3 Comments

  1. Ferreira

    School of the Prophets in ancient times?

    Joseph Fielding Smith gave a BYU devotional in 1956 titled, “A Knowledge of Countries and of Kingdoms.” He speaks of the School of the Prophets commanded to be in this dispensation, then references a similar school of the prophets in Old Testament times whose members were “sons of the prophets” and who, he feels, were not Levites but held the Melchizedek priesthood. These young prophets were “sent with special missions to anoint, to bless….”

    “The school of the prophets is not something new to this dispensation. In ancient is Israel (especially in the days of Samuel, Elijah and Elisha) we hear of the activities of this school.” (~min 18:00) He references 1 Sam 10 and 1 Kings 2

    He states that the Melchizedek Priesthood was generally taken from Israel, and they lived under the Preparatory Law. However under that law, there would be no one to perform anointings, etc. He states:

    “And so the Lord had to keep someone with the Melchizedek Priesthood, although it was not scattered among the Tribes of Israel. Most of those who held the Higher Priesthood were not of the tribe of Levi. Some were, but they came from other tribes. And these prophets gathered around them choice young men and taught them, instructed them, and they followed in the footsteps of these prophets. And they became known as “sons of the prophets.” And it was a group of these young men that followed Elijah and followed Elisha and were present on the occasion when Saul was anointed King of Israel [1 Sam 10 ?]. Now, the Melchizedek Priesthood, I say, was not given to everyone. It was confined to a selected few. And there were a few that came out of the other Tribes of Israel who followed the prophets and by their faith and understanding became prophets themselves. Just how many were given the authority to officiate in ordinances, the higher ordinances, the Lord has not revealed. But it was by special appointment when this priesthood was given to any of the prophets.

    “These students of Elisha and Elijah and a few others were chosen then by revelation and commissioned, at least many of them, to anoint and to bless, and they were sent to deliver prophetic messages from time to time.” (~minute 22:30 – 25:50)

    “…the School of the Prophets, as far as we have a School of the Prophets today, is confined to the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve.” (~28:20)

    audio found here: http://speeches.byu.edu/?act=viewitem&id=1588

  2. Mike Osborne

    While visiting Kirkland, Ohio around 20 years ago, a young lady missionary quoted from the diary of Zebedee Coltrin about seeing God the Father and Jesus Christ in the small room above the store after they started to live the Word of Wisdom. Do you have a source for her quote and who else was in attendance? I can not find a list of attendees to the school of the prophets nor the source of her testimony on the events in the upper room. Are similar quotes provided by others? What happened to Zebedee Coltrin? Did he go West?

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