Recovery to Mormonism

Mormon prophets make mistakes. Doesn’t that mean they aren’t prophets?

“Recovery from Mormonism” sites have favorite points and one of them is this: that prophets make mistakes and, therefore, God could not have spoken to them.

Do prophets make mistakes?  Yes.  Mormons believe that, like every other person who has ever lived on earth (save Jesus Christ), prophets have flaws, are tempted, sin, and make errors in judgment.  This belief is not unique to Mormonism—or shouldn’t be.  Any Christian who reads the Bible will find examples of the Lord chastening prophets for their sins and errors—but keeping them in their role as prophets.

When Moses disobeyed the Lord and struck the rock instead of spoke to it to obtain water, when he did not give credit to the Lord for the miracle—did God strike Moses down or stop speaking to him?  No.  The Lord chastened him severely.  But Moses remained the prophet. 

When Jonah attempted to escape from his responsibility—to preach to Ninevah—and later was angry at the Lord for sparing the city, did the Lord take the gift of prophecy away from Jonah?  Did He destroy him?  No.  The Lord chastened him, but Jonah remained the prophet.

When Peter denied Christ three times, did he lose his position?  When the apostles debated among themselves who would be the greatest in heaven, did Jesus dismiss them all and call new apostles?  No.

God does not call perfect people to be prophets.  This would be impossible.  He does not only call people who only make private little sins of omission that no one notices (Oh, well, I suppose I didn’t pray long enough today).  The Lord’s prophets are called despite their weaknesses, not because they’re free of them.  1

For example, Joseph Smith did indeed set up a bank that failed miserably.  His intentions were good—one of the reasons why the bank failed was that they honored every note and ran out of funds in two weeks.  But could a prophet of God make such a serious mistake?  Shouldn’t a prophet of God have proceeded more carefully?

Joseph Smith was not well educated and banks were a somewhat newer concept than they are today. 2 To be called of the Lord doesn’t mean that prophets suddenly have no free will.  If the Lord didn’t allow Joseph Smith to act in ways that might embarrass him, if the Lord didn’t allow his prophets to have opinions that might be wrong . . . well, the Lord wouldn’t be the Lord.  The prophets are not His puppets and He will never treat them as such.  They are people, they are His children, as are the rest of us, and He won’t rob them of their ability to choose.

Likewise, not everything that comes out of a prophet’s mouth is from the Lord.  Again, if that were so, prophets would have no free will.  Unless a prophet says he is acting as a prophet, what he says is his opinion and his thoughts.  And these may not be perfect thoughts and opinions—in fact, they won’t be.

As late Church President and Prophet Harold B. Lee stated, “If anyone, regardless of his position in the Church, were to advance a doctrine that is not substantiated by the standard Church works, meaning the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price, you may know that his statement is merely his private opinion. The only one authorized to bring forth any new doctrine is the President of the Church, who, when he does, will declare it as revelation from God, and it will be so accepted by the Council of the Twelve and sustained by the body of the Church.”

And no prophet will be able to destroy the Church through his mistakes.  As Apostle Boyd K. Packer said, “Even with the best of intentions, [Church government] does not always work the way it should. Human nature may express itself on occasion, but not to the permanent injury of the work.” 3

In short, the Church’s doctrine is not “whatever the prophet says,” but “whatever the prophet says that is revelation from God and stated as such, and which the Church sustains.”  The prophet does not speak and act as a prophet at all times and shouldn’t be expected to.  He is not perfect.  Since . . . neither are we, it should comfort us to know that God works through imperfect people and loves them despite their mistakes—and trusts them to speak in His name.  The charge from those who write Recovery for Mormonism type tracts that prophets cannot be imperfect . . . is completely false.

1. General authorities’ statements as scripture (Fairwiki)

2. Kirtland Safety Society (Fairwiki)

3. General authorities’ statements as scripture