The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #77146   Message #1384947
Posted By: Pogo
22-Jan-05 - 12:24 AM
Thread Name: BS: A question for Mormons
Subject: RE: BS: A question for Mormons
No...I really see no reason to take offense at genuine curiosity. But don't quote me on any of this :)

Gordon B. Hinckley commonly is referred to as the Prophet Gordon B. Hinckley, President Hinckley or Brother Hinckley depending on who is doing the addressing I guess and how respectful you wish to be towards him.

The set-up is the Prophet, his two counselors which make up the First Presidency of the Church and they are over what is called the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles who in turn are over the Quorum of the Seventy. Pretty much we follow the way the church was set up anciently. Jesus, his Twelve Apostles and so on down the line. In my own home church as in all LDS churches, the organization of the First Presidency is echoed in the leadership of the smallest church. You have the President or Bishop (either title is acceptable) who serves along with two counselors and there's many other callings (job titles you might say), clerk, Relief Society President etc. No one is paid to do any of these jobs like say a preacher in the Baptist or Methodist church would be and neither are they required to go through any kind of training or college. This goes right up to the Prophet himself. He isn't paid to be a prophet.

So far as the actual process of choosing the next Prophet goes I am a little vague on that but I'll see what I can find on it. However all callings in the Church are determined after much discussion, fasting and praying among those directly involved and the members also have a say in the process. To add, each prophet that has lead the Church is ultimately chosen by God and sustained by the members as a prophet for that particular time, he recieves revelations that reflects what is going on in the church and the world at that time and he serves for the rest of his life. It's kind of hard to explain spiritual matters in secular terms but I'm trying my best here.

Many doctrines of the church have already been set down for quite some time now. We do however believe that the heavens are not closed, that new revelation from God still goes on today. The prophet has the priesthood authority to recieve revelations from God as it benefits all men, not just members of the church. Many things that previous prophets have recieved by revelation has been put down as permanent doctrine (the Word of Wisdom for example and the Articles of Faith) and some served their purpose and are now footnotes in Church history to be pondered and studied.

Here's just the facts on the organization of the Church and whatnot to add to what I've said. I would suggest reading that as all this above again is all just from the point of view of me and I would not like to think I am telling something wrong here

http://www.mormon.org/learn/0,8672,940-1,00.html

http://www.mormon.org/learn/0,8672,842-1,00.html