Infallibility of Prophets

"Prest. J. Smith rose, read the 14th Chap. of Ezekiel— said the Lord had declar’d by the prophet that the people should each one stand for himself and depend on no man or men in that state of corruption of the Jewish church— that righteous persons could only deliver their own souls— applied it to the present state of the church of Latter-Day Saints— said if the people departed from the Lord, they must fall— that they were depending on the prophet hence were darkened in their minds from neglect of themselves—" (Minutes and Discourse, 26 May 1842, p. [51])

Joseph Smith was well aware of the herd mentality and spiritual reliance that is so often associated with religious fervor. It seems we are always looking to someone else for their point of view and not looking heavenward (or even inward for that matter) to hear the voice of God and His will for us.

Within the LDS faith, and I believe other faiths as well, there has been a philosophy perpetuated almost from the beginning, and that is that the Lord will never allow church leaders to lead the church astray, for God speaks to them and they share His will to all of us. We most often quote Wilford Woodruff from the Official Declaration #1, addressing polygamy specifically, but the roots of this idea go as far back as Brigham Young.

To not mince words here I’ll be quite upfront, the idea that a man, seemingly called of God, cannot and will not ever lead the church astray is one of the laziest and most spiritually damning doctrines that could be conjured up by man. The reason this is a lazy doctrine is because it teaches us that when a leader speaks the thinking has been done, God’s will has been pronounced, and we must follow along. It also leads us into a false sense of security, that we don’t have to do the heavy lifting of seeking out truth for ourselves and confirming ALL things through the Spirit. (Moroni 10:5) It is spiritually damning (literally stopping our progression and ascension) because it places limits upon what we deem to be truth. It confines us within the walls of church dogma and mantras. Some of you may see this as harsh criticism, but I’d invite you to read the words of many ancient prophets and you’ll find that what I’ve said is quite mild in comparison.

Now, I get it, church leaders also preach that we need to seek for personal revelation (the same thing Christ taught btw), but church leaders also state that any revelation we receive should not go contrary to 1.) The written word as given in the scriptures and 2.) The words that proceed from the mouth of church leaders. For a person to encourage you to seek out personal revelation, yet also tell you that your answer should not contradict the revelation they have received is paradoxical at best. Before you start looking for a stone to cast, please understand that it is not my intention to destroy anyone’s faith. In fact, my intentions are quite the opposite. If we believe the notion that leaders are infallible, we limit our capacity to commune with heaven and seek God’s will for us, our faith is hobbled. A quick look at history shows us that church leaders have made mistakes, both socially (policy) and doctrinally, and the consequences have been quite severe. We cannot love Christ and a lie at the same time.

What did Christ teach?

As we dive into the historical elements of infallibility, I find it important to first ground ourselves in the scriptures. Shortly after Lehi’s death in the Book of Mormon, we hear this great lamentation from Nephi due to his iniquities and shortcomings. (see 2 Nephi 4) Toward the end of this chapter, he shares his feelings about where he places his trust.

34 O Lord, I have trusted in thee, and I will trust in thee forever. I will not put my trust in the arm of flesh; for I know that cursed is he that putteth his trust in the arm of flesh. Yea, cursed is he that putteth his trust in man or maketh flesh his arm.

If we only read these words, we would rarely trust anyone for anything, but further on in his writings we gain clarity as to when and how we should place our trust. In 2 Nephi 28 the Lord commands Nephi to write a few more word concerning the process of how to receive revelation and where we place our trust. Keep in mind, this is now the Lord speaking:

30 For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more; and from them that shall say, We have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they have.

31 Cursed is he that putteth his trust in man, or maketh flesh his arm, or shall hearken unto the precepts of men, save their precepts shall be given by the power of the Holy Ghost.

First, the Lord is the one who helps teach us precepts and principles through revelation. Now, did you catch the second part? A curse will follow those who trust men and women without first receiving their own witness through the Holy Ghost. And yet we can still learn good, even wonderful, things from others, but only if we seek a confirmation of their truthfulness through the Spirit. Can you see how this doctrine as taught by Christ contradicts the modern philosophy of “we cannot, we will not lead you astray”?

Let’s take a look at second witness from the scriptures where the Lord sheds light on this idea of listening to Him or to man. In the header of the Joseph Smith Translation (JST) of Mark 9 we read, “Jesus compares cutting off an offending hand or foot to discontinuing associations that may lead one astray.” Seems pretty simple, until you realize the LDS church intentionally left out the "eye" or one who sees for you, who is appointed to watch over you, from the section header. There are only 3 elements to the parable and they left out the prophets, seers, and revelators appointed by God. The church acknowledges that the "hand” or the "foot" "may lead one astray", yet they stopped short of calling out church leaders. The church isn't ignorant, they know that Christ taught this principle and that church leaders can lead you astray. What does that tell you?

40 Therefore, if thy HAND offend thee, cut it off; or if thy brother offend thee and confess not and forsake not, he shall be cut off. It is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands, to go into hell.

41 For it is better for thee to enter into life without thy brother, than for thee and thy brother to be cast into hell; into the fire that never shall be quenched, where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

42 And again, if thy FOOT offend thee, cut it off; for he that is thy standard, by whom thou walkest, if he become a transgressor, he shall be cut off

43 It is better for thee, to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell; into the fire that never shall be quenched.

44 Therefore, let every man stand or fall, by himself, and not for another; or not trusting another.

45 Seek unto my Father, and it shall be done in that very moment what ye shall ask, if ye ask in faith, believing that ye shall receive.

46 And if thine EYE which seeth for thee, him that is appointed to watch over thee to show thee light, become a transgressor and offend thee, pluck him out.

47 It is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God, with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.

48 For it is better that thyself should be saved, than to be cast into hell with thy brother, where their worm dieth not, and where the fire is not quenched.

The hand represents someone who helps lead you along, yet in a close familial relationship, like that of a parent or brother. We then move on to the foot or someone we walk along with, this would include work associates, neighbors, friends, and social or political leaders; people who we allow within our physical or emotional space. Then we get to the eye. Here the Lord is talking directly to prophets, seers, and revelators. In fact, He chose a seer specifically because they are considered to be the greatest of all prophets. He also includes the phrase "appointed to watch over thee", which must include the watchmen spoken of throughout scripture. (I'd invite you to read Isaiah 56:9-12 to understand how the watchmen of our day are neglecting their duties.) The Lord acknowledges that even these leaders can transgress, they make mistakes, they are fallible.

There are two main scriptures that seemingly support the infallibility concept. The first is JST Amos 3:7, “Surely the Lord God will do nothing, [until] he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.” To which I wholeheartedly agree, but our modern definition of “prophet” varies greatly from scriptural precedence. That’s a topic for another day. The second scripture is D&C 1:38, “What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same.” This verse was never intended to give carte blanche authority to church leaders. We need to read the beginning of the section as well as verse 37 to gain the appropriate context, “Search these commandments, for they are true and faithful, and the prophecies and promises which are in them shall all be fulfilled.” The Lord is either referring specifically to Section 1 of the Doctrine and Covenants or the collection of the book of commandments, but that does not mean we give supreme authority to any church leader.

Pattern of Deceit

Now we should ask the question, do the leaders of the LDS church teach that the Lord will not allow them to lead the church astray? When was this philosophy introduced and was it a single instance or has it been taught repeatedly? Growing up I always thought this idea began with Wilford Woodruff when he ended (but not really) the practice of polygamy. I decided to spend some time digging through the church’s website and found over 100 instances, in significant publications or talks, where this doctrine was taught. (Click here for a full Historical Timeline. Really go check it out, you’ll be surprised.) To my dismay, this idea began shortly after the death of Joseph Smith and has been taught consistently for over 170 years. In 1857 Heber C. Kimball taught that we should follow church leaders without question, regardless of it being right or wrong. We then hear those infamous words from Brigham Young as early as 1862, they can never “lead you astray.” As of this writing, the most recent instance was pronounced by Elder Rasband in October 2021:

Brigham Young: Feb. 23, 1862 “The Lord Almighty leads this Church, and he will never suffer you to be led astray if you are found doing your duty. You may go home and sleep as sweetly as a babe in its mother’s arms, as to any danger of your leaders leading you astray, for if they should try to do so the Lord would quickly sweep them from the earth. Your leaders are trying to live their religion as far as [they are] capable of doing so.” (Journal of Discourses 9:289)

Elder Rasband: October 2021 "We are distinguished as a Church to be led by prophets, seers, and revelators called of God for this time. I promise that as you listen and follow their counsel, you will never be led astray. Never!" (The Things of My Soul)

The philosophy of infallibility was taught simultaneously with the need for obedience and was drilled into the hearts and minds of our pioneer ancestors who trekked across the plains. Two of the most heart wrenching stories we hear so oft repeated, even going so far as to have our youth repeat these treks, is that of the Willie and Martin handcart companies. John Chislett was a captain of 100 in the Willie company and wrote the following in his journal: “Meetings were held nearly every evening for preaching, counsel, and prayer; the chief feature of the preaching being ‘obey your leaders in all things.’” (I'd highly suggest watching this video by Rob Fotheringham about this pioneer event: To the Rescue). Franklin Richards subsequently prophesied to these downtrodden saints that the God of Israel would withhold the elements and that they would arrive safely in the Salt Lake valley. (This is contrary to what the Saints history books claims btw) With the preaching of obedience and the supposed prophecy by Richards, you quickly realize the deadly combination as over 200 saints lost their lives in one of the greatest tragedies on the emigrant trails.

As noted previously, this philosophy can have severe consequences. Let’s take a look at some of the doctrines, policies, and practices that have impacted many of the faithful Saints, who in general are simply trying to strengthen their faith in Christ yet are being misled by church leaders. If you want sources for these, I encourage you to do your own research.

1. Brigham Young taught Adam/God theory (that God came into this world as Adam) as part of the temple endowment ceremony. It was later denounced by Spencer W. Kimball. I'd suggest reading my essay titled The Santa Claus Effect, to learn about an experience a man had with Mark E. Peterson and this doctrine.

2. Brigham Young taught the doctrine of Blood Atonement, that there were certain sins requiring the actual shedding of blood for forgiveness, essentially denying the Atonement of Christ.

3. Brigham Young taught the Law of Adoption in the temple, which was subsequently discontinued and changed by Wilford Woodruff into the more modern version of family sealings. It is my belief that Joseph was attempting to teach the saints about sealing the human family and connecting them to God through him, which has far more to do with a spiritual lineage rather than the modern family sealings.

4. Brigham Young taught that polygamy was essential to exaltation. This was denounced by subsequent church presidents. He also taught that Christ had multiple wives, including Mary, Martha, and several others. This is to say nothing of the lies that the church has added to their Saints historical volumes stating that neither Joseph nor Emma expressed their views on the subject. Joseph, Emma, and others were extremely outspoken in condemning the practice of polygamy. Joseph never had an angel appear to him and threaten his life if he chose not to live such practice. Subsequent church leaders changed church history to condone their own sinful behavior. The church even went to far as to replace the original D&C 101, which condemns polygamy, with a new section of writings so as to not contradict D&C 132. And there is significant evidence suggesting that section 132 was not written by Joseph but adapted by Brigham. (To learn more, please check out Whitney Horning's book "Joseph Smith Revealed: A faithful Telling, Exploring an alternative polygamy narrative." You can also read my essay "Polygamy = Adultery")

5. Brigham Young taught and encouraged racism. He even went so far as to say a person should be killed if they mixed their seed with a person of color. Subsequent church leaders taught that people with dark skin were less valiant in the pre-existence (and subsequently denied priesthood and temple ordinances). This belief in segregation was reinforced in letters from the first presidency in 1947, 1949, 1969, was taught by multiple general authorities, and was eventually discontinued in 1978 due to societal pressures. I highly recomend this video from Rob Fotheringham: Brigham's Priesthood Ban.

6. The Mountain Meadows Massacre was such a horrendous event in church history and an abuse of church position and authority. The church’s explanation of this event in the Gospel Topics Essays is apologetic at best and overlooks damning evidence of coercion, manipulation, and murder. The historical accounts of the slaughter are grotesque and stomach churning. Many men who participated experienced never-ending nightmares, demonic spirits, and an unbelievable torture of conscience for most of their lives. You can learn more about this event as it relates to blind obedience by visiting the "Joseph Smith foundation: Blind obedience?"

7. Early church leaders taught that receiving a personal witness of heavenly beings was required by those called to be “special witnesses” of Christ, yet Elder Oaks has stated that neither he nor any of those he knows have ever had such a heavenly manifestation, and that such events rarely occur today. There was even a training meeting for stake presidents and bishops where Oaks taught that there was no need to seek out the gift of the Second Comforter or Second Anointing, which is a personal witness of Christ.

8. Joseph Smith taught the women of the church that they had the authority to give blessings of healing, which has since been revoked.

9. The Word of Wisdom, as implemented by Joseph Smith in D&C 89, was never given as a commandment, yet it was made a requirement to enter the temple by Heber J. Grant, who himself had challenges with alcohol consumption. One of the original purposes of this revelation was to warn us of the dangers of conspiring men in the last days: 89:4 "Behold, verily, thus saith the Lord unto you: In consequence of evils and designs which do and will exist in the hearts of conspiring men in the last days, I have warned you, and forewarn you, by giving unto you this word of wisdom by revelation." Today the LDS church is encouraging everyone to take an experimental shot that is anything but "safe and effective." As of November 2021, there have been 913,266 severe reactions and 19,249 deaths associated with this experimental concoction as reported by VAERS, which is estimated to only log about 10% of reactions. You do the math. To learn more about these reactions, please read my essay "Vaccine Reactions."

10. The sacred sacramental symbols were also changed around this time. Wine was used by the saints for nearly 80 years—and its use is approved in D&C 89—yet today we’ve removed the blood red color and the bitter and sweet elements of sacramental wine, all because wine can be “expensive” and isn’t “universally available” according to the church website. Yes, I’m aware of the section of D&C where it states we can use water, but I feel this was only temporary at best. We have also removed the symbolic nature of unleavened bread.

11. The law of tithing resembles little of what was taught by Joseph Smith. Early church leaders not only exempted themselves from paying tithing, but also taught that tithing was not required by the poor and destitute. The modern church tells its members to pay tithing even if they cannot pay rent or put food on the table. The latter part of Mosiah 18 clearly teaches the appropriate method of giving and consecration, yet we do not follow that counsel. Although Wendy Nelson is not an official “church leader”, while speaking with her husband she taught the youth of the church that if you want to make more money, you should pay more tithing. This is called the “prosperity gospel” and is a false doctrine. (To explore this topic further, you can read my essay "Tithe the Poor.")

12. The LDS church has justified the cost of building expensive temples “because it is for the Lord”, to which they rightly deserve the condemnation from Moroni in Mormon 8, “ye do love money, and your substance, and your fine apparel, and the adorning of your churches, more than ye love the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted.” Nephi also condemns the latter-day churches for builidng up their "fine sanctuaries" at the expense of the poor. (2 Nephi 28) I encourage you to read the first half of Alma 32 for a proper perspective of how and when the humble and impoverished are to worship.

13. The questions required to enter the temple and receive “saving ordinances” have been changed or altered at least 20 times. These changes often follow societal events and have been a way for church leaders to correct what they deem to be inappropriate behavior.

14. The LDS version of the endowment does not resemble what Joseph Smith taught originally and has been changed and revised numerous times. To be honest, we know very little about what Joseph taught to be the original endowment. It seems as if Brigham and others made significant modifications to the temple rites. It wasn’t until the 1920s that the death penalties and oaths (nearly identical to Masonry) were adapted significantly, and changed again in 1989 when they were removed entirely. Yet the hand symbols and gestures of these blood oaths still remain to this day. I would also encourage a deeper study of D&C 124 and the Lord’s condemnation and curse that was placed upon the Saints for not completing the Nauvoo temple. Those curses were to continue for 3-4 generations, which coincidentally is my generation.

15. The LDS leadership handbook defines “apostasy” as openly disagreeing with a church leader. Nowhere in scripture is this doctrine taught, only the denying of Christ and His teachings. It seems as if church leaders correlate their words as always constituting the will of the Savior.

16. The LDS handbook is in constant state of change, to which I would normally applaud the need for updates and adaptations but does not align with the infallibility doctrine. Many church leaders treat the handbook as its own canon of scripture. This handbook delves into such topics as: energy healing, conspiracy theories, prepping, vaccinations, gun control, the occult, and the disparaging of politically themed conversations in church meetings.

17. Two noteworthy books that present significant doctrinal inconsistencies and fallacies: 1) Mormon Doctrine by Bruce R. McConkie and 2) The Miracle of Forgiveness by Spencer W. Kimball.

18. The LDS viewpoint of being gay or lesbian has changed substantially. Many new aspects could be applauded, yet others highly questioned. In a recent Q&A session at the University of Virginia, Dallin Oaks lied about his involvement and oversight of Electroshock Therapy (Aversion Therapy) for gay students, stating that the therapy was stopped prior to his tenure as president of BYU. The therapy actually continued well beyond his time at the university. Students and faculty were committing suicide as a result of these programs and school policies while he was president. (Go to the Wikipedia article titled, "Brigham Young University LGBT history" and search for Dallin Oaks to see his involvement.)

19. Church leaders stated that it was the “will of the Lord” that children of gay parents could not be baptized. This decision was reversed several years later, to which Russell M. Nelson also stated that it was again the “will of the Lord.” The church PR department downplayed this reversal as “policy” and not doctrine. Elder Oaks has stated that with “living prophets” it is difficult to discern between policy and doctrine.

20. Both Gordon B. Hinckley and Thomas S. Monson promoted multi-national, multi-million-dollar ad campaigns and created a feature film stating “I’m a Mormon.” Russell M. Nelson quickly condemned the practice and said that the church was in error by allowing such nuances in naming and that the Lord was withholding blessings. These “I’m a Mormon” members, to which Nelson directed his comments, were simply “following the prophet” and got their hands slapped and were shamed for doing so.

21. I will only briefly mention the LDS church response to the plandemic which officially began the Spring of 2020. What a mess! In the Fall Russell M. Nelson touted the vaccine as a “literal godsend.” August 2021 the First Presidency released a letter reinstating the use of masks and doubled down on their insistence on taking the jab and following the government. Then a third statement was made encouraging the saints to fall in line. I have spoken with many spiritually-minded saints who are at a loss for words and feel disconnected from the brethren. From the August 2021 letter:

a. “We know that protection from the diseases they cause can only be achieved by immunizing a very high percentage of the population.” WRONG!

b. “Available vaccines have proven to be both safe and effective.” WRONG!

c. “We can win this war if everyone will follow the wise and thoughtful recommendations of medical experts and government leaders.” WRONG!

If you are the typical member of the LDS church, there should be at least of few of the items listed that you’ve never heard of. And I hope that some of them are a bit shocking to you.

Doctrinal Application

So how does this infallibility doctrine apply to the real world, where the rubber meets the road? Well, for a member of the church to receive the highest blessings that the church feels can be extended in this life, they must answer a series of 15 questions in order to enter the temple. Question #4 focuses specifically on “sustaining” church leaders:

“Do you sustain the president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as the prophet, seer, and revelator and as the only person on the earth authorized to exercise all priesthood keys? Do you sustain the members of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles as prophets, seers, and revelators? Do you sustain the other General Authorities and local leaders of the Church?“

So, what does the word sustain mean, and more specifically, what does it mean in LDS culture? It means you listen, follow, obey, and you won’t go astray. You do what they tell you to do. To receive exaltation, you must follow the arm of flesh in all things. Some of you may think I’m kidding, but I’m not.

When Covid was released upon the world we lost our collective minds. At one point my bishop asked all members who wanted to attend in-person sacrament meeting to wear a mask in the building at all times. This was going beyond even the local mandates and I questioned the logic. This got me called into my stake president’s office for a visit. Please keep in mind that at this point I was serving as the senior high councilor in my stake and met with my stake president several times a month. As I walked into his office the first words out of his mouth were, “Will you sustain me and your bishop in wearing a mask?” The use of the word “sustain” was very intentional and was meant as a way of reminding me of my need to “sustain” church leaders to enter the temple. No sustaining, no temple, no blessings. To keep this story short, I subsequently asked to be released from my calling (a first for me btw) and that is when one of the greatest and more difficult journeys of my life began.

We have all heard the proverb “Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” The church philosophy that God will never allow a church leader to lead anyone astray is akin to giving a man a fish. All this person must do is wait at the table of revelation and have the prophecies of God spooned out onto his plate. If there are no prophecies from God then the man is kept waiting, often begging from hunger, until the Lord deems it necessary to give church leaders another fish to cook. Whereas this same man can satiate his hunger and truly feast—not just occasionally but as often as he approaches God—by follow the teachings of Christ and learning precept upon precept, here a little and there a little, as they confirm all things through the Holy Ghost.

Today I wonder how closely we parallel the children of Israel anciently. Moses ascended mount Sinai and communed with God and received God’s will for him. Upon his decent he encouraged the Children of Israel to make the same journey as he did, but they declined and settled for a far lesser privilege. They wanted Moses to be the middleman. They wanted him to do the difficult work of ascending the mountain.

Later on in the writings of Moses we gain greater insight as to his desire for us to ascend and commune with heaven. While worshipping in the temple the Spirit of the Lord descended upon Moses and he imparted that spirit with 70 of the elders and they in turn prophesied. But there were also two men within the camp (Eldad and Medad) who received of that same spirit and began to prophecy. This caused several men to rush to Moses and request that he forbid them from doing such things. Moses’ response was simple and beautiful, “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!” Did you catch that? Moses was like, "Do you think I'm envious that others are prophesying? Do you really think I care about my status and calling? Hell no! I'm grateful that these men are doing it and I pray to God that all of you would do the same."

To wrap up this essay I'd like to refer to an apocryphal writing of the Nemenhah people which illustrates how we should interact with church leaders. Heinmet was the prophet and High Priest for his people. During an exceptionally difficult time he enacted certain policies that were intended to preserve his people and keep them safe, yet his actions almost led to the entire destruction of his people. Here are a few of his words as he reflected on the experience:

...Behold, my people did follow the Great High Priest in Mentinah as if he were God Himself, believing that I could not lead them off His path. Yea, they were all of the belief that God would smite me ere I could ever lead them astray. And smite me He has, with the certain knowledge that, if my people continue to follow my counsels, they shall all be destroyed.

Wherefore, I do leave my stewardship with this counsel; Lean upon God. Importune Him in all things. Cry unto Him even when He has given you visions! Cry unto Him even when He has blessed you with the Gifts of the Spirit! Cry unto Him even when He has walked with you and talked with you! Do not tempt the Lord your God in any thing, but cry unto Him unceasingly.

We often hear of the desire to leave a legacy for those who come after us. This is one of the main reasons for writing this essay, to let my children know of my desire to follow the words and doctrines of Christ. To let them know that I will not sit idly by, allowing myself to be pulled along by the currents of religious or secular culture and tradition. That their father was willing to stand for what he believed, regardless of the persecution that may come. If I am wrong, I pray that the Creator will guide me to the correct path. I wish to reiterate this once again, my intentions are not to tear down faith, but to build faith in Christ and the doctrine He taught. May the Lord guide and bless us in our own personal journeys.

Shalom