What makes a prophet a prophet?

There are many things that distinguish prophets from other people. In this post I will elaborate on this idea. However, it is equally important to understand that prophets are ordinary men. They have their faults and weaknesses, just like every other human being. They each have their own challenges to face in this life. Each prophet has to learn the gospel of Jesus Christ and obey it just as we do. There is no free pass to heaven because one is a prophet. Prophets are ordinary people. I say that this is important to understand because the things that distinguish a prophet from all others are not plainly visible. My hope is to help you understand what a few of these distinctions are.

Among many, three things that distinguish prophets from other people are: #1 They are called by God. #2 They learn the gospel of Jesus Christ through revelation and teach it to others. #3 They possess the authorization of God to teach the gospel to others.

Prophets have always been called by God and no one else. This is done through revelation. Revelation is the act of revealing or uncovering. Revelation can come in the form of information, such as gospel teachings. Revelation can also be receiving visitations from heavenly beings; from angels to God himself.

We can see this pattern in the scriptures. Moses, a prophet, is the great revelator of the Old Testament. Most of the things that we know concerning Adam, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob up until Moses' time we have learned from the revelations that Moses received. It is fitting then that we start with him.

And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God. Exodus 3:2-6

And later in Exodus.

And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend... Exodus 33:11

Jacob, also known as Israel saw angels and later saw God.

And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. And when Jacob saw them, he said, This is God's host...And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel [the face of God]: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved. Genesis 32:1,2 & 30

The pattern continues with Isaiah.

Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. Isaiah 6:5

The second thing that distinguishes prophets from other people is that they learn the gospel of Jesus Christ through revelation and are commanded to teach it to others. The fact that each prophet learns the gospel by revelation is important because it means that each prophet does not have to depend upon previous prophets in order to understand the gospel.

Today, we are blessed to have the writings of prophets in sacred books called scriptures. However, scriptures as we know them today did not always exist. A prophet couldn't just learn the gospel by reading the scriptures. It had to be revealed to that prophet each time, anew. This way a people would not have to rely upon a previous prophet's teachings.

Throughout the Old Testament we see a prophet teaching and guiding a righteous people. Slowly the people exercise their agency and choose to reject God and His chosen prophet and they fall into great wickedness. They separate themselves from God and His teachings. When this happens it is known as an apostasy. During this period of time, there are not authorized servants of God, prophets or apostles, found on the earth to teach the gospel. It is only when God calls a new prophet and reveals the gospel anew that this period of apostasy or spiritual darkness can end. Perhaps the most striking example of this is found during the time of Noah.

And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Genesis 6:5-8

God calls Noah to be a prophet and establishes His covenant (or the teachings and understanding of the gospel) anew with him.

And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Make thee an ark...And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die. But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou and thy sons, and thy wife and thy sons' wives with thee...Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he. Genesis 6:13, 14, 17-18, & 22

After the flood, all except the people and the animals on the ark were destroyed. Through Noah, God gave commandments for the remaining people and taught Noah the gospel of his "covenant".

And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth. And God spake unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying, And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you and with your seed after you. Genesis 9:1, 8-9

Prophets are sent to teach people the gospel and to testify of Christ. After the nation of Israel had killed some of the prophets and fallen into idolatry, the following is said of God.

Yet he sent prophets to them, to bring them again unto the Lord; and they testified against them: but they would not give ear. 2 Chronicles 24:19

The Lord, through His prophet Jeremiah, spoke of His desire for people to follow Him through the words of the prophets.

Since the day that your fathers came forth out of the land of Egypt unto this day I have even sent unto you all my servants the prophets, daily rising up early and sending them: Yet they hearkened not unto me, nor inclined their ear, but hardened their neck... Jeremiah 7:25-26

And as a witness of the truthfulness of this pattern of prophets being called by God and being taught the gospel by revelation and then being commanded to teach others, we read the words of the Savior himself.

Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. John 20:21

The final thing that I will outline in this post that distinguishes prophets from all other people is the proper authorization. Much of the world believes that to be authorized one must study in a school or ministry. It's commonly believed that by seeking to learn about the gospel or God, that somehow one will be authorized to speak in the name of God. While studying and learning about God and the gospel is certainly worthwhile and admirable, it is absolutely false to think it authorizes you to speak in the name of God.

So then, what does authorize one to speak in the name of God? True prophets called by God are given the priesthood, or the power and authority to act in God's name for the salvation of His children. One cannot bestow or grant the priesthood to oneself. It must be given to an individual by one who has authority. Take for instance this scripture from the New Testament.

And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron. So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee. Hebrews 5:4-5

It is clear that just as Jesus Christ did not make himself a high priest (a position within the priesthood) but was given this priesthood by One who had authority, namely God the Father, so it is with every other man. The priesthood can only be given by those in authority to those who have been called by God.

The prophet Moses was commanded to call others to the priesthood. The previous scripture just quoted, Hebrews 5:4-5 has reference to the brother of Moses, Aaron. The command to call Aaron and his sons to the priesthood is as follows.

And take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office, even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron's sons...And thou shalt anoint them, as thou didst anoint their father, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office: for their anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations. Thus did Moses: according to all that the Lord commanded him, so did he. Exodus 28:1; 40:15-16

The same gospel message of priesthood authority was taught to Moses of the Old Testament as well as to Peter of the New Testament. Consider the similarities of these two passages of scripture.

Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel. Exodus 19:5-6

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: 1 Peter 2:9

Lastly, I call to mind the words of Jesus Christ as he spoke to His apostles concerning their ordination to the priesthood.

Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. John 15:16

What makes a prophet a prophet? In short, God makes men into prophets as He calls them through revelation. He gives ongoing revelation to His prophets and authorizes them through the priesthood to act in the name of God for the salvation of His children.