The President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is sustained as prophet, seer, and revelator. The the counselors in the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles are also sustained as prophets, seers, and revelators.^[1]

What do these terms mean, and how long have they been used in the Church?

Meanings of the Terms

The Church has published definitions of each of these terms.^[2] A short summary is provided here, with links for further reading.

Prophet

A prophet is “a person who has been called by and speaks for God. As a messenger of God, a prophet receives commandments, prophecies, and revelations from God. . . . On occasion, prophets may be inspired to foretell the future for the benefit of mankind. His primary responsibility, however, is to bear witness of Christ.

Seer

A seer is “a person authorized of God to see with spiritual eyes things which God has hidden from the world . . . A seer knows the past, present, and future. Anciently, a prophet was often called a seer.

Revelator

[They] make known the will of the Lord for the Church and for mankind in general. They reveal His will in both spiritual and temporal affairs, though all things are spiritual to the Lord.

For further reading:

• "1.6 What Are Prophets, Seers, and Revelators?", in Teachings of the Living Prophets Student Manual (2016).
• Jeffrey R. Holland, "Prophets, Seers, and Revelators," October 2004 general conference.
• Craig James Ostler and Lloyd D. Newell, "'Here Is Wisdom; Yea, to Be a Seer, a Revelator, . . . and a Prophet,'" in Foundations of the Restoration: The 45th Annual Brigham Young University Sidney B. Sperry Symposium, ed. Craig James Ostler, Michael Hubbard MacKay, and Barbara Morgan Gardner (Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University; Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2017).

How have the terms been used for Church leaders?

Joseph Smith

The first recorded use of these terms (in part) was on April 6, 1830, when the Lord announced to Joseph Smith: "Thou shalt be called a seer & Translater & Prop[h]et an Apostle of Jesus Christ an Elder of the Church."^[3] This calling was reaffirmed (and included the term revelator) on November 11, 1831, when the Lord announced that "the president of the office of the High Priesthood is to preside over the whole church & to be like unto Moses behold here is wisdom yea to be a Seer a revelator a translator & a prophet having all the gifts of God which he bestoweth upon the head of the chuch."^[4]

These terms in part were extended to members of the First Presidency and the Twelve Apostles on March 27, 1836. Joseph Smith's journal records:

I then made a short address and called upon the several quorums, and all the congregation of saints to acknowledge the Presidency as Prophets and Seers, and uphold them by their prayers, they all covenanted to do so by rising; I then called upon the quorums and congregation of saints to acknowledge the 12 Apostles who were present as Prophets and Seers and special witnesses to all the nations of the earth, holding the keys of the kingdom, to unlock it or cause it to be done among all nations them; and uphold them by their prayers, which they assented to by rising.^[5]

Up to 1841, the terms were not used frequently. The terms came into regular use beginning in 1841, though they were almost always applied only to Joseph Smith.^[6]

Brigham Young

After the martyrdom of Joseph Smith, Brigham Young spoke of these terms specifically as pertaining to the President of the Church:

[Here are] the Twelve, an independent body, who have the keys of the priesthood, the keys of the kingdom of God to deliver to all the world: this is true, so help me God. They stand next to Joseph and are as the First Presidency of the Church. I do not know whether my enemies will take my life or not, and I do not care, for I want to be with the man I love. You cannot fill the office of a Prophet, Seer and Revelator: God must do this.^[7]

While Brigham Young led the Church, the terms were used infrequently, and almost always applied only to the President of the Church. For example, most sustainings of Church officers did not use those terms, and when those terms were used they applied only Brigham Young.^[8] However, the counselors in the First Presidency and the Twelve Apostles were acknowledged as prophets, seers, and revelators. For example, during the "Mormon Reformation" in 1856, the counselors in the First Presidency were rebaptized (a common practice at that time) and reconfirmed, and at that time their role as "Prophet seer & Revelator in the Church & kingdom of God" was reconfirmed upon them.^[9]

Brigham Young and other Church leaders may have been a reticent to use those terms due to their respect for Joseph Smith and his place as the first prophet and seer of the last dispensation.^[10]

John Taylor and Standardized Usage

Notes

1. ↑ See Dallin H. Oaks, "Sustaining of General Authorities, Area Seventies, and General Officers," April 2023 general conference.
2. ↑ "1.6 What Are Prophets, Seers, and Revelators?", in Teachings of the Living Prophets Student Manual (2016).
3. ↑ "Revelation, 6 April 1830 (D&C 21)," josephsmithpapers.org.
4. ↑ "Revelation, 11 November 1831–B (D&C 107 (partial))," josephsmithpapers.org.
5. ↑ Entry for 27 March 1836, in Journal, 1835–1836, josephsmithpapers.org.
6. ↑ For some examples, see the following from josephsmithpapers.org: "Revelation, 19 January 1841 (D&C 124)"; "Proclamation, between 19 January and 27 August 1841"; "Times and Seasons, 15 February 1842," page 697. They were also applied to Hyrum Smith in "Revelation, 19 January 1841 (D&C 124)," josephsmithpapers.org.
7. ↑ "History, 1838–1856, volume F-1 (1 May 1844–8 August 1844)," page 298, josephsmithpapers.org.
8. ↑ See sustainings in the April 1855 general conference, in Journal History, 6 April 1855, page 1, Church History Library; sustainings in a conference in St. Louis, in Journal History, 6 April 1857, page 11.
9. ↑ Wilford Woodruff Journal (January 1, 1854 – December 31, 1859), 2 October 1856, page 152.
10. ↑ Throughout his journals, Wilford Woodruff usually employed the terms in reference to Joseph Smith. Also, in a discourse in 1852, Brigham Young said:

    A person was mentioned today who did not believe that Brigham Young was a Prophet, Seer, and Revelator. I wish to ask every member of this whole community, if they ever heard him profess to be a Prophet, Seer, and Revelator, as Joseph Smith was? He professed to be an Apostle of Jesus Christ, called and sent of God to save Israel. If you know what the calling of an Apostle is, and if there were ten thousand of them on the earth at the same time, you must know that the words of an Apostle who magnifies his calling are the words of the Almighty to the people all the time. He never need be called in question whether he revealed the mind of the Lord or not. Although brothers Willard Richards, Heber C. Kimball, and myself are out of the Quorum of the Twelve, our Apostleship has not been taken from us. Who ordained me to be First President of this Church on earth? I answer, It is the choice of this people, and that is sufficient. If the Lord designates a plan how his cause and kingdom can be best advanced, whose business is it, if it is the mind of the people to follow it? It is ours and the Lord's; but it is certainly not the business of those who are enemies to his cause. I preached considerably upon this point in Nauvoo, to give the people the understanding of the different callings of men. Joseph Smith was a Prophet, Seer, and Revelator before he had power to build up the kingdom of God, or take the first step towards it. When did he obtain that power? Not until the angel had ordained him to be an Apostle.

    (Brigham Young, "The Lord at the Head of His Kingdom—Self-Discipline—Necessity of Cultivating a Knowledge of Science, and Particularly of Theology, Etc," Journal of Discourses 6:319–320.)