Follow the Prophet–Don’t Go Astray! (Unless He Says to Wear a Mask)

There is an old Mormon joke that says something like, Catholic doctrine is that the pope is infallible, but none of them actually believes it; Mormon doctrine is that the prophet is fallible, but none of them actually believes it.

When I’ve suggested over the years that prophets might have gotten some things wrong, or that the church as an organization still has a lot of evolving to do and improvements to make, I’ve been accused of steadying the ark, speaking ill of the Lord’s anointed, heresy, and lack of faith. I can’t even count how many times I’ve been asked, “If you don’t like the Church, or if you think there are so many problems with it, why don’t you just leave?” or told, “Once the prophet speaks, if you’re truly faithful, the decision has been made.”

I have been watching with part amusement, part horror over the past year at the way that many of these same people, the ones who treated me with disdain and deep suspicion for saying I thought the policy that forbade the baptism/blessing of gay people’s children was flat-out wrong, for example, or that it would sure be nice if the Brethren actively worked to seek inspiration for how to better include women in Church systems and policies, have reacted to the Prophet’s counsel–nay, urging–to wear masks and be vaccinated. 

President Nelson receives the COVID-19 vaccine while wearing a mask

In response to the first presidency statement release last week, a man who is an acquaintance of mine posted on Facebook a quote from “the very same prophet that issued this letter”:

“I am optimistic about the future. It will be filled with opportunities for each of us to progress, contribute, and take the gospel to every corner of the earth. But I am also not naïve about the days ahead. We live in a world that is complex and increasingly contentious. The constant availability of social media and a 24-hour news cycle bombard us with relentless messages. If we are to have any hope of sifting through the myriad of voices and the philosophies of men that attack truth, we must learn to receive revelation.”

Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives, Russell M. Nelson, 2018

The man then encouraged everyone to “pray and seek their own revelation on this matter,” implying that the prophet was wrong about masks and the vaccine and that God would confirm as much if people took the time to ask.

I completely agree with him that we shouldn’t blindly accept what we’re told by church authority figures, that we should all do research and seek our own revelation, and that our conclusions may be different than what the Church advocates. Hearing viewpoints like these from extremely orthodox members is refreshing to me, even despite the concerning public health implications. If these black-and-white, “either all of it’s true or none of it is” thinkers can identify nuance in their beliefs or sit with their cognitive dissonance when the prophet says something they don’t agree with, perhaps in the future they will be able to better empathize with those who voice disagreement with the Church’s position on an issue or advocate for change in the church. 

After all, if prophets can be wrong about wearing masks, how much of a stretch is it to consider that they’ve been wrong about some other things, too?