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Question: Was Joseph Fielding Smith issuing a prophecy when he said that men would never walk on the moon?
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Question: Was Joseph Fielding Smith issuing a prophecy when he said that men would never walk on the moon?
This was not a prophecy - it was his opinion that reaching other worlds and discovering that Christ was also their savior would eliminate the need for faith
Joseph Fielding Smith wrote that "it is doubtful that man will ever be permitted to make any instrument or ship to travel through space and visit the moon or any distant planet."[1]
According to Smith's grandson, Joseph Fielding McConkie, who actually heard him express this idea,
He reasoned that because the atonement that Christ worked out on this earth applies to all the creations of the Father, that our getting to other worlds and discovering that they had the same Savior and the same plan of salvation would dispense with the necessity of our accepting the gospel on the basis of faith"[2]
Therefore, Joseph Fielding Smith assumed that we were not meant to reach other worlds since Christ's atonement applies to all worlds, and discovering this upon reaching other worlds would eliminate the need for us to accept the gospel on the basis of faith.
Attempting to make this is a "prophesy," or a declarative statement of Church doctrine is improper, for the following reasons:
- President Smith was not the president of the Church when this statement was made. Only the President of the Church, sustained by his counselors and the Quorum of the Twelve, may declare new official doctrine.
- The statement merely expresses doubt about the idea, clearly an expression of personal belief or conclusion.
- Latter-day Saints do not believe in the doctrine of prophetic infallibility.
Latter-day Saint doctrine allows prophets their own opinions and views, which are not regarded as either infallible or binding upon Church members. Only Jesus Christ was perfect; LDS prophets follow the biblical model of being fallible men of their time called by God to accomplish his purposes. So safeguard against the foibles or mistakes of individuals, God uses the united voice of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve apostles to establish official doctrine and interpretation.
No one need trust a prophet's word alone on any issue—either of great or small importance. All members are encouraged to seek their own revelation from God, and to accept and act on the truth that he reveals to them by scriptures, by prophets, and by the Holy Ghost.
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