Charles W. Penrose teaches that the Saints do not blindly follow their leaders; while President Wilford Woodruff is the only man who receives revelation for the Church, Saints are to investigate any of his claims, including a "thus saith the Lord" revelation.

Date
Mar 21, 1892
Type
Speech / Court Transcript
Source
Charles W. Penrose
LDS
Hearsay
Direct
Reprint
Reference

Charles W. Penrose, "The Doctrine of Revelation," March 1, 1891, repr., The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star 54, no. 12 (March 21, 1892): 191

Scribe/Publisher
The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star
People
Wilford Woodruff, Charles W. Penrose
Audience
Reading Public, Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
PDF
Transcription

The Saints believe in divine revelation to-day. At the head of this Church stands a man who is a Prophet, Seer, and Revelator, sustained in that position by the vote of the whole body of its members. When the Lord wishes to speak to His Church, as a body, He does so through that individual, His servant. President Wilford Woodruff is a man of wisdom and experience, and we respect and venerate him; but we do not believe his personal views or utterances are revelations of God; and when "Thus saith the Lord" comes from him, the Saints investigate it; they do not shut their eyes and take it down like a pill. When he brings forth light they want to comprehend it. Light, truth, intelligence, wisdom, progress, growth all the time—that is "Mormonism"—to grow in grace and the knowledge of the truth. When the Lord desires to speak to the whole Church He does so through its head, not through half a dozen different channels; because in such an event there would be confusion. The Latter-day Saints are not blindly led by leaders or blindly directed by priests; but every man can receive the divine testimony in his own heart and be a priest in his own house.

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