King - Prophet Relationship
Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2025 5:47 pm
It will be of value in studies to note the king-prophet relationship.
Jerusalem had a king. It also had a "head" prophet and many under-prophets.
What most don't understand is that this is the full government of Jerusalem. The king directly rules the people and goes to the prophet for teaching of how to rule properly.
The prophet teaches the king as well as all the people.
This way everyone is led in the right ways to live and to follow Jesus.
Sometimes there was one king-prophet, and sometimes the king and prophet positions were separate.
When Lehi left Jerusalem he became the king-prophet of his group, his tribe.
Laman was next in line as heir to the throne to be the next king of Lehi's tribe. Nephi was hand picked by Lehi to be the next prophet in the tribe. Thus Lehi was separating the king and prophet positions. Both sons were apprenticing for their positions under Lehi.
Nephi was Lehi's actual prophet apprentice.
It was therefore Nephi's governmental position to teach and admonish Laman, Lemual, and the whole tribe, accept Lehi.
Sam unfailingly honored Nephi's position.
This is why Nephi was admonishing and teaching all the time. He wasn't being a busy body, or bully, or anything negative. He was simply doing his job. And Lehi backed him on this.
This is also why Laman and Lemuel would sometimes go to Nephi for clarification on the scriptures. They were supposed to. They were supposed to go to either the head prophet, Lehi, or his apprentice, Nephi.
This serves to make Laman and Lemuel's rebellious actions against Nephi more egregious. They were rebelling against one of the forthcoming governmental leaders. This is why the Lord took the position of leader (king) from Laman and gave it to Nephi. He did this at the cave by the voice of the angel when Laman was beating Nephi with a rod. Read it again carefully and you will see this.
Nephi doesn't act on this position until after Lehi's death in the new land. When Nephi and his group split off from Laman he was taking his position as prophet-king over his people. Well, prophet-leader. He didn't like the title of "king."
Jerusalem had a king. It also had a "head" prophet and many under-prophets.
What most don't understand is that this is the full government of Jerusalem. The king directly rules the people and goes to the prophet for teaching of how to rule properly.
The prophet teaches the king as well as all the people.
This way everyone is led in the right ways to live and to follow Jesus.
Sometimes there was one king-prophet, and sometimes the king and prophet positions were separate.
When Lehi left Jerusalem he became the king-prophet of his group, his tribe.
Laman was next in line as heir to the throne to be the next king of Lehi's tribe. Nephi was hand picked by Lehi to be the next prophet in the tribe. Thus Lehi was separating the king and prophet positions. Both sons were apprenticing for their positions under Lehi.
Nephi was Lehi's actual prophet apprentice.
It was therefore Nephi's governmental position to teach and admonish Laman, Lemual, and the whole tribe, accept Lehi.
Sam unfailingly honored Nephi's position.
This is why Nephi was admonishing and teaching all the time. He wasn't being a busy body, or bully, or anything negative. He was simply doing his job. And Lehi backed him on this.
This is also why Laman and Lemuel would sometimes go to Nephi for clarification on the scriptures. They were supposed to. They were supposed to go to either the head prophet, Lehi, or his apprentice, Nephi.
This serves to make Laman and Lemuel's rebellious actions against Nephi more egregious. They were rebelling against one of the forthcoming governmental leaders. This is why the Lord took the position of leader (king) from Laman and gave it to Nephi. He did this at the cave by the voice of the angel when Laman was beating Nephi with a rod. Read it again carefully and you will see this.
Nephi doesn't act on this position until after Lehi's death in the new land. When Nephi and his group split off from Laman he was taking his position as prophet-king over his people. Well, prophet-leader. He didn't like the title of "king."