Technically, it wasn’t Canada yet, but close enough. Mormons like to point out famous Mormons, and Canadians like to point out famous Canadians. I’m both, so I can’t help it and take what I can get.

I came across an interesting scripture last night in 2 Peter 1:20–21.

No prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

It seems even in the New Testament that prophets need to be moved by the Holy Ghost for their words to be prophetic.

I guess the challenge then is determining when they are moved by the Spirit.

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?Ǭ†After President Hinckley finished with the sustaining of the officers
?Ǭ†of the church during the Saturday morning session, Elder Eyring had
?Ǭ†moved into his new seat on the stand. Unfortunately, they didn’t show
?Ǭ†this on TV, but when President Hinckley turned around, he stood there
?Ǭ†for a moment looking at Elder Eyring (probably with the little twinkle
?Ǭ†in his eye), then picked up his cane and “knighted” him on his
?Ǭ†shoulder and head. Truly one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen
?Ǭ†him do.

?Ǭ†Here’s the picture from it. I love how Elder Erying looks just like a
?Ǭ†little boy….
?Ǭ†
http://www.deseretnews.com/photos/midres/4668085.jpg?Ǭ†

What I was contemplating, however, was whether God specifically causes all the calamities prophesied of in the Bible.

On the one hand, one could say that the prophets foretold of the calamities and God is sending them forth now to fulfil the promises of the prophets.

On the other hand, perhaps our day is an unusual time in the history of humankind (call it global warming if you must), in which we see an abundance of calamities. In that case, maybe the prophets saw the frequency of calamities and prophesied regarding them. Maybe God isn’t sending any of them. Maybe the prophets saw when the second coming of Christ was and noticed it coincided with this unusual amount of calamities, and simply used this period as a benchmark.

And maybe then God isn’t behind any of these calamities. Maybe it’s just the earth responding to whatever environmental changes there are.

It seems odd to me anyhow that God would send calamities just so the prophets wouldn’t be wrong.

[After] I, Nephi, having heard all the words of my father, concerning the things which he saw in a vision, and also the things which he spake by the power of the Holy Ghost . . . [I] was desirous also that I might see, and hear, and know of these things, by the power of the Holy Ghost

As I sat thinking about this, the recent general conference came to mind. I was left wondering how often ?¢‚Ǩ‚Äù after hearing words from the prophets ?¢‚Ǩ‚Äù I desire to see/hear and know by the Spirit the things they taught.

I was left wondering how often, following general conference, I read, ponder, and pray about the words of the prophets.

Probably not often enough.

The Lord will never permit me or any other man who stands as President of this Church to lead you astray. It is not in the programme. It is not in the mind of God. If I were to attempt that, the Lord would remove me out of my place

My question to the readers is how will the Lord remove the prophet from his place? How do we know this will happen?

“How can we witness this awful scene? Therefore let us stretch forth our hands, and exercise the power of God which is in us, and save them from the flames.” (verse 10)

Alma said that he felt inspired not to intervene because they are automatically saved for their belief in God.

“The Spirit constraineth me that I must not stretch forth mine hand; for behold the Lord receiveth them up unto himself, in glory; and he doth suffer that they may do this thing, or that the people may do this thing unto them, according to the hardness of their hearts, that the judgments which he shall exercise upon them in his wrath may be just; and the blood of the innocent shall stand as a witness against them, yea, and cry mightily against them at the last day.” (verse 11)

The last part of verse 11 was interesting. Another reason Alma gave for not intervening is that “the Lord . . . doth suffer that . . . the people [presumable the ones doing the killing] may do this thing unto them . . . that the judgments which he shall exercise upon them in his wrath may be just”.

So he’s not going to intervene in order that God could punish (exercise judgement upon) them? If Alma and Amulek had intervened and no one was killed, God wouldn’t have needed to punish them. Wouldn’t that have been better all around?

[The] word came to Alma, saying: Go; and also say unto my servant Amulek, go forth and prophesy unto this people (Alma 8:29)

Does this mean Amulek was a prophet? I have only ever heard of him being referred to as a missionary companion to Alma the Younger.