OH how I can not wait to meet this Man some day. After I meet the Savior of course.
Joseph Smith a fourteen year old boy with a heart full of faith, the desire to become His most divine self, a question and a prayer that has, and will continue to change to world forever...
At a young age Joseph Smith was concerned for the welfare of his soul. He wanted to be with God forever, however... He was unsure how that was possible.
His parents were grand examples, they taught Him as much as they knew about God, they lived in a dark time where original truths were lost. Yet were unsure of how to find it.
Families were torn apart, friendships were lost, and many Churches were rising. Confusion was growing.
As He continued to grow His concerns deepened, each Church claimed truth, He knew not which one to join. Therefor he turned to The Bible, as he studied He learned there was one Lord, One Faith, and ONE baptism. Which one was THEE FAITH? That's what he needed to figure out. He had the true desire to find out. He found in the Bible James one verse 5
5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth
to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
Thats when he knew, He needed to do JUST as it says and ask God. How to ask? He was unsure. One day He entered into a grove of trees now known as the sacred grove, He began to pray out loud. I would try to explain his experience in my own words but I could never do it justice! This is what He described:
"15 After I had retired to the place where I had previously
designed to go, 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.
16 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 from 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 brightness of the sun,
which descended gradually until it fell upon me.
17 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!
18 My object in going
to inquire of the Lord was to know which of all the sects was right, that I
might know which to join. No sooner, therefore, did I get possession of myself,
so as to be able to speak, than I asked the Personages who stood above me in
the light, which of all the sects was right (for at this time it had never
entered into my heart that all were wrong)—and which I should join.
19 I was answered
that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong; and the Personage who
addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that
those professors were all corrupt; that: “they draw near to me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of
men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof.”
Many people did not believe that Joseph had seen a vision, for as far as they knew God had ceased to do so, however... Our God is an unchangeable God. If he ceased to do miracles than He would be a changeable God. He has revealed His truths to prophets of old, so why would He not follow that same pattern and reveal His truths to Prophets today?
"24 However, it was nevertheless a fact that I had beheld a
vision. I have thought since, that I felt much like Paul, when he made his
defense before King Agrippa, and related the account of the vision he had when
he saw a light, and heard a voice; but still there were but few who believed
him; some said he was dishonest, others said he was mad; and he was ridiculed
and reviled. But all this did not destroy the reality of his vision. He had
seen a vision, he knew he had, and all the persecution under heaven could not
make it otherwise; and though they should persecute him unto death, yet he
knew, and would know to his latest breath, that he had both seen a light and
heard a voice speaking unto him, and all the world could not make him think or
believe otherwise.
25 So it was with me.
I had actually seen a light, and in the midst of that light I saw two
Personages, and they did in reality speak to me; and though I was hated and
persecuted for saying that I had seen a vision, yet it was true; and while they
were persecuting me, reviling me, and speaking all manner of evil against me
falsely for so saying, I was led to say in my heart: Why persecute me for
telling the truth? I have actually seen a vision; and who am I that I can
withstand God, or why does the world think to make me deny what I have actually
seen? For I had seen a vision; I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I could
not deny it, neither dared I do it; at least I knew that by so doing I would
offend God, and come under condemnation."
Now before my mission I struggled to fully KNOW that Joseph Smith was in deed a Prophet, when I got called to serve HERE at the sites where the Gospel of Jesus Christ was restored... I felt very inadequate. As time is passing and I stand in the grove of trees where God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ appeared to the young boy Joseph Smith there is a feeling within this grove that I could not deny. That Joseph Smith did indeed see Jesus Christ as He explained.
The way my testimony has become strengthened is by ASKING God, by reading the Book Of Mormon, and by submitting my stubbornness and my desires to bring them inline with God. The next part to James 1 is verse 6
" 6 But let him ask in
faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven
with the wind and tossed."
If you feel like it is impossible to believe, put your faith to the test, and ask God. Joseph Smith KNEW with all He was that God would answer Him. I have grown to know over my short 22 years of life that Joseph Smith did indeed restore the true church of Jesus Christ to the earth again. The world was in a great need of a restoration and not a reformation. He brought back original truths that had been long since lost. He brought back the TRUE light of Christ to a world.
The world we live in today has become so dark and so twisted, it seems as though there is no hope. I know that there is, and the only way that hope can be found is through Following The Savior Jesus Christ, by living the teaching of Jesus Christ presented through the Book of Mormon. To study the Bible, and The Book Of Mormon together. To reaally feast upon the words of Christ. The Book of Mormon has FOREVER changed my very being. The more I read it and live what I read, the closer to Christ I grow, and the MORE happiness I have found. Not just happiness, but PURE JOY. Joy in Christ. My Savior. My king, My best friend, My EVERYTHING.
"7 ¶Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find;
knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh
findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened." Matthew 5
I know that God calls Prophets today just as He has in times of old. He loves us all and He wants ALL of us to live with Him FOREVER.
" 7 Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he
revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets."
Amos 3:7
