Jesus Christ chose a holy man, a righteous man, to lead the
Restoration of the fulness of His gospel. He chose Joseph Smith. On his first
visit to the Prophet Joseph Smith at age 17, an angel called Joseph by name and
told him that he, Moroni, was a messenger sent from the presence of God and
that God had a work for him to do. Imagine what Joseph must have thought when
the angel then told him that his name would “be had for good and evil among all
nations, kindreds, and tongues.”1Perhaps the shock in
Joseph’s eyes caused Moroni to repeat again that both good and evil would be
spoken of him among all people.2
The good spoken of Joseph Smith came slowly; the evil speaking
began immediately. Joseph wrote, “How very strange it was that an obscure boy …
should be thought … of sufficient importance to attract … the most bitter
persecution.”3
While love for Joseph grew, so also did
hostility. At the age of 38, he was murdered by a mob of 150 men with painted
faces.4While the Prophet’s
life abruptly ended, the good and evil spoken of Joseph was just beginning.
Should we be surprised with the evil
spoken against him? The Apostle Paul was called mad and deranged.5 Our Beloved
Savior, the Son of God, was labeled gluttonous, a winebibber, and possessed of
a devil.6
The Lord told Joseph of his destiny:
“The ends of the earth shall inquire
after thy name, and fools shall have thee in derision, and hell shall rage
against thee;
“While the pure in heart, … the wise, … and
the virtuous, shall seek … blessings constantly from under thy hand.”7
Why does the Lord allow the evil
speaking to chase after the good? One reason is that opposition against the
things of God sends seekers of truth to their knees for answers.8
Joseph Smith is the prophet of
the Restoration. His spiritual work began with the appearance of the Father and
the Son, followed by numerous heavenly visitations. He was the instrument in
God’s hands in bringing forth sacred scripture, lost doctrine, and the
restoration of the priesthood. The importance of Joseph’s work requires more
than intellectual consideration; it requires that we, like Joseph, “ask of
God.”9 Spiritual
questions deserve spiritual answers from God.
Many of those who dismiss the
work of the Restoration simply do not believe that heavenly beings speak to men
on earth. Impossible, they say, that golden plates were delivered by an angel
and translated by the power of God. From that disbelief, they quickly reject
Joseph’s testimony, and a few unfortunately sink to discrediting the Prophet’s
life and slandering his character.
We are especially saddened when
someone who once revered Joseph retreats from his or her conviction and then
maligns the Prophet.10
“Studying the Church … through
the eyes of its defectors,” Elder Neal A. Maxwell once said, is “like
interviewing Judas to understand Jesus. Defectors always tell us more about
themselves than about that from which they have departed.”11
Jesus said, “Bless them that
curse you, … and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.”12 Let us offer
kindness to those who criticize Joseph Smith, knowing in our own hearts that he
was a prophet of God and taking comfort that all this was long ago foretold by
Moroni.
How should we respond to a
sincere inquirer who is concerned about negative comments he or she has heard
or read about the Prophet Joseph Smith? Of course, we always welcome honest and
genuine questions.
To questions about Joseph’s
character, we might share the words of thousands who knew him personally and
who gave their lives for the work he helped establish. John Taylor, who was
shot four times by the mob that killed Joseph, would later declare: “I testify
before God, angels, and men, that [Joseph] was a good, honorable, [and]
virtuous man— … [and] that his private and public character was
unimpeachable—and that he lived and died as a man of God.”13
We might remind the sincere
inquirer that Internet information does not have a “truth” filter. Some
information, no matter how convincing, is simply not true.
Years ago I read a Time magazine article that
reported the discovery of a letter, supposedly written by Martin Harris, that
conflicted with Joseph Smith’s account of finding the Book of Mormon plates.14
A few members left the Church
because of the document.15
Sadly, they left too quickly.
Months later experts discovered (and the forger confessed) that the letter was
a complete deception.16You may
understandably question what you hear on the news, but you need never doubt the
testimony of God’s prophets.
We might remind the inquirer that
some information about Joseph, while true, may be presented completely out of
context to his own day and situation.
Elder Russell M. Nelson
illustrated this point. He said: “I was serving as a consultant to the United
States government at its National Center for Disease Control in Atlanta,
Georgia. Once while awaiting a taxi to take me to the airport after our
meetings were over, I stretched out on the lawn to soak in a few welcome rays
of sunshine before returning to the winter weather of Utah. … Later I received
a photograph in the mail taken by a photographer with a telephoto lens,
capturing my moment of relaxation on the lawn. Under it was a caption, ‘Governmental
consultant at the National Center.’ The picture was true, the caption was true,
but the truth was used to promote a false impression.”17 We do not
discard something we know to be true because of something we do not yet
understand.
We might remind the inquirer that
Joseph was not alone in the visit of angels.
The Book of Mormon witnesses
wrote, “We declare with words of soberness, that an angel of God came down from
heaven, and … we beheld and saw the plates.”18 We could quote
many others as well.19
A sincere inquirer should see the
spreading of the restored gospel as the fruit of the Lord’s work through the
Prophet.
There are now more than 29,000
congregations and 88,000 missionaries teaching the gospel across the world.
Millions of Latter-day Saints are seeking to follow Jesus Christ, live
honorable lives, care for the poor, and give of their time and talents in helping
others.
Jesus said:
“A good tree cannot bring forth
evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. …
“… By their fruits ye shall
know them.”20
These explanations are
convincing, but the sincere inquirer should not rely on them exclusively to
settle his or her search for truth.
Each believer needs a spiritual
confirmation of the divine mission and character of the Prophet Joseph Smith.
This is true for every generation. Spiritual questions deserve spiritual
answers from God.
Recently while I was on the East
Coast of the United States, a returned missionary spoke to me about a friend
who had become disillusioned with information he had received about the Prophet
Joseph Smith. They had spoken several times, and the returned missionary seemed
to have some doubts himself as a result of the discussions.
Although I hoped he could
strengthen his friend, I felt concerned for his own testimony. Brothers and
sisters, let me give you a caution: you won’t be of much help to others if your
own faith is not securely in place.
A few weeks ago I boarded a plane
for South America. The flight attendant directed our attention to a safety
video. “It is unlikely,” we were warned, “but if cabin pressure changes, the
panels above your seat will open, revealing oxygen masks. If this happens,
reach up and pull a mask toward you. Place the mask over your nose and mouth.
Slip the elastic strap over your head and adjust the mask if necessary.” Then
this caution: “Be sure to adjust your own mask before helping others.”
The negative commentary about the
Prophet Joseph Smith will increase as we move toward the Second Coming of the
Savior. The half-truths and subtle deceptions will not diminish. There will be
family members and friends who will need your help. Now is the time to adjust
your own spiritual oxygen mask so that you are prepared to help others who are
seeking the truth.21
A testimony of the Prophet Joseph
Smith can come differently to each of us. It may come as you kneel in prayer,
asking God to confirm that he was a true prophet. It may come as you read the
Prophet’s account of the First Vision. A testimony may distill upon your soul
as you read the Book of Mormon again and again. It may come as you bear your
own testimony of the Prophet or as you stand in the temple and realize that
through Joseph Smith the holy sealing power was restored to the earth.22With faith and real
intent, your testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith will strengthen. The
constant water balloon volleys from the sidelines may occasionally get you wet,
but they need never, never extinguish your burning fire of faith.
To the youth listening today or
reading these words in the days ahead, I give a specific challenge: Gain a
personal witness of the Prophet Joseph Smith. Let your voice help fulfill
Moroni’s prophetic words to speak good of the Prophet. Here are two ideas:
First, find scriptures in the Book of Mormon that you feel and know are
absolutely true. Then share them with family and friends in family home evening,
seminary, and your Young Men and Young Women classes, acknowledging that Joseph
was an instrument in God’s hands. Next, read the testimony of the Prophet
Joseph Smith in the Pearl of Great Price or in this pamphlet, now in 158 languages. You can
find it online at LDS.org or with the missionaries. This is Joseph’s own
testimony of what actually occurred. Read it often. Consider recording the
testimony of Joseph Smith in your own voice, listening to it regularly, and
sharing it with friends. Listening to the Prophet’s testimony in your own voice
will help bring the witness you seek.
The Testimony of
the Prophet Joseph Smith is now in 158 languages.
There are great and wonderful
days ahead. President Thomas S. Monson has said: “This great cause … will
continue to go forth, changing and blessing lives. … No force in the entire
world can stop the work of God. Despite what comes, this great cause will go
forward.”23
I give you my witness that Jesus
is the Christ, our Savior and Redeemer. He chose a holy man, a righteous man,
to lead the Restoration of the fulness of His gospel. He chose Joseph Smith.
I testify that Joseph Smith was
an honest and virtuous man, a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. God the Father
and His Son, Jesus Christ, did appear to him. He did translate the Book of
Mormon by the gift and power of God.
In our society beyond the veil of
death, we will clearly understand the sacred calling and divine mission of the
Prophet Joseph Smith. In that not-too-distant day, you and I and “millions
[more] shall know ‘Brother Joseph’ again.”24 In the name of Jesus
Christ, amen.
“What are Your Fruits?”
cji
4/15/19
Wherefore when going
forth
leaving examples and
fruits
are these good and
nourishing
can they be shared
unafraid
are they reteachable
for all
what will be your
trail/history
remembered and loved
for being yourself and
warm
or as the winter winds
gone
people will be happy
leaving
what are your fruits
found
as Joseph’s or someone
else?
Copyright ©
2019 – cji
No comments:
Post a Comment