Thomas S. Monson is the president and prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The role of prophet is one of the few full-time religious positions available to Mormons. (There are, of course, ordinary jobs such as secretaries to do administrative-type work.) Only the prophets and apostles, among all the church’s religious leadership, work full-time. The remainder are volunteers. For instance, when Mitt Romney served as a bishop (a lay pastor) he held regular employment in his community and this supported his family. The extensive work of a bishop was all done after work and family responsibilities were met.

Although the prophet, his two counselors, and the twelve apostles (the counselors are also apostles) serve full-time, they do not receive a salary. This is due to biblical warnings about priestcraft—the ability to become wealthy doing the work of the Church. Since most who serve in these positions are older, they often have pensions or other sources of private income, even though they can no longer hold outside employment. Those who do not receive a modest stipend which allows them to live at a reasonable standard of living, but not to become wealthy. While most religions pay their ministers and many leaders of popular churches become wealthy, a Mormon leader can only achieve wealth prior to his call to full-time service. No matter how much money the Church makes, leaders do not personally profit from that money.

Due to privacy, the church does not reveal who is receiving financial help from the church, whether it is an ordinary church member receiving charitable assistance or a leader receiving a small stipend. Thomas S. Monson became an apostle at the age of 36, an unusually young age for such a call. (He was also an unusually young bishop.) Prior to his call, he had worked in the printing industry as the General Manager of Deseret News Press. It is possible he receives a stipend, due to how young he was when he gave up paid employment, but it’s also possible his children and other relatives support him instead. He may even have savings invested that support him. How he supports himself really isn’t important. However he does so, he does not receive a paycheck or a share of the money brought in by the church.

 If a stipend is given, it does not come from tithing money. Unlike many churches, which count all their businesses as part of their ministry, the Mormons operate a for-profit arm for their businesses. These businesses pay taxes at the same rate as any other businesses. They are operated under a holding company. It is the for-profit arm that provides the stipend, so that the money donated by members is not used for salaries. The prophet does not own these businesses, nor does he receive a share of the profits from them. The profits are used to fund church work, including things like salaries that must not be paid from tithing funds.

Mormons love being part of a volunteer system. It allows them to serve God entirely unselfishly. They don’t accept service to gain a paycheck; they accept it entirely because they love God and want to serve Him and to be a part of His work. There are, of course, rewards that go far beyond anything a paycheck could provide.

Mormons normally don’t choose their callings. When a leader of an organization needs someone to fill a position, he or she considers possible names of people she knows or who might be available. She then evaluates those names, praying for inspiration, and then chooses one. She prays to find out if this name is acceptable to God and if it is, she submits it to the bishop for approval. This is done because he knows more about the person and whether or not that person is actually available for the position. When everyone has prayed and is in agreement, the chosen person is invited to accept the call. Knowing it is from God, most Mormons will accept even if they feel unqualified for the position. Of course, if there is information he or she might have that is pertinent, such as a serious family situation requiring priority, the person will ask to have that considered.

People generally change positions every few years. This allows them to serve in a wide range of positions over the years and to gain many skills. It also improves their understanding of the organization of the church because they see it from many different viewpoints. There is no promotion, so a person might be the president of the children’s Primary one week, and helping a toddler nursery leader the next and not consider it a demotion in any way. It is simply another responsibility.

The skills learned through church service often force people outside their comfort zones. A shy follower may find herself asked to lead a large women’s organization. A man who doesn’t feel organized might be asked to be the secretary—a position requiring extensive organizational skills. A person new to the church can be asked to teach a class, even though she will first have to learn the doctrines she will be teaching. As people accept positions they would never have volunteered for, they become more than they imagined they could be. Mormons believe God knows them perfectly and knows all they are capable of becoming. When He chooses a calling for them, He is often putting them into a situation that requires the growth needed to become the person God knows they can be.

From a practical standpoint, some church-learned skills later become job skills. A teenager who discovers she has a knack for teaching might decide to major in education. Someone invited to teach literacy may find it very rewarding and go on to major in adult literacy or decide to volunteer to teach it in the community once it is no longer her church work. Many who gain public speaking skills or leadership skills in church go on to become leaders in business or government. This too is part of God’s plan to help us create the life He wants us to lead.

Mormons at all level of the Church serve God happily and lovingly, thrilled to be a part of His gospel.

A new poll by USA Today and Gallop show that Thomas S. Monson, prophet and president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is the tenth most admired man. The poll is taken by telephone calls to people in the United States. Members of the church President Monson leads are often nicknamed Mormons. Although the presidents of the Church often get mentioned, this is the first time a Mormon president has made the list.

Thomas S. Monson is best known for his compassion for others. Raised during the depression, he remembers his mother feeding what were then called hobos. These young men, who rode the rails across country, marked the fences of people who were known to feed the homeless. Each man who knocked at her kitchen door received a hot bowl of soup and was asked only to contact his mother and let her know he was safe.

At Christmas time, the family took gifts to those in need. President Monson remembers delivering food and toys to homes, and once, as a child, provided one of his own beloved birds to give a friend a Christmas dinner.

This childhood training in compassion led to President Monson becoming as compassionate as his parents in adulthood. When he was only twenty-two, he was called to be the bishop of his congregation. A bishop is a lay pastor—the Mormons don’t use paid clergy—who does all the work of a paid minister, but has a family and secular employment at the same time. He was unusually young for a bishop, and his congregation was particularly challenging due to being larger than usual, with 1050 members, and having 85 of those members be widows.

Mormons have programs to help care for their church members who are in need. It is called a welfare program, and is administered by the bishop, usually in conjunction with the president of the women’s Relief Society. Bishop Monson, as he was then known, oversaw a congregation whose boundaries ran alongside the railroad tracks. Mormon congregations have specific boundaries and people attend a congregation based on where they live. Many people lived in basements, back rooms, or falling apart houses and it was his job to track them all down and make certain they were not hungry, sick, or in need. J. Reuben Clark, a high level church leader who helped train Bishop Monson, focused on ways to help the widows. President Monson said of this training:

“Knowing that I was a new bishop presiding over a difficult ward, he emphasized the need for me to know my people, to understand their circumstances, and, in the spirit of tenderness, to minister to their needs. One day he recounted the example of the Savior as recorded in Luke, chapter seven, verses eleven through fifteen:

“And it came to pass … that he went into a city called Nain; and many of his disciples went with him. …

“When he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. …

“And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not.

“And he came and touched the bier. … And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise.

“And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother.” [Luke 7:11–15]

When President Clark closed the Bible, I noticed that he was weeping. In a quiet voice he said, “Tom, be kind to the widows, and look after the poor.’” (See Thomas S. Monson, “The Bishop, Center Stage in Welfare,” October 1990 General Conference Address.)

Each year he took a chicken, obtained from a local farm, as his personal gift to each of the widows for their Christmas dinner. He promised to speak at each of their funerals, and he did, even though by the time some died he was an apostle and constantly traveling the world for the Church.

President Monson’s sermons frequently dwell on the importance of individual responsibility toward those in need. He advises church members to look for ways to serve without waiting for an assignment. This focus on service is one of the reasons he is so highly admired, both within and without the church.

President Monson was unusually young for a bishop and he was also unusually young for an apostle. Apostles are called to their position for life, just as they were in the time of Jesus Christ. Thomas S. Monson was only thirty-six years old when he became an apostle. The Church has twelve apostles, following the pattern established by Jesus, and a First Presidency, consisting of the prophet, who is also the President of the Church, and two counselors. The senior member of this group becomes the new prophet on the death of the current prophet. He selects his own counselors.

President Monson first served in the First Presidency in 1985, giving him many years of experience under three presidents before becoming the prophet in February of 2008. He is the sixteenth president of the church.

Mormon leaders are, as mentioned earlier, lay leaders, so they have private sector experience in most cases. President Monson graduated from the University of Utah in Business Management. He taught there as well and later received an MBA from Brigham Young University. He served in the Navy near the end of World War II. He was a General Manager for Deseret Printing until he became an Apostle.

President Monson is married to the former Frances Johnson and has three children, eight grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.

President Monson has served in many capacities in the secular world and in 1981, he was appointed to the President’s Task Force for Private Sector Initiatives, serving under President Ronald Reagan. He remained on the task force until its work was complete. He has also been a member of the National Executive Board of the Boy Scouts of America.

In April 2008, shortly after becoming the prophet, Thomas S. Monson offered the following promise to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:

“With all my heart and the fervency of my soul, I declare that God does live. Jesus is His Son, the Only Begotten of the Father in the flesh. He is our Redeemer; He is our Mediator with the Father. He loves us with a love we cannot fully comprehend, and because He loves us, He gave His life for us. My gratitude to Him is beyond expression….

I pledge my life, my strength in serving Him and in directing the affairs of His Church in accordance with His will and by His inspiration.” (Thomas S. Monson,” Looking Back and Moving Forward,” Ensign, May, 2008.)

When Jesus Christ organized His church, He chose twelve men to assist Him in His work. He called them apostles, which means, “one sent forth.” (See Luke 6:13.) In John 16, He taught them their role in His ministry:

Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.”

From this we learn that a man cannot call himself to be an apostle—the call must come from God. Their assignment was to be a special witness to the divinity of Jesus Christ and to be missionaries to the world. Later in the chapter, he warns them the world will hate them, not because of who they were as people, but because of Jesus and His teachings.

We can see the Savior considered it important to have twelve apostles, because when Judas turned on Jesus Christ and was removed as an apostle, he was replaced by Matthias.

The structure of the early church, then, was to have Jesus at the head of the Church, with twelve apostles serving under Him. From the Old Testament, and the earliest days of the New Testament, we see that God placed a prophet as the earthly head of the church. Jesus Christ, of course, was always the head of the church, with the prophet serving as His representative.

The apostle Paul outlined how the Savior’s church was meant to operate. In Ephesians 2:20, he said, “20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;” In Ephesians 4:11 he enlarges his explanation of how the church is to be built:

11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

Since this was meant to be the form for God’s church until we were all unified in the faith, it is clear there is a still a need for that structure. We are not yet unified as a world in the Christian faith.

However, most churches have abandoned the original, Christ-chosen method of leading God’s church. They have abandoned the concept of prophets and apostles for newer structures. Many churches reject the idea that God will continue to provide prophets today to help us navigate these complex religious times, and some believe prophets were not needed once Jesus came. That, of course, is not found in the Bible. In fact the Bible reports that at least two of the apostles were considered prophets after Jesus died:

And Judas and Silas, being prophets also themselves, exhorted the brethren with many words, and confirmed them (Acts 15:32). This chapter helps to illustrate the reason apostles and prophets were still needed after Jesus died. In this chapter, we learn the Saints at Antioch were arguing over the need for circumcision. The apostles made the decision. In times in which there were no apostles and prophets, people simply had to guess and these types of dissentions led to the formation of many different churches.

Because God understood the wisdom of having a church structured with prophets and apostles, when He restored the church in modern times, He instructed Joseph Smith to use this same structure. Since Jesus is no longer on the earth, a prophet takes the place of earthly head of the church, under the direction of Jesus Christ.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, whose members are nicknamed Mormons, structure their church under the ancient pattern described in Ephesians 4:11. They demonstrate the truthfulness of God’s promise to do nothing except through His prophets. (See Amos 3:7.)

Today, the apostles are the second highest presiding body of God’s modern restored church. The highest presiding body is the First Presidency, consisting of the prophet and two counselors. Together, these fifteen compose a group of full-time servants of God, who travel the world testifying of the divinity of Jesus Christ. They also manage the work of the church.

The apostles hold the keys to the kingdom of God. This term means they hold the authority to preside over the church. We read of these keys of authority in the Bible, in Matthew 16:19, when Jesus tells Peter:

And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

We saw that the Bible described two of Jesus’ apostles as prophets. All apostles are called as prophets, seers, and revelators, although only the prophet, who also acts as president of the Church, holds all the keys and can receive revelation for the entire church. He must then take that revelation to the apostles and allow them to receive personal revelation on the subject for themselves. Finally, the prophecy is given to the entire church for a sustaining vote, meaning the members promise God they will live by the revelation and support it. Revelation is never received and then kept private. It is given for the purpose of helping God’s children understand what God wants them to do or to know, just as it was in Biblical times.

Having a church built on prophets and apostles protects us. During the long apostasy that began when Jesus and the apostles were dead and ended when Joseph Smith was chosen as the first prophet of the restoration, the Christian faith survived, but it lacked a foundation. Just as the apostles found church members arguing over circumcision, throughout history, churches have debated a wide range of critical doctrine. These debates could not be resolved by having the prophets and apostles ask God for the truth, because there were none. Church leaders could search the Bible, but often interpreted it in different ways. When they could not agree, they had to either put the doctrine to a human vote or divide the church. Over the years, many churches have formed due to disagreements over important saving doctrines.

A foundation of prophets and apostles avoids this. Just as in ancient times, Mormons can turn to the apostles and prophets to guide them when they don’t understand a scripture reference or don’t know how to apply Biblical teachings to decidedly modern issues. In those who have prayed to God to know who today’s prophet really is, there is security in knowing God is at the head of the Church, still guiding, directing, and teaching His children through his apostles and prophets, just as He promised to do in the Bible.

We can draw lessons from prophets of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (inadvertently called by friends of other faiths as the “Mormon Church“).

I believe a prophet’s example is one of the strongest sermons given over the pulpit of life.

VISUAL ACUITY

In John 1:35-36, John the Baptist discerned Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of the Law of Moses, saying, “Behold the Lamb of God.”

I hope to increase my visual acuity of the Savior, discerning who He really is and what He means to me: His divinity, His doctrine, His Atonement He alone could only perform, and His work shouldered by prophets and apostles even to this day.

John’s special witness of Jesus did not fall on deaf ears either.

In verse 37, we read, “And the two disciples heard him speak …”

Revelation is communication from God to mankind. From the very beginning of time, God has communicated with His children on earth, helping them to learn what is true and how to live. This revelation happens at many levels, from the revelations given to prophets for all mankind to the quiet communication of God to an individual child with a personal problem.

Most people think of revelation in terms of the Biblical prophets, who spoke directly to God and received great visions. Only a prophet can receive revelation for the entire church. When a prophet of God speaks, we are all accountable for what he teaches, even if we choose to ignore what is taught. A common example of this would be when Noah called the people to repent. When they did not, the flood came and they paid the price—choosing not to accept the revelation didn’t make it invalid or free them from the need to obey. This helps us to understand the importance of finding out what is true and what source provides truth. When a prophet speaks, God expects us to listen, so first, we must find out to whom He is speaking.

God gives revelation to those who have stewardship or responsibility over the subject of the revelation. This is why only the prophet can receive revelation for the entire church. He is the person with that stewardship. A leader of a religious congregation can receive revelation for his congregation, because that is his special stewardship. When he ends his service to that congregation, he is no longer entitled to revelation for that position. A parent can receive revelation concerning his children. All of us can receive revelation for our own lives, as well.

Even in Biblical times, important revelation meant for everyone was fairly rare. Most of the time, the prophets simply reminded people of what they’d already been taught and still needed to act on. Most revelations did not come through visions and visitations, but through quiet revelation. Prophets normally receive revelation in exactly the same way everyone else does.

That said, how do ordinary people receive revelation for their own lives?

To receive recelation from God, we must prepare ourselves to receive it. We need to build a relationship with Him so that we understand how His gospel works and how He interacts with us. This involves reading the scriptures to study how God has interacted with us in the past and what He expects of us today. Then we need to live the way He has asked us to live.

It means spending time in real prayer—not reciting prayers, but speaking to Him from our hearts about our worries and fears. We need to tell God how thankful we are for what we’ve already received because that helps us become more aware of our blessings and God’s role in them. Then we need to sit quietly and wait to see what happens. In time, we’ll come to recognize a peaceful, warm sensation in our hearts that tells us God is nearby and listening. Satan cannot bring peace or joy. These feelings are always from God.

Once we’ve learned to recognize these feelings and are living in a way that shows respect for God and His teachings, we can receive personal revelation. Revelation will most often come in quiet ways, so we have to be patient and listen with our hearts. We need to turn off the music, the television, and other distractions, especially when we are just learning to recognize what revelation feels like.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, whose members are sometimes called Mormons, are taught to first study an issue out in their minds. For instance, if a student wanted to know which college to attend, she would research a variety of them and select the one she feels is best for her. Then she would take her choice to God and ask Him if she’s chosen well. A warm and peaceful feeling is God’s reassurance that she has made a good choice. (It might be that several schools would meet with His approval.) A confused or negative feeling tells her she needs to start again.

Sometimes revelation comes in the form of a thought of impression. It will take practice to know which impressions are revelations and which are just thoughts. As you act on those thoughts, you will learn how to know which are from God. A thought from God might be a simple suggestion: “Lisa is lonely. Go visit her today.”

On rare occasions, a revelation will come in actual words you can hear. This is usually in the case of an emergency, where there isn’t time to analyze whether or not the thought was an impression or a mere thought. “Go to the baby. She’s in danger.”

Modern prophets, like prophets of old, receive revelation from God, most often in the same form we do. God considers revelation important, and we, as ordinary children of God, can receive personal revelation just as Moses received it in his day.

Who is God’s prophet today?

Have you ever finished reading the Bible and sighed in disappointment because there was nothing else? God’s words are so important, so wonderful, you wish you had more of them to read. Have you ever searched the Bible for an answer to a modern problem that simply wasn’t covered by the Bible, and wondered what God would want you to do about it?

When we study the Bible, we see that the needs of God’s people changed often. Noah needed to build an ark, but Moses didn’t. He needed to lead people through the wilderness safely. Each prophet had specific challenges he faced, based on political and social conditions and the specific behaviors of people in that time. New challenges arose, new temptations, and new ways of thinking. In the New Testament, when Jesus died, his apostles struggled to keep people from adapting false or slightly false beliefs based on their cultures, the rise of Greek philosophy, or simply a misinterpretation of teachings. Sometimes the new Christians simply had questions that hadn’t been answered, so they guessed, and often they guessed wrong. The apostles struggled to keep these from arising, but often without success. For instance, in 1 Corinthians 15, Paul is found chastising members for believing there would be no resurrection of the dead. He also scolded the Galatians for their lapse into false teachings. (See Galatians 1.) Paul spoke strongly to the Colossians about their rising faith in Gnosticism, a false belief that was invading early Christianity.

Read more about early signs of the Apostasy.

After the apostles were gone, no one else had the authority to receive revelation from God. Most Christians today accept that prophecy ended either with Christ’s death or after the death of the apostles. Mormons (a nickname informally used to describe those who are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) believe the apostles were called as prophets, entitled to seek truth from God and to proclaim it officially. Acts 15:32 says, “And Judas and Silas, being prophets also themselves, exhorted the brethren with many words, and confirmed them.” Judas and Silas, of course, were apostles ,demonstrating that apostles are also prophets.

During the long years in which there were not prophets, times changed dramatically. Issues that were not a concern—or not even invented yet—became challenges for Christians world-wide. Although the early church struggled, brave men and women worked hard to keep it alive and growing. However, they often struggled to know what was true. Although they studied the Bible, they often disagreed over essential doctrines. When this happened, it often led to the creation of new religions.

During the reformation, courageous men spoke out, boldly proclaiming that Christianity no longer existed in a pure form that matched what was taught by Jesus Christ. They believed corruption and false doctrine had crept in over the years. Many died for their courage. These leaders did the best they could to resolve what they considered to be incorrect doctrine, but even within the Protestant movement, there was not always agreement about what was wrong, and today there are many different Protestant sects, all teaching conflicting doctrine, even on subjects that are eternally critical.

Many people today, anxious to find the truth, look at these many churches and their conflicting doctrines, and then turn to the Bible. They note that in Amos 3:7, we are promised, “Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.” They wonder if this means God is doing nothing important today, and yet, the last days are here and the Second Coming is approaching. Surely God is doing important things to prepare for that time. How can they know what those things are and what their own responsibility is in these last days?

Thinking people yearn for a prophet. They ask, “Does God speak today? Does He love us enough to guide us through the complexities of a world that is entirely different than the one in which the Bible was written? Is there a way to know what is true in an ever-growing complexity of competing ideas?”

Mormons say yes, God does speak today. He does love us enough to help us work through these last days knowing exactly what is true. Mormons do not believe that when Jesus died, God retreated and now refuses to speak to us, or that He is disinterested in helping us find the truth. Mormons do not believe God doesn’t want us to pray to Him to find out what is true.

In 1830, a fourteen-year-old boy named Joseph Smith had many of the same questions  with which people today struggle. In view of the contradictions taught by the various Protestant churches in his area, he wondered how he could possibly know which church to join. While reading the Bible, he came across James 1:5:

5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

He decided this was the obvious solution to his problem. God was really the only sure source of truth—anyone else could be wrong. He went into the woods to pray and received his first vision—a visit from God and Jesus Christ. Jesus instructed him not to join any of the currently existing churches. The lack of prophecy had caused too many errors to slip into the doctrine.

Once he was an adult, God sent an angel named Moroni to train him for his future role as the first prophet of modern times. In Biblical times, God often took the prophets from the earth, but He always returned them in time, and He had done so once again.

Today, our complex world holds many challenges for those who want to obey God’s word. Essential doctrines on family, the road to salvation, baptism, and other doctrine are being debated with fervor and sometimes even described as unimportant or subject to modern fads. Since Joseph Smith assumed his place as the first prophet of the restoration, there has continued to be a prophet at the head of the Church. Today’s prophet is Thomas S. Monson.

Does God speak today? He does. Through his prophets and apostles, He helps us to understand the choices available to us and the consequences for each choice. When new situations arise, God can help us know how to approach them. Instead of having to pray individually about every possible doctrine—a time consuming and complicated process that essentially involves creating your own religion—you are able to pray to know if President Monson really is a prophet. God will tell you—He has promised to do so. Then, having that assurance from God, you will know you can trust him. However, if at any time he were to say something you were not sure about, you would again be free to pray to know for yourself.

Mormons believe in personal revelation. They believe God speaks to the entire church through the prophets, but they also believe God speaks to us individually if we ask Him to do so. We may not hear actual words, but our hearts will assure us the answer really is from God. Although there are some who warn people not to pray about truth, the Bible tells us we should and that God will answer—Mormons believe the promise of James 1:5. Satan cannot fill our hearts with peace and joy, so it is very easy to tell who is answering your prayers.

Do you want to know more about Thomas S. Monson? Try these websites to learn about him:

Thomasmonson.com: An unofficial website by ordinary Mormons

Biography of Thomas S. Monson

Speeches by Thomas S. Monson

Robert Liefson teaches for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (nicknamed “Mormons”) in the Seminary and Institute program for young adults, serves as volunteer fire chief in Woodruff, and is the parent of 6 children from 5-19 years of age.

I was blessed to be raised in a home where I regularly heard the stories of Biblical Prophets such as Moses, Noah, Isaiah, Elijah and Abraham. I was taught the writings of the Prophet Amos in the Old Testament where it is recorded, “Surely the Lord God will do nothing but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the Prophets.” Many people have posed the question, “Why hasn’t God called Prophets in our day the way He did in ancient times?” Because of their belief that there are prophets today, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) gather every six months in a general conference to hear their counsel. Thanks to the advances of modern technology, this LDS conference is broadcast to countless radio and television stations and translated into ninety-two different languages. It has been my personal practice to watch conference in my home on television. This conference experience would be unique for me as I had the privilege to attend in person with members of my family at the conference center in Salt Lake City, Utah.

As the start of the session drew closer I anticipated the entrance of President Thomas S. Monson the current president (“Mormon prophet”) of the Church of Jesus Christ, to take his place among the leaders. His two counselors entered and were seated. It was impossible to miss the empty chair between them. There was a similar hole in my heart as I grew uneasy that he would not be in attendance. To say I was disappointed would be a huge understatement. The meeting began without any word of explanation concerning President Monson’s absence. The Mormon Tabernacle choir performed a hymn, well known to members of the Church “We Ever Pray for Thee, Our Prophet Dear.” Thy lyrics include the promise and hope that “God will give to thee comfort and cheer; As the advancing years furrow thy brow.” The second verse contains the phrase, “That strength be given thee to do thy part, to guide and counsel us from day to day.” The words of the hymn brought some comfort to my heart and perfectly expressed my feelings. I noticed my wife had written on the top of her notepad, “Where is President Monson?”

There have been times in the past where due to age or health, presidents of the Church have been unable to attend the conferences of the Church of Jesus Christ (inadvertently called The Mormon Church by friends of other faiths). I had not expected this conference to be one of these occasions. I tried to focus my attention on the messages of the other speakers and began to write my impressions and thoughts concerning their messages. The members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints revere fifteen men as Prophets, Seers and Revelators. This group includes the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles patterned after those called by Jesus Christ during his ministry upon the earth. The Prophets Moses, Enoch, and Daniel were mentioned in the course of the addresses as well as the names of prophets in our time.

As those in the LDS Conference Center stood to sing a hymn part way through the meeting I saw President Monson walk onto the stage and stand between his counselors. I am not known for being an emotional person but my emotions caught me as I had to stop singing. I have possessed a strong conviction throughout my life that there are prophets in our day but the strength of the feelings in my heart once again confirming this belief surprised me. His presence caused a tangible change in the feeling and atmosphere of the Conference Center. The Restoration of Christ’s Church and this dispensation began, actually, with the very appearance of Jesus Christ and the Father to a young inquiring boy who became a prophet–Joseph Smith.

It was announced that President Thomas S. Monson would be the next speaker. As he stood to the pulpit his cheerful greeting of “Hello” brought laughter and smiles to those in attendance. I would assume that those watching on television may have been confused at his greeting but to those of us participating in person, it was a welcome sound. His prophetic, cheerful countenance and optimistic attitude always lift my spirit and motivate me to follow his example.

President and Prophet, Thomas S. Monson’s message included the announcement of several additional temples that will be built throughout the world including France; Democratic Republic of the Congo; South Africa, Colombia, Wyoming and Utah. President Monson also explained, “Temples are places where relationships are sealed together to last through the eternities.” His message was short but I anticipate the impression left upon me that morning to last for a long time.

I witnessed for myself once again that there are prophets upon the earth that fulfill the same role as the ancient prophets. I would encourage anyone who is seeking to hear God’s counsel and guidance to study the words of the messages of LDS (Mormon) General Conference. They are timely and relevant to the challenges we face in our modern world. The prophet Noah was not given the instructions on how Moses should lead the children of Israel out of bondage nor was the prophet Elijah told how Isaiah should counsel the people of his day. The messages of these prophets were specific to the people of their time and we have the same blessing in our day. The prophet’s words give me direction, comfort, and help me see the overall purpose of my life. They are an anchor to me in a world of shifting values and beliefs.

Additional Resources:

Learn more about modern prophets at a local meetinghouse.

Watch General Conference online.

In Matthew 24:3-8, Jesus warned his disciples that in the last days, there would be many false prophets. Some would claim to be Jesus Christ and would be believed by many. Others would, according to Paul (2 Timothy 4:3-4) ignore sound doctrine and instead gather false teachers who would tell them what they wanted to hear. These are false prophets.

A false prophet does not need to be a religious person or call himself a prophet. Many secular writers, speakers, and television personalities devote much of their time to denying Jesus Christ and leading people away from Him. A secular false prophet can often be more dangerous than a religious one for this reason, since they close the mind to things of the spirit. From the beginnings of time, men have had to struggle to know who the true prophet was and to decide whether or not to follow him. Even great prophets like Moses and Noah had to face those who saw them as false prophets.

Because so many religions are unwilling to believe God still speaks to mankind, religious people find themselves struggling to know what it is God wants them to do or to believe. They have the Bible, but there are many translations, each of which alters the meaning a bit. Sometimes the Bible simply confuses even the great scholars, who debate the meanings of its verses. While it is a valuable resource, and one used by Mormons (a nickname for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), it is not always an easy source for knowing just what God wants us to know. Readers of two different religions will translate the verses in two different ways.

God is not the God of confusion. Confusion is Satan’s tool, not God’s. Being all-wise, God naturally would choose a better way for people to know what is true and what is not. Would he expect us to listen to a million conflicting voices and then have to guess which teachings to believe? Of course not.

The Bible clearly outlines how God communicates with his children. “Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.” God promised He would help us know what is true because He would tell the prophets, who would then tell us.

There are some who say that once Jesus died, God discontinued the prophets and vowed never to speak to His children again. While it’s true there have been periodic times of apostasy among God’s children, when prophets were withdrawn because the people had chosen not to listen to them, God has always restored the prophets after a while. It’s also clear He did not withdraw the prophets immediately upon Jesus’ death. In Acts 15:32, we read:

And Judas and Silas, being prophets also themselves, exhorted the brethren with many words, and confirmed them.

This was after the death of Jesus Christ, so we can see prophecy continued after the death and resurrection of the Savior. They were not false prophets—they were apostles, who also serve as prophets, seers, and revelators in God’s Church. The Bible says the Savior’s church is built on a foundation of prophets and apostles, with Jesus Christ as our cornerstone.

And yet, despite the Bible’s warning that God’s true church must have a foundation of prophets and apostles and its promise that God will do nothing without first telling His prophets, very few churches even claim to have a prophet or apostle. When they aren’t sure what the Bible means, they are left to guess at it. This is why there are so many churches in the world today, why doctrine is too often chosen by councils like the one at Nicene, and why some churches put truth to a vote. They don’t have anyone who communicates with God directly to learn what is true.

And seeing this makes it clear why a loving God would not leave His children to struggle along without a guide as they prepare for the last days. The world is very different from the New Testament world. We need a prophet’s guidance to show us how to navigate this complex world.

In the 1800s, a teenager named Joseph Smith faced many of the problems we’ve discussed here. He visited church after church and heard conflicting teachings. Every church was sure it had it right—but they couldn’t all be right. He read in the Bible that if you ask God for wisdom, God will give it to you. (See James 1:5.) Wisdom was what he needed, so he went into the woods to pray. He asked to know which church was God’s church. God and Jesus Christ appeared to him, God introducing Jesus and Jesus answering his question. He was told none of them had the complete truth and to wait.

As a young adult, he received a visit from an angel named Moroni, who tutored him in preparation for the restoration of the complete gospel. When he was ready, Joseph Smith was shown records Moroni had hidden away in ancient times, when he lived on earth. These records are now known as the Book of Mormon. Mormon was a prophet—Moroni’s father—and is not worshipped by Mormons. He is treated in the same way Mormons and other Christians treat prophets from the Bible.

The Book of Mormon serves as proof that Jesus Christ really was divine and the Son of God, not just an ordinary prophet or teacher. Jesus was known to these people before He was even born, and He appeared to them on the American continent after his death and resurrection. This visit makes clear Jesus is the Savior of all, not just the people who lived in his small, geographical region.

Joseph Smith became the first prophet of the restored gospel. He fulfilled God’s promise that God will always work through prophets to deal with us. Since that time, there has always been a prophet on the earth and will be until Jesus Christ returns and there is no longer a need for one.

How can you know if the modern Mormon prophet is a true prophet or a false prophet? You can know in the same way Joseph Smith learned not to join any of the existing churches. If you have faith in the Bible, you will know that as James promised in the New Testament, you can ask God to tell you what is true. While some say we must not trust James’ promise, because you can’t tell who is answering you, Mormons disagree. They trust the Bible and they trust God. If He makes a promise, He finds a way to keep it. This means He will help you to know the source of the answers He sends. Satan cannot bring feelings of peace and joy.

Mormons, even children, are taught they must never take anyone’s word for whether or not the Mormon prophet is the real prophet. They are taught they must pray and ask God to confirm that information for them—they know God will answer, so they have nothing to fear from teaching their members to do so. The Bible warns, in the same section that asks you to pray, that you must pray with complete faith, nothing wavering. This means you must be prepared to accept the answer, even if you hoped you wouldn’t receive the answer you did.

Why does it matter whether or not we know if God has sent a prophet? So many of the things religious people debate is essential to our salvation. Do you really want to guess about what is true when eternity is at stake? Do you want to take the word of a human being as to how to interpret the Bible? Or would you rather trust God, the only source of truth? By asking God what is true and what you must do, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

On the pages of this website, you will be able to find many of the teachings of the current Mormon prophet, Thomas S. Monson. Mormons first study an issue out and come to a conclusion. They then take what they believe is true to God and ask a yes or no question. If you ask if Thomas Monson is the Mormon prophet, a “yes” will feel peaceful, joyful, and right. You’ll feel what some people describe as a swelling in the heart. A “no” will lead to feelings of negativity, confusion, all the things that tell you God is not accepting your decision.

Remember, though, you must go into this with a complete desire to learn the truth, not just a confirmation of what you want to be true, and you must act on your answer. To ask God what is true and then to reject or ignore His answer is unworthy behavior in a Christian.

Millions of Mormons have put truth to the test. Try it yourself. Trust God—He is listening and He does hear and answer prayers.

With so much discussion about Mormons in the media today, there is a lot of confusion about the religion. What do Mormons believe? Much of what is reported is untrue, taken out of context, or confuses cultural beliefs with canonized doctrine.

“Mormon” is a nickname for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Mormons believe in an open canon, meaning they still have prophets and believe God continues to speak to us today, rather than having locked the door on communication after Jesus died. In addition, they have a lay clergy and those who lead did not attend seminaries that trained them for the job. They are simply ordinary people from all walks of life who have volunteered to give their time to God—in addition to having a regular job and a family. Only the very highest levels serve full-time.

In the picture to the left, you’ll see two Mormon missionaries teaching a young man about what Mormons believe. They are priesthood holders, even though they are only young adults. They volunteer their time, at their own expensive, teaching people what Mormons believe.

Mormon leaders are people with their own opinions and viewpoints. Some doctrine has been canonized—made official. Where no official doctrine exists, people, even prophets, are allowed to have their own opinion on the subject and to express it. However, there are times when opinions get taken as fact. Many of the things people write or say about Mormons involves cultural beliefs or folklore—and sometimes even insider jokes—not actual doctrine.

What do Mormons believe? There are several sources of valid information you can explore. One is LDS.org, an official Mormon website meant for Mormons themselves, but where you can read our actual lesson manuals and magazines, and where you can study Mormon beliefs by topic. Another is Mormon.org, meant for people who are not Mormon but want to know what we believe—what we really believe.

One way to answer the question “What do Mormons believe?” is to study the Articles of Faith. The Articles of Faith are thirteen basic core beliefs of Mormonism. They aren’t the fringe beliefs that are the favorites of many uninformed writers, but beliefs that really impact how Mormons live their religions. They were written by Joseph Smith, the first Mormon prophet, in answer to a question from a journalist.

Thomas S. Monson, the current Mormon prophet, tells a story about the Articles of Faith that will help you understand why they are considered so important to Mormons.

More than forty-five years ago, a businessman named Sharmon Hummel boarded a bus headed for San Francisco. When the bus stopped in Salt Lake City a little girl got on. She was going to Reno, Nevada to visit her aunt and chose the seat next to this man. He noticed a billboard about Mormons on the road and said to the child, “I guess there are a lot of Mormons in Utah, aren’t there?” The girl agreed there were and told him, when asked that she was a Mormon herself. He asked her, “What do Mormons believe?” She responded by reciting for him the first Article of Faith: We believe in God, the eternal Father, in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.” Children in the Primary program are expected to memorize all thirteen Articles of Faith before they leave the program at age twelve and this girl already knew them all. She continued to recite until she had given him all thirteen essential points of the Gospel. The man was so impressed that such a young child could do this that when he arrived at his hotel his first action was to look for the church in the phone book. He arranged for two missionaries to visit him. He, his wife, and his children all became Mormons because one little girl knew what the Mormons really believed. (See Thomas S. Monson, “Examples of Great Teachers,” Ensign, June 2007, 74

Why are the Articles of Faith so powerful as a tool for answering the question, “What do Mormons believe?” They summarize what are known as the core doctrines. There are many religious facts that are merely interesting (how many days did it take to create the earth?) and there are those that are critical to our eternal salvation (who created the earth and why?). It is those teachings that are essential to our eternal salvation that are the core doctrines of Mormonism. They are the saving doctrines that have the power to help us return to God someday. If you’re looking for a church to join, you are probably looking for one that can help you understand God and your relationship to Him. You want one that helps you know where you came from, why you’re here, and where you are going when you die. You probably aren’t very worried about history or trivia. This little girl was smart enough to give them man the core saving doctrines and not overload him with trivia that had no power to change his life.

When trying to understand what Mormons believe, begin by reading trustworthy sources. Outsiders do not know what people in a religion believe better than the religious person himself. There is nothing more irritating than to have somebody arguing with you that they know what you believe and you do not. Next, search through everything you learn to evaluate what role such knowledge would have on the individual who believes it. If it’s trivia, ignore it. Try to dig far enough into Mormonism to understand the core beliefs that define the everyday lives of Mormons, including the atonement of Jesus Christ, the sanctity of the family, learning to know God, understanding how to find truth, keeping the commandments, and becoming everything God intended you to become. Only when you focus on these types of teachings can you get to the heart of Mormonism.

Mormonism is a nickname for the practices of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Sometimes when people who aren’t Mormon want to witness to Mormons or to talk about their church, they get all tangled up in Brigham Young. They quote him extensively as if he were the current prophet and then wonder why Mormons aren’t really interested in their conversation. In this article, we’ll explore Brigham Young’s relationship to the modern Mormon Church.

Brigham Young, Second Mormon Prophet

Brigham Young was born in 1801. When he was fourteen his mother died and he began to support himself. In time, he would become a carpenter. He and his first wife became Mormon in 1832, a few months before she died, leaving him a single parent. In later years, he would tease LDS (Mormon) women by telling them he could probably keep house as well or better than most of them. It took him two years of study after his family obtained copies of the Book of Mormon to decide to join. He was looking for a church that more closely matched the New Testament church set up by Jesus than did the one to which he currently belonged and would not join until he was certain it was true.

In 1835, the Mormons organized the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, who functioned as did the apostles in biblical times, and Brigham Young was ordained to be one of these original apostles. Although today, apostles gain seniority based on when they became apostles, all the original apostles were called at the same time, so seniority was based on age. For that reason, when Joseph Smith was murdered, Brigham Young became the new prophet.

The Mormon Church was young and new and functioning in a time that is not like ours. It is important to remember this when looking at things Brigham Young said. It is also important to understand the role a prophet plays in the Mormon church, so let’s start there.

In the Bible, we see God provided the world with a series of prophets, not just one. Each one added new things to the gospel. Some commandments were given just for their own time, such as building an ark or traveling to the promised land. Other laws were preparatory laws, meant to be a step towards a higher law. The Law of Moses is an example of this. We don’t practice the Law of Moses today, but it prepared us for the higher laws Jesus would introduce. From this, we see that God is looking at His church in a longer-range view than we are. We see things only in terms of our life. God looks at His church as an entity to be built line upon line, step by step.

Jesus’ teachings that when the Law of Moses was fulfilled we would move on to a higher law did not in any way undermine Moses’ role as a true prophet. Moses taught God’s law—for that time in history. Each prophet took us a little closer to the fullness of the gospel, but God’s followers had to learn to recognize the difference between practices and doctrine in order to understand why things sometimes changed.

Today, Mormon beliefs include an acceptance that God has not retreated and abandoned us, leaving us with no guidance to prepare for the Second Coming. The Bible never said God would never restore prophets to the earth. He said, in fact, that He would do nothing except through His prophets. Each prophet today, as in Biblical times, teaches God’s word according to eternal principles, the needs of the current day, and our place in the progression of revealed truths. This last is, remember, demonstrated in the Bible as teachings were gradually added to our knowledge of truth.

Today, we live in a world where something a leader says can be instantly transmitted around the world. Mormon leaders, like everyone else, have learned to be more specific in explaining what is official and what is not. If you visit LDS.org, the official Mormon website, you’ll see a few sections, such as the blog, clearly described as non-official. Apostles sometimes preface remarks given to non-LDS groups as being their own opinions, not as official LDS statements. In the early days there was less expectation that every word would be preserved and so leaders were more casual in their talk. Because the church was new and there was so little revealed, people often asked Brigham Young questions that did not yet have an official answer. Where God has not spoken, we are free to come to our own conclusions based on our understanding of the gospel. Even a prophet is allowed to have opinions, and so, Brigham Young would sometimes offer an opinion. In the actual setting, people probably understood the difference, but today, many people mistakenly believe that if he said it, it is official doctrine.

General Conference, the semi-annual meeting of the Mormons, was also different then. While today it is very formal, in those days it was not. People could ask questions and get impromptu answers, a combination of revealed doctrine and personal opinion. Some of these answers and talks were recorded in the Journal of Discourses. While interesting to read, the Journal is not official doctrine. It is not a compilation of Brigham Young’s speeches. It is a compilation of notes taken in shorthand by others when he spoke. Brigham Young did not review these transcribed notes or correct them or clarify. Today, when a talk is given in General Conference, each speaker is allowed, on Monday morning, to review the actual talk given and make corrections. This allows them to alter any opinions that appeared to be given as fact or to correct the unclear or incorrect statement that invariably slips in when one is speaking. This was not done then, and the Journal of Discourses was never vetted for accuracy or monitored to be certain that what was said is what was meant. Therefore, Mormons do not quote the Journal of Discourses when sourcing official teachings. They are used only to back up official statements or for personal interest.

When looking at Brigham Young as a source of official Mormon doctrine we must remember several things. Mormons believe in following a living prophet, not a dead one. This concept was clearly taught by Jesus every time people tried to use the Law of Moses to overthrow what He was teaching. He was the living prophet in addition to being the Savior, and it was His words they needed to follow. Mormons today also follow first the teachings of the living prophet. When quoting Brigham Young, it is important to then go forward to see what the most recent statement on the issue is. God has always treated his gospel as an ongoing course of study and learning, not a static one. Otherwise, Adam would have been the last prophet. It is the most recent statement that is the official one on canonized doctrine.

Canonized doctrine means doctrine that has been made official. Not all Mormon beliefs are equal. Some are official canonized doctrine and are those that affect our eternal salvation. These are really the only ones Mormons are interested in. Everything else is just interesting at best. Who is God? Who is Jesus Christ? How do we know what is true? What do we have to know and do to return to God? What is the Plan of Salvation? These are the questions Mormons focus on.

Thomas S. Monson, Mormon Prophet

However, these tend not to be the questions outsiders talking about Mormonism focus on. Instead, they often get sidetracked by things that are not official doctrine at all. Some things are simply speculation, more commonly believed in the past. Some are no more than insider jokes mistaken by outsiders as doctrine. Some are fringe things that simply aren’t important to us. If it doesn’t impact our ability to be saved and to return to God, it isn’t that important to us and Mormons pretty much don’t care today whether those things are true or not.

It’s also important to remember that everything credited to Brigham Young was not really said by him or was said in a different context. While we honor Brigham Young for his significant contributions to the Mormon Church in extraordinarily difficult times, and we do study his words, we do not consider him the current prophet. To find out what Mormons really believe, you need to look at the church today, not how it was in the 1800s.

If you’d like to know what parts of Brigham Young’s teachings Mormons do focus on, it can be enlightening to read a book that was taught in Mormon classes a few years ago. Mormons have been studying the words of past prophets and the manuals are considered appropriate research materials. Reading this can help you to understand the contributions Brigham Young made to the church and the parts of his teachings that apply to modern times. It will become clear that he is honored and respected and that we teach much of what he taught today. We know he was a prophet for his time, just as Thomas S. Monson is the prophet of ours. However, we do not consider him the current prophet, any more than we build our entire church on the teachings of Moses.

Read Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young

However, to get official and current teachings, you need to study the teachings of Thomas S. Monson, the current Mormon prophet.

Study teachings of Thomas S. Monson.