Having no water to drink the children of Israel contended with Moses and contested, “Is the Lord among us, or not?” (Exo 17:7) Seeing the severity of the situation, Moses and Aaron sought the Lord’s help (Num 20:6). While bowed before the tabernacle door, the Lord visited them. Moses cried out to the Lord, “What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me.” (Exo 17:4).

In response, the Lord said-

Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee [Aaron thy brother and] of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go.

Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. (Num. 20:8; Exo 17:5)

After gathering Israel to the rock as the Lord commanded, Moses, in frustration, said to them “Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?” (Exo 20:10) He then hit the rock twice and “water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.” (v. 11)

When Moses and Aaron returned to the Lord, He chastised and punished them.

Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them. (Num 20:12).

Neither before nor after the miracle did Moses acknowledge to the people that this manifestation came from the Lord and not from him. Because of this sin, the Lord prevented Moses and Aaron from entering the promised land.

As I thought about this experience, I wondered why the Lord handled it the way He did. Knowing full well that Moses was wrong, the Lord could have done nothing when Moses struck the rock. When no water came from it, the Lord could then have spoken to the people from heaven “The reason you have no water right now is because Moses sinned against me. He needs to repent.” What a sight that would have been! Yet, He didn’t do that because I believe this wasn’t what the Lord wanted Israel then and now to initially learn from this.

His primary lesson to us is found in His words to Moses before He commanded him to strike the rock, “I will stand before thee.” (Num 20:8) Though He punished him in private for his sin, He publicly sustained him as His prophet. He also expected His people to follow His prophet.

Through the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Lord told us—

What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same. (D&C 1:38)

The Lord later told Moses to tell the people-

I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.

And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him. (Deut 18:15-19)

Not only was the Lord going to call another prophet, but He was going to choose one that “was like unto” the one that He prohibited from entering the promised land. Though Moses’ punishment was for “a small moment,” “God [was going to] exalt [him] on high.” (D&C 121:8). God continued to trust him to do His work after his mortal life. While on the mount of Transfiguration, He had him prepare His Only Begotten Son for His atoning sacrifice (Matt 17:1-4). To usher in the return of His Kingdom, the Savior sent Moses to the Prophet Joseph Smith to restore the keys of the gathering of Israel to Him, the “Rock of our Salvation.” (D&C 110:11; Hymn “O Thou Rock of Our Salvation”)

As powerful and essential as this lesson is about God’s confidence in and support of His prophets, the question remains “why does the Lord ask us to follow fallible men who may make mistakes even in their divine callings?” Instead of working through error-prone people, He could just write on walls with His finger to tell us what He wants us to learn and do. Imagine going to the grocery store and seeing some inscription on the building. With our phones, we would probably take pictures of what was written and share them with one another through text messages and social media. He could also choose to broadcast to us exclusively and more frequently through dreams like He did with Joseph and Pharaoh. Both options would still require us to exercise faith in Him. With these things in mind, why prophets?

In the world, many debate who are the greatest actors, athletes, musicians, and writers of all time. One reason there is generally a lack of unanimity on who we should consider the greatest is that the ones on our lists often have had moments where they were less than they could or should have been. Whether it is a shot missed, a game lost, a movie that bombed, or an album that whiffed each reminds everyone that even the greatest are subject to failure. Yet, for many of us, their few failures don’t distract us from recognizing and honoring the wonderful work that they’ve done. Those of us who appreciate their efforts are deeply saddened when they retire and later when they leave this life.

It’s interesting that in the scriptures we don’t have many insights about the lives of God’s prophets before they were called. We first meet Abraham at the age 75 and know nearly nothing of his younger years. We get brief glimpses of Moses’ life at 40 and 80 years of age. King David is one of the unique instances where we can follow him from his youth through the end of his life.

In the opening pages of the Book of Mormon, we meet a wealthy and well-connected Lehi who may have been in his 40’s or 50’s considering he had young adults as children. Later in the book, we encounter Alma the Elder, Alma the Younger, and Corianton who are three generations of faithful servants of God in the same family whose lives not only positively impacted the Nephite history but who also had moments in their lives where they fell short. It’s fascinating to consider that today’s prophet, President Russell M Nelson, and other members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles came from less active or convert families instead of what some would consider picture perfect ones.

In the Book of Acts, the Lord visited Ananias in a vision. Calling him by name, He commanded him to –

Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth,

And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight. (Acts 9:11-12)

Ananias, understandably, was completely shocked by what he heard. Within the small, but tight, Christian community, Saul’s efforts in jailing, prosecuting, and even inflicting death on believing saints was well known. Knowing this, Ananias said—

Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem:

And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name. (v. 13-14)

How could the Lord ask him to inquire of this evil man, to place his hands on him, and to extend a healing priesthood blessing that would restore his sight? What was the Lord thinking?

The Lord told Ananias what He was thinking–

Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:

For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake. (v. 15-16)

This additional bit of light and truth of how the Lord saw Saul provided Ananias enough encouragement to keep His commandment to heal him. Years later, toward the end of his life, the Apostle Paul, who was formerly known as Saul, wrote Timothy—

This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting. (1 Tim 1:15-16)

Elder Jeffrey R Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve taught “Prophets have no greater concern than to lead God’s children to the Savior Jesus Christ.” (“Choose the Lord and His Prophet”, Liahona, June 2022) His fellow Quorum member and Apostle, Elder Neal L Andersen stated, “The most important role of the Lord’s prophet is to teach us of the Savior and lead us to Him” (Elder Neil L. Andersen, “The Prophet of God,” April 2018 general conference).

With that said, I believe one of the reasons God has us hearken to imperfect yet holy prophets is to show us His pattern of being lovingly kind and mercifully good to us in and through His Son, Jesus Christ. By experiencing this pattern in our lives, we are expected by the Father and the Son to follow it in the way we treat one another, including Their prophets and Apostles.

Elder Neal A Maxwell who once served in the Quorum of the Twelve said—

[U]nremembered by some is the reality that in the kingdom we are each other’s clinical material; the Lord allows us to practice on each other, even in our imperfections. And each of us knows what it is like to be worked on by a “student” rather than a senior surgeon. Each of us, however unintentionally, has also inflicted some pain.

Often unallowed for, too, are the differing styles of leadership we experience in the kingdom…Imperfect people are, in fact, called by our perfect Lord to assist in His work. (Conference Report, ““A Brother Offended,” April 1982, Priesthood Session)

When the Savior was asked “which is the great commandment in the law?” He stated—

Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

This is the first and great commandment.

And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. (Matt 22:36-40)

The prophet Nephi taught us what God promises us if we keep the two commandments-

Press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men [and women]. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life. (2 Ne 31: 20)

Who doesn’t want or need the “brightness of hope” that Christ brings us in this life and the hope for eternal life in the world to come? Today, there are so many of us who struggle with believing in and loving ourselves. This often leads us to feeling alone, isolated, and depressed. When we feel this way, unfortunately, we sometimes turn to people, places, beliefs, and things, besides God, that we hope will heal our hearts and strengthen our self-esteem. Yet, each time those things eventually leave us feeling emptier, more alone, and more discouraged. There is a reason why the Lord through His chosen prophets have referred these as the “vain things of the world” (see Al 1:16; 4:8; 5:37, 53; 7:6; 31:27; 60:32; Hel 12:4; 3 Ne 6:15). The word “vain” implies a “simple failure to achieve a desired result” (Merriam Webster Dictionary). In other words, because they are fake, they will always fail to fill us with the hope and happiness we need and want.

This is one of the reasons that God chooses prophets and Apostles rather than writings on walls to reach and teach us that He is with us all the way every day. We are never alone. He is with us if we let Him. He wants us to know that as He has blessed, forgiven, prospered, and supported His servants, He will do the same for you and me. As He has filled them with peace, love, hope, and happiness, He will do the same for you and me. As He has inspired and revealed His will to His servants, He will do the same for you and me. By placing our trust in Him and His Son through receiving Their prophets and Apostles, you and I will come to know that They truly love us, that They are with us, and that They anxiously wait to bless us. Knowing this allows us to receive our Father’s kingdom and all that He has (D&C 84:36-38).

Regarding the rebellious children of Israel’s indignant question to Moses that was noted earlier “Is the Lord among us, or not?” (Exo 17:7), the Lord’s answer is found in His Son.

Through the Apostle Matthew, we learned that Joseph, after discovering Mary’s pregnancy, doubted her account and was about to privately call off the wedding. As he slept, an angel appeared to him in a dream and told him the following—

Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,

Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. (Matt 1:20-23).

In Nazareth, when Jesus was with His people at Church on the sabbath day, He announced His purpose and His mission by reading the following words from His prophet Isaiah—

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. (Luke 4:18-19)

After closing the book, handing it back to the priest, and sitting down, Jesus testified “This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.” (v. 21) The purpose of His life and mission is to help us experience the good news of healing and deliverance that is made possible through His Atonement. One of the best ways for us to see the Atonement of Jesus Christ in action is to see its impact in the lives, ministry, and teachings of those whom He chooses to serve us who have consecrated themselves to Him.

When we meet Simon Peter, a man in his late 20’s or early 30’s, the Savior asked him to throw his fishing nets back into the sea after he had failed to catch anything the previous night. After following His counsel, Peter and his brethren nearly capsized the ships in bringing in the huge load of fishes. Understanding that someone significant in the eyes of God stood before him, Peter cried out, “Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” (Luke 5:8)

During His mortal ministry, the Savior called only one person “Satan” besides the adversary himself. After the Master prophesied of His future death at the hands of wicked men, Peter rebuked Him by saying, “Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.” (Matt 16:22; Mark 8:32) In response, the Master immediately rebuked him—

Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. (Matt. 16:23; Mark 8:33)

Later, before the final moments of His mortal ministry, the Master prophesied that Peter would reject him three times. When it happened as He had stated, Peter “went out, and wept bitterly” (Matt. 26:75)

A consecrated, penitent Peter overcame these failures through Christ to become a faithful instrument in His hands in building up His Church and in restoring the Melchizedek Priesthood in this dispensation.

Of Peter’s repentance, President Lorenzo Snow said–

[T]here may be a certain time or times in our life, when we are greatly tried and perhaps overcome; even if this be so, that is no reason why we should not try again, and that, too, with redoubled energy and determination to accomplish our object, There was the Apostle Peter, for instance, a man valiant for the truth, and a man who walked before God in a manner that met with his divine approval; he told the Savior on a certain occasion that though all men forsook him he would not. But the Savior, foreseeing what would happen, told him that on that same night, before the cock crowed, he would deny him thrice, and he did so. He proved himself unequal for the trial; but afterwards he gained power, and his mind was disciplined to that extent that such trials could not possibly affect him.

And if we could read in detail the life of Abraham, or the lives of other great and holy men [and women], we would doubtless find that their efforts to be righteous were not always crowned with success. Hence we should not be discouraged if we should be overcome in a weak moment; but, on the contrary, straightway repent of the error or the wrong we may have committed, and as far as possible repair it, and then seek to God for renewed strength to go on and do better…If the Apostle Peter had become discouraged at his manifest failure to maintain the position that he had taken to stand by the Savior under all circumstances, he would have lost all; whereas, by repenting and persevering he lost nothing but gained all, leaving us too to profit by his experience. (“Blessings Of The Gospel Only Obtained By Compliance With The Law” General Conference, Salt Lake City, Monday Morning, April 7th, 1879)

President Gordon B Hinckley would affirm what President Snow stated by saying—

Now, if there be any within the sound of my voice today who by word or act have denied the faith, I pray that you may draw comfort and resolution from the example of Peter who, though he had walked daily with Jesus, in an hour of extremity denied both the Lord and the testimony which he carried in his own heart. But he rose above this, and became a mighty defender and a powerful advocate. So too, there is a way for you to turn about, and add your strength and faith to the strength and faith of others in building the kingdom of God. (Conference Report, “And Peter Went Out and Wept Bitterly,” Gordon B Hinckley, April 1979, Sunday Morning)

As a young teenager, Joseph Smith sought forgiveness of his sins from God. Though he never wrote or talked about what specifically those sins were, they bothered him enough to pray to the Lord about them. He said, “My mind became exceedingly distressed, for I became convicted of my sins . . . and I felt to mourn for my own sins and for the sins of the world.” (Joseph Smith, “History, circa Summer 1832,” josephsmithpapers.org)

Also, as part of his desire to be better and to do better, he wanted to know where he could worship the Lord. With these things in mind, he approached the Lord in prayer in a secluded grove of trees. Hearing Joseph’s earnest petition and knowing his humble heart, Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ not only appeared to him, but also gave him what he asked for.

Calling him by name and pointing to the Savior, Heavenly Father said “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!” (JS History 1:17). What were the Savior’s first words to this young man who would one day be His prophet? “Joseph, my son, thy sins are forgiven thee.” (Joseph Smith, “History, circa Summer 1832,” page 3, josephsmithpapers.org) Of that experience, Joseph would later say “my soul was filled with love and for many days I could rejoice with great Joy and the Lord was with me.” The First Vision taught Joseph that God the Father and Jesus Christ were living, loving and forgiving.

As he grew older and gained experience, this knowledge led him time and again to approach the Lord for forgiveness when he fell short. Later, as he pled to God to forgive him of his faults, Moroni came to Joseph to tell him about his mission and the Book of Mormon. When he disobeyed Moroni’s instructions about accessing the gold plates and later when he disregarded the Lord’s warning about losing the 116 pages, Joseph fervently begged to God to forgive him. God heard and answered him each time with love and mercy.

In Hiram Ohio, some publicly opposed how the Prophet Joseph Smith was doing things. Though the Lord acknowledged to them that Joseph had sinned, He first forgave them for murmuring against him and then taught them—

The keys of the mysteries of the kingdom shall not be taken from my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., through the means I have appointed, while he liveth, inasmuch as he obeyeth mine ordinances.

I, the Lord, forgive sins unto those who confess their sins before me and ask forgiveness, who have not sinned unto death. (D&C 64:5, 7; Also see D&C 67: 5, 9)

Yes. Joseph was an imperfect person. Yet, he was God’s humble and holy prophet to an imperfect people.

The Prophet Joseph Smith taught what he learned from God about His love and mercy –

Love is one of the chief characteristics of Deity, and ought to be manifested by those who aspire to be the sons [and daughters] of God. A man [or woman] filled with the love of God, is not content with blessing his [or her] family alone, but ranges through the whole world, anxious to bless the whole human race. (History of the Church, 4:227)

Ever keep in exercise the principle of mercy and be ready to forgive our brother [or sister] on the first intimations of repentance, and asking forgiveness; and should we even forgive our brother [or sister], or even our enemy, before he [or she] repent[s] or ask[s] forgiveness, our Heavenly Father would be equally as merciful unto us. (History of the Church, 3:383)

Is it any wonder that the Prophet Joseph Smith who frequently went to the Fount of every blessing to experience God’s love and mercy sought the same blessing for others, even his enemies?

In his dedicatory prayer of the Kirtland Temple, the Prophet pled –

Have mercy, O Lord, upon the wicked mob, who have driven thy people, that they may cease to spoil, that they may repent of their sins if repentance is to be found (D&C 109:50)

After W.W. Phelps refused to repent of some serious sins that involved financial impropriety, he lost his Church membership. In an act of anger and pride, he added his name to an affidavit that led Joseph Smith to be sentenced to death. If it wasn’t for divine intervention that delivered him, Joseph would have lost his life. (“A Robe, a Ring, and a Fatted Calf” Jeffrey R Holland, BYU Devotional, January 31, 1984)

A couple of years later, a penitent Phelps wrote the Prophet a pleading letter for forgiveness.

Brother Joseph: . . . I am as the prodigal son. . . .

I have seen the folly of my way, and I tremble at the gulf I have passed. . . . [I] ask my old brethren to forgive me, and though they chasten me to death, yet I will die with them, for their God is my God. The least place with them is enough for me, yea, it is bigger and better than all Babylon. . . .

I know my situation, you know it, and God knows it, and I want to be saved if my friends will help me. . . . I have done wrong and I am sorry. . . . I ask forgiveness. . . . I want your fellowship; if you cannot grant that, grant me your peace and friendship, for we are brethren, and our communion used to be sweet.

How would you and I respond to hearing from someone whom we cared about so deeply who nearly deliberately killed us? It wouldn’t be easy for me and my guess is that it probably wouldn’t be easy for you.

Joseph, who was taught and tutored by the Father and the Son about Their love and mercy, responded in an incredible and inspiring way—

Dear Brother Phelps: . . . You may in some measure realize what my feelings . . . were when we read your letter . . . .

We have suffered much in consequence of your behavior—the cup of gall, already full enough for mortals to drink, was indeed filled to overflowing when you turned against us . . . .

However, the cup has been drunk, the will of our Father has been done, and we are yet alive, for which we thank the Lord. And having been delivered from the hands of wicked men by the mercy of our God, we say it is your privilege to be delivered from the powers of the adversary, be brought into the liberty of God’s dear children, and again take your stand among the Saints of the Most High, and by diligence, humility, and love unfeigned, commend yourself to our God, and your God, and to the Church of Jesus Christ.

Believing your confession to be real, and your repentance genuine, I shall be happy once again to give you the right hand of fellowship, and rejoice over the returning prodigal.

“Come on, dear brother, since the war is past,

For friends at first, are friends again at last.”

Yours as ever,

Joseph Smith, Jun.

W.W. Phelps experienced the sweet peace of forgiveness because Joseph learned it from a loving Lord who had always extended it to him.

President Russell M Nelson, during the bicentennial commemoration of the Restoration, taught-

Why have I chosen to speak with you at length about the divine tutoring of the Prophet Joseph Smith?

[I]t is to declare that you, too, can and will be guided by heaven in your work as you seek direction, guidance and inspiration from on high.

The Prophet Joseph’s experience can also be your experience, as you seek for — and prepare yourself — to receive heaven’s help. I promise you that this is true. (Church News, President Nelson at Mission Leadership Seminar, June 2020)

As we learn to love those God has chosen to minister to us, we feel His love for us. The Lord calls this charity, the pure love of Christ. The more we are filled with that love, the more we will be like Him, see Him as He is, and see others as He sees them (Moro 7:47-48). How do we learn to love His servants, the prophets and Apostles?

Before the final moments of His mortal life, the Master taught His Apostles—

As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.

If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.

These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. (John 15:9-14)

Keeping the Savior’s commandments that come to us through His prophets and Apostles opens our hearts to His love and the love of our Heavenly Father.

When we have Their love in our hearts, in our families, in our congregations, in our communities, and in our countries, They will call us “Zion, because [we are] of one heart and one mind.” (Moses 7:18) “[T]here [will] not be a happier people among all the people who had been created by the hand of God” and we will be “one, the children of Christ, and heirs to the kingdom of God.” (4 Ne 1:17) We will one day “sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and the holy prophets who have been ever since the world began, having [our] garments spotless even as their garments are spotless, in the kingdom of heaven to go no more out” (Al 7:25). All this “because of the love of God which dwell[s] in [our] hearts” (Moses 7:15).

We will then truly thank God for His prophets who have guided us in these latter days.

We’ll sing of His goodness and mercy.

We’ll praise Him by day and by night,

[We’ll] [r]ejoice in His glorious gospel,

And bask in its life-giving light.

Thus on to eternal perfection

the honest and faithful will go,

While they who reject this glad message

Shall never such happiness know.

(Hymns, “We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet”)