Eight things the prophets didn’t say

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This is one of those must-read articles if you follow social media. There are so many things false things passed around on the internet, that sometimes the very elect will be fooled!

Here’s one example:

If you vote for the lesser of two evils you are still voting for evil and you will be judged for it. You should always vote for the best possible candidate, whether they have a chance of winning or not, and then, even if the worst possible candidate wins, the Lord will bless our country more because more people were willing to stand up for what is right.

Supposedly this was said by President Ezra Taft Benson, but nobody has found any confirmation of it, and the quotation may simply be made up. (We welcome any evidence that President Benson actually said this).

The moral of the story is: check and double-check any quotations from the prophets before passing them on.

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About Geoff B.

Geoff B graduated from Stanford University (class of 1985) and worked in journalism for several years until about 1992, when he took up his second career in telecommunications sales. He has held many callings in the Church, but his favorite calling is father and husband. Geoff is active in martial arts and loves hiking and skiing. Geoff has five children and lives in Colorado.

10 thoughts on “Eight things the prophets didn’t say”

  2. The article’s title is misleading. Prophets did say most of the 8 things , but they were just quoting someone else, so they just
    weren’t the first to say it.

  3. Interesting piece. I rarely believe a quote given in some internet article, post or comment is linked to a church leader. Doesn’t mean a leader may not have said something at a conference or in private conversation, but I figure if it’s worth saying and is meant as prophetic counsel, it’s worth publishing in official church publications.

  4. The site is now saying they have confirmed that Ezra Taft Benson did say the quote attributed to him above. That doesn’t mean you have to agree with it. It looks to me like it was said in a private conversation.

  5. President Hinckley’s prediction of the 2008 economic downturn really hit home for me. He didn’t say “Thus saith the Lord..”. It was not canonized, or put in the D&C or PoGP. It was not published over the signatures of the FP+Q12, like the Proclamation on the Family.

    But it was a revelation, a prophecy, pure and simple, given over the pulpit at General Conference. Those who took heed, got out of debt, and got all the education they could, were better prepared for that storm.

    What I learned: pay attention to what the FP+Q12 say, and pay _extra special_ attention to what the Prophet says. Pay extra special attention when the same thing is said by more than one speaker at a GC. Pay extra special attention when the FP+Q12 repeat something from one conference to the next.

    I did not give heed when Pres Kimball and the brethren repeatedly said “plant your gardens.” I wonder if I missed out on blessings, because it was too simple of a test, like looking upon the brazen serpent, or washing seven times in the Jordan.

  6. “but I figure if it’s worth saying and is meant as prophetic counsel, it’s worth publishing in official church publications.”

    This is far from the truth. The most poignant things I’ve heard from our current living apostles and prophets were from when they spoke at the MTC or in regional gatherings, vs what by necessity is geared towards the lowest common denominator.

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