THE RESTORATION

VS. INFALLIBILITY
Infallibility
When a person is called 'infallible', this can mean any of the following:
1. All statements or teachings made by this person can be relied on to be certainly
true.
2. This person always makes good and moral choices, and his actions may never
be considered immoral or evil.
3. This person is always right, and never wrong or incorrect.

This is a core teaching of the Catholic Church: The Church (& the Pope) are
infallible.

Infallibility: Hard or Easy to Follow?
How difficult is it to follow an infallible leader?
The Restoration
Who is the head of our church today?
The Book of Mormon on Fallibility
Cursed is he that putteth his trust in man, or maketh flesh his arm, or shall hearken
unto the precepts of men, save [=except] their precepts shall be given by the power
of the Holy Ghost.
2 Nephi 28:31

Who is flesh?


Is a Prophet Only
Joseph Smith (in his journal):
"This morning . . . I visited with a brother and sister from Michigan, who thought that a
prophet is always a prophet'; but I told them that a prophet is a prophet only when he
was acting as such" (HC 5:265)
Charles W. Penrose (apostle who would later serve as counselor to President Joseph F. Smith):
"President Wilford Woodruff is a man of wisdom and experience, and we respect him,
but we do not believe his personal views or utterances are revelations from God; and
when 'Thus saith the Lord', comes from him, the saints investigate it: they do not
shut their eyes and take it down like a pill." (Millennial Star 54:191)

Our Responsibility
Joseph Smith:
"President Joseph Smith read the 14th chapter of Ezekiel, said the Lord had declared by
the Prophet [Ezekiel], that the people should each one stand for himself, and depend on
no man or men in that state of corruption of the Jewish church -- that righteous persons
could only deliver their own souls -- applied it to the present state [1842] of the Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints -- said if the people departed from the Lord, they
must fall -- that they were depending on the Prophet, hence were darkened in their
minds, in consequence of neglecting the duties devolving upon themselves..."
(Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith pp. 237-38)
Our Responsibility
Joseph Smith:
We have heard men who hold the priesthood
remark that they would do any thing they were told
to do by those who presided over them if they knew
it was wrong; but such obedience as this is worse
than folly to us; it is slavery in the extreme; and
the man who would thus willingly degrade himself
should not claim a rank among intelligent
beings, until he turns from his folly. A man of
God, who seeks for the redemption of his fellows,
would despise the idea of seeing another become
his slave, who had an equal right with himself to
the favour of God; he would rather see him stand
by his side, a sworn enemy to wrong, so long as
there was place found for it among men.
Others, in the extreme exercise of their almighty (!)
authority, have taught that such obedience was
necessary, and that no matter what the Saints were
told to do by their Presidents, they should do it
without asking any questions.
When the Elders of Israel will so far indulge in these
extreme notions of obedience, as to teach them to
the people, it is generally because they have it in
their hearts to do wrong themselves, and wish to
pave the way to accomplish that wrong; or else
because they have done wrong, and wish to use
the cloak of their authority to cover it with, lest it
should be discovered by their superiors, who would
require an atonement at their hands.
From the Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star, Vol.
14

Our Responsibility
Brigham Young:
"What a pity it would be, if we were led by one man to utter destruction! Are you afraid
of this? I am more afraid that this people have so much confidence in their leaders that
they will not inquire for themselves of God whether they are led by Him. I am fearful
they settle down in a state of blind self-security, trusting their eternal destiny in the
hands of their leaders with a reckless confidence that in itself would thwart the purposes
of God in their salvation, and weaken the influence they could give to their leaders, did
they know for themselves, by the revelations of Jesus, that they are led in the right way.
Let every man and woman know, themselves, whether their leaders are walking in the
path the Lord dictates, or not. This has been my exhortation continually." (JD 9:150; as
cited by Harold B Lee, Conference Report, Oct. 1, 1950)
Our Responsibility
President Joseph F. Smith
"We talk of obedience, but do we require any man or woman to ignorantly obey the
counsels that are given? Do the First Presidency require it?
No, never." (Journal of Discourses (JD) 16:248)


Catholicism vs. Restoration
Leaders Infallible
Easy for members
Just need to follow blindly
Leaders Fallible
More expected of
members
Must seek confirmation
from heaven