“Jeremiah 23: False Prophets,” Old Testament Seminary Student Study Guide (2002), 160
“Jeremiah 23,” Old Testament Seminary Student Study Guide, 160
False Prophets
When we think of prophets, we usually think of the President of the Church or great men in the scriptures who taught the Lord’s word. All prophets are teachers. There are also false prophets or teachers, however, who do not teach the truth. Jeremiah 23 tells that the Lord spoke about false prophets among the people. He revealed their false teachings and spoke of how these false prophets led people to sin and to believe false ideas. We also learn from this chapter about some differences between true and false prophets.
President Ezra Taft Benson said, “The prophet tells us what we need to know, not always what we want to know” (“Fourteen Fundamentals in Following the Prophet,” in 1980 Devotional Speeches of the Year [1981], 28). Look for how this statement might apply to Jeremiah’s teachings in this chapter.
Jeremiah 23:5–8 is of great importance because Jeremiah prophesied about the Savior.
Studying the Scriptures
Do activities A and B as you study Jeremiah 23.
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How Can You Tell a False Prophet?
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Read Jeremiah 23:1–2, 9–11, 13–14, 16–27, 29–32 and list what the Lord said false prophets were saying and doing.
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Choose one item you listed and explain why that action or teaching would make someone a false prophet.
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Why do you think people follow false prophets?
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Why is it vital to know and follow a true prophet? How can you discern a false prophet? (see Deuteronomy 18:20–22; D&C 42:11–12; 46:7).
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The Cure for False Prophets
What did the Lord say in Jeremiah 23:3–8 that He would do for those who were led astray by their leaders in Judah? (Note that this prophecy will be fulfilled mostly in the latter days.)