PROPHET (Teachings of Joseph Smith)

Saints’ Minds Darkened from Depending on Prophet Too Much & Neglecting Personal Salvation — Eliza R. Snow (May 26, 1842)

Prest. Smith rose; read the 14th Chap, of Ezekiel — Said the Lord had declared by the prophet that the people should each one stand for himself and depend on no man or men in that state of corruption of the Jewish Church — that righteous persons could only deliver their own souls — applied it to the present state of the church of Latter Day Saints — Said if the people departed from the Lord, they must fall— that they were depending on the prophet hence were darkened in their minds from neglect of themselves — envious toward the innocent, while they afflict the virtuous with their shafts of envy.

Minutes and Discourse, 26 May 1842, p. 51, The Joseph Smith Papers.

Lord Will Reveal Second Coming to Prophets Prior to Coming — Willard Richards (April 6, 1843)

Paul says ye are th[e] children of the light & not of the darkness, that that day should not overtake us as a theif in the night.— it is not the design of the Almighty to come upon the Earth & crush it, & grind it to powder.— he will reveal it to his servants the prophets.

Discourse, 6 April 1843–B, as Reported by Willard Richards, pp. 74-75, The Joseph Smith Papers.

Prophets Not Far Greater than Others — Howard Coray (May 21, 1843)

brethren I am not a very pious man. I do not wish to be a great deal better than any body else. If a Prophet was so much better that any body else was he would inherit a glory far beyond what any one else would inherit and behold he would be alone, for who would be his company in  heaven. If I should Condesend to be so righteouse as the brethren would wish me to be. lo I should be taken from your midst and be translated as was Elijah.

Discourse, 21 May 1843, as Reported by Howard Coray, pp. 36-37, The Joseph Smith Papers.

Character of a Prophet to Predict Events in the Future — James Burgess (July 9, 1843)

What are we to understand by a Prophet It is his character to predict things that are in the future. I ask what right has any man or set of men or preist or set of preists to say if a man will not do so and so he shall be damn’d. Is he not takeing upon himself or assumeing the character of a Prophet consequently he must either be a true or false Prophet.

Published for the first time in The Words of Joseph Smith, 230. Sermon recorded by James Burgess on July 9, 1843 is currently not on the Joseph Smith Papers website.

Counterfeit False Prophets Arise to Oppose True Prophets — Thomas Bullock (May 12, 1844)

my apostate enemies say that I have been a true prophet— & I had rather be a fallen true prophet, than a false prophet; when a man goes about prophesying and commands men to obey him his teachings, he must be either a true or false prophet— false prophets always arise to oppose the true prophets, and they will prophesy so very near the truth that they will deceive almost the very chosen ones —

Discourse, 12 May 1844, as Reported by Thomas Bullock, p. 1, The Joseph Smith Papers.