RLDS/CofC: Angels and Theophanies

The Restoration of All Things includes a restoration of *revelation*. Joseph Smith, as a dispensational head, had many revelations, including visions, theophanies, angelic visitations and, of course, revelations from the Holy Spirit. These things have continued unabated since his death in 1844, at least in the Church of JESUS CHRIST of Latter-day Saints (LDS). The entries in the RLDS/CofC D&C or the history of the RLDS are a bit less clear. The LDS church emphatically declares yes, they all continue. Wilford Woodruff (the principle source of church history from the time Joseph Smith organized the church until his death and to the days of Brigham Young, had a comprehensive vision having to do with the dead. After Woodruff's death, Lorenzo Snow had two impressive revelations — one in the Salt Lake Temple, when Jesus Christ appeared to him with instructions on how to proceed after President Woodruff's death. Then there were others including fairly recent appearances by former church authorities. There also are other church authorities who have had theophanies, but who haven't told the general church membership. These authorities haven't told the general church membership their stories because the incidents are none of their business and would only serve to titillate the sensitivities of those who would find them thrilling to listen to. (And there are those who would sneer at them in the retelling.) The brethren do not cast their pearls before swine. But as someone who has read the RLDS D&C, I've yet to read any “revelation” therein that indicates that they have actually experienced an honest-to-goodness revelation. Instead, they have a boatload of weasel words aimed at getting around the truth. But if anyone knows of any experience of any church president between the death of Joseph Smith and the present woman president-prophet, I'd love to hear about it. As it is, I don't see any reference to prophets in the revelatory sense on the CofC website.