The Marxist pope has died. Pope Francis brought greater division and confusion to the Catholic Church, and more agitation for socialist politics to the world. He was hardly a role model or an example of the believers. Now, he is gone, and another will fill his shoes. This provides us a perfect opportunity to discuss divine authority, that issue that has been central to nearly every major schism in Christendom for almost two millennia.

Who has the authority to choose the next leader of the Church of Jesus Christ? It should be an obvious answer: Jesus Christ. If it is His Church, He chooses who presides over it and who represents Him as His mouthpiece, oracle, and prophet. And how does Christ reveal His will? Answer: Through revelation. Sadly, most Christians today don’t even fathom that there should be a prophet at the helm, let alone have any conception of how that prophet ought to be selected to preside; most reject the idea of continuing revelation.

I give my personal witness from the Holy Ghost that God directs the affairs of His Church through prophets. Period. Scriptural history provides no clear exceptions to this rule. From the time of Adam down through Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Amos, and again with John the Baptist and Peter, the Lord has always operated through prophets. Always.

If you belong to a denomination (one of 45,000 splinters that constitutes the jumble of confusion that is Christendom today) that is not led by a prophet – let alone one that does not believe a prophet is necessary – you absolutely do not belong to the true Church of Jesus Christ. You ought to hurry to discover where that prophetic guidance is and join yourself to the singular organization that represents the Savior, and which is appointed by Him to gather Israel.

Let’s dispense with the unBiblical, schismatic dogma which pretends that God is the author of confusion, and that He permits people to belong to thousands of contrary organizations all claiming His name. He has never operated that way. To believe He does is to disbelieve the Bible. Rather, the Holy Bible states that there is one Church of Jesus Christ governed by Him through revelation to an ordained prophet:

“Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.

“All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.

“I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. . . .

“I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. . . .

“. . . there shall be one fold, and one shepherd” (John 10:7-9, 11, 16).

The Lord is the Shepherd. There is “one fold.” He stands at the door and is the gate by which the sheep enter. All others who create other organizations are robbers and are not approved of Him. The Lord made it abundantly clear that He did not envision a myriad of different churches all professing His name when He taught:

“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

“Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

“And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Matthew 7:21-23).

Among the wicked who will be cast off at the Judgment Day are those who profess Christ’s name yet are not joined to His true fold. He is not their Shepherd, and they are not His sheep though they lamely bleat His holy name. Of the more than 45,000 Christian churches in existence, only one is His true fold and all others profess His name in error. Let’s be clear, these souls often profess the Lord’s name in total sincerity and accompany their professions with good works. The are nonetheless in error and do not belong to His Church.

The Lord’s apostles, especially Paul, reaffirmed what their Master had so plainly taught. There was no schism among them, but they all belonged to one unified Churcher under the direction of the prophet Peter. The keys of Priesthood authority were held by the Twelve Apostles, and exercised by its presiding officer, Peter. All lesser authorities answered to them, and they answered to the High Priest of the Faith who is Christ the Lord. There is no other Church structure but this one found in the New Testament. None. In vain do men seek for a church to fit their needs when they should be seeking the Church – the one and only Church of Jesus Christ set up, sanctioned, and led by Him.

The Apostle Paul taught of this unified Church:

“There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;

“One Lord, one faith, one baptism,

“One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all” (Ephesians 4:4-6).

Again, we read, “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ” (1 Corinthians 12:12). A body is not divided. Our limbs are attached to our torso, our head is attached to the neck, the feet are attached to the legs, the fingers are attached to the hands, and so forth. All these parts constitute one body. So, too, the individual members who have faith in Christ, repent of their sins, and are baptized into His Church are unique members with individualized gifts and personalities, yet are part of one single body. They cannot possibly be part of disparate organizations and claim to be one body. That is illogical and defies the plain meaning of words, reason, and common sense. Yet, people torture the text, twisting it to justify thousands of different churches, claiming that each of these is part of the “body of Christ,” despite the often-contradictory doctrines and practices held by the various organizations professing Christ’s name. What a freakish, deformed body!

If Christians truly believed the Bible, they would know that there is but one Church of Jesus Christ. As a result, they would inherently understand that most of Christendom is in apostasy and needs to find the Lord’s Church, not just any church. A careful student of the Bible knows that merely professing Christ’s name means nothing – absolutely nothing. Either Christ is a liar, or many who profess His name and generally lead good lives will be cast off at the Judgment bar because they were careless in finding the one true Church of the Lamb.

The student of scripture knows that the followers of Christ are one – one not only in belief, doctrine, and ordinance, but in name, organization, and affiliation. Paul taught the Ephesians:

“[Y]e are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

“And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

“In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:

“In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit” (Ephesians 2:19-22).

Can members of different organizations with different views, dogmas, creeds, and covenants be considered “fellowcitizens?” Of course not! They are not “fitly framed together,” but grow apart and wander in strange paths, seeking after a God who has not claimed them as His because they will not enter the true sheep fold. This is especially true, even redundantly so, if they belong to any organization not built explicitly “upon the foundation of apostles and prophets.”

The Lord personally selected and ordained Twelve Apostles to lead His Church and oversee global missionary effort (Luke 9:1-2). He then chose Peter to preside over the Apostles and exercise the sealing power to bind in earth and in Heaven (Matthew 16:15-19; Acts 1:15-26). He next selected quorums of seventy elders (Luke 10:1). Additional offices were later added, such as evangelists, pastors, and teachers (Ephesians 4:11). The Lord never changed this organizational structure. Full stop. Let’s repeat that fact: The Lord never changed this organizational pattern for His Church.

Whoever changed this structure had no authorization from the Lord Jesus Christ to do so, and whoever denies the need for this hierarchical Priesthood structure established by the Author of our Faith is going outside of the Bible and preaching another Gospel than the one laid down in the sacred text. Let such a person be accursed! (Galatians 1:8)

All of this brings us back to Pope Francis and the papal election process. In a mockery of what the New Testament teaches, popes are determined by men, not by God. They are elected by ballot, not selected by divine revelation of the Holy Spirit. This damning indictment can be leveled even more forcefully at Protestant churches that merely hire a pastor, discount the need for a prophet, and more often than not deny the reality of continuing revelation and the direct guidance of Jesus Christ. At least the Roman Catholic Church has a College of Cardinals, a structured priesthood, ordered procedures, and holds formal conclaves to choose their next pope (an office not established in the Bible, and surely not a prophetic mantel, thus defying Paul’s teachings and the Lord’s pattern).

Let’s review what the Bible says about how a prophet is chosen by the Lord to represent Him and preside over His Church. When Moses was tending a flock on Mount Horeb, “God called unto him” (Exodus 3:4). God called him, he didn’t petition God for the position. The call was unexpected. It was unearned. Moses did not ask for the office or the burden of leadership. The One whose right it is to choose His representatives selected Moses, as He selects all prophets who preside over His Church.

All the prophets were called the same way – by revelation from God. It was not always as dramatic as God’s voice issuing from a burning bush, but it is always the literal voice of the Lord or the voice of His Spirit. Either way, authority only comes from one source – Him. Noah operated under this authority, as did Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Elijah and Elisha possessed it, performing some of the most remarkable miracles in Christ’s name that have ever been performed. Isaiah wielded the Priesthood authority, as did Daniel, Malachi, and others. Amos, one of those men called by God, affirmed the eternal necessity of prophets in the Lord’s economy when he said, “Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets” (Amos 3:7).

This revelatory process was followed by the Apostles after the death of Judas and the opening of a vacancy in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. The manner in which Matthias was chosen to replace the betrayer is illustrative. The account states:

“And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said . . . .

“For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let [Judas’] habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishoprick let another take.

“Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,

“Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection.

“And they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias.

“And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen,

“That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.

“And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles” (Acts 1:15, 20-26).

Who chose the new apostle? It wasn’t Peter. It wasn’t John. It wasn’t James, Matthew, or Philip. Nor was it the collective group of Apostles acting as a quorum. Rather, the Lord showed the Apostles who was to be the next apostle. Peter went through a process before selecting Matthias. He prayed for guidance. He counseled with his brethren. And the will of the Lord was revealed. Notice, there was no debate, no dissent, and no divided vote tally – it was a unanimous decision because it was the Lord’s will transmitted by the Holy Spirit.   Recall Peter’s teaching that prophecy comes not by the will of man, but “as they [are] moved by the Holy Ghost” (2 Peter 1:21). The Lord alone has authority to select His Apostles and direct His Church.

Indeed, to His Apostles, the Redeemer had previously affirmed, “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you” (John 15:16). Peter did not choose himself. He did not ordain himself the presiding officer of the Church of Jesus Christ. James and John did not select themselves. None of the Twelve Apostles earned, chose, or petitioned for their callings. Rather, these men were chosen by the Master to represent Him. Thus, He ordained them, empowered them, and authorized them to perform His work.

Any man who calls himself to a religious office is a liar and a fraud and does not represent Christ. Such a man has no power to baptize or officiate in ordinances. Any pastor or priest who starts his own ministry acts on his own temporal authority and without divine authorization or sanction. No man has a divine commission unless he has been divinely commissioned by the One who governs all things. This commission is not theoretical or metaphysical, but procedural and literal. The Lord put His holy hands on the Disciples heads and ordained them to their special callings, bestowing upon them Priesthood authority to officiate and act in His name. In this way, and this way only, is the Priesthood authority to preside over Christ’s Church bestowed.

No conclave or group of leaders, no matter their sincerity, earthly degrees, understanding of scripture, or popular approval, may direct the affairs of God’s Church or select the man who will preside over them. The Church is not a democratic institution; it is theocratic with God ruling in an unquestioned, uncompromising manner. Christ is King, no one else.

The Roman Catholic Church is founded upon a monstrous lie. That lie is that Peter’s authority – which was not his to give – somehow transferred to Linus, thus granting authority to the popes. Where is the scriptural revelation confirming this monumental change to the system established by the Lord? It’s certainly not in the Bible. And what of the Apostle John who, after Peter, was the ranking officer of the Church? For the authority to have transferred from Peter to Linus, it had to have circumvented John and ignored the order of succession. The simple fact is that Linus usurped John’s rightful authority.

In other words, the line of Priesthood succession supposedly skipped over the Twelve Apostles and devolved upon a bishop who was lower in rank. What honest person can believe that tall tale? Certainly, no one who believes scripture and who reads the New Testament can countenance it. Perhaps that is one of the many reasons why Bible translators and Reformers who attempted to get the word of God into the hands of commoners so that they did not need to live on blind faith alone were so doggedly persecuted. After all, an honest reading of the text destroys the legitimacy of the Catholic Church by stripping it of its authority. Without authority, all its offices, ordinances, and programs mean nothing. Without having been chosen and ordained by the Lord, the popes stand in opposition to Christ and His Kingdom.

For that matter, all other Protestant organizations that splintered off from the Roman Catholic Church are likewise wrong and lack authority. The progeny of error can never be truth. A restoration – the very thing prophesied by Isaiah, Paul, Daniel, and other prophets – of proper Priesthood authority and the organizational structure of the true Church of Christ was therefore required to remedy the rancorous and apostate state of Christendom. Thankfully, graciously, joyfully, the Lord has restored His Church and the keys of the apostolic offices! He has again chosen and ordained prophets and apostles, raised up quorums of seventy elders, evangelists, teachers, and so forth. He has again clarified His doctrine and invites all to come to Him and be saved. He again leads and directs His Church through revelation as He did through Peter.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord’s restored Church. It is led by a prophet, seer, and revelator who has been duly called by revelation and ordained by the Lord to his position. He is assisted by a Quorum of Twelve Apostles who have the same keys of ministry and presidency. They are aided by Quorums of Seventy elders, a presiding patriarch, a presiding bishop, local stake presidents, bishops, elders, priests, and teaches. Ordained, full-time volunteer missionaries are sent into the world two-by-two to preach Christ and Him crucified, and to share the good news of the Atonement of our Lord and of the Restoration of His Church. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the only truly Biblical Church – the only one that rests firmly upon the foundation of apostles and prophets, with Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone and the One who established this Church through His instrumentality and the revelation of the Holy Spirit.

Joseph Smith was the prophet called of God to perform this restorative work. He testified of Christ, that He lives, that the Father lives, and that the Holy Ghost testifies of truth. He testified that he saw Them with his own eyes and that They called him to fulfill their ancient promises of the restoration of Israel. He testified that John the Baptist appeared to him and Oliver Cowdery, conferring upon them the rights and powers of the Aaronic, or Levitical, Priesthood. He witnessed that Peter, James, and John appeared to himself and Oliver Cowdery, laying their hands upon them and ordaining them elders and officers in the Lord’s Church. He testified that Moses and Elijah appeared to confer their keys and offices upon him. He testified that an angel named Moroni delivered to him a sacred record to support the Bible’s witness of Christ which he translated by God’s power that became The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy of a new book being delivered to an unlearned man (Isaiah 29:10-14), Ezekiel’s word regarding the stick of Joseph (Ezekiel 37:15-19), and John’s prophecy that another angel would deliver the everlasting Gospel to a man in the last days (Revelation 14:6). All of this and more was part of the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ – a marvelous work and a wonder! I testify, because I know it is true through the Holy Spirit, that the Prophet Joseph Smith was a true prophet called of God and ordained by Him to preside over the Church of Jesus Christ in these final days prior to the Lord’s return in glory.

It ultimately matters little whom the cardinals in Rome select to succeed Pope Francis; he has no authority anyway. It matters little that Protestants denounce The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints because they have more light and knowledge than they do, just as the Pharisees in Jesus’ day condemned Him for giving them new teachings to add to what they had assumed was a closed canon of scripture. It matters not that the world rejects Christ and His representatives now as they always have. What is from God will not fall unless through apostasy and wickedness the Lord revokes the authority that is His to give. “[I]f it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God” (Acts 5:38-39).

I again proclaim my personal witness that the Savior Jesus Christ is Lord over the earth. He governs creation. He established His Church in the meridian of time and has reestablished it through Joseph Smith the Prophet in modern times. I testify that prophets are called, not elected, and that they are either ordained of God or they possess no authority to do His work. I witness that the Holy Priesthood authority of God has been conferred by angels and authorized beings in our day through Joseph Smith, connecting us, through him, and through Peter, James, and John, to the Master who presides in all things. I testify of the work of the Lord and of His Church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which is currently led by the prophet, seer, and revelator, President Russell M. Nelson. This work is true! It is marvelous! It is the Lord’s work.

I invite all to come to Christ. Come to Him, investigate His Church, and join yourself to the fold of the Good Shepherd. There is but one sheep fold, and if you think The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is not the Lord’s Church, then which one has its foundation built upon prophets and apostles, claims divine revelation and conferred Priesthood authority under the hands of the men last authorized to hold it, restores Biblical doctrines neglected throughout Christendom, is structured the way the Lord structured His Church during His Ministry, fulfills the Bible’s myriads of promises of a restitution of all things, builds temples to worship God per the ancient pattern, and sits in full harmony with the Bible? Thankfully, I have my own personal testimony from the Holy Ghost of this all-important proposition, and I know whereof I testify. Come what may, I will stand as a witness for Christ and for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints which is His. I invite you to receive your own testimony and then to stand boldly in the light.

Zack Strong,
April 21, 2025