revised For the Strength of Youth pamphlet. I could still name all the operating temples. The Living Christ and The Family: a Proclamation to the World would not be hanging on my wall. We would still have conference in the tabernacle. If we stopped at President Hinckley, we would still have the threefold mission of the Church instead of the one that focuses on Zion and restored keys. We would still be wondering why women never pray in General Conference. We wouldn't have so many missionaries leaving right after High School. The phrases hastening the work and to the rescue would not ring so readily in my ears.

[mordorbund]

One more thought. The benefit of having a living prophet (doesn't matter who) speaking for God is that he serves as a check against the tendency to make the dead ones speak more comfortably. It's like how both sides in the religion flame-wars bring out Hitler as atheist or Christian (whichever makes your side look better). The same in the science vs. religion flames. We all know Newton, Darwin, and Einstein were Christians, except those of us who know they weren't. I can't help but think Elder Oaks was sending a barb to the bloggernacle when he quoted a safely-dead academic for his side rather than letting the so-called intellectuals claim him.

 

Twenty-five years ago my esteemed BYU teacher Hugh W. Nibley spoke of the dangers of surrendering to the cares of the world. He was asked in an interview whether world conditions and our duty to spread the gospel made it desirable to seek some way to “be accommodating of the world in what we do in the Church.”⁴

 

His reply: “That’s been the whole story of the Church, hasn’t it? You have to be willing to offend here, you have to be willing to take the risk. That’s where the faith comes in. … Our commitment is supposed to be a test, it’s supposed to be hard, it’s supposed to be impractical in the terms of this world.”⁵

 

 

The subtext might not really be there, but in my head I heard "I too can play the dead scholar game. And he's ours."

 

And of course we know that Jesus was all about love and would never judge another person, so why are you man. Just live and let live. If only we had someone who was authorized by Jesus to speak for Him.... a living oracle, if you will.... I wonder if such a person would make us as uncomfortable as Jesus did in His day...

[Guest MormonGator]

One more thought. The benefit of having a living prophet (doesn't matter who) speaking for God is that he serves as a check against the tendency to make the dead ones speak more comfortably. 

Exactly! 

There are many benefits of having a living prophet. I think a huge one is that he (whoever he is) keeps the traditions of the church alive but also has a direct line of communication with God in case changes need to be made.