God Always Speaks Through Prophets

God is a God of love. 1 He has described his “work and his glory” as bringing about “the immortality and eternal life of man.” 2 Clearly, God’s love motivates him to reveal saving truths and teach gospel principles to his children. This is his greatest purpose and that which occupies his thought and time. Love was the motivating factor in God’s creating the plan of salvation, which he designed to lead us successfully through this life and safely back to him. One important way that God shows his love for us is by calling prophets.

God will do nothing without a prophet

God is consistent: “I am the Lord, I change not….” 3 Because God is perfect he has no need to change, thus the scriptures describe him as “the same yesterday, today and forever,” 4 “from eternity to eternity, he is the same.” 5 From the first moments of human history, God has spoken to and taught his children by prophets, and he has never varied from that pattern. Prophets are so important that God has decreed that he will do nothing or say nothing without them. 6

A prophet is God’s mouthpiece and messenger to make known his divine will. Therefore a prophet’s word is God’s word--scripture. We can trust the words of prophets as the word of God: “…whether by my own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same.” 7

Prophets are special witnesses of Jesus Christ and his gospel

All prophets, beginning with Adam, have had the singular calling of being special witnesses of Jesus Christ and bearing testimony of him and his atoning sacrifice. Additionally, prophets have the unique duty to define the doctrines of the gospel of Jesus Christ and to safeguard them. These core doctrines are:

• Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ
• Repentance
• Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins
• The laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost

Following these doctrines and enduring to the end open the doors to the kingdom of God and make possible the blessings of eternal life and exaltation. “Behold…this is the way; and there is none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God. And now, behold, this is the doctrine of Christ....” 8

Prophets are called of God

Prophets are called of God and not of man: God chooses, qualifies and educates his prophets. The apostle Paul said, "And no man taketh this honor unto himself but he that is called of God as was Aaron" (Hebrews 5:4).

God empowers his prophets with his priesthood--the power and authority to act in God’s name for the salvation of his people. God makes prophets the custodians of his priesthood along with the saving doctrines and ordinances of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Thus divinely commissioned and empowered, prophets can authoritatively establish the truth, remove false concepts about the character of God and his gospel, show forth God’s power, denounce sin, call people to repentance, preach and teach the gospel, and warn, forewarn and predict future events.

Unless the gospel message is revealed and delivered by a prophet of God that message will be incomplete and lack the power to save. When the gospel has been lost due to apostasy, God reveals the gospel anew by first calling a prophet.

Questions about 'God Always Speaks Through Prophets'

• What attribute of God motivates him to communicate with and teach his children?



• By whom does God always communicate his will?



• Will God do anythng without calling an authorized prophet?



• What is the special calling of a prophet of God?
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• Can anyone be a prophet? By whom must a prophet be called?



• In addition to bearing special testimony of Jesus Christ, what else does a prophet do?



• If the true gospel is not found on the earth due to apostasy, how will God reveal it anew?

References for 'God Always Speaks Through Prophets'

1. 1 John 4:16 – And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
2. Moses 1:39
3. Malachi 3:6
4. D&C 20:11-12 – Proving to the world that the holy scriptures are true, and that God does inspire men and call them to his holy work in this age and generation, as well as in generations of old; Thereby showing that he is the same God yesterday, today, and forever. Amen.
5. D&C 76:4
6. Amos 3:7 – Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.
7. D&C 1:38
8. 2 Nephi 31:21