I have received quite a few comments & questions about prophets and apostles. Many of them being, "How come Mormons worship Joseph Smith instead of God?" The answer is, "We don't. We just look up to him." I thought I would go over who are LDS prophets are & what they do.
Currently, Thomas S. Monson is the prophet and President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The prophet has two counselors in the First Presidency and members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles which are also considered to be prophets. We call Thomas S. Monson the prophet because we believe he is the authorized spokesperson for God. Prophets aren't called of God because of their background - wealth, scholarly degrees, wordly positions and other qualified stances don't have anything to do with their position. They're simply men who experience the same life challenges we do, yet hold an uncommon office and calling to bear witness of the Savior and His restored gospel to the world.
The primary job of modern day prophets and apostles is to be "special witnesses of the name of Christ in all the world." Modern day prophets speak to the worldwide church twice a year during general conference and through published articles in LDS magazines. Modern prophets receive revelation in the same way that ancient prophets received it: through divine manifestations of the Holy Ghost. Sometimes prophets report visions and sometimes they have dreams. Sometimes they audibly hear the Lord's voice and sometimes they are visited by angels or the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. To answer many questions I have already received, we do not worship prophets and apostles. We look to them for advice and guidance simply because we know they will not lead us astray.
I know that Thomas S. Monson is a true prophet of God. I know that if we follow their teachings, we will be significantly blessed and guided to true happiness and peace. I thought I would share a few of my favorite videos where the words are explicitly coming from our prophets, who heard this council from God. I hope someone is touched at the amazing words spoken by these true men of God.
Source: Mormons and Open Book: What you really want to know
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These answers are purely answered to the best of my knowledge. I will always cite where I received my answer if it is not from my heart.