You cannot judge by what you are told or read, in itself, you have to always have the Holy Ghost enlighten it for you. That is why God often warns about trusting in the arm of flesh, it always in time leads you away from God.
A contradiction only exist in what I have said, if you are reading what I said correctly. When I said he has the power to be the Prophet of the Church, that is fact, just like any president can do what his board and members say he can. But that is actually a different potato. And just because he is or claims to be, does not verify that God sustains that, and God has not sustained that to me by the Holy Ghost, which is how I how taught to believe in the Church over 40 years ago,, by the Church it self.
Conversation is going no where, if both don't have the Companionship of the Holy Ghost; things of this nature, are not discerned by ones mind, but by Spirit. And if you are not even wiling to pray and consider what I have said, then you are still in the mist, and your eyes are not open.
I was only focusing on 2 Nephi, because I had been reading them again lately.
Are you aware of D & C 112; seems like I have used this here before; it speaks of a time when the Lord will cleanse this nation for it evils and abominations, and the cleansing of the Church, for the same reasons. As a multi descendant of the House of Israel, and and a descendant of Nephi, I have been waiting for this time. There would be no reason for the Church to be cleansed, if it had not fallen into Apostasy.
Basically, if the prophet says something we can receive a testimony of it via the spirit almost immediately if we are already in tune with the spirit or have him as a constant companion. Some may need more time to go and gain that companionship. I believe for the most part we have already agreed that Pres. Monson is the prophet. Since we are sharing scriptures:
Agree with the last post in part, we need the Holy Ghost, it tells us all things, even slowly sanctifies us, to be come more like God and to be able to abide in his presence.
The Parable of the 10 Virgins; 5 were ready, 5 were not, when a servant was sent from the Lord to gather in those appointed to enter into the wedding feast. They could not, because they had not taken the time to know their God and Savior, they and not taken upon them the companionship of the Holy Ghost, to even here the message to hurry and enter in, before the doors were closed.
It is something that takes time to prepare for, one cannot suddenly make the change; and one cannot not fake or pretend to be, in this case.
It is a great truth and no real mystery, when our Lord says, my sheep know my voice, and I know them, and have chosen them out of the world
Even though you say that yet you discount those who have already received that witness so how does that mesh with what you are saying or are you implying that we are somehow not as worthy as you are to 'see' passed Pres. Monson as the Lord's appointed prophet?
BeThouHumble,
If you want to put it like that, then Yes.
Case in point, we are in the shadow of the Time of Christ's mission on Earth, he testified agains't the Leaders of his then present religious powers, and look what they did to him, and they knew not what they did, at least until he died.
Even in the Americas, most did not heed the warnings of Samuel and other prophets, and after Christ's death, and the devastations, only a few remained, out of the tens of millions that were alive.
The Holy Ghost has shown me, that most don't have their eyes opened, they are blind to the the Spirit for the most par; all they can do is, follow the Leader, which is the Gory of the moon and stars. Do you understand the process: Baptism by Water, Gift of the Holy Ghost; but that does not normally give one the Companionship of the Holy Ghost, that comes when with the Baptism of Fire, spoken about in Scripture, especially the Book of Mormon. Not until then, are ones eyes truly open, here one essentially enters Terrestrial Glory, which allows Christ to communicate with them, this happens to prepare you, the process of Sanctification, to prepare one, to eventually have their calling and election made sure; where they can be in Christ presence and abide with him.
The Parable of the Ten Virgins, the ones who don't have enough oil, are those who don't have their eyes open, they think they are doing what the Lords wants, but are not.
I could go on an on, but if you don't see, or feel by the Spirit, what I am saying, then there is nothing I can say or do, to help you, that has to come from within you, and is between you and the Lord.
Who knows, maybe you will wake up, when the Signs in the Heavens show up, or when the earthquakes speak to you. If you don't understand these things, then you don't know your Scriptures, or the Spirit.
Benson, and others, I can see you don't know the Book of Mormon and D & C, or you would not dismiss me so easily. When you have read the Book of Mormon close to 100 times, directed by the Holy Spirit, then you can point a finger at me and say HA !. Otherwise you would be aware of the warnings of the Book of Mormon Prophets, about our day; aren't you taught the same thing in Sunday School and in Priesthood, as we are in the US.
If you are into Church History, you should know the Lord cursed the Church, after Joseph Smith death. Most of the keys, and higher priesthood was not passed on, after Joseph's death, only the lower Aaronic Priesthood was still here, like it was after Moses was taken and after Christ's Apostles were all finally killed off.