Challenging issues & keeping the faith: What if the prophet is wrong?

14th in a seriesAs noted in the previous issue,

we

play a major role in understanding the word of God. We may wonder how

this should affect our trust of prophets and our willingness to follow

their counsel. If Mormon prophets can make fallible pronouncements, can we

pick and choose which of their words we should follow? And why should

we follow their counsel if they might be wrong?

The truth is, we

already

pick and choose when we follow the words of the prophets. We also pick

and choose the counsel we follow from the scriptures, our boss, the

law, health professionals, our spouses, etc. Because we're not perfect

and not robots, it always comes down to personal choice. We have our

agency to follow the prophet, go to church, avoid pornography, obey the

speed limits, come to work on time, mow our lawn, etc. Sometimes there

are no apparent consequences for ignoring rules, counsels or

commandments, while other times the consequences are nearly immediate.

But

what if the prophet is wrong? What are the consequences of following a

prophet's erroneous opinion? The same question might apply to those

with stewardship over smaller spheres of responsibility. What are the

consequences of following the advice of a righteous wife, mother,

husband or father?

If

we are living lives that allows the Holy Spirit to work within us and

speak to us; if we are seeking God's guidance through our actions,