1. The Prophet Receives Revelation for the Church

2. Doctrine and Covenants 28, 43:1–7
Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet to Oliver Cowdery, at Fayette, New York, September HC 1: 109–111. Hiram Page, a member of the Church, had a certain stone, and professed to be receiving revelations by its aid concerning the upbuilding of Zion and the order of the Church. Several members had been deceived by these claims, and even Oliver Cowdery was wrongly influenced thereby. Just prior to an appointed conference, the Prophet inquired earnestly of the Lord concerning the matter, and this revelation followed.

3.  1 BEHOLD, I say unto thee, Oliver, that it shall be given unto thee that thou shalt be heard by the church in all things whatsoever thou shalt teach them by the Comforter, concerning the revelations and commandments which I have given.
 2 But, behold, verily, verily, I say unto thee, no one shall be appointed to receive commandments and revelations in this church excepting my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., for he receiveth them even as Moses.

4. 3 And thou shalt be obedient unto the things which I shall give unto him, even as Aaron, to declare faithfully the commandments and the revelations, with power and authority unto the church.
4 And if thou art led at any time by the Comforter to speak or teach, or at all times by the way of commandment unto the church, thou mayest do it.

5. 5 But thou shalt not write by way of commandment, but by wisdom;
6 And thou shalt not command him who is at thy head, and at the head of the church;
7 For I have given him the keys of the mysteries, and the revelations which are sealed, until I shall appoint unto them another in his stead.

6.   8 And now, behold, I say unto you that you shall go unto the Lamanites and preach my gospel unto them; and inasmuch as they receive thy teachings thou shalt cause my church to be established among them; and thou shalt have revelations, but write them not by way of commandment.
  9 And now, behold, I say unto you that it is not revealed, and no man knoweth where the city Zion shall be built, but it shall be given hereafter. Behold, I say unto you that it shall be on the borders by the Lamanites.

7. 10 Thou shalt not leave this place until after the conference; and my servant Joseph shall be appointed to preside over the conference by the voice of it, and what he saith to thee thou shalt tell.
11 And again, thou shalt take thy brother, Hiram Page, between him and thee alone, and tell him that those things which he hath written from that stone are not of me and that Satan deceiveth him;

8. 12 For, behold, these things have not been appointed unto him, neither shall anything be appointed unto any of this church contrary to the church covenants.
13 For all things must be done in order, and by common consent in the church, by the prayer of faith.

9. 14 And thou shalt assist to settle all these things, according to the covenants of the church, before thou shalt take thy journey among the Lamanites.
15 And it shall be given thee from the time thou shalt go, until the time thou shalt return, what thou shalt do.
16 And thou must open thy mouth at all times, declaring my gospel with the sound of rejoicing. Amen.

10. Game: Teacher Says

11. While Joseph and Emma Smith were living in Harmony, Pennsylvania, a few months after the Church was organized, Oliver Cowdery disagreed with the wording of one of the revelations Joseph had received from the Lord. Oliver wrote to Joseph Smith and said, “I command you in the name of God to erase those words!” Joseph immediately wrote back to Oliver and asked him “by what authority he took upon him to command me to alter or erase, to add to or diminish from, a revelation or commandment from Almighty God” (History of the Church, 1:105).

12. A short time later Joseph and Emma went to Fayette, New York, where they found that Oliver Cowdery and the Whitmer family were convinced that this revelation Joseph had received had an error and should be changed. Joseph spent much time trying to reason with Oliver and the Whitmers. Eventually Christian Whitmer became convinced that the revelation was correct as Joseph had given it, and he helped convince the others.

13. Oliver Cowdery and the Whitmers were also studying some revelations that Hiram Page, one of the Eight Witnesses of the gold plates, claimed he had received from a “seer stone.” Hiram Page said he could see revelations in this stone. Among other things, he said he had received by revelation instructions on the location of Zion, the place where the Church was to go to establish the kingdom of God on the earth. Many people believed the things that Hiram Page said.

14. Joseph Smith was concerned that others were claiming to receive revelations for the Church. He decided to deal with the problem at a conference that would be held soon. Before the conference Joseph prayed, and the Lord revealed Doctrine and Covenants 28, which said that Joseph Smith was the only one authorized to receive revelation for the whole Church. The men at the conference discussed Hiram Page’s claims to revelation for a long time, but finally all of them, including Hiram Page, agreed that Joseph Smith was the only one who could receive revelation for the Church.

15. Other people also claimed to have received revelation for the Church
Other people also claimed to have received revelation for the Church. One of these was a woman named Hubble. According to John Whitmer, she appeared to be very religious, and some people were misled by her. Joseph Smith prayed to Heavenly Father about the problem and received Doctrine and Covenants 43 as an answer. This revelation says that the prophet of the Church, whether Joseph Smith or someone who would be called to be prophet after Joseph, is the only one who receives revelation for the entire Church.

16. Who was originally appointed to receive commandments and revelations for the whole Church?
Why was this done?
What might happen if several people received revelation at the same time for the whole Church?
Who is the only person who receives revelation for the whole Church today?
What should we do if someone other than the prophet says he or she has received revelation that Church members should follow?

17. the living prophet says?
How can we find out what
the living prophet says?

18. Read or listen to latest conference talk from President Monson
April Conference President Monson
Read or listen to latest conference talk from President Monson

19. What is the difference between the teachings of the living prophet and those of other Church leaders?
Joseph Smith’s name in Doctrine and Covenants 28:2 can be replaced by the name of the living prophet, Thomas S. Monson.
Does this mean we should not listen to anyone but the prophet?

20. For whom can we receive revelation?
We each can receive personal revelation for our own lives. We can also receive revelation according to our responsibilities; for example, fathers and mothers can receive revelation for their families, the ward Primary president can receive revelation for the Primary in her ward, and the bishop can receive revelation for the whole ward.

21. What does the living prophet have that no other person has?
What did Hiram Page do wrong?
How does the Lord’s instruction to Oliver Cowdery in Doctrine and Covenants 28:11 show the Lord’s love for Hiram Page even though he needed to repent?
How do we know that the Lord loves us even when we are disobedient?
How might the Lord let us know when we have done something wrong?

22. (read aloud)
Doctrine and Covenants 28:13.
For all things must be done in order, and by common consent in the church, by the prayer of faith.

23. “Common consent” means that all the members of the Church accept the instructions and decisions of Church leaders.
How do we show common consent today?
What does it mean to sustain our leaders?

24. It is always wise to follow the prophet, even if we do not completely understand why he tells us to do something. If we follow the prophet, we will be doing what the Lord wants us to do.
President Wilford Woodruff, the fourth President of the Church said:
“The Lord will never permit me or
any other man who stands as
president of this Church to lead you
astray” (Doctrine and Covenants—Official Declaration 1, “Excerpts from Three Addresses by President Wilford Woodruff”).
The prophet will never ask us to do something that the Lord does not want us to do.

25. Ninth Article of Faith:
We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.

26. Sing: “Follow the Prophet” Sing First verse (Adam)
Music only Music and words
Then try the verses on the next slides --- some new verses created by children for the Friend magazine.

27. Joseph was a prophet, First one in our day
Joseph was a prophet, First one in our day. He saw God and Jesus When he went to pray. He prayed with great faith To know which church was true. Jesus said to “join none. Truth shall come through you.”
(author unknown)

28. Brigham Young, the prophet, Valiant to the end, “Lion of the Lord,” He was Jesus’ friend. Led the Saints to safety Far out in the West, Helped them to grow mighty, Equal to the test.
Sharon Y. Cupp

29. Nephi was a prophet, Tried to get the plates
Nephi was a prophet, Tried to get the plates. He dressed up as Laban By the city gates. With his brothers waiting, Nephi went inside. He knew God would help him And with him abide.
Glenn Kidder

30. Samuel was a prophet, Lamanite by birth, Prophesied the time when Christ would come to earth. Cried to all, “Repentance!” Shouted from the wall. Wicked would not listen, Tried to make him fall.
Holly W. Hancock

31. Lisa Ellis---from lds.about.com
President Hinckley is our prophet; his words are from the Lord When we heed his council, we are in accord. Be Grateful, True, and Humble; Be Prayerful, Clean and Smart He says that we'll be happy; just take the "B's" to heart.
Lisa Ellis---from lds.about.com

32. Lisa Ellis---from lds.about.com
Now we have a prophet, in the latter-day, He is here to guide us in so many ways. If we choose to follow all that he may say, We will have the Spirit with us every day.
Lisa Ellis---from lds.about.com

33. Thomas is a prophet With a gentle heart
Thomas is a prophet With a gentle heart. Visiting the sick, He always does his part. Servant from his youth - He will lead us well. Listen to his stories, Live by what they tell. (Written by Kirstan Hilton/ ga )

34. President Monson is our Prophet, leads us day by day
President Monson is our Prophet, leads us day by day. Gives us words of wisdom, things we must obey. Led by inspiration, he knows what we must do. Following his counsel is sure to bring us through. (Written by Linda Terry, Sandy, Utah / ga )

35. President Monson is a prophet, friend to everyone
President Monson is a prophet, friend to everyone! Shares his testimony through stories that are fun. If we listen carefully and do what he tells us, we’ll return to heaven, and live with God above. (Written by De Lane Andrus Hyer, Orem, Utah / ga )