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Prophets have always been a part of how a loving Heavenly Father communicates with His children.

In the Old Testament, Amos taught: “Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets” (3:7).

Moses was a great prophet about whom it is written: “The Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend” (Exodus 33:11). 

The account of how Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt, including parting the Red Sea, is a powerful reminder of how God will open doors and lead us in His path (see Exodus 14).

Pursued by the Egyptians, some Israelites murmured and complained.  Moses responded boldly: “Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord” (Exodus 14:13). 

Prophets always testify of God’s plan, teach clearly about sin and repentance, and point us toward being better disciples of Jesus Christ. Sometimes they warn of future events. 

In the New Testament, Paul taught the Ephesians to be “built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone” (2:19-20).

In The Church of Jesus Christ Latter-day Saints, we sustain the three-member First Presidency and members of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles as prophets, seers and revelators. The President of the Church receives revelation for the whole Church. 

Russell M. Nelson, a retired world-renowned heart surgeon, is the current President of the Church. 

Recently President Nelson offered a strong witness of the Savior:

“There has never been a time in the history of the world where knowledge of our Savior is more personally vital and relevant to every human soul. Imagine how quickly the devastating conflicts throughout the world — and those in our individual lives — would be resolved if we all chose to follow Jesus Christ and heed His teachings.”

Noting the many forces in our lives competing for our attention, President Nelson also taught: “The voices and pressures of the world are numerous. But too many voices are deceptive, seductive, and can pull us off the covenant path. To avoid the inevitable heartbreak that follows, I plead with you today to counter the lure of the world by making time for the Lord in your life — each and every day.”

Speaking of our individual spiritual preparation for the trials of the last days, President Nelson testified: “If you and I are to withstand the forthcoming perils and pressures, it is imperative that we each have a firm spiritual foundation built upon the rock of our Redeemer, Jesus Christ.”

Twice a year in the Church’s General Conference, latter-day prophets and apostles teach and testify of Jesus Christ and His gospel, and offer guidance for improving our lives and growing closer to God.

We invite all to listen to prophetic teaching at the next General Conference on April 2-3, 2022.  All sessions, including the Saturday evening Women’s Session, will be streamed live online at http://www.ChurchOfJesusChrist.org.

Dr. Brent Roberts is the Branch President in the Sandy River Branch, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and also Dean of Greenwood Library at Longwood University. He can be reached at brentsroberts@hotmail.com.