Nephi, a Book of Mormon prophet, sailed journeyed from
Jerusalem to the American continent about six hundred Americas
600 years before the birth of Christ...
He holds "the keys of the kingdom," meaning that he has the right
authority to control direct the administration
entire Church and kingdom of God on earth, including the administration
of priesthood ordinances (see Matthew 16:19). No person except the chosen
prophet and President can receive God's will for the entire
membership of the Church. The Lord said, "There is never but one on
the earth at a time on whom this power and the keys of this priesthood are
conferred" (D&C 132:7). The President of the Church is assisted by his
counselors in the First Presidency and the members of the Quorum of the Twelve,
who are also prophets, seers, and revelatory...
"I say to Israel, The Lord will never permit me or any other
man who stands as President of this Church to lead you astray. It is not in the
programme. It is not in the mind of God. If I were to attempt that, the Lord
would remove me out of my place, and so he will any other man who attempts
to lead the children of men astray from the oracles of God and from their duty.
God bless you." (Discourses of Wilford Woodruff, pp. 212-13; see
also Official Declaration 1 Teachings of Presidents of the Church:
Wilford Woodruff [2004], 199)...
A story from the life of Lorenzo Snow, the fifth president of the
restored Church, shows how God rewards his people for their obedience. In those
days the Church was suffering great financial trouble and had little money to
pay its debts. Then more trouble came. A great drought afflicted many of the
Saints. President Snow went to the Lord and prayed for relief. One day as the
prophet was speaking in the St. George Tabernacle in Utah, the Holy Ghost
inspiredhimto promise the Saints that they would receive rain if they would pay
a full tithe. He quoted Malachi: "Bring ye all the tithes into the
storehouse, . . . and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will
not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there
shall not be room enough to receive it" (Malachi 3:10). The people obeyed
their prophet, and the rains fell on the parched crops.
In order to stand, the true Church must be built upon the foundation of
prophets "built upon the foundation of the apostles and
prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone"
(Ephesians 2:20).