Lesson 2 Class Preparation Material

Responding to the Lord’s Prophets

You have probably seen people react differently to the messages delivered by prophets. People of the Book of Mormon also had mixed reactions. What can we learn from the people and the prophets of the Book of Mormon about responding to the Lord and His messages? As you study, consider how you might respond with greater faith and obedience to the word of God delivered through His prophets.

Section 1

How do the warnings of prophets convey the Lord’s love for me?

President Henry B. Eyring of the First Presidency said:

Because the Lord is kind, He calls servants to warn people of danger. That call to warn is made harder and more important by the fact that the warnings of most worth are about dangers that people don’t yet think are real. (“A Voice of Warning,” Ensign, Nov. 1998, 32)

Study in Preparation for Class

Read 1 Nephi 1:4, looking for who the Lord sent to warn the people of Jerusalem and what message they delivered.

Like many prophets before him, Lehi prayed for the people of Jerusalem. He was then overcome by the Spirit and saw Jesus Christ in vision. The Lord showed Lehi a book and asked him to read it. (See 1 Nephi 1:5–12.)

Study in Preparation for Class

Read 1 Nephi 1:13–14, looking for what Lehi came to understand about the Lord. You might want to mark what you find.

Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:

The motivation for raising the warning voice is love—love of God and love of fellowman. To warn is to care. (“The Voice of Warning,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2017, 109)

Study in Preparation for Class

Read 1 Nephi 1:19–20, looking for how the people of Jerusalem responded to the message Lehi shared.

In our day, the Lord has called 15 men (the members of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles) as prophets, seers, and revelators. Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught the following about the presence of prophets on the earth:

Having prophets is a sign of God’s love for His children. They make known the promises and the true nature of God and of Jesus Christ to Their people. (“Prophets Speak by the Power of the Holy Spirit,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2018, 99)

Nephi also taught that the Savior is central to what prophets teach and write.

Study in Preparation for Class

Read 2 Nephi 25:26, looking for why prophets teach and testify of Jesus Christ.

Ponder in Preparation for Class

How have prophets helped your faith in the Savior increase? What recent prophetic messages have helped you better understand the nature of God and Jesus Christ?

Section 2

How can I know that the living prophet represents the Lord?

Imagine how it might have felt to be one of Lehi’s children when he told them the Lord wanted them to leave their home and travel into the wilderness. How do you think you would have reacted to this message?

Study in Preparation for Class

Read 1 Nephi 2:11–13, 16–17, looking for how Lehi’s sons responded to him and to the Lord’s message to flee Jerusalem. You might want to mark what you find.

President Eyring explained:

Of Lehi’s family, only those who had faith and who themselves received confirming revelation saw both the danger and the way to safety. For those without faith, the move into the wilderness seemed not only foolish but dangerous. (“Safety in Counsel,” Ensign, June 2008, 7)

Record Your Thoughts

Consider writing in your journal answers to the following questions: What can you learn from the examples of Lehi’s sons that can guide your responses to prophetic teachings? When have you received a witness of a prophet’s call or of a prophet’s message?

Section 3

What can I learn from how the people of the Book of Mormon reacted to the Lord’s messages delivered through prophets?

Study in Preparation for Class

Choose one or more of the following examples of a prophet delivering a message from the Lord. As you study, look for how the people responded. Identify principles you learn about responding to prophets. Consider writing the principles you find and bringing them to class.

• King Benjamin: Words of Mormon 1:17–18; Mosiah 2:9; 4:1–3

• Abinadi: Mosiah 12:1, 9; 13:1–3; 15:11; 17:11–20

• Alma: Mosiah 17:1–4; 18:1–3, 14–16

• Nephi, son of Helaman: Helaman 7:11–13, 17–20; 8:4, 7–9

• Samuel: Helaman 13:2–5, 8, 11; 16:1–3, 6–7, 15–18

While serving as First Counselor in the Young Women General Presidency, Sister Carol F. McConkie taught the following:

We have a choice. We may choose to ignore, trifle with, trample upon, or rebel against the words of Christ spoken by His ordained servants. But the Savior taught that those who do so will be cut off from His covenant people [see 3 Nephi 20:23]. …

… May we choose to stand with the prophets and live according to their words until we become unified in faith, purified in Christ, and filled with the knowledge of the Son of God. (“Live according to the Words of the Prophets,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2014, 79)

Want More? (Optional)

What do the titles of seer and Apostle teach about a prophet’s role?

To learn more about a prophet’s role as a seer, study Mosiah 8:16–18.

In the video “Elder Bednar Speaks on Apostles’ Role” (11:06), Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles talks about the calling of an Apostle.

Why do we need living prophets?

In the video “Why Is It Important to Listen to and Follow the Living Prophets?” (4:16), Sister McConkie explains the importance of listening to the right voices when we chart the course of our lives.

How can I recognize and gain my own testimony of modern prophets?

Watch the Book of Mormon video “Nephi Prays for Laman and Lemuel (1 Nephi 2:8–24)” (6:02) to see how Nephi obtained a confirmation that his father had spoken the truth.

In his talk “The Prophet of God” (Ensign or Liahona, May 2018, 24–27), Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles teaches about the role of prophets, their desire to bring us to the Savior, and our ability to know for ourselves that they are called of God.