Prophets in LDS Theology

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This is Heart of the MatterTGNN’s original show where Shawn McCraney deconstructed religion and developed fulfilled theology. . . .
Show 20 Seventeen Points Part IV – Prophets
May 6th 2008

And I’m your host, Shawn McCraneyFounder of TGNN and developer of the fulfilled perspective—calling people to faith outside of religion.

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LDS Church Teachings on Prophets

We have spent the last few weeks discussing and dissecting the LDS handout called “The Seventeen Points of the True Church.” Last week we read to you point number three, which says: “The True Church must have a foundation of Apostles and Prophets” and I personally feel we presented a very strong case as to why the LDS claim for having “apostles” is contrary to biblical teachings. Tonight we’re going to cover the second part of this foundational claim and that is of “modern-day prophets."

We did a show in 2006 titled “Prophets,” so I will try not to be redundant here. But I think it is important, however, to understand the LDS position relative to their having a man they call the “prophet.” Mormons believe that Joseph Smith was the first prophet of this dispensation, that he is the prophet of the restored gospel. Following in his footsteps, after much debate and division, came Brigham Young, and then a succession of other singular male prophets up to this day and age. Today, Latter-day Saints believe that Thomas S Monson is “the prophet, not a prophet, but the prophet on earth today, one who leads and guides God’s church here on earth like unto Moses.”

Again, they believe he fills this office no differently than Moses was a prophet to the children of Israel. Today, Mormonism believes that Thomas Monson and Thomas Monson alone holds all the keys and authority to speak and act for God here upon the earth.

Missionaries' Approach

Missionaries will often use the following “logic” with investigators when explaining the need for a living prophet on earth today. They’ll say: “Because God loved the Children of Israel He sent them a prophet to lead and guide them. Does God love us today as much?” When people say, “Yes.” The missionaries say, “That’s right. And He has sent a prophet to earth to lead and guide us today too! (Then they’ll show a picture) His name is Thomas S. Monson. (Then they bear testimony that they “know” Thomas S. Monson is a prophet of God).

All of this might sound well and good – but we’ve got a problem . . . the Bible. Let me restructure the missionary discussion for you – I’ll play the missionary and what he or she should be saying according to the Bible – okay?

Biblical Perspective on Prophets

“Does the Lord love us as much today as He did in days of yore?” “Yes, He does,” says the investigator. “That’s right. And do you know what he did for us? He sent us His only Son, who gave His life for us. Because of this, we can be reconciled directly to God and have communication with Him through His Holy Spirit! There is no need for there to be prophets like they had of old any longer! In fact, let’s read Hebrews 1:1-2

Heb 1:1 ¶ God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds.

“Well,” asks the investigator, ”Are there any other scriptural proofs that the office of Prophet is done away with today, Missionary McCraney?” “Why yes, there are!”

Listen to the way prophets are spoken of in the New Testament:

Matthew 11:13 “For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.”

In Luke 11:50 Jesus said: “That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation.”

Luke revealed that Jesus taught, from the Luke 24:27 “beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.

Acts 3:24 says “Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days.

And Acts 10:43 To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.

The prophets were before Christ Jesus, they pointed to Jesus, told of Jesus.

Fulfillment of the Law and Prophets

The prophets spoke of Jesus. They revealed God’s will until Jesus came. But when Jesus came, their job was done, because Jesus ultimately revealed God and His will in the flesh. Remember, God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son! Having sent His Son, and then followed Him up with the coming of the Holy Spirit, who would need a man to intercede for us today? We have His Son, the Word of God, and the Holy Spirit!

“Are there any other passages in scripture we can read from, Mr. Missionary McCraney?”

“As a matter of fact, there are!”

There is a story found in every one of the synoptic gospels as told by Jesus.

The Parable of the Wicked Husbandmen

Luke 20
Mark 12
Matthew 21:33-37

It goes like this:

33 There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country:
34 And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it.
35 And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another.
36 Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise.
37 But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son.

Again, the prophets served a purpose, and were persecuted for it. But last of all God sent His Son!!

“Wow, missionary McCraney, the Law and the Prophets really was fulfilled by the life and deathSeparation from God—now overcome. Physical death remains, but it no longer separates us from life with God. of Jesus. Is there anything else?”

The Mount of Transfiguration

3 And His clothing became shining, exceedingly white as snow such as no fuller on earth could whiten them.

4 And Elijah with Moses was seen by them, and they were talking with Jesus.

8 “Suddenly, looking around, did not see anyone any more, except Jesus alone with themselves.

Well, perhaps you would want to consider one final biblical event. It is offered by what happened on the Mount of Transfiguration, from Mark 9:2-8.

Mark 9:2 And after six days Jesus took Peter and James and John and led them up into a high mountain, apart by themselves. And He was transfigured before them.

What does this mean? It means a visual manifestation of the total glory of Jesus that existed beneath His Flesh was revealed to Peter, James and John. SO let’s read the next verse:

You see, on this mount, the true nature of Jesus shined through his outer frame. And besides, Peter, James and John, who else was there? (verse 4)

Now of all the prophets and characters of the Old Testament, why was Moses and Elijah there when the Glory of Jesus was revealed? Why not Isaiah? Why not Samuel? Or Ezekiel?

Because they represented respectively the Law (Moses) and the prophets (Elijah) and the fulfillment of the Law and the prophets by Jesus Himself. Moses represented the Law, for through Moses the Law was delivered to the Children of Israel. And Elijah represented the Prophets. Why Elijah?

Elijah was the prophet of prophets, who had the most radical of radical ministries of the Old Covenant. Both Moses and Elijah had deaths that were uncommon to other men, possibly because they would be using their bodies at the transfiguration of Jesus. Moses disappeared without his burial place being known and Elijah was taken up into heaven in a fiery chariot. Now both returned in their bodies which had so strangely disappeared at the time of their passing. Why?

The Jewish Targum connects the “coming of Moses with that of the Messiah.” Another Jewish tradition predicts “his appearance with that of Elijah.”

And what were Moses and Elijah talking about with Jesus as He was transfigured? Luke (Luke 9:31) "They spake of his death which He should accomplish at Jerusalem."

The cloud which overshadowed the witnesses was bright and luminous, of the same kind as the cloud at Sinai when Moses spake with God, — the same into which Elijah disappeared in the heavens via chariot, the same that was seen at the ascension of the Lord.

This event at the Mount of Transfiguration had the lawgiver Moses and the prophet Elijah coming to the Messiah and presenting the dispensation of the Law and Prophets to the Lawgiver and final prophet, one Jesus Christ, who was about to fulfill the Law and the Prophets through His suffering and death! Here Jesus is the connecting link between the Old and New Testaments, between heaven and earth, between the kingdom of grace and the kingdom of glory. Can you yet see why modern day prophets are pernicious?

The Sufficiency of the Gospel

A slap in the face of what Jesus completed?

Verse 8 is so apropos to the meaning of this event because it says that Peter, James, and John . . . This is all we need Jesus – the Word, His Word. Not the words of men. Not new and continuing “revelation” to which there is no precedent. Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit which testifies of Him, and the Word He has given. Let me conclude with some icing on this cake.

The Completeness of Biblical Revelation

According to the Bible, the gospel has been fully given. Paul declared: “I have fully preached the gospel of Jesus Christ (in Romans 15:19) meaning not one single thing needs to be added to it. Also, the Book of RevelationA symbolic prophecy fulfilled in 70 A.D.—not a prediction of future global events. reveals EVERYTHING about the Church age – past, present, and future – the condition of the church over time, the raptureA misinterpreted concept—biblical “rapture” language was fulfilled in 70 A.D., not a future escape event. More, tribulationA real historical event fulfilled in 70 A.D.—not a future apocalyptic crisis. More, millenniumA symbolic period of Christ’s reign—fulfilled by 70 A.D., not a future thousand-year timeline. More, and the consummation of all things into an eternal state.

All time has been covered. And this revelation of Jesus Christ is not lacking in any information. There is no Post Script or PS God forgot to add mentioning Joseph Smith, or multiple wives, or temple rituals, or prophets to guide us in these latter-days. Jude speaks of the faith that was “once and for all delivered to the Saints!” In other words, there is no more gospel left to give.

The Foundation of Apostles and Prophets

Take all of this, add to it what Hebrews says about God speaking to us in these last days by His Son . . . that Jesus said all the law and the prophets were up until John . . . that the Mount of Transfiguration was symbolic of the Law and the Prophets being turned over to Jesus Christ and Him alone . . . And I think we have a good case for understanding what Ephesians 2:19 means relative to a foundation of apostles and prophets . . . and how badly Mormonism has twisted this beautifully simple passage into another gospel. Paul warned us about this in Galatians, my friends, when he said:

(Galatians 1:8)

“But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.”

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