Mosiah 7-10

PROPHETS

How many prophets do we have in our Sunday School class?

"And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the LORD's people were prophets, and that the LORD would put his spirit upon them!" (Num. 11:29)

Are we all prophets?  Then what is the definition of a prophet?

"...worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." (Rev. 19:10)

Write on the board "Prophet: teaches and testifies of Christ."

"The work of a Hebrew prophet was to act as God's messenger and make known God's will...The prophet is to teach men about God's character and dealings...In certain cases, prophets predicted future events...but as a rule a prophet was a 'forth-teller' rather than a 'foreteller.'"  (Bible Dictionary, p. 754)

When our little boys were rough-housing and tickling on the family room floor, because we knew our little boys, we could know with a certainty that in five minutes, if we didn't break it up, someone would be crying.  In the same way, because of his knowledge of God's character and dealings, the prophet can predict what the Lord will do, without necessarily seeing the future.  He knows the eternal rules, rewards and consequences.  The summary of the job of a prophet was to keep the people in the right way, build their faith, correct their errors, and forewarn of punishments.

"In a general sense a prophet is anyone who has a testimony of Jesus Christ through the Holy Ghost."  (ibid.) So we should all be prophets in our own sphere.  In Sunday School, as we teach and testify of Christ to each other, we are using the gift of prophecy.  In our homes we do this as well.  All our missionaries are prophets, under this definition.  President Nelson (in 2020), of course, is THE prophet, whose responsibility it is to teach and testify of Christ to the entire church and world, along with the other apostles.

In the Book of Mormon account we are studying this week, who are the prophets?

"And now, it came to pass on the morrow that king Limhi sent a proclamation among all his people that thereby they might gather themselves together to the temple to hear the words which he should speak unto them...

"Therefore, lift up your heads, and rejoice, and put your trust in God, in that God who was the God of Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob; and also, that God who brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt, and caused that they should walk through the Red Sea on dry ground, and fed them with manna that they might not perish in the wilderness; and many more things did he do for them.

"And again, that same God has brought our fathers out of the land of Jerusalem, and has kept and preserved his people even until now; and behold, it is because of our iniquities and abominations that he has brought us into bondage..." "For behold, the Lord hath said: I will not succor my people in the day of their transgression; but I will hedge up their ways that they prosper not; and their doings shall be as a stumbling block before them.

"And again, he saith: If my people shall sow filthiness they shall reap the chaff thereof in the whirlwind; and the effect thereof is poison.

"And again he saith: If my people shall sow filthiness they shall reap the east wind, which bringeth immediate destruction.

"And now, behold, the promise of the Lord is fulfilled, and ye are smitten and afflicted.

"But if ye will turn to the Lord with full purpose of heart, and put your trust in him, and serve him with all diligence of mind, if ye do this, he will, according to his own will and pleasure, deliver you out of bondage." (Mosiah 7:17,19-20, 29-33)

Limhi was acting as a prophet to his own little group of people by teaching them about God, explaining God's dealings with the children of Israel and with themselves, and quoting prophecies from the scriptures. 

The greatest prophet in this account was Abinadi, of whom Limhi said:

"And a prophet of the Lord have they slain; yea, a chosen man of God, who told them of their wickedness and abominations, and prophesied of many things which are to come, yea, even the coming of Christ.

"And because he said unto them that Christ was the God, the Father of all things, and said that he should take upon him the image of man, and it should be the image after which man was created in the beginning; or in other words, he said that man was created after the image of God, and that God should come down among the children of men, and take upon him flesh and blood, and go forth upon the face of the earth." (Mosiah 7:26-27)

REVELATORS

How many revelators do we have in our Sunday School class?

"Yea, behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart.

"Now, behold, this is the spirit of revelation; behold, this is the spirit by which Moses brought the children of Israel through the Red Sea on dry ground.

"Therefore this is thy gift; apply unto it, and blessed art thou, for it shall deliver you out of the hands of your enemies, when, if it were not so, they would slay you and bring your soul to destruction." (D&C 8:2-4)

If we have received the Gift of the Holy Ghost, we should have the gift of revelation.  The Holy Ghost is such a great gift because it gives us a direct line of communication from God.  "Revelation is the natural inheritance of all the faithful."  (Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, "Revelation.")

So we all should receive revelation.  Does that make each of us a revelator?  It could.  "Anyone who receives revelation from the Lord and conveys the revealed truth to another is a revelator" (ibid.)

Write on the board, "Revelator: receives revelation--tells to others."

So, if the ward Young Men's president feels greatly inspired to take a certain action, and he shares that revelation with his presidency, he is a revelator.

This gift seems very closely related to that of a prophet.  If we have received a testimony and are sharing it (prophet), we are also sharing revealed truth (revelator), because a testimony is gained through revelation by the Holy Ghost.

Again, the revelator for the entire church is President Nelson, along with his counselors and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

Who was an obvious revelator in this Book of Mormon account?

"And it came to pass that there was a man among them whose name was Abinadi; and he went forth among them, and began to prophesy, saying: Behold, thus saith the Lord, and thus hath he commanded me, saying, Go forth, and say unto this people, thus saith the Lord—Wo be unto this people, for I have seen their abominations, and their wickedness, and their whoredoms; and except they repent I will visit them in mine anger." (Mosiah 11:20)

He also itemized details about the Lord's plans for his people.

"And except they repent in sackcloth and ashes, and cry mightily to the Lord their God, I will not hear their prayers, neither will I deliver them out of their afflictions; and thus saith the Lord, and thus hath he commanded me." (Mosiah 11:25)

Abinadi stated outright that he was a prophet and a revelator with his words, "Thus saith the Lord and thus hath he commanded me."

 SEER

How many seers are in our Sunday School class?  Unless we're in downtown Salt Lake City, probably none.

"...they have brought twenty-four plates which are filled with engravings, and they are of pure gold...

"And I say unto thee again: Knowest thou of any one that can translate? For I am desirous that these records should be translated into our language; for, perhaps, they will give us a knowledge of a remnant of the people who have been destroyed, from whence these records came; or, perhaps, they will give us a knowledge of this very people who have been destroyed; and I am desirous to know the cause of their destruction.

"Now Ammon said unto him: I can assuredly tell thee, O king, of a man that can translate the records; for he has wherewith that he can look, and translate all records that are of ancient date; and it is a gift from God. And the things are called interpreters, and no man can look in them except he be commanded, lest he should look for that he ought not and he should perish. And whosoever is commanded to look in them, the same is called seer.

"And behold, the king of the people who are in the land of Zarahemla is the man that is commanded to do these things, and who has this high gift from God." (Mosiah 8:9,12-14)

A seer has the authority to translate, using the Urim and Thummim.  Who was this king?  Mosiah II.

"And the king [Limhi] said that a seer is greater than a prophet.

"And Ammon said that a seer is a revelator and a prophet also; and a gift which is greater can no man have, except he should possess the power of God, which no man can; yet a man may have great power given him from God.

"But a seer can know of things which are past, and also of things which are to come, and by them shall all things be revealed, or, rather, shall secret things be made manifest, and hidden things shall come to light, and things which are not known shall be made known by them, and also things shall be made known by them which otherwise could not be known.

"Thus God has provided a means that man, through faith, might work mighty miracles; therefore he becometh a great benefit to his fellow beings." (Mosiah 8:15-18)

Post on the board, "Seer: has authority to translate--can see the past and future."

The Bible Dictionary says there have been more prophets than there have been seers.  That is well-illustrated in this Book of Mormon story.  Limhi was a prophet for his people, but had no power to translate these plates, although he had a great (and righteous) desire to know what was on them.

My cute grand-nieces giving Joseph Smith leg hugs.

Photo courtesy of Amanda Hymas, who holds the copyright. 

May be used for teaching purposes.

In the latter days, Joseph Smith was the greatest seer.  He had the authority of the gift of translation, and he practiced and exercised it so well, that he eventually could translate without a Urim and Thummim.  He also saw many visions of the past and future.
Mormon was one of the great seers of the Book of Mormon.  In Mormon 8:35, he said, "Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing."

In our day, we sustain Russell M. Nelson, his counselors, and the Twelve Apostles as "prophets, seers, and revelators."  Someday our prophet will definitely use all of these gifts when we get the additional scriptures promised from the ten tribes (2 Ne. 29:13), and from the sealed portion of the Book of Mormon.

CONCLUSION

It is truly a wonderful thing that we have prophets, seers and revelators on the earth today.  It is also wonderful that we each have the Gift of the Holy Ghost and are therefore able to learn to receive revelation and inspiration, great and small.  And it is a very great thing that we all have the right to the gift of prophecy, or the testimony of Jesus Christ.  As President Gordon B. Hinckley said, in his closing remarks at the April 2000 General Conference, "Of all the things for which I feel grateful, one stands out preeminently.  That is a living testimony of Jesus Christ."

Old Testament Lesson #29 "He Took Up the Mantle of Elijah"

2 Kings 2; 5-6

BIBLE BALDERDASH GAME

Teaching Tip:  Take three class members out of the room and give two of them a piece of paper with the following terms on it:

1. Abarim
2. Cab
3. Dothan
4. Ehud
5. Jebus
6. Scrip
7. Stacte
8. Ziv

Give the third person a piece of paper which also includes the definitions of the words:

1. Abarim: the mountain range Moses was standing on when he viewed the Promised Land
2. Cab: a measure that equals a little more than a quart
3. Dothan: a town ten miles north of Samaria, known for its good pastures
4. Ehud: a certain left-handed Israelite
5. Jebus: the ancient name for the city that is now called Jerusalem
6. Scrip: a traveling bag made of leather and used for carrying food
7. Stacte: a sweet spice used in the incense for the temple, probably made of tree gum.
8. Ziv: the second month in the Hebrew year

The person holding the definitions is to use them in the game; the other two people are to make up their own definitions, attempting to be as believable as possible.  The object is to fool the class into believing the false definitions.

Return to the classroom together and pass out blank pieces of paper and pencils to the class members, asking them to number them 1-8.  Call out each word and have each of the three give their definition, then have the class members write on their papers which person they think gave the true definition.  Don't tell the class members which definitions were right until all the definitions have been given.  Then go through the list and have the person who read the correct definition raise his hand.  Of course, it will be the same person every time.  Hopefully, this will be a surprise to the class members, that the same person had the right answer every time.  Point out how easy it would have been to win the game if you had told them which person would have all the correct answers.  Also point out that the appearances or the intelligence or charisma of the person giving the accurate definitions was irrelevant, because you had given the person the correct answers.

There is a humorous quote that applies here:  "This life is a test.  It is only a test.  Had it been an actual life, you would have received more information on where to go and what to do."  This is the way life is for many people on the earth.  Lucky for us, we know the single person who has all the right answers, who has been given "more information on where to go and what to do."  That person is, of course, the Prophet.

THE PASSING OF THE MANTLE OF THE PROPHET

1 Kings 17:1 tells us Elijah was from Gilead, the wild country in the east.  2 Kings 1:8 tells us he was a "hairy" man, or a person who wore skins or furs, and leather; he was good at wilderness survival.  (Nobody knows what "Tishbite" means.)

The prophet who took his place was Elisha.  Ask class members to find all that they can about Elisha from 1 Kings 19:19-21.  Some answers follow:

• He was a very wealthy man to have had twelve men plowing with twelve yoke of oxen at once.
• He had a family he loved and respected; he was a good son who wanted to honor his parents before leaving.
• When the call came, he was willing to give up his worldly possessions, as symbolized in his giving a feast of two oxen, valuable work animals.  Killing the animals showed that his course was final, irrevocable.
• Despite having been a powerful man, he was willing to become Elijah's servant.

As soon as Elijah's mantle passed to Elisha, Elisha had the keys and power of the priesthood, and it was obvious to everyone present (2 Kings 2:8-15).  They were very different in their earthly stations and in their personalities and talents, but each was equally worthy, and each held the same calling as Prophet.  The Lord gave the power to the person who was right for the time.

THE IMPORTANCE OF OBEYING THE PROPHET

Teaching Tip:  Ask five class members ahead of time to read the following stories about Elijah and then share them with the class in their own words:

• Elisha and salt in the water (2 Kings 2:19-22)
• Elisha and the ditches (2 Kings 3:12-20)
• Elisha and the borrowed oil vessels (2 Kings 4:1-7)
• Elisha and Naaman's leprosy (2 Kings 5:1-14)
• Elisha and his servant (2 Kings 5:20-27)

In each of these incidents, the prophet's commands made very little sense.  In the cases of the first four, those involved believed the prophet and followed his instructions.  In the last case, Gehazi, Elisha's servant, did what seemed logical to himself, and suffered ill consequences because of it.

THE VISION OF THE PROPHET

The prophet always has a vision that we do not have; that's what makes him a prophet, seer and revelator.  When Elisha's town was surrounded by an army, ready to take Elisha as a spy, his servant was terrified, and cried, "Alas, my master!  how shall we do? And [Elisha] answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.  And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see.  And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha" (2 Kings 6:15-17).

Then Elisha temporarily blinded the enemies, offered to take them to the person they were seeking (himself), and instead led them to Samaria, where he restored their vision and let them go.  It may have been a real physical condition of sightlessness, or it may have been an inability to recognize Elisha as who he was.  But the point of the story is that the odds are always in the favor of the Lord God of Israel, and although we can seldom see or even imagine what His winning plan might be, it always exists and it always succeeds, and the prophet knows how to execute it.  Once we know this, we can give up our fear and trust the prophet fully.

INDIVIDUALITY, COMMANDS, AND VISIONS OF LATTER-DAY PROPHETS

When the Prophet Joseph Smith died and the saints were trying to determine the order of the Kingdom, and who should lead the Church, there was a famous incident in which Sidney Rigdon and Brigham Young each spoke and it was readily apparent to those listening that Brigham Young was to take Joseph Smith's place as head of the Church.  In later years, those present referred to this feeling of certainty as if they had seen Brigham Young's face replaced by Joseph Smith's as he spoke.  Joseph Smith had been the Prophet of the Restoration and was perfectly fitted for that role.  Brigham Young became the Prophet of the Exodus, and his abilities, personality, and spiritual gifts helped him to move the Saints west.  And so it has been with each prophet: his particular gifts and visions have been ideal for the time and situation in which he serves.

President Hunter was our prophet for such a brief time.  He told us to become a temple-oriented people.  At that time, going to the temple more than once in a lifetime was nearly out of the question for many of the members of the Church.  Prior to that time there were not many Primary lessons about the temple, and there was always a caution in the lesson about being sensitive to those children whose parents had not been married in the temple.  And what point was there in telling humble saints in Africa or Asia or the South Seas to be focused on the temple?  For them to go was an impossibility.  But now the emphasis became entirely different:  not to simply avoid hurting people's feelings who hadn't been to the temple, but to tell them to get going, and if they couldn't go, to get ready for the impossible!

President Hunter's counsel would have been even more pointless if the previous prophet, Spencer W. Kimball, had not begged for and received the revelation that all people could receive blessings in the temple.  If he hadn't been so focused on racial equality in all temple blessings, how could President Hunter have told us that we should all be a temple people?  Because President Kimball felt driven to ask for the priesthood for all men, and temple blessings for all members, President Hunter could plead with everyone to be focused on the temple. 

And because President Hunter did that--and it only took him a short time to deliver his message--saints everywhere became more focused on the temple, more encouraged, more willing to be full tithe-payers and to be qualified as recommend-holders.  President Hinckley could then spearhead the enormous world-wide temple-building project of one hundred temples by the year 2000.  Those who heeded President Hunter's counsel were rewarded for their faith in the impossible during President Hinckley's tenure.

President Hinckley also had personality traits and spiritual gifts (talents) that were perfect for his time.  He was a fearless expert when dealing with the press.  He was inventive in solving the problem of bringing temples to more people.  He had a terrific sense of humor and counseled us continually to look on the bright side of life during fearful times.  When he advised us repeatedly to get out of debt, the American economy was strong.  Those who heeded his words were in a much better position to face the recession.

President Monson has continued to give counsel to be positive and hopeful despite troubled times and a negative press, saying, "The future is as bright as your faith."  He has continually stressed expressing love within our families; he has counseled us to enjoy the present day and the changes and challenges of our journey through life.  He has emphasized giving to others and blessing those in need, even in a time when many members themselves are struggling financially.  We need to examine his words carefully, and then examine our actions: do they match?  If the prophet's counsel seems illogical, unimportant, or even impossible, we had better take even greater care to follow it, because this indicates that he sees a vision we do not.

We can look all around and study opinions and recommendations to determine our personal course of action, but we would be wise to remember, as in the Bible Balderdash game, that if there is ever a question or a conflict between sources of information, the prophet is the one we listen to.  We may see others as being smarter, more experienced, better-looking, more financially successful, or as having access to more research, but none of that matters, because President Monson is the one who has been given all the right answers.