Imagine it's Thanksgiving Day and you are at your mother's house with the entire family. An elegant feast has been prepared. The giant, savory turkey in the middle of the table is the hero of the meal. There's stuffing, potatoes, cranberry salad, eggnog, ham, croissant rolls, fruits, green bean casserole, and pumpkin pie. After a blessing has been pronounced on the food the entire family digs in.
After the meal is well under way, Uncle Matt, who has always been a little crass says, "Sister, you've outdone yourself this time. Everything is absolutely fantastic, except for the cranberries in the salad, which were way too sour."
Instantly, the entire family is in an uproar. Some family members contend that the cranberries were the most important and delicious part of the meal, and they were picked straight out of mother's garden. Other relatives jump to Uncle Matt's aid by saying the cranberries must have come from an old can in the attic and that Thanksgiving is ruined because of them. Your sister tearfully pleads with everyone to stop insulting the cranberries, after all says she, the chef is only human.
The arguing only intensifies and feelings are hurt. One by one everyone storms off, leaving you alone to ponder this turn of events. Who was to blame for the bitter infighting? Was it those who insulted the cranberries, or were those who so zealously defended them to blame?
In this Thanksgiving parable of mine, the feast is the gospel, the bird is Christ, and the cranberries in the salad are prophets and apostles. There are some who think the prophets and apostles are rotten, and others who think they're perfect. Personally, I think both viewpoints are wrong.
Don't get me wrong, there's no question in my mind that prophets and apostles are an important part of the gospel. I believe that they hold keys which enable them to receive revelation for the whole Church, and that this revelation is infallible, when utilized. Of course, each of us has the ability to receive infallible revelation for ourselves, but do we utilize it before each decision we make? No.
As human beings, the prophets and apostles are imperfect and in as much need of Christ's atonement as everyone else. So when critics come to us saying "this prophet did this", or "this apostle said this", it shouldn't impact our faith. After all, Paul admitted to having a thorn in the flesh, and Peter once denied Christ three times! Besides, the cranberries really are a relatively small part of the meal, and even if a few of them are a little sour, it does not destroy the feast.
Just some food for thought.
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