Question by Leland Dennis Sigley (lds): How can we know when the prophet speaks of religious matters if he is giving his opinion or speaking based on a revelation from Heavenly Father?
Is the communication coming through an official channel (e.g., general conference)? You should focus primarily on official communication, such as general conference talks, official statements (things like the family proclamation, the living Christ, etc), and the scriptures.
Answer: I know this probably sounds like a joke, something offensive or just plain peculiar
Does the prophet state that this is “In the name of the Lord”, that it is the prophet’s personal opinion, etc.? Alma, for example in Alma (see 19-21 for additional context), makes clear distinction between things that are his opinion and things that are firm doctrine.
Are we trying to reframe something as opinion because 
we do not want the obligation to agree with or follow the council? This is a great mistake that is sometimes made that we were warned against in Helaman -27. We must remember that when the Lord’s servants speak for Him, “whether by [His] own voice or by the voice of [His] servants, it is the same” (D&C 1:38). As Jacob advised: “Seek not to counsel the Lord, but to take counsel from his hand” (Jacob 4:10).
Prophets are human. They are entirely capable of making mistakes and being wrong. They also have personal opinions and develop ideas over time, like all humans. They are unique in that they have access to special revelation and have been charged with a spiritual stewardship over large groups (even the entire world).
- The Lord will not allow His appointed servants to lead the Church astray (by accident or intentionally). “The Lord will never permit me or any other man who stands as President of this Church to lead you astray. It is not in the programme. It is not in the mind of God. If I were to attempt that, the Lord would remove me out of my place, and so He will any other man who attempts to lead the children of men astray from the oracles of God and from their duty.” (D&C – Official Declaration 1).
- For further reading, I suggest using the topical guide in the scriptures on the subject of prophets. You can also review this newsroom article “With divine inspiration, the First Presidency (the prophet and his two counselors) and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (the second-highest governing body of the Church) counsel together to establish doctrine that is consistently proclaimed in official Church publications. This doctrine resides in the four “standard works” of scripture (the Holy Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price), official ations, and the Articles of Faith. Isolated statements are often taken out of context, leaving their original meaning distorted.”
Posted: 2020-05-17 UTC-
Question by Shaun: I know this probably sounds like a joke, something offensive or just plain peculiar, but to me it is genuinely only the latter, plus I have been trying to find some way to ask a question, since that is the only way another Mormon will speak to me, particularly online.
Every time I think the words, think about saying the words, say the words or hear the words, “Jesus Christ”, I feel shame and anxiety because I get a feeling of these words being used as swear words, or, as expletives to express frustration or anger, over little things, big things or against me for something someone thinks I did or a personal attack. How can I overcome this?