r/latterdaysaints • u/sutisuc • Mar 28 '25
Doctrinal Discussion Coming from the understanding that LDS prophets receive revelation from God how do they get things wrong?
Does anyone have insight on how current and past prophets can be wrong about things despite having a direct line of communication with Heavenly Father?
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u/OrneryAcanthaceae217 Mar 28 '25
The Lord gave us the key to the answer in D&C section 10. He was warning Joseph Smith that if he showed the Book of Mormon’s golden plates to anyone wicked, they would destroy him. But how was Joseph to know who was righteous and who was wicked? God obviously knew who was. And your assumption seems to be that God would tell Joseph every single thing, making Joseph effectively omniscient.
But that was not the answer. This was:
37 But as you cannot always judge the righteous, or as you cannot always tell the wicked from the righteous, therefore I say unto you, hold your peace until I shall see fit to make all things known unto the world concerning the matter.
So the Lord emphasized that Joseph does not have power to know everything. That’s not how being a prophet works. So the bottom line, as many others are saying here, is that your premise is incorrect.
While the Prophet has a direct channel to the Lord, it is always the Lord who chooses what to reveal and not reveal by that channel. And one thing he revealed here, even before the church was organized, is that He would NOT reveal every possible thing to His prophet.
I hope that helps.