I Have a Question: Many times in prophecy, the present and past tenses are used, even though the prophecy refers to a future event. Can you explain the use of verb tenses in prophecy? Ricks, Stephen D.. "I Have a Question: Many times in prophecy, the present and past tenses are used, even though the prophecy refers to a future event. Can you explain the use of verb tenses in prophecy?" Ensign 18, no. 8 (1988): 27-28.