Something I’ve been thinking about lately is the role of prophets in the LDS church. It goes without saying, I think, that they act as God’s mouthpiece, dictating to us what God would have us know as a collective body.
Something that seems less clear to me is their role in interpreting scripture.
When one of the 15 prophets, seers, and revelators uses a scripture in general conference, for example, to illustrate or prove a point, is that divine endorsement of that interpretation? Can we safely assume that what they say is God’s intention when that scripture was originally revealed?
Assuming yes, then are Latter-day Saints whose beliefs differed from that interpretation bound to change their personal beliefs to match that interpretation?
Is it apostasy to interpret a scripture differently from how a prophet interprets it? Should beliefs among Mormons be homogeneous or is it completely acceptable to believe different things?
Joseph Fielding Smith believed man would never travel to the moon. I’d say the beliefs of LDS persons working in the space program trumped his “beliefs”.
Good point, jc. I have the feeling that’s not the only example either.
But that isn’t an interpretation of a scripture. Do you a scriptural example?
How about beer being against the Word of Wisdom, even though D&C 89:17 says it’s fine?