Fourteen Fundamentals?

Fourteen Fundamentals in Following the Prophet
By Elder Ezra Taft Benson
February 26, 1980

1.The prophet is the only man who speaks for the Lord in everything.
2.The living prophet is more vital to us than the standard works.
***Brigham Young stated, There is the written word of God to us, concerning the work of God from the beginning of the world, almost, to our day. And now, "said he," when compared with the living oracles those books are nothing to me; those books do not convey the word of God direct to us now, as do the words of a Prophet or a man bearing the Holy Priesthood in our day and generation. I would rather have the living oracles than all the writing in the books..." Then Joseph F. Smith followed up and said, "Brother Brigham has told you the word of the Lord, and he has told you the truth." (Conference Report, October 1897, pp 18-19)
3.The living prophet is more important to us than a dead prophet.
***"Our marching orders for each six months are found in the general conference addresses which are printed in the Ensign magazine."
4.The prophet will never lead us astray.
***"I say to Israel, the Lord will never permit me or any other man who stands as president of the church to lead you astray. It is not in the program. It is not in the mind of God." Discources of Wilford Woodriff, Selected by G. Homer Durham, Sec: Bookcraft, 1946, pp 212-213)
5.The prophet is not required to have any particular earthly training or credentials to speak on any subject or act on any matter at any time.
***A prophet may not have his Ph.D., but he certainly has his LDS.
6.The prophet does not have to say "Thus saith the Lord" to give us scripture.
***I have never yet preached a sermon and sent it out to the children of men, that they may not call scripture.
7.The prophet tells us what we need to know, not always what we want to know.
***Now I tell you that a man in his position is on the way to apostasy. He is forfeiting his chances for eternal life. So is every one who cannot follow the living prophet of God. (President Marion G. Romney, Conference Report, April 1953, p. 125)
8.The prophet is not limited by mens reasoning.
***"Whatever God requires is right, no matter what it is, although we may not see the reason thereof until long after the events transpire." (Joseph Smith, Scrapbook of Mormon Literature, Vol. 2, p. 173)
9.The prophet can receive revelation on any matter, temporal or spiritual.
***"Temporal and spiritual things are inseparably connected, and will ever be." (Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, 10:363-364)
10.The prophet may be involved in civic matters.
***"Those who would remove prophets from politics would take God out of government."
11.The two groups who have the greatest difficulty in following the prophet are the proud who are learned and the proud who are rich.
***My Thought***Why does the LDS have BYU then?***
12.The prophet will not necessarily be popular with the world or the worldly.
13.The prophet and his counselors make up the First Presidency-the highest quorum in the church.
***"Whosoever receiveth me, receiveth those...the First Presidency, whom I have sent.: (D&C 112:20)
14.The prophet and the presidency-the living prophet and the First Presidency-follow them and be blessed; reject them and suffer.
***Brigham Young stated, "You cannot destroy the appointment of a prophet of God, but you cna cut the thread that binds you to the prophet of God and sink yourselves into hell." (President Harold B. Lee, Conference Report, 1963, p81)

"I testify that these fourteen fundamentals in following the living prophet are true. If we want to know how well we stand with the Lord, then let us ask ourselves how well we stand with His mortal captains. How closely do our lives harmonize with the words of the Lords anointed-the living prophet, the President of the Church, and with the Quorum of the First Presidency."

This is not the complete talk given, but it is in part. The asterisks were added by me for emphasis. The point I'm trying to convey is that the 14 points here are not in line with the Bible.




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Michigan, United States
I spent a lot of time deciding if I should write this blog or not. I'm not a great writer and I'm not going to pretend to be. I need to share what I have learned and I might not make some people happy with what I am saying. This blog is a way for me to release the thoughts and feelings that come with knowing I grew up in the wrong religion. A healing process if you will.

How To Read This Blog

Please start with the month of February 2007 and read backwards. This is the most effective way to understand, in order, why I say what I do.

Handmaidens Creed

1.I believe in God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit as one God without beginning or end.
2.I believe the Bible to be the Holy Inspired word of God with full truth and righteousness. No other writing is.
3.I believe that the work of the Lord comes first. Before any temporal thing or person.
4.I believe that grace is a gift and Christ gives that gift freely to all who believe.
5.I believe that the beauty of a woman is contained inside of her and not by what she looks like on the outside.
6.I believe that marriage is sacred and represents the Godhead on earth; two are one just as three are one.
7.I believe that love is more powerful than any other power. Remember, God is love.
8.I believe that tithing is not a part of God's new covenant, free will offerings are. And that doesn't mean just money.
9.I believe that the Aaronic, Levitical, and Melchizedek priesthoods are abolished and Christs Holy Priesthood whom Christ is the "Great High Priest" is eternal.
10.I believe that every believer is a priest in the "Priesthood of Believers".
11.I believe that when two are one, nobody is to separate the one.
12.I believe that Christ is the only way to heaven.
13.I believe that our bodies are temples, not man made buildings.
14.I believe that liars make fools out of others and the liar hates the fool.
15.I believe that all believers are in authority to preach the gospel.
16.I believe that the word 'organization' to describe Christs body is evil and has no place with God.
17.I believe the Americas are not the land of Zion and Christ will return to His origonal land-Israel in the Middle East.
18.I believe that God has set out correct ways of worshiping Him, not man.
19.I believe in holding to the truths of the Bible and not mans understanding of it.
20.I believe that the world is full of evil and Satan can easily gain control over the minds of those who do not profess Christ of the Bible to be their only Messiah.
21.I believe that Saints are those who know the real Savior, Jesus Christ, of whom the Bible speaks of; not the jesus of a cult.