Synopsis from “The Function of a Prophet”

A lecture given by Arthur Oakman fall 1952 at the Doctrine & Covenants Institute at the Stone Church.

  1. The prophet possesses the Word, Jesus Christ, and He possesses him.
  2. The prophet receives divine word and gives expression as the Lord dictates.
  3. The prophet conveys and instills the vision in the hearts and minds of His children.
  4. To make the vision a reality; the prophet must first fully understand it.
  5. The prophet must make great sacrifices to walk with God.
  6. The prophet must first live what he asks the people to live.
  7. The prophet must not compromise the vision to any degree and must be faithful to declare it.
  8. The prophet must be humble and strictly obedient; for this is requisite to receive the vision.  It is not his vision, thus, he should only do as the Lord directs.
  9. His burden is to bring a people ready that the Lord might be able to redeem Zion.
  10. The power of the Kingdom is righteous love; the instrument of sacrifice.
  11. Qualities of which he is to seek are to be brave, kind, true, and self-effacing.
  12. His job is to assist the Savior in bringing forth a people worthy of Zion.
  13. He is not to be content to just write and speak the vision, but must work it out in the lives of the Lord’s children.  He must be willing to, “serve with their sins.”  (Isaiah)
  14. The prophet belongs to the people and them to him.
  15. He must bring to the world the light of truth which is hidden.
  16. As a Zionic people are created, we must reach into a brighter future while interpreting the past; a sifting of legacy from the past.
  17. He must preserve our spiritual inheritance.  He must consider the whole continuum, not only the people today.  This requires self-abnegation.
  18. The prophet does not reveal truth about God, but reveals God Himself.
  19. Accepting a revelation is not only intellectual assent, but is submission of one’s will.  Each soul must feel the demand from God himself of that which the revelation brings.  Every revelation from God is a demand; and the way to knowledge of God is through obedience to that which He gives.
  20. We can only know God through personal communion with Him; and this comes only through obedience and submission to Him.
  21. The world needs restoration to faith in God and renewal and conviction to His morality given through His laws and gospel.
  22. This requires a prophetic people who are willing to labor and suffer until their vision comes to prevail in the general mind and will of the world.  Thus the function of Zion is to save man from himself.
  23. The prophet is to bring to pass the cause of Zion.
  24. The prophet is the link; he belongs to the people as well as God.  Just as Christ brought heaven and earth together, so is he to bring the people to Christ.