Re: Prophets

Caleb:

First off, kudos for using the resources available to you.  I commend you for including Grandpa on this question.  You will find that he is a tremendous source of knowledge and inspiration.

There are actually 15 men who hold the keys to prophecy on Earth today.  The prophet, his counselors, and the 12 apostles.  This means that they have the responsibility to govern and order the spiritual and temporal affairs of the church. So then, the real work of the church (think saving ordinances of baptism and temple work) on earth is done under the direction of the living prophet.  The prophet is the only person on earth who possesses and is authorized to use all priesthood keys (temple recommend interview).

We each have a separate responsibility to seek after and obtain personal revelation for our own lives.  This extends to seeking for and obtaining the spirit of prophecy.  There are many prophets on the earth today.  Prophecy is a spiritual gift.  It's so important that to start his book, Nephi introduces himself and then says:

"For it came to pass in the commencement of the first year of the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah, (my father, Lehi, having dwelt at Jerusalem in all his days); and in that same year there came many prophets, prophesying unto the people that they must repent, or the great city Jerusalem must be destroyed."

The distinction is clear.  God chooses and calls one prophet to stand at the head of his church and govern its affairs.  God extends the gift of prophecy to those who seek it.  This is a gift from God and does not come with any keys except as the person is called of God.

"We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof."

I'm not not sure how it worked with the ancient prophets because there wasn't really a church per se.  Grandpa can answer that.  I'll wait for his email and send references to support the above if it's warranted.

Love you,

Dad

On Wed, Jan 6, 2016 at 7:41 AM, Caleb Gibbons <cgibbons@myldsmail.net> wrote:

I got asked a question yesterday and I don't know how to answer it. I
told an investigator that Lehi was called as a prophet around the same
time as Jeremiah. She said "so there was two prophets on the earth?"
And the lesson before we told her that we only have one prophet at a
time on the earth. So I kind of contradicted myself. She then said "if
God is the same yesterday, today and forever, then why doesn't he call
two prophets of the church today? Where does it say in the bible that
he called two prophets at a time?"

I've been studying it for awhile and can't find anything except
Ephesians 4:11-13
"And he gave some, bapostles; and some, prophets; and some,
evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;"
"... For the edifying of the body of Christ."
"Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of
the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of
the fulness of Christ:"

But that's talking about past prophets.. So maybe just be thinking
about this one so I can give her something next time we meet?

Thanks for your help.
- Elder Caleb Gibbons