Several years ago, I received an assignment to work in the Office of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. This particular office is located in the Church Administration Building and is surrounded by the offices of various apostles and general authorities. I would arrive at my desk by 7:30 a.m. each morning and it wasn’t long before I started to notice that Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, whose office was just down the hall, was always getting to work a little earlier than my 7:30 a.m. start time. I knew that he was in his 90’s and in a wheelchair, but yet there he was. Elder Wirthlin passed away several weeks later and his example left an indelible impression on my heart about dedication and the ways in which the Lord sustains our prophets, seers and revelators. Nothing keeps them from doing the Lord’s work for the duration of their life—and I believe that they wouldn’t have it any other way.



The First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles are ordinary men in extraordinary callings with divinely mandated responsibilities. More specifically, “The fundamental responsibility of prophets, seers, and revelators, all of whom bear apostolic authority, is to bear certain testimony of the name of Jesus Christ in all the world. This basic call to be a special witness of His name has remained constant whenever Apostles have been on the earth.”[i]

Since the beginning of time, the adversary has stirred up opposition to prophets and apostles. Criticism about their human frailties, age, race, gender, doctrines and policies manifests itself as a way of chipping away at their authority and weakening faith. Yet it’s comforting to know that despite this, Jesus Christ is at the head of this Church. He calls inspired men of God to these sacred callings through divine priesthood authority. We also know that “No one knows how to work a crowd better than the adversary.”[ii] So, it shouldn’t surprise us to find that there will be a concerted effort to undermine our prophets and apostles—and it will be done in very smooth and unique ways.

With the intent to clarify some misconceptions or false teachings that members of the church might encounter on this topic, here are a few things we might consider.

1. Go to the source

If we truly understand and have faith in the role and significance of prophets, seers and revelators, then we’ll know why the adversary is so keen to undermine them. President Henry B. Eyring said:

Satan will always work on the Saints of God to undermine their faith in priesthood keys. One way he does it is to point out the humanity of those who hold them. He can in that way weaken our testimony and so cut us loose from the line of keys by which the Lord ties us to Him. … The warning for us is plain. If we look for human frailty in humans, we will always find it. When we focus on finding the frailties of those who hold priesthood keys, we run risks for ourselves. When we speak or write to others of such frailties, we put them at risk. [iii]

If I were to take an educated guess about the specifics of how Satan would go about getting members of the church to start questioning prophet or apostles and priesthood authority, I would start by saying that he begins by whispering doubts in the ears of the saints, as described in 2 Nephi 28:22:

“And behold, others he flattereth away … and he saith unto them: I am no devil, for there is none—and thus he whispereth in their ears, until he grasps them with his awful chains, from whence there is no deliverance.”

With this negative “whispering campaign”, the adversary sets out to gradually—but purposefully—sow seeds of doubt or criticism about individual members of The First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. One might:

Offer convincing, subtle alternatives such as groups, symposiums or blogs so that members’ attention is diverted to them instead of the words of living prophets;

Encourage members of the church to begin to view prophets and apostles as not always up to speed with social trends;

Get them to pick and choose what to follow;

Teach that they are not called of God;

Continually point their human frailties;

Criticize, doubt or play politics with their calling if they are not called from the desired race, gender, location, nationality or background;

Suggest an “old-age release” or the possibility that newer or younger Church leaders might bring in more liberal ideologies. Hope that as a result, LDS doctrine will evolve to be more in sync with current social trends;

Teach that one should follow Jesus Christ, but not His modern day prophets and apostles;

Suggest that there are power struggles, discord, and unity issues among the Brethren; and

Actively weaken the messenger so that the message becomes weak (or at least taken with a grain of salt), thus trying to lessen the authority and divinity of the calling of the holy apostleship.

Why is it sometimes difficult for some to sustain or follow the words of prophets and apostles? Elder Dennis B. Neuenschwander gives some insight into this here:

But I ask myself, if this is so clear, why is it so difficult? There may be many answers to this, but I think, in reality, there is only one. Most of the difficulty can be traced to our desire to be more acceptable to the world than to God. The teachings of a living prophet are often contrary to the trends of the world. We, as Latter-day Saints, must understand that there is an expanding gulf between the standards of the world and those of the gospel and kingdom of God, and that living prophets will always teach the standards of God. As much as we may want the gospel to accommodate to the world, it can’t, it won’t, it never has, and it never will. … to have living prophets, seers, and revelators among us and not listen to them is no better than not having them at all.[iv]

2. The First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles are united

Please know that there are no power struggles or prideful ego trips within the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. As much as it would please the adversary to see this or to have members believe it, this is simply false. They don’t work that way, and neither does the Lord. They are united. Listen to their own words about this:

President Gordon B. Hinckley: “No decision emanates from the deliberations of the First Presidency and the Twelve without total unanimity among all concerned. At the outset in considering matters, there may be differences of opinion. These are to be expected. These men come from different backgrounds. They are men who think for themselves. But before a final decision is reached, there comes a unanimity of mind and voice.”[vii]

Elder Russell M. Nelson: “The calling of 15 men to the holy apostleship provides great protection for us as members of the Church. Why? Because decisions of these leaders must be unanimous.13 Can you imagine how the Spirit needs to move upon 15 men to bring about unanimity? These 15 men have varied educational and professional backgrounds, with differing opinions about many things. Trust me! These 15 men—prophets, seers, and revelators—know what the will of the Lord is when unanimity is reached! They are committed to see that the Lord’s will truly will be done. The Lord’s Prayer provides the pattern for each of these 15 men when they pray: “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”14

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland: “When the original Twelve were called in this dispensation, they were told that their appointment was “calculated to create for you an affection for each other, stronger than death.” We already have such affection for you, Brethren, for your wives, and for your families.”[viii]

Elder M. Russell Ballard: “Let me also observe that none of the Twelve are shrinking violets. We each have strong personalities. So when we are unified in a decision, you can rest assured that we have counseled together and come to that decision after much prayer and thoughtful discussion.”[ix]

President Gordon B. Hinckley: “I love my brethren. To a man they are loyal. Without hesitation they respond to every call. They are true disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ.”[x] “I add by way of personal testimony that during the twenty years I served as a member of the Council of the Twelve and during the nearly thirteen years that I have served in the First Presidency, there has never been a major action taken where this procedure was not observed. I have seen differences of opinion presented in these deliberations. Out of this very process of men speaking their minds has come a sifting and winnowing of ideas and concepts. But I have never observed serious discord or personal enmity among my Brethren. I have, rather, observed a beautiful and remarkable thing—the coming together, under the directing influence of the Holy Spirit and under the power of revelation, of divergent views until there is total harmony and full agreement. Only then is implementation made. That, I testify, represents the spirit of revelation manifested again and again in directing this the Lord’s work. I know of no other governing body of any kind of which this might be said. This procedure obtains even in the absence of the President of the Church. I hasten to add, however, that the Brethren would not be inclined to do anything which they feel would be out of harmony with the attitude, feelings, and position of their beloved leader, the prophet of the Lord.”[xi]

3. A few words of caution

Is it wrong to speak ill and critically of church leaders? Yes. How serious is speaking and writing against the leaders of the Church? It’s serious. It can be one of the first steps to personal apostasy. Recognizing what we know about the roles of prophets and apostles (and who they represent), criticizing these special witnesses of Jesus Christ is ultimately a matter of undermining the Savior’s church. The more we seek out the faults of our leaders, the more we give place for discord distancing ourselves from following them and the teachings of the Church. Consider what Elder Dallin H. Oaks said about the seriousness of criticizing our leaders:

I have given the following counsel to Church members—those who have committed themselves by upraised hands to sustain their church leaders: Criticism is particularly objectionable when it is directed toward Church authorities, general or local. Jude condemns those who ‘speak evil of dignities.’ (Jude 1:8.) Evil speaking of the Lord’s anointed is in a class by itself. It is one thing to depreciate a person who exercises corporate power or even government power. It is quite another thing to criticize or depreciate a person for the performance of an office to which he or she has been called of God. … When we say anything bad about the leaders of the Church, whether true or false, we tend to impair their influence and their usefulness and are thus working against the Lord and His cause.[xiii]

Conclusion: Faith in sustaining prophets, seers and revelators

I have faith in our prophets and apostles. They stand at the head of this church and have been called by God through revelation. Following them means having faith in their authority—the authority of Jesus Christ. This is an integral part of being a faithful member of the church. They are His representatives. This is His church. And so we can confidently follow them, with faith and a conviction born of the Holy Ghost that they are indeed His apostles and prophets.

[i] Dennis B. Neuenschwander, “Living Prophets, Seers and Revelators,” Ensign Nov. 2000.

[ii] Neal A. Maxwell, “Murmur Not,” Ensign Nov. 1989.

[iii] Henry B. Eyring, “Faith and Keys,” Ensign Nov. 2004.

[iv] Dennis B. Neuenschwander, “Living Prophets, Seers and Revelators,” Ensign Nov. 2000.

[v] The Guide to the Scriptures, LDS.org

[vi] Gordon B. Hinckley, “God is at the Helm,” Ensign May 1994.

[vii] Gordon B. Hinckley, “God is at the Helm,” Ensign May 1994.

[viii] Jeffrey R. Holland, “Prophets, Seers and Revelators,” Ensign Nov. 2004.

[ix] M. Russell Ballard, “Be Still, and Know That I Am God,” CES Devotional for Young Adults May 2014.

[x] Gordon B. Hinckley, “Special Witnesses of Christ, “ Video Presentation, April 2001

[xi] Gordon B. Hinckley, “God is at the Helm,” Ensign May 1994.

[xii] Gordon B. Hinckley, “God is at the Helm,” Ensign May 1994.

[xiii] Dallin H. Oaks, Address to Church Educational System teachers, Aug. 16, 1985.