The day the Church was organized, April 6, 1830, the Lord cautioned the members to carefully follow His newly called prophet: "Wherefore, . . . thou shalt give heed unto all his words and commandments which he shall give unto you as he receiveth them, walking in all holiness before me;
"For his word ye shall receive, as if from mine own mouth, in all patience and faith."For by doing these things the gates of hell shall not prevail against you; yea, and the Lord God will disperse the powers of darkness from before you, and cause the heavens to shake for your good, and his name's glory." (D&C 21:4-6.)
At the October 1980 general conference, Elder David B. Haight of the Quorum of the Twelve spoke of the importance of following the Lord's prophets. "The work we have been assigned to do has been placed by the Almighty in the hands of a fearless leader," Elder Haight said. "By your sustaining with uplifted hands, you have pledged to follow our prophet. He is the mouthpiece of the Lord. The Lord, speaking to the Church in this dispensation and referring to its authorized leaders, said: `They shall speak as they are moved upon by the Holy Ghost.
" `And whatsoever they shall speak when moved upon by the Holy Ghost shall be scripture, shall be the will of the Lord, shall be the mind of the Lord, shall be the word of the Lord, shall be the voice of the Lord, and the power of God unto salvation.' " (D&C 68:3-4.)
Elder Haight said that each prophet "holds all the keys for the Church to accomplish its divine mission - keys to preach the gospel to every nation and people, to organize stakes of Zion throughout the world for the gathering of Israel, to build holy temples for performing sacred ordinances for the living and for the dead.
"This holy work, as revealed through latter-day prophets, is to prepare for the glorious coming of the Son of God to reign over the earth."