Many Latter-day Saints who are not Open Theists tend to be inconsistent. As one notable example:
In 1832, he prophesied that the
southern states and northern states would shortly be divided in civil war, that
this war would be the beginning of world wars which would eventually involve
all nations and result in the death and misery of many souls. Specifically, he
said that the great Civil War would begin with a rebellion in South Carolina.
(See D&C 87.) This prophecy was published to the world in 1851.
As every schoolboy knows, the
Civil War began with the secession of South Carolina from the Union, and other
states followed. When Lincoln sent provisions to the Union forces at Fort
Sumter, South Carolina, the Confederate forces opened fire on the fort. Since
that fateful day in 1861, the world has seen as a result of warfare the death
and misery of many souls.
The desire of the Prophet
Joseph Smith was to save the Union from that bloody conflict. He recognized the
iniquity of slavery and urged Congress to abolish it and to pay the
slaveholders from the sale of public lands. The message went unheeded, and
nearly one-half million souls died in the Civil War. (Ezra Taft Benson,
"Joseph
Smith: Prophet to our Generation," General Conference, October 1981)
It appears that Benson (who was not an Open Theist)
believed that there was a real possibility that things could have happened differently
had people heeded the warning of what is now D&C 87.
On D&C 87 itself, as well as other issues relating to
Joseph Smith’s prophecies, see:
Resources on Joseph Smith's Prophecies