The Man Called Joseph Smith

Photos From LDS Media Library

The name of Joseph Smith is known across the globe, far and wide.  Some connect this name with an inspirational prophet, and others with a wicked religious group.  And yet others have no opinion on the name, but have simply heard it.  Who is the man with the name known all around the world?

His fame started when he was still a teenager.  In his own words:  "It caused me serious reflection then, and often since, how very strange it was that an obscure boy, of a little over fourteen years of age ... should be thought a character of sufficient importance to attract the attention of the great ones of the most popular sects of the day" (Joseph Smith-History 1:23).  It began with  when he prayed to the Lord to know which church he was to join.  He was a God-fearing boy that wanted to do what was right in the sight of God, and the first step was to join the pure religion of Christ.  However, he didn't know which religion contained the pure gospel, and so he prayed to find an answer.  In response to this boy's honest and sincere prayer, a vision appeared in front of him - God, the Father of heaven and earth, alongside His Son, Jesus Christ - descended to teach Joseph Smith concerning the true doctrine of the Lord.

The Calling of a Prophet

The First Vision

In biblical times it was typical for God to appear to his next prophet, calling them to their work.  And, as odd as it sounds, it is not unheard of boys being called to be prophets for the Lord, to guide his people.  Samuel, one of the most recognized prophets in the days of the Israelites, was called when a young child.  When the Lord's people lacked a leader to speak the divine word, a new prophet was called to the work.  Going back to the last known time prophets were called - when the Lord Jesus Christ personally lived on the earth - the New Testament teaches us that after the death of Christ, the rest of those that followed his teachings were persecuted, and eventually put to death as well.  Other religions sprouted back up, restoring the parts of the gospel that they could based off of tradition and scripture, but the pure gospel as taught by Christ was no longer available.  This was foretold by Christ and his apostles.  Paul wrote to the Thessalonians that "that day [when Christ comes a second time] shall not come, except there come a falling away first" (2 Thes. 2:3).

As in ancient times, to restore the lost truths, God needed to call a prophet to bring them back to light.  This he did when he visited Joseph Smith in 1820.  In answer to the young Smith's question - no church at that time contained the full gospel, because it was lost with the death of the ancient apostles, and Joseph was to be the prophet that restored the lost truths again to the world.

Prophetic Scripture
With the restoration of these truths came new scripture:  The Book of Mormon.  This is in accordance to the Lord's divine pattern.  What is the Bible, if not a collection of continual scripture written by prophets as ages passed?  Moses wrote four books of the Old Testament, and brought the Mosaic law from Sinai, then new scripture to the people.  We could go through the Bible and see all the prophets that have brought forth new scripture during their calling to lead the people - Isaiah recorded the most notable Messianic prophecies of any prophet, Jeremiah was writing new revelation approximately 600 B.C., thousands of years after Moses' original records, and so on.

Scripture brought forth by the prophets were most often direction from the Lord to the people of that time period.  The Mosaic law was given by God to the Israelites, to be followed until the birth of the Savior, who would present a higher law.  Jeremiah, Isaiah, Daniel, and many others, received revelation from the Lord to the kings and rulers of their times, to guide the people through secular hardship.  When Joseph Smith restored the gospel in our time, the Lord had to reveal new direction specifically for our times.  Alongside the Book of Mormon - a spiritual guide for our lives - came the Doctrine and Covenants, which contains secular guidance.  Later came the Pearl of Great Price and other biblical writings, to further teach us spiritually.

Priesthood Authority
With the restoration of the gospel and God's word, must of necessity come the restoration of authority over spiritual matters - the Priesthood.  Since earliest days in the Old Testament we read of the priesthood.  The lesser, or Aaronic, priesthood was ordained upon Aaron the priest, and all his generations after him until the time of Christ.  This priesthood gave the priests authority to perform the outward ordinances of the church - baptism, sacrifices (later the Lord's supper taking place of sacrifices), among others.  The greater, or Melchizedek, priesthood was ordained upon the prophets, allowing them the authority from God to preside over spiritual matters - ordinations, blessings, healing, and other matters.

On May 15th of the year 1829, the man known as John the Baptist appeared in the presence of Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, ordaining them to the Aaronic priesthood.  John was the last prophet of the Bible to fully exercise this authority, baptizing and preparing people for the coming of the Messiah, being the Elias who was prophesied to come at that time.  Therefore, it was through him that the priesthood was again ordained onto another prophet.  Sometime following the visit of John the Baptist came the visitation of Peter, James and John the Beloved - the three presiding apostles in the ancient church.  These three ordained Joseph and Oliver to the Melchizedek priesthood.  With these two priesthoods Joseph Smith had the authority to restore the gospel and organize the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

I Believe...
Although I did not know the man called Joseph Smith, I have studied his words and deeds, and prayed concerning the Church he organized in 1830.  I believe with all my heart that this is the true church of God, containing the pure gospel of Jesus Christ, which, if we follow, we will return to live in the kingdom of heaven.

God's Commandments Bring Happiness

Divine Guidance

Remember how our parents would teach us rules when we were young? Rules like not playing in the street or not playing with matches. Remember how sometimes the rules seemed like a burden, like our parents must have invented them to keep us from doing the things we really wanted to do—the things we thought would make us happy? As we grow up we learn how important these rules are, how we could have been seriously injured or even killed if we had not obeyed.

Like our parents growing up, God gives us commandments to help keep us focused on what is most important and how to stay safe. All of His guidance is meant to keep us safe, help us stay close to Him and, in the end, to give us more freedom and happiness.

The word "commandment" might make us think of the Ten Commandments—a list of "Thou Shalt Nots"—God does not only tell us what we should not do, but He also tells us what we should do. His greatest hope is for our eternal happiness, so we can be sure that His commandments are not restrictive rules, but they are divine guidance meant to protect us from harm and lead us to better ways of living. (Read more at http://mormon.org/commandments.)

Road Signs

Have you ever gone on a long road trip before the age of GPS?  One that required changing freeways and highways and many confusing directions?  It can be very difficult to get from the starting point to the end destination on these trips.  To help with such endeavors we have resources like maps and road signs to guide us through our journey.  If we know where we want to go we can follow the signs that guide us in that direction.

I've learned that commandments are very similar to road signs.  We are on a long journey of sorts right now, working our way through this life with the hope of making it back to the presence of God.  The path can be confusing, often sins disguise themselves to look like good actions or thoughts.  It is by following the commandments set by God that we can make it through life with the least amount of physical, emotional and spiritual pain.

Commandments Bring Happiness

Elder Robert D. Hales, member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has explained:  "These commandments are loving instructions provided by God our Father for our physical and spiritual well-being and happiness while in mortality ... The commandments are not a burden or a restriction.  Every commandment of the Lord is given for our development, progress, and growth."  Elder Hales continues by quoting Joseph Smith, "God has designed our happiness ... 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." ("If Thou Wilt Enter In Life, Keep the Commandments," April 1996 General Conference.)

When the Lord commands us to stay away from substances it is because those substances are harmful to our bodies.  When we are commanded to do things it is because those things will benefit us.  Closing, I again use the words of Elder Hales:

"How I love the commandments of the Lord!  They guide and protect us and allow us to return back into the presence of our Heavenly Father.  If we faithfully obey the commandments, we are promised the blessings of eternal life."

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Those who desire to know more about the commandments of God, or have any questions concerning the things mentioned above, you can ask missionaries here.

"Does God Care About Me?"

There may be times in our lives where we ask ourselves questions like "Is God really there?" "Does God care about me?" or "How can I know that God loves me?"  Maybe in these trying times we are going through illness, loss of a job, or some other tough situation.  It can be very difficult to feel God's love in such circumstances.  What can we do when this happens to us?  I will share three ways in which I have found comfort knowing of God's love when I have been in such a place in my own life.

1. Guidance Through Scripture
In my teenage years I was unsure how I felt about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or religion generally.  However, a time came when I had a mental collapse and didn't know what I wanted.  In my journal I described it as thus:

"Physically I was fine afterward, but I wanted to die... Eventually my thoughts drifted towards a friend's question:  When was the last time you read the Book of Mormon?  I didn't know why, but I knew I had to read the book."

While reading I learned of someone who felt much like I did then.  His name was Alma Jr.  Alma explains how he came to know of God's love when he wrote:  "I remembered also to have heard my father prophesy unto the people concerning the coming of one Jesus Christ, a Son of God, to atone for the sins of the world.  Now, as my mind caught hold upon this thought, I cried within my heart:  O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, who am in the gall of bitterness, and am encircled about by the everlasting chains of death.  And now, behold, when I thought this I could remember my pains no more" (see Alma 36).

As I read about the story of Alma Jr. I knew I could also feel the same way that he did if I prayed to the Lord as he did.

2. Comfort in Prayer
Quoting my journal again, after closing my scriptures I found a quiet place where I could have complete privacy, and "I then said the shortest prayer of my life.  'God, do you love me?'  The feeling I got was one big powerful, 'Of course I do.'"  At that moment I felt a peace I had not known before, or in Alma's words I could remember my pains no more.

After that short prayer I felt confidence in myself, love towards God, and hope for what I could still do in life.

3. Strength From Others
Returning from my prayer I talked with a couple close friends of mine.  They could sense I was having a hard time and one of them said, "God loves you, and we're here for you.  You'll get through it."

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Of course going through such times is never an easy thing and could take a long time to do, but when we read the scriptures, pray for help from the Lord, and use the added strength of friends and family we can get through these situations.  We can all have the assurance that I received that God is really there, he does care about us, and even loves us.

"Above all, never lose faith in your Father in Heaven, who loves you more than you can comprehend. As President Monson said to the Relief Society sisters so movingly last Saturday evening: “That love never changes. … It is there for you when you are sad or happy, discouraged or hopeful. God’s love is there for you whether or not you feel you deserve [it]. It is simply always there.” Never, ever doubt that, and never harden your heart." (Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, Like a Broken Vessel, 2013.)

If you would like to read the Book of Mormon visit http://mormon.org/free-book-of-mormon
And if you'd like to talk more about the scriptures, prayer, or religion in general visit http://mormon.org/chat

The Divine Role of Prophets

Prophets carry a divine mission – to guide God’s people and express the Lord’s will for the world. It is not an easy thing to do, nor is it often the popular thing to do, but throughout history mankind has been blessed to have prophets to give them warnings and advice. First and foremost in the mission of a prophet is to teach the people concerning Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

A Glimpse of the Past - Moses
The most famous example of a prophet may be Moses of the Old Testament. He was called by the Lord through the burning bush on the mountain to free God’s people from the grasp of the Pharaoh. Through God’s power, the plagues of Egypt, Moses was able to carry out his mission to free the Children of Israel from Egypt. However, Moses’ calling did not end with leaving Egypt. Throughout the Holy Scriptures we see that once a man is called a prophet he is a prophet until he dies. In Moses’ case, he had to then teach the Children of Israel the ways of the Lord and how to leave behind the ways of Pharaoh.

In addition to being their spiritual leader he was also being their physical leader, guiding them to the Promised Land – the land promised to their fathers – Canaan. While in the wilderness Moses showed repeatedly that Jehovah is God, and that the people should follow Him. A snake was raised up on a stick to remind the Children of Israel of the Atonement of Christ:

"Behold a type was raised up in the wilderness, that whosoever would look upon it might live...  Cast about your eyes and begin to believe in the Son of God, that he will come to redeem his people, and that he shall suffer and die to atone for their sins" (Alma 33:19, 22).

On Mount Sinai God gave unto Moses the tablets containing the Ten Commandments. It was also in this wilderness that the Tabernacle was constructed. In replace of the practices of the Egyptians, sacrifices were offered unto God, symbolic of Christ’s death for men.

The last thing concerning Moses I will mention is the Mosaic Law that was given by God to the Children of Israel. The laws given, the commandments that took part in it, all pointed to Christ and the work He had yet to do during His mortal ministry on earth.

"And, notwithstanding we believe in Christ, we keep the law of Moses, and look forward with steadfastness unto Christ, until the law shall be fulfilled" (2 Nephi 25:24).

Are There Modern Prophets?
The scriptures teach us that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. It is also evident in the Holy Bible that God used prophets to teach his people from the time of Adam through the New Testament – a period of many thousands of years. If God followed this system for so long, and is an unchanging God, one can suppose he would do the same for us today.

The Lord’s Church – The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – was restored in 1830 by a man named Joseph Smith. With the restoration of the gospel came the restoration of the call of prophets, the first prophet in modern-days being Joseph Smith. Since the days of the Prophet Joseph Smith God has again guided his church through these divinely called men, and has given his word to the entire world. The current prophet of the Lord is Thomas S. Monson. Through him we may receive the word of the Lord, and be guided through the difficult circumstances of life.

But we must follow the teachings of the prophet.  Apostle Oaks teaches:  "It is not enough to know that God lives, that Jesus Christ is our Savior, and that the gospel is true.  We must take the high road by acting upon that knowledge.  It is not enough to know that President [Thomas S. Monson] is God's prophet.  We must put his teachings to work in our lives." (Be Not Deceived, 2004.)  Eventually, by following the counsel of the prophets, we can again return to the Kingdom of God to live with Christ.

Becoming Pure Through Jesus Christ

Why Do We Need An Atonement?

In the Book of Mormon the Lord Jesus Christ declared, “No unclean thing can enter into his [God’s] kingdom;” Because we are all human and err this scripture may be discouraging.  But the Lord continues, “Therefore nothing entereth into his rest save it be those who have washed their garments in my blood, because of their faith, and the repentance of all their sins, and their faithfulness unto the end” (3Nephi 27:19).  What does Christ mean when he says we must wash our garments in his blood?

Alma Explains the Atonement

In the meridian of time Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was born on earth with a physical body.  The prophet Alma explained:

“And behold, he shall be born of Mary, at Jerusalem which is the land of our forefathers, she being a virgin, a precious and chosen vessel, who shall be overshadowed and conceive by the power of the Holy Ghost, and bring forth a son, yea, even the Son of God.

“And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.

“And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.” (Alma 7:10-12)

Just as Alma prophesied, Christ suffered all the pains and sins of mankind in the Gethsemane garden.  When he did this he acted as our mediator with God on behalf of our sins.  Jesus paid the price of our sins and so if we listen to him he will clean our souls of the sins we have committed, making us pure again.  Through this purification in the Savior we are then able to enter the kingdom of Heaven, being clean of all sins.

An Apostles Testimony - Boyd K. Packer

President Boyd K. Packer, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, has expressed his feelings on this event in these words:

“No matter what our transgressions have been, no matter how much our actions may have hurt others, that guilt can all be wiped out.  To me, perhaps the most beautiful phrase in all scripture is when the Lord said, ‘Behold, he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more.’”

*Click here formore quotes by President Packer.

As was expressed in the words of Alma and Elder Packer, because of Christ’s atonement we are able to repent of sins we commit and become clean again.

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Would you like to know more about the Atonement of Jesus Christ?
- Mormon.org/Chat
- The Atonement of Jesus Christ

Strength In Prayer

Introduction
Today I speak of a favorite topic of mine - prayer.  The first Article of Faith in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints says that, "We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost."  Prayer is a way for all of us to commune with God, our Eternal Father.  We do so in the name of Jesus Christ, the Son, and through the influence and power of the Holy Ghost.

Help In Trials
In our lives on earth all of us face hardships and trials, many of which may seem too hard to deal with ourselves.  How do we get through these trials, after doing all that we can do?  The Savior has promised, "Ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full" (John 16:24).  In prayer we may ask for help in these times, and we shall receive if we do so in faith.

Help With Temptation
Sometimes we are not having a physical hardship, but we are suffering temptations that we do not know how to get away from.  Elder Boyd K. Packer, in a General Conference address, has informed that, "When temptation comes, you can invent a delete key in your mind-"  One of these delete keys can be to say a silent prayer in our mind.  This is confirmed with the scripture found in the Doctrine and Covenants, which says, "Pray always that you enter not into temptation" (D&C 61:39).

Conclusion
Returning to the words of Elder Packer, he has said, "Do not expect to be free entirely from trouble and disappointment and pain and discouragement, for these are the things that we were sent to earth to endure."  However, we can always ask for the strength to overcome these hardships and disappointments.

"Learn to pray.  Pray often.  Pray in your mind, in your heart.  Pray on your knees.  Prayer is your personal key to heaven.  The lock is on your side of the veil." - Elder Boyd K. Packer

I love prayer, and know that when we pray in faith we are communicating with God, our Father, and he helps us in return.

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To learn more about prayer, visit the following sites:

- Back to the Basics:  Prayer

- Receiving Answers to Prayer

- Chat with a Missionary about Prayer

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - Mormonism in the First Vision

While looking over my blog last night I realized I have yet to share the story and significance of the 'First Vision' experience of Joseph Smith.  The account of Joseph's prayer in the grove of trees near his house goes back to the absolute beginning of the History of Mormonism.  I have written many posts concerning Joseph:  Meeting Moroni, the Gold Plates, Translation, the "Missing Pages," and even the vision with Sidney Rigdon, but I must now do the first vision.

Let us go back to the beginning of it now.  Joseph Smith grew up in the very early 19th century in New England.  This area at that time was going through the Second Great Awakening.  The 'Awakening' was a type of religious movement that was big in the New England area.  Christian denominations were working hard at this time to bring new people into their church.  This urge to get new members was so intense there were many arguments between the religious groups.

The family of Joseph Smith were religious, like most people at the time.  Some members of the Smith family went to one church while some others went to another church.  And there were members that did not attend a church, not knowing which one best fit their personal religious beliefs.  Joseph Smith was one that did not join a church.  He did not know which to join.  But all these religions believed to teach from the Bible and the Smith family had a Bible.  So this is where the young Joseph turned for help.

In the beginning of the book of James Joseph read the following verse:

"If any of you lack wisdom, let him as of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." (James 1:5)

*You may recognize that scripture from the post "Back to the Beginning of 'Mormonism' - Prayer."  If you'd like to go in more depth on that scripture check out that post.

The scripture simply explains that if a person needs guidance, especially spiritual guidance as was Joseph's case, then they could pray to God and receive the answer.  Understanding this, the young Smith decided to do just that.

Joseph chose the grove of trees near his house to say this prayer.  And now I'd like to use Joseph's own words:

"Having looked around me, and finding myself alone, I kneeled down and began to offer up the desires of my heart to God.  I had scarcely done so, when immediately I was seized upon by some power which entirely overcame me, and had such an astonishing influence over me as to bind my tongue so that I could not speak.  Thick darkness gathered around me, and it seemed to me for a time as if I were doomed to sudden destruction.
"But, exerting all my powers to call upon God to deliver me out of the power of this enemy which had seized upon me, and at the very moment when I was ready to sink into despair and abandon myself to destruction - not to an imaginary ruin, but to the power of some actual being form the unseen world, who had such marvelous power as I had never before felt in any being - just at this moment of great alarm, I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the birghtness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me.
"It no sooner appeared than I found myself delivered from the enemy which held me bound.  When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air.  One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other - This is My Beloved Son.  Hear Him!"
- Joseph Smith History -

Standing in front of young Joseph Smith were God, the Father, and Jesus the Christ.  Having prayed to learn which church to join he then asked the two divine beings which church he should join.  The answer was that none of the churches at the time held the full gospel of Christ and so Joseph was not supposed to join any of them.  But the time would come that the true gospel of Christ would be restored to the world.

That church, formed by Joseph Smith in 1830 and restoring the gospel of Christ, is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

*If you'd like to better understand what the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believes (what some people refer to as 'Mormonism') visit this post:  "What is Mormonism?"
You can also chat with a missionary about the Church and ask your questions here: Chat with a Missionary.

Back to the Basics: Prayer

At the moment I'd like to go back to the basics.  Not the basics of 'Mormonism' alone, but to the basics of all Christianity:  Prayer.  I do not know of a Christian religion that does not pray to God.  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is no different.

What is prayer?  For the answer I turn to 'Guide to the Scriptures' as published by the Church of Jesus Christ.  "A reverent communication with God during which a person gives thanks and asks for blessings."

One definition of 'reverence' is "deeply respectful."  If we think of prayer as a deeply respectful communication with God during which a person gives thanks and asks for blessings, then we can see that prayer is more than simple spoken words.  Prayer can be spoken or silent.  Quoting again the guide to the scriptures we read, "A person's thoughts may also be a prayer if they are directed to God."  God knows our thoughts (see Matthew 12:25, Luke 6:8, etc.) and therefore we can pray through thoughts.  The Book of Mormon teaches, "He commanded the multitude that they should cease to pray, and also his disciples.  And he commanded them that they should not cease to pray in their hearts." (3 Nephi 20:1)

Why should we pray to God?  To answer this question I turn to the LDS Bible Dictionary.  "As soon as we learn the true relationship in which we stand toward God (namely, God is our Father, and we are his children), then at once prayer becomes natural and instinctive on our part."

I love the record of St. Matthew because it shows this:

"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
"For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
"Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?
"Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?
"If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?"
- Matthew 7:7-11 -

God is the father of our spirits.  He knows what we need and how to give it to us, we simply need to ask him in faith, as St. Matthew has written.  Before this life we lived with him as his children, and if we live according to his commandments we will live with him again after this life.  (Learn more about that here.)

I like to think of it this way - Do you remember going on a vacation for the first time without your parents?  Or you can even think of it as moving out of home for the first time.  Most people in these situations want to call their parents to talk with them, share the exciting times and get guidance.  Likewise, the parents await to hear from their kids in these circumstances to share with the child in their excitement and to offer their guidance.  Prayer is no different.  We are a long way from our spiritual father and he is willing to talk to us if we are willing to talk to him.  He will share in our excitement, misery, or pain.  He will give us guidance and counsel as needed.

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Want to know more about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 'Mormonism,' or prayer?  You can chat with a missionary here and you can ask all of your questions.