Lifespan

Approximately 174-92 B.C.

Ministry

Alma was an ex-priest of the wicked King Noah. He supported releasing Abinadi without punishment, and drew the wrath of his fellow priests for doing so. After escaping the king’s court, he taught faithful Nephites secretly in the wilderness and founded the church. He served as its prophet for twenty years before being discovered by the Lamanites. After suffering captivity, they escaped and fled to a new land, where they met up with King Mosiah and his people. Mosiah supported Alma in his role as leader of the church, which he did for another twenty years or so. Keep reading →

The Greek word apostasia indicates a “falling away” from the truth, especially true religion (see 2 Thes. 2:1-3). That having been said, it seems perhaps more accurate to say that true apostasy is more of a “turning away” or “turning against” than a mere passive departure through neglect. “Perhaps even more accurately, apostasy could be described as a particular group turning its back on God or rejecting the covenant relationship offered through His household (2 Chronicles 29:6; Jeremiah 2:27). Accordingly, apostasy is not necessarily a desertion from religion itself but rather a perversion of, or a rebellion against, true religion. Thus, apostasy does not require total departure from one’s faith but rather a rejection of God’s laws and His prophets or divinely appointed leadership” (Where Have All the Prophets Gone? p. 19).

“Biblical and historical evidence suggest that general apostasy is not necessary for God to introduce a new dispensation, although it sometimes happens that way. Just as apostasy can be seen as a deviation from the true course, so can a dispensation be seen as a course correction. Put another way, sometime divine reordering is necessary to correct both the orientation and the operation of the household of God” (Prophets, p. 19).

With the reordering of God’s affairs and the calling of a new founding prophet to head a new dispensation, four significant problems are overcome: (1) a living prophet is reestablished as the spokesman for God on earth, through whom our Father speaks to His children; (2) God’s divine authority that enables man to act in God’s name and lead His people is reestablished; (3) distorted doctrines are clarified and restored to their simple and pure state; and (4) the authority to perform sacraments, or rites and ordinances, is restored, along with the true nature of their purpose.

Sources:

Where Have All the Prophets Gone? Scott M. Petersen

Although writing systems have long been around, and religious texts seem to have often formed the core of a culture’s written records, the establishment of an agreed-upon scriptural canon has often been somewhat in dispute. Add to that the fact that it is only within the past three or four centuries that literacy has become a fairly common practice for “the masses,” and we quickly understand why a prophet was so critical in maintaining doctrinal purity and consistency prior to that time. Because a set scriptural canon was not often established, and because the average person did not have access to it anyway, the non-cleric needed to have access to the heavens for seeking answers beyond his own personal prayers. The prophet served that role.

The prophet petitioned God on behalf of His children, and God spoke to His children through the prophet. This uniform system was very effective, especially for small populations conducive to communication via oral means. The challenge grew, as prophets of every age learned, as the population of the children of God grew. Close contact with the prophet of God-both for discipline as well as inspiration-became less regular, and with that distance, the communities of followers became more fragmented. Note the growth of the Christian church in the New Testament record, for example. While Jesus was alive, he taught all those who wanted to become disciples of His way. After His death, as the apostles spread the Good News throughout the surrounding countries, differences of opinion, administration, and belief began to show up everywhere. Letters to the various branches of the Church were sent to shore up the weak spots until apostles and seventies could get there and restore lost or corrupted truths and practices.

Though this example comes from the New Testament era, it follows a general pattern of the prophet seeking God’s direction, teaching that direction to his community, and writing it down for future reference. Subsequent prophets both relied on that scriptural record and understood the need for expanding the canon as new social situations were encountered and as God’s direction for his children of each time and place brought logical extensions and enhancements. In fact, revelation is a hallmark of a prophetic call as much as is the ability to interpret and apply the revelations contained in existing prophetic writings.

The proper relationship between current revelation and recorded revelation of former days is perhaps best explained by Papias, one of the earliest Christian bishops: “If ever someone who had accompanied the presbyters should come, I examined carefully the words of the presbyters, [to learn] what Andrew, Peter, Philip, Thomas, John, Matthew, or any other of the disciples of the Lord said and what things Aristion and the presbyter John, disciples of the Lord, are saying. For I did not suppose the contents of books would profit me so much as the words and the living voice” (as quoted in Where Have All the Prophets Gone? Scott M. Petersen, p. 65).

Sources:

Where Did All the Prophets Go? Scott M. Petersen

Encyclopedia of Religion, ed. Mircea Eliade, s.v. “Prophecy”

Prophets are not cut from a common mold, as if they were so many gingerbread cookies filled with inspired spices and identical communication conduits to heaven. Each is a human being, complete with individual strengths, weaknesses, habits, backgrounds, skill sets, and the like. Beyond that, God raises up prophets to address various issues and to perform various missions. It is difficult to imagine the leadership of Moses and his interaction with the children of Israel being replaced by the solitary impetuousness of Samson, for example. Nonetheless, there do seem to be some features common to the role of prophet as filled by all types of regular and extraordinary people. These are:

1. They were called by Deity, though sometimes that calling came through another human who was in a position of authority. The calling included granting priesthood authority to act in God’s name.
2. Their official revelations and pronouncements are regarded as coming from God and binding on the people they lead.
3. They taught universal truths that crossed cultures and political boundaries.
4. They often addressed social issues in clarifying and sometimes radical ways.
5. They helped to both maintain and reform status quo religion.

Additional characteristics often also included the following:

• A period of preparation for the calling.
• A major weakness or trial to overcome while serving.
• Opponents who did not believe their calling as prophet.
• Both a reliance on and a willingness to expand sacred texts (scripture).

Sources:

Where Have All the Prophets Gone? Scott R. Petersen

The Encyclopedia of Religion, ed. Mircea Eliade, s.v. “Prophecy”

The Holy Bible

From a Christian perspective, the call to serve as God’s chosen representative to His children is remarkably consistent in the scriptural record. God chooses the man whom He wants, either directly or through an existing prophet or spiritual leader. The newly called prophet is given authority to act in his new role, and sometimes a miracle accompanies the call, especially for a dispensation head or founding prophet.

Prophets come from all walks of life: shepherds, priestly lineages, simple pastoral upbringings, sophisticated city and court traditions, even carpenter shops. Some are but lads when they are anointed to become prophets, while some do not receive the call until late in their lives. Some may be alone, without family; for others, marriage and family life hold a close parallel symbolically to the peoples and cultures they are called to serve or call to repentance. Some are deeply involved in politics, even leading military action or holding simultaneous political-religious posts; others distance themselves from anything to do with political powers.

Prophets are rarely perfect people; in fact, almost all have some type of significant weakness or terrible trial to endure. Consider, for example, Peter’s impetuousness, Moses‘ slowness of speech, David’s passion and fondness for beautiful women, Paul’s physical trials, and Abraham’s consistent pattern of God never quite allowing him to receive his promised blessings.

In addition to overcoming weaknesses and trials, true prophets also have other commonalities. They often are called to address specific social issues or spiritual downfalls. Indeed, it is more common for a prophet to be a “forthteller” than a “foreteller,” that is, to speak boldly to the needs of the day and warn against trends and habits than to prophesy about events many years to come.

Sources:

Where Have All the Prophets Gone? Scott R. Petersen

Oxford Companion to the Bible, Bruce M. Metzger, Michael D. Coogan

Encyclopedia of Religion, ed. Mircea Eliade

At the center of belief in a Supreme Being is the question of how one receives God’s word. Sacred writings from prophets, inspired scribes, divinely appointed teachers, and others provide a foundation and framework for understanding how God interacts with His children. Despite the value of such records such as the Holy Bible and other texts, it is living oracles, not writings, that are the most valuable source of divine inspiration. For example, the early Christian bishop Papias wrote in approximately A.D. 140: “If ever someone who had accompanied the presbyters should come, I examined carefully the words of the presbyters, [to learn] what Andrew, Peter, Philip, Thomas, John, Matthew, or any other of the disciples of the Lord said and what things Aristion and the presbyter John, disciples of the Lord, are saying. For I did not suppose the contents of books would profit me so much as the words and living voice” (quoted by Eusebius, Eccl. Hist. 3.39.1, 3-4).

The Bible, selected pseudepigrapha and apocrypha, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and the earliest Christian tell us how man has responded to prophecy in each dispensation. Typically the righteous ultimately reject God and turn from His ways. Cain learned that evil can bring personal gain and taught that secret to others. The righteous seed of Noah eventually succumbed to evil, built the Tower of Babel, and were scattered. The venerable line of Abraham through Ephraim was finally severed because of apostasy, and Israel’s worship of Egypt’s false gods resulted in its enslavement. Following Moses, Israel on numerous occasions turned its back on God, rejecting Him and His covenant, and were eventually conquered and scattered. Christ’s fulfillment of the Law of Moses, the reestablishment of His Church on earth, and the apostolic ministry that followed were also rejected in time by succeeding Christian leaders and the membership at large, causing again the repetition of apostasy as in each preceding dispensation.

The movers and shakers of the Reformation attempted to correct false teachings and end centuries of corruption; however, disunity and lack of authority prevented a full restoration of primitive Christianity. After the Age of Reason and the Great Awakening, the establishment of America and freedom of religion inspired another awakening and doctrinal reformation, including a proliferation of new Christian denominations and nineteenth-century restorationist movements. One of those who claimed a full restoration of truth is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Their claim to have been led by a living prophet since the church’s inception is worth noting.

Sources:

Where Have All the Prophets Gone? Scott R. Petersen

Lifespan

Unknown.

Ministry

Noah’s ministry was unique. He was called to preach repentance to the people, yet to prepare for their complete destruction. Along with being a preacher of righteousness, he was also called to be a naval engineer, a carpenter, a master of animal husbandry, and an agrarian genius for the rebuilding and repopulating for the earth.

Preparation and Calling

His preparation is unrecorded. His calling seems to have come when God spoke to him directly and told him to build an ark because He was going to destroy everyone else on the planet. To Noah’s credit, he heeded God’s direction every whit, and, as a result, became a sort of second “Adam” in the history of the human race.

Interaction with God

Noah seemed to have a good relationship with God. Although we don’t know the exact nature of God’s revelations to His prophet, the scriptural record explains that God spoke and Noah heard and obeyed. Whether this took place through the quiet whisperings of the Spirit, through angelic ministrants, or in a direct face-to-face with God is not explained, but given Noah’s position as apparently the most righteous man on earth, any of these options are entirely feasible.

Social Situation

The people all about Noah’s family were wicked, and God wanted to destroy them all if they didn’t repent. Noah was called to call them to repentance, build a ark, gather together samples of all animals on the earth, along with fishes and birds.

Key Teachings

Obey God and repent. Or die.

Living with the Prophet

“Sure, God. A great flood that will cover the entire earth and kill everything. And thou wouldst have me to build a boat how big? For all the animals?” Noah might have had thoughts like this when God told him to build an ark and explained its purpose, but we are all grateful that he obeyed. As we move towards the time when Jesus Christ will return to reign again, terrible things have been prophesied by God’s prophets. How will we react to those warnings? Will we obey our prophets, or find ourselves wishing we had! Resolve to learn what God’s prophets have told us and continue to tell us about the days in which we live.

Sources

Oxford Companion to the Bible, s.v. “Noah”

Encyclopedia of Religion, s.v. “Noah”

Holy Bible, the book of Genesis

Learning Bible, the book of Genesis

Lifespan

Approximately early to mid-600s B.C.

Ministry

Nahum’s prophecy was probably written sometime between 660 and 606 B.C. The book of Nahum deals with events of the fall on Nineveh in 612 B.C.

Preparation and Calling

Unknown.

Interaction with God

The book of Nahum is a powerful poem, and as such, indicates that Nahum likely received inspiration as he wrote the poetry that described his prophecies and visions. Thus, his revelatory experience was likely a two-stage event: first the vision or other Spirit-directed teaching in which he received God’s word, and second as he recorded that event in the format of inspired and inspiring poetry.

Social Situation

Nineveh was the capital of Assyria. At its peak, it was the greatest city of the most dominant empire of that time. As the seventh century B.C. came to a close, Assyria’s power was dwindling and several powers stood ready to bring down the once mighty city. Nahum’s prophecy of the downfall of Assyria viewed that scene as the act of an avenging God destroying its capital and bringing peace to Judah.

Key Teachings

God will punish those nations that use their political and military power to abuse others.

Living with the Prophet

In the Old Testament, God is sometimes described as being vengeful and ready to punish the wicked at all times, whether an individual or an entire nation. As you look around you at the world today, it is easy to identify those who do not seem punished at all for their behavior. The scriptures teach that God is perfect in justice and mercy. As you see wicked nations using their power to abuse others, or the innocent injured, it can help to remember that God’s timetable is perfect and that He will set it all right.  No righteous act will go unrewarded, and no blatant evil unjudged. Knowing this often frees us from imposing sentences ourselves and enables us to leave what is God’s in His hands, after doing our part to see justice prevail.

Sources

Learning Bible, the book of Nahum

Holy Bible, the book of Nahum

Oxford Companion to the Bible, s.v. “Nahum, the book of”