crops would have seemed extremely foolish. Why keep investing so much effort in planting and harvesting food every year? The possibility of things changing and food becoming so scarce would have seemed remote. I am sure many thought that they were wasting their time storing food that would go rotten before it was needed.

I am not familiar enough with the Kirtland Safety Society to know exactly what went on. Do you have record that Joseph preached about the importance of investing in that institution? If not, then there is no parallel to be drawn and bringing it up is downright dishonest. My understanding is that it was a temporal endeavor that the some church leaders happened to support in their private lives because the town desperately needed a bank. The Lord has never guaranteed that his Prophets would be successful in everything they do.

Suppose you observe that a Prophet bought a Ford Edsel. Maybe he even spoke casually among his friends about how happy he was with his Edsel. Using that as reasoning that the Lord will never provide an important transportation revelation through his Prophet seems like pretty weak logic.

I would not follow specific investment advice of a Bishop or Stake President, at least not before making their superiors aware. I haven't ever been told those guys are infallible. However, suppose God tells me that President Nelson is his prophet. If President Nelson preaches in general conference that we need to do an all-chips-in bet on grain futures, then I would hope I would be willing to do that. God would have good reason to be upset with me if I did not. I do not want to be in that boat, even if the famine never comes.

Of course, none of that applies if God does not tell you that President Nelson is a prophet. I don't believe He would hold you at fault for not following that instruction. If some random religious guy preaches something, then I'll think about it and come to my own conclusions. If God tells me to follow someone specific, seems like I would be under strict obligation to do that, even if it means staring at a snake on a stick. It does not matter how unrelated to religion that person's instructions might be.