When Christ established His Church while He was on the earth, He called Apostles and Prophets to lead the church. Thus the church was founded upon Apostles and Prophets.
Ephesians 2:19-22
19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
Ephesians 4:11-14
11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
We learn from the above that as long as the church was upon the face of the earth that it would contain Apostles and Prophets for the work of the ministry and the edifying of the body of Christ until we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. Thus unless we are perfected in Christ, we should always see Apostles and Prophets leading the true church of Jesus Christ. By this you can know if a church is not the true church of Jesus Christ if they do not have Apostles and Prophets that lead the church.
Twelve men with this high calling constitute an administrative council in the work of the ministry. When a vacancy occurred with the death of Judas Iscariot, Matthias was divinely appointed to that special office as a member of the council (Acts 1:15–26). Today twelve men with this same divine calling and ordination constitute the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The title was also applied to others who, though not of the number of the original Twelve, yet were called to serve as special witnesses of the Lord. Paul repeatedly spoke of himself as an Apostle (Rom. 1:1; 1 Cor. 1:1; 9:1; Gal. 1:1). He applied the title to James, the Lord’s brother (Gal. 1:19), and also to Barnabas (1 Cor. 9:5–6; see also Acts 14:14). The New Testament does not inform us whether these three brethren also served in the Council of the Twelve as vacancies occurred therein, or whether they were Apostles strictly in the sense of being special witnesses for the Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus is referred to as an Apostle in Heb. 3:1–2, a designation meaning that He is the personal and select representative of the Father.
Ephesians 2:19-22
19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
Ephesians 4:11-14
11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
We learn from the above that as long as the church was upon the face of the earth that it would contain Apostles and Prophets for the work of the ministry and the edifying of the body of Christ until we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. Thus unless we are perfected in Christ, we should always see Apostles and Prophets leading the true church of Jesus Christ. By this you can know if a church is not the true church of Jesus Christ if they do not have Apostles and Prophets that lead the church.
Apostle
The word means “one sent forth.” It was the title Jesus gave (Luke 6:13) to the Twelve whom He chose and ordained (John 15:16) to be His closest disciples during His ministry on earth and whom He sent forth to represent Him after His Ascension into heaven. The calling of an Apostle is to be a special witness of the name of Jesus Christ in all the world, particularly of His divinity and of His bodily resurrection from the dead (Acts 1:22; D&C 107:23).Twelve men with this high calling constitute an administrative council in the work of the ministry. When a vacancy occurred with the death of Judas Iscariot, Matthias was divinely appointed to that special office as a member of the council (Acts 1:15–26). Today twelve men with this same divine calling and ordination constitute the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The title was also applied to others who, though not of the number of the original Twelve, yet were called to serve as special witnesses of the Lord. Paul repeatedly spoke of himself as an Apostle (Rom. 1:1; 1 Cor. 1:1; 9:1; Gal. 1:1). He applied the title to James, the Lord’s brother (Gal. 1:19), and also to Barnabas (1 Cor. 9:5–6; see also Acts 14:14). The New Testament does not inform us whether these three brethren also served in the Council of the Twelve as vacancies occurred therein, or whether they were Apostles strictly in the sense of being special witnesses for the Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus is referred to as an Apostle in Heb. 3:1–2, a designation meaning that He is the personal and select representative of the Father.
Prophet
- See also President; Prophecy, Prophesy; Revelation; Seer
- Would God that all the Lord’s people were prophets, Num. 11:29.
- If there be a prophet, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision, Num. 12:6.
- The Lord testified against Israel by all the prophets, 2 Kgs. 17:13 (2 Chr. 36:15–16; Jer. 7:25).
- I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations, Jer. 1:5, 7.
- He revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets, Amos 3:7.
- He spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, Luke 1:70 (Acts 3:21).
- All the prophets witnessed of Christ, Acts 10:43.
- God hath set prophets in the Church, 1 Cor. 12:28 (Eph. 4:11).
- The Church is built on a foundation of Apostles and prophets, Eph. 2:19–20.
- The people have rejected the words of the prophets, 1 Ne. 3:17–18 (2 Ne. 26:3).
- By the Spirit are all things made known unto the prophets, 1 Ne. 22:1–2.
- Christ came to the Nephites to fulfill all he had spoken by the mouths of his holy prophets, 3 Ne. 1:13 (D&C 42:39).
- Those who will not give heed to the words of prophets shall be cut off, D&C 1:14.
- Those who believe the words of the prophets have eternal life, D&C 20:26.
- The prophet’s word ye shall receive, as if from mine own mouth, D&C 21:4–6.
- Revelations and commandments for the Church come only through the one appointed, D&C 43:1–7.
- The duty of the President is to preside over the whole Church and to be like unto Moses, to be prophet, D&C 107:91–92.
- We believe in prophets, A of F 1:6.
