What is a Prophet?

The Gift of Prophecy
A prophet is any person who has the gift of prophecy. The gift of prophecy is a gift of the spirit, and therefore, can be received only by those who have been given, and received, the gift of the Holy Ghost. The gift of the Holy Ghost is received as part of baptism. Baptism has two parts - water and fire. Receiving the Holy Ghost and keeping it with you constantly is the baptism of fire, a continual process of cleansing and remitting sins.

As Moses said "Would God that all the Lord’s people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit upon them!" God would, if we would do what He has asked in order to receive His spirit. Some may mistake this scripture, "The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy," to mean that to testify of Jesus makes one a prophet. But the opposite is true, in order to truly testify of Jesus with power we must have the spirit testify to us of this truth. This is the spirit of prophecy.

The Calling of Prophet
What one person receives as revelation through the spirit of prophecy is for that person alone unless that person has been called by God as a steward over other people. Anyone can choose to be worthy to receive the spirit of prophecy, but no one can choose on their own to be a prophet with the ability to receive revelation for another person. This is not part of God's plan. No one can call themselves as a prophet over other people. No one can set themselves up as a prophet, pastor, or minister, or any other calling in the church, without having the calling from God; to do so is called priestcrafts. This calling should come by the spirit of prophecy but that alone is not enough. God works through the law of witnesses. There must be at least two witnesses. The other witness is through those already called of God and it is known to the church.

The highest calling in God's church is an apostle (1 Corinthians 12:28). When someone is called as a prophet everyone can have two witnesses that they are a prophet. One is a witness of the Spirit of God. The second witness is their own witness of truth. What they say will be true and will be accompanied by the spirit and power of God.

"[Brigham Young] is a prophet, I am a prophet, you are, and anybody is a prophet who has the testimony of Jesus Christ, for that is the spirit of prophecy. The Elders of Israel are prophets. A prophet is not so great as an Apostle. Christ has set, in his Church, first, Apostles; they hold the keys of the kingdom of God. Any man who has traveled with President Young knows he is a prophet of God. He has foretold a great many things that have come to pass." (Wilford Woodruff, Sermon, December 12, 1869, JD 13:165.)