📖 Joseph, Prophets, and Priesthood — Where Is the True Key?
📖 Joseph, Prophets, and Priesthood — Where Is the True Key?
Recently my sister shared three powerful talks—each meant to strengthen our faith:
Hugh B. Brown’s “A Lawyer Examines the Prophet Joseph Smith” — showing Joseph was a true prophet.
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland’s “My Words … Never Cease” — teaching that revelation continues today.
Elder D. Todd Christofferson’s “Blessed by Priesthood Authority and Power” — declaring that priesthood gives the Church divine authority.
Each of these messages has real beauty. And yet, taken together, they all press toward the same conclusion: If Joseph Smith is true, then the LDS Church today is automatically true, and its leaders are God’s only voice on earth.
That is where I must lovingly pause.
🙌 What’s True in These Talks
Joseph Smith was called of God.
The Book of Mormon is the word of God.
Priesthood power is real.
These are truths I treasure.
⚖️ Where the Leap Happens
The talks make this jump:
Because Joseph was a prophet, then automatically every leader after him—especially in Salt Lake—must also be prophets.
Because God still speaks, then automatically He only speaks through the LDS Church.
Because Joseph restored priesthood, then automatically it must remain only in the LDS Church forever.
But history shows that after Joseph’s death, the Saints split into many groups—each claiming Joseph’s legacy. The LDS Church in Salt Lake became the largest, but it is not the only one that honors Joseph or believes in the Book of Mormon.
So the idea that “Joseph is true, therefore the LDS Church today must be true” is a leap. The scriptures never promise that, and in fact the Book of Mormon warns that churches—including those that once held the truth—could fall into error and even pollute the holy church of God.
📜 What the Book of Mormon Really Says
All churches have strayed:
“For they have all gone astray save it be a few, who are the humble followers of Christ; nevertheless, they are led, that in many instances they do err because they are taught by the precepts of men.” (2 Nephi 28:14)The holy church became polluted:
“Why have ye polluted the holy church of God? … Because of pride, and because of false teachers, and false doctrine, your churches, yea, even every one, have become polluted.” (Mormon 8:38)
👉 Note: you can’t pollute the holy church unless you first had it. We had it—and we polluted it.The lie of “all is well in Zion”:
“Wo be unto him that is at ease in Zion! Wo be unto him that crieth: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well—thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell.” (2 Nephi 28:24–25)
The Book of Mormon is not warning Baptists, Methodists, or Catholics here. It is warning us—those who had the Restoration and then polluted it through pride and complacency.
🌿 Joseph’s Real Desire
Joseph’s vision was not that we’d cling to leaders or robes of authority. He longed for us to hear God ourselves:
“Would God that all the Lord’s people were prophets.” (Numbers 11:29)
“It is the privilege of the children of God to come to God and get revelation.” (Joseph Smith, HC 6:363)
Priesthood was meant to bless and empower all God’s children—not to create a system of control.
👗 The White Robe and the Rod
The Book of Mormon gives a vivid image. In Lehi’s dream, a man in a white robe led people into darkness (1 Nephi 8:5–7). The robe looked holy and official—but it was not the way to the tree of life.
Others found safety by clinging to the iron rod, the word of God—Christ’s living voice to the soul.
The message is simple: robes (titles, positions, keys) can mislead. The rod (Christ’s voice) never will.
When we say “follow the prophet no matter what,” we are trusting the white robe.
When we say “hear Him, the Lord and Savior's spiritual voice,” we are clinging to the rod.
⛓️ Why Zion Has Not Yet Come
Zion is delayed not because of outsiders but because of us insiders. Too often we:
Say “all is well in Zion” while under condemnation.
The Lord’s own word says: “This condemnation resteth upon the children of Zion, even all.” (D&C 84:55).
Zion will not be built by boasting of authority. It will come when the people of God awaken, repent, and hear His voice directly.
✝️ My Witness
I write this with love. I love my brothers and sisters in the Church more than they know. That is why I plead: please wake up.
Joseph was a prophet.
The Book of Mormon is true.
God’s words never cease.
Priesthood power is real.
But the key is not in white robes or institutional boasts. The true key is Christ Himself—His Spirit, His word, His voice to every one of us.
This is the Restoration Joseph died for. This is the Zion that still waits.
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