Prophets are God’s representatives on earth. Throughout human history, God has called prophets to give inspired direction to His children, including guidance specific for their time and place.
The Bible and the Book of Mormon are holy books of scripture that tell of many prophets in ancient times. For example, in the Bible God sent Moses to the Israelites. Moses guided the Israelites to freedom from bondage, performed miracles using authority given to him by God, taught God’s commandments to the people, and warned them of the consequences of disobeying God’s commandments.
Jesus Christ’s Church Was Lost for a Time
Sometimes, people reject the words of prophets and stop following God’s commandments. This is called apostasy. The scriptures show us that the world has gone through many cycles that have included times of righteousness and times of widespread apostasy.
After Jesus Christ established His Church on earth and later returned to live with God, the world eventually fell into apostasy once again. While there were still good people on the earth who tried to follow Jesus, many important truths and the authority from God to lead His Church (known as the priesthood) were lost over time.
Jesus Christ’s Church Was Restored
In 1820, a 14–year–old boy named Joseph Smith was troubled about the fate of his soul and wondered which church he should join. He prayed with faith for an answer, and Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ appeared to him. They called him by name, told him he was forgiven, directed him not to join any of the churches of his day, and promised that the “fulness of the gospel” would be made known to him in the future.
Joseph Smith was called to be a prophet, and through him the Lord restored His Church. Today, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter‑day Saints is still led by a living prophet, who holds priesthood authority and provides us guidance from God for our day.
The prophet is supported by other leaders on a global, regional, and local level who are chosen through inspiration from God to help lead His Church.
Missionaries can introduce you to the words of today’s prophet and teach you more about Jesus Christ’s restored Church. |
