Commenting on a purportedly false prophecy by Heber C. Kimball, Elden
Watson, in response to Protestant Bob Witte, wrote:
[2-2a] JD 5:219, Heber C. Kimball - In this prophecy,
Heber C. Kimball predicts that
The
Church and kingdom to which we belong will become the kingdom of our God and
his Christ, and brother Brigham Young will become President of the United
States. (Journal of Discourses 5:219)
This
is a rather formidable statement, with Brigham Young having passed away and
all, but in trying to understand the prophecy we note that “the kingdom of our
God and his Christ” has a specific meaning in LDS theology.
We
are in the Church of the living God. It is the beginning of that kingdom that
is to come. Spiritually it is the Kingdom of God, and by and by all things
predicted concerning God's government on the earth will be fulfilled, when all
nations shall bow in obedience to Him, when they shall cease their wars, and
turn their spears into pruning hooks and their swords into plow-shares, (using
the figurative expressions of ancient writers), when all this will be fulfilled
and the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdom of our God and His
Christ, and He shall rule and reign in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and before
His ancients, gloriously, as the prophets predicted. (President Charles W.
Penrose., Conference Report, April 1912, p 18)
This
church will not become a part of “the kingdom of our God and his Christ” until
Christ’s second coming. This prophecy was intended to be fulfilled not during
Brigham Young’s lifetime, but after his resurrection and while Christ is
reigning personally upon the earth. It cannot be termed a false prophecy until
after Christ’s millennial reign. We will have to wait and see, but of Mr.
Witte’s collection in this section on prophecies, this is to me the most likely
to remain unfulfilled. (Elden Watson, "Ask, and Ye shall Receive": A
Review of "Where Does It Say That?" by Bob Witte)
I will also note that Heber C. Kimball was expressing his opinion; it was not based on purported revelation, so even if he was dead-wrong, it is not a "false prophecy."
Further Reading:
Resources on Joseph Smith’s Prophecies
