In The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,
continuous revelation is the principle that God or his divine agents still continue to communicate to mankind. This communication can be manifest in innumerable ways: the innumerable influences of the
Holy Ghost; vision; visitation of divine beings; and others. By such means God guides his followers to salvation and without such His followers will eventually form their beliefs or practices after a god of their own making. The founder of the Church,
Joseph Smith explained the importance and necessity of continuous revelation:
- God said, "Thou shalt not kill;" at another time He said, "Thou shalt utterly destroy." This is the principle on which the government of heaven is conducted-by revelation adapted to the circumstances in which the children of the kingdom are placed. Whatever God commands is right, no matter what it is, although we may not see the reason thereof till long after the events transpire . . . As God has designed our happiness-and the happiness of all His creatures, he never has-He never will institute an ordinance or give a commandment to His people that is not calculated in its nature to promote that happiness which He has designed, and which will not end in the greatest amount of good and glory to those who become the recipients of his law and ordinances. (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pp.256-7.)