Saturday, January 13, 2024

John A. Widtsoe on the Majority of Prophecy being General in Nature and the Fulfillment Thereof Not Often Being Recognized

  

. . . a prophet looking down the stream of time, sees with spiritual eyes the panorama of future history. Such prophecies are general, in that they do not specify times, localize places, though they occasionally name individuals. This is the most common entrance of prophecy into the future. It began with Adam who “stood up in the midst of the congregation; and, notwithstanding he was bowed down with age, being full of the Holy Ghost, predicted whatsoever should befall his posterity unto the latest generation.” (D&C 107:56). The prophecy of Enoch, the Patriarch, is an excellent illustration of this type of prophecy. In answer to his request Enoch was shown the future of mankind, “generation upon generation,” down to the coming of Christ, and beyond to the last days. No time or place limits are set. We may only recognize the periods by the events as they occur. (Moses 7:20-67.) Likewise, the Prophet Joseph Smith was given visions of the Last days and the events that will characterize them, but fixed time or places were seldom given. (D&C 5:19; 29:14, 16, 18, 19, 20; 34:9; 43:22, 26, 33; 45:31, 40-42; 49:25; 63:34; 84:118; 88:87, 89, 90, 91, 97; 112:25.)

 

The full recognition of the fulfillment of such prophecies comes as times proceeds and the precited events appear, unless the interpretation is given earlier by divine revelation. Sometimes foretold events actually occur without being recognized, by mankind. As an illustration, when Moroni first appeared to the Prophet Joseph Smith, he “quoted part of the third chapter of Malachi; and he quoted also the fourth or last chapter of the same prophecy,” and announced that the events there set forth were about to be consummated.” (John A. Widtsoe, "To What Extent May Prophecy Be Interpreted?" The Improvement Era 43, no. 12 [December 1940]: 737)