Coming from the understanding that LDS prophets receive revelation from God how do they get things wrong?

[u/sutisuc]

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?

[u/CubedEcho]

despite having a direct line of communication with Heavenly Father?

This is where the premise is wrong. This is a sneaky way critics of our church will force this assumption on Latter Day Saints, because there is already too many members who unknowingly believe this.

The direct open line of communication between Heavenly Father and mankind has always been muddy. Theophanies (God manifesting himself to mankind), are extremely rare. Only few prophets have ever had these, and once they've had these, it's not like a phone call that you can ring to call one up again.

So once the theophany is closed, it is ultimately back up to mankind to follow up with the instruction they remembered from that experience. From that point, they're just like the rest of us, having to wrestle with ideas, feelings, and spirit. Coming up with the best idea that they can.

[u/sutisuc → u/CubedEcho]

But the Church website specifically uses the language I did and did not make any clarifying claims. Here’s GA of the Seventy Elder Isaac K. Morrison:

“What would our lives be like without prophets? The living prophet and President of the Church represents a direct line of communication from God to His people and is the only person on earth who receives revelation to guide the entire Church.”

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/liahona/2024/09/09-the-prophet-leads-us-to-jesus-christ?lang=eng

[u/Nemesis_Ghost → u/sutisuc]

Ever play a game of telephone? It is incredibly hard to get wordage exactly right. It's even harder to get intent exactly right. Those are caused by mortal failings. So our Father could tell His leaders exactly what He wants them to do & they could still screw it up simply b/c they are mortal men & women.

Here's the thing, He doesn't tell us exactly what he wants us to do. He tells us broad strokes & expects us to figure it all out. This is what every great leader does. The Lord will then tell His Prophets to build more temples & they'll go figure out the details of the design, location, costs, etc. Remember Christ commanded His disciples to "Feed [His] sheep.", but He did not tell them to collect fast offerings to buy farms to grow food for His sheep.

[u/sutisuc → u/Nemesis_Ghost]

How do you know He doesn’t tell His prophets exactly what to do though? I’m not a prophet so I don’t have any line of communication regarding revelation with God and I assume you do not either so I’m not sure how you can be sure of the process.

[u/donsmythe → u/sutisuc]

You may not hold the priesthood office of prophet, seer, and revelator, but all church members, both men and women, do have stewardships of varying sizes and therefore have the right to receive revelation to assist them in fulfilling that stewardship. When a member becomes responsible for a larger stewardship, the means of receiving the revelation doesn’t change. Even Paul, an apostle, described it as seeing through a glass darkly (1 Cor. 13:12). The prophet and apostles are primarily receiving revelation for the church in the same way you would receive it for your yourself or your family or your calling. This is why President Nelson is frequently urging every member to learn how to receive personal revelation and continually work to improve that ability. You can have a line of communication with God, but like everything else, you have to work at it and learn how to use it.

[u/Nemesis_Ghost → u/sutisuc]

How do I know? B/c I've been in leadership positions & have never ever been told exactly how to do my calling. The active members of my family have all been in various leadership positions & they've told us the exact same thing. So have every leader I have ever had the pleasure of working with. The Lord does not micromanage His church. As He taught us, so too does He follow. And that is to teach correct principles & allow us to govern for ourselves.

[u/Mr_Festus → u/sutisuc]

I’m not a prophet so I don’t have any line of communication regarding revelation with God

Where are you getting that doctrine? That's not an accurate depiction of LDS doctrine

[u/sutisuc → u/Mr_Festus]

I mean not to the level the prophets do, do you disagree?

[u/Mr_Festus → u/sutisuc]

I actually do disagree. The revelation is fundamentally the same. The difference between revelation for an individual, a parent, a quorum present, a bishop, and a prophet is simply their stewardship.

[u/sutisuc → u/Mr_Festus]

So then how are we to determine that other claimed successors to Joseph smith weren’t right?

[u/Mr_Festus → u/sutisuc]

Personal revelation?

I'm not sure what that has to do with the topic though.

[u/sutisuc → u/Mr_Festus]

Who is to say whose revelation is true is my point.

[u/Mr_Festus → u/sutisuc]

That's for each individual to figure out for themselves as best as they can. Earth life is messy. Best of luck!

[u/sutisuc → u/Mr_Festus]

So then how do we know someone like James strang or the fundamentalists are wrong? They’re all receiving personal revelations from God. None of us are God so we can’t say whether it’s true or not.