Personal revelation to individuals differs greatly from God's communication to all His children through His prophets.
At the October 1989 general conference, Elder James E. Faust, then of the Quorum of the Twelve and now second counselor in the First Presidency, said:"The prophets, seers, and revelators have had and still have the responsibility and privilege of receiving and declaring the word of God for the world. Individual members, parents and leaders have the right to receive revelation for their own responsibility but have no duty nor right to declare the word of God beyond the limits of their own responsibility.
"I use as my text the ninth article of faith: `We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.'
"The first part states, We believe all that God has revealed.' Through the ages, God's messages to His children generally have been revealed through prophets. Amos tells us,Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.' (Amos 3:7.) These are the prophetic oracles who have tuned in over the centuries to the `celestial transmitting station,' with a responsibility to relay the Lord's word to others. The principal qualifications of a prophet in any age are not wealth, title, position, physical stature, scholarship, or intellectual attainment. The two qualifications are that a prophet must be called as such by God, by open prophecy, and ordained by one known to have legal and spiritual authority, and he must receive and declare revelation from God. (See D&C 42:11.) No man knows the ways of God except they be revealed unto him. (See Jacob 4:8.)
"Over the centuries revelation from prophets has come incrementally. The Lord stated, `For he will give unto the faithful line upon line, precept upon precept; and I will try you and prove you herewith.' (D&C 98:12.)
"Revelations have come by different means. Among other ways, they have come by the guidance of the Holy Ghost (which is perhaps most common), by the spoken word, and by visits from holy messengers.
"The ninth Article of Faith continues, `We believe . . . all that [God] does now reveal.' For some strange reason it seems easier for many to believe the words of dead prophets rather than those of living prophets. The greatest revelator in our time has been Joseph Smith. In the difficult period between 1823 and 1843, just twenty years, 134 revelations were received, printed, and made public.
"Each of the . . . apostles called since then has been sustained as a prophet, seer and revelator. But the prophets, seers, and revelators succeeding Joseph as presidents of the Church have been those apostles in whom all of the keys of Christ's earthly kingdom have been active and functioning."
