Saints Alive in Jesus

PROPHETS WHO DON'T PROPHESY

Ed Decker

written in 1993  still true today!

Ezra Taft Benson, the [then] aged and frail 93 year old Prophet, Seer and Revelator of the Mormon church has become fully dysfunctional, according to his grandson, Steve Benson, the well known political cartoonist, according to a July 10th AP article.

The younger Benson was quoted as saying that his grandfather is so frail and infirm with age that he rarely recognizes people and can no longer take care of the most basic needs of life, nor can he function in his office of prophet and head of the LDS church. In effect, Benson said the church has no spiritual head and the General Authorities were keeping the truth from the members. The LDS church promptly responded in its usual way. The BYU Today (Alumni) Magazine cancelled a planned feature story on Steve, saying they had a space problem.

According to an AP report dated 8/5/93, Benson viewed the decision as "just the latest manifestation of what I believe to be an insidious poisoning of the intellectual and academic environment at BYU." He said that this restriction of freedom of speech at the Y "..will continue to foster this growing reputation of being nothing more than a glorified seminary with a good football team." Benson clarified his position on his grandfather's condition. "The point I was trying to make is that President Benson is the prophet in title only, not in role. President Benson is not carrying out his role. He can't."

The Question here goes far beyond the church's strong censure of Steve Benson for telling the world the real truth about his grandfather.The real question is, "What is a prophet who cannot prophesy?" Answer: "He is not a prophet." That was Steve Benson's point and I strongly agree.

In another news article (that I read and subsequently misplaced), a spokesman for the church was asked if the church would act now and appoint a successor to Benson. The response was that his calling was for life and it could not be changed without a new revelation from the present prophet. Therein is the rub. The present prophet cannot prophesy.

The church will continue to be run without a prophet at its head until the elderly Benson passes away. Even then, the one who will succeed him is always the most senior apostle in the Council of the Twelve. In this case, that man, Howard Hunter is already aged and frail himself and must use a walker. The LDS church is in a major dilemma.

The Mormon church characterizes itself as having the only true mantle of God's authority on earth. That authority, they teach, rests on the head of its living prophets who speak, daily, the mind of God Himself, to the church and its people. Yet, if that prophet has become so mentally diminished or senile that he can no longer recognize family members at his bedside, then logic cries out that the mantle of God's authority no longer rests upon the LDS church. At least within the defined structure they claim was divinely ordered by God.

Of course, we believe that it never rested with them to begin with and if it really ever did, God would never leave them stranded without His prophet to guide them in these latter days. This sad matter is reported to show you that Mormonism fails its own test of truth. It does not have a true prophet at its head. It never had one.

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