During the 1993 Gospel Doctrine course of study, Church members have studied many revelations given through latter-day prophets.
The fact that the messages of the prophets are important, even vital, to the Saints' understanding of the Lord's will is reflected in an article President John Taylor wrote for the Nov. 1, 1847, Millennial Star. In that article, President John Taylor wrote:"[The scripturesT are good for example, precedent, and investigation, and for developing certain laws and principles; but they do not, they cannot touch every case required to be adjudicated and set in order; we require a living tree - a living fountain - living intelligence, proceeding from the living priesthood in heaven, through the living priesthood on earth. . . . And from the time that Adam first received a communication from God, to the time that John, on the isle of Patmos, received his communication, or Joseph Smith had the heavens opened to him, it always required new revelations, adapted to the peculiar circumstances in which the churches or individuals were placed. Adam's revelations did not instruct Noah to build his ark; nor did Noah's revelations tell Lot to forsake Sodom; nor did either of these speak of the departure of Israel from Egypt. These all had revelations for themselves . . . and so must we, or we shall make a shipwreck."
In the October 1961 general conference, President Spencer W. Kimball, then a member of the Council of the Twelve, said:
"Our God rules in the heavens. He lives. He loves. He desires the happiness and well being of all His children. He has a prophet on the earth today who receives His revelations. He is a prophet to all the world. He has on numerous occasions outlined the cure for all international as well as local ills. The diagnosis is sure, and the remedy certain. Today's prophet stands in the same position between God and the people as did Isaiah, Samuel, and even Moses who gave to the world the Ten Commandments."