LIVING PROPHETS

God our Eternal Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, have spoken again from the heavens and have called prophets and Apostles to teach the fullness of the everlasting gospel once again upon the earth. That is a glorious thing to know. . . . It changes the course of your life to a safer one because it provides an anchor that helps hold you fast to the teachings of the gospel (M. Russell Ballard, "Steadfast in Christ," Ensign, Dec. 1993, 50).

A prophet is wonderful because he sometimes speaks for the Lord. This occurs on certain occasions when the Lord wills it. On other occasions, he speaks for himself, and one of the wonderful doctrines of the Church is that we don’t believe in the infallibility of any mortal  (Henry B. Eyring, Faith of a Scientist, p. 23)

Gain and keep a sure witness that the keys of the priesthood are with us and held by the President of the Church. Pray for that every day. The answer will come with an increase in … your feelings of hope, and with greater happiness in your service. You will be more cheerful and optimistic (Henry B. Eyring, "Families Under Covenant," General Conference April 2012).

Virtually every prophet of the Old and New Testament has added scripture to that received by his predecessors. If the Old Testament words of Moses were sufficient, as some could have mistakenly thought them to be (see Deuteronomy 4:2), then why, for example, the subsequent prophecies of Isaiah or of Jeremiah, who follows him? To say nothing of Ezekiel and Daniel, of Joel, Amos, and all the rest. If one revelation to one prophet in one moment of time is sufficient for all time, what justifies these many others? What justifies them was made clear by Jehovah Himself when He said to Moses, 'My works are without end, and . . . my words . . . never cease' (Moses1:4) (Jeffrey R. Holland, “My Words…Never Cease,” Ensign, May 2008, 92)

That same authority which Joseph held, those same keys and powers which were the very essence of his divinely given right to preside, were by him conferred upon the Twelve Apostles with Brigham Young at their head. Every president of the Church since then has come to that most high and sacred office out of the Council of the Twelve. Each of these men has been blessed with the spirit and power of revelation from on high. There has been an unbroken chain from Joseph Smith, Jr., to Spencer W. Kimball [who was the current prophet]. Of that I bear solemn witness and testimony before you this day. This Church is built upon the sure word of prophecy and revelation—built, as Paul wrote to the Ephesians, ‘upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone.’ ( Eph. 2:20 .)” (Gordon B. Hinckley, Conference Report, Apr. 1981, 27–28; or Ensign,  May 1981, 22).

The more we treasure the words of the prophets and apply them the better we will recognize when we are drifting off course-even if only by a matter of a few degrees (Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "A Matter of a Few Degrees", Ensign May 2008, 57–60).

In our learning, let us not neglect the fountain of revelation. The scriptures and the words of modern-day apostles and prophets are the sources of wisdom, divine knowledge, and personal revelation to help us find answers to all the challenges in life. Let us learn of Christ; let us seek out that knowledge which leads to peace, truth, and the sublime mysteries of eternity (Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "Two Principles for Any Economy", Ensign, Nov 2009, 55–58).

A characteristic of prophets throughout the ages is that, regardless of the consequences, they have had the strength to speak the words of God with plainness and boldness."

(Robert D. Hales, "Hear the Prophet's Voice and Obey," Ensign, May 1995, 15).

You might ask yourself, 'Do I see the calling of the prophets and apostles as sacred? Do I treat their counsel seriously, or is it a light thing with me?' President Gordon B. Hinckley, for instance, has counseled us to pursue education and vocational training; to avoid pornography as a plague; to respect women; to eliminate consumer debt; to be grateful, smart, clean, true, humble, and prayerful; and to do our best, our very best.

"Do your actions show that you want to know and do what he teaches? Do you actively study his words and the statements of the Brethren? Is this something you hunger and thirst for? If so, you have a sense of the sacredness of the calling of prophets as the witnesses and messengers of the Son of God (D. Todd Christofferson, "A Sense of the Sacred," CES fireside for young adults, Nov. 7, 2004).

I know that our Heavenly Father lives. I know that His Son, Jesus Christ, atoned for our sins and those of everyone we will ever meet. He was resurrected. He lives. He leads His Church. He holds the keys of the priesthood. Through inspiration to those who hold keys in the Church, He calls every president of every priesthood quorum. I testify that the priesthood was restored with all its keys to Joseph Smith. And I bear solemn witness that those keys have been passed to the present day to the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who is the president of the priesthood in all the earth (Henry B. Eyring, “A Priesthood Quorum,” Ensign, Nov. 2006, 45)

Happiness and spiritual progress lie in following the leaders of the Church (Elder Dallin H. Oaks, Ensign, May 1999, 37)