Around August last year, I had a feeling come into my mind that I needed to learn more about the Prophet, Joseph Smith. It seemed different because Joseph Smith hadn’t been on my mind. I’ll also admit that, in the past, I had known I needed to gain a stronger assurance of Joseph Smith’s mission but I hadn’t gotten around to doing it.
So how would I learn more about the Prophet? Naturally, I thought I should get a book about him. Over the years, I had heard of a particular book called “Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith.” The book is a compilation of Joseph Smith’s prophecies, teachings, and insights that his grand nephew put together. I bought the book and began reading.
Around the same time that I bought the book, October rolled around, which means, as a member of my Church, I listen to General Conference, an event where our leaders help me understand God’s will. Towards the end of the Conference, Russell M. Nelson, our current prophet, asked members to learn more about Joseph Smith. When I heard this, I knew it wasn’t a coincidence that I’d felt that feeling a couple months back—God was trying to send me a message that I needed to learn more about this man.
Quick Sketch on Joseph Smith
So who exactly was Joseph Smith? He was born to a humble, God-fearing family in 1805. He grew up during a period of time known as the Second Great Awakening. This era was characterized by a religious fervor sweeping different parts of the country—many people had anxiety about the welfare of their own souls and Joseph was affected by this. He had a keen interest in understanding which church to join. He ultimately came to the conclusion that he needed to ask God.
In the Spring of 1820, Joseph went to a grove of trees not too far from his family’s home to ask God which church to join. While he was praying, a miraculous event occurred. God, the Ruler of the Universe, and his Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, appeared to the young boy in what is referred to as “The First Vision.” During this experience, Joseph asked God and Jesus which church was correct and was instructed to not join any of the current churches. He was told that the true church of Christ was not yet on the Earth but that it would be made known to him.1
In subsequent years, God chose Joseph to restore His church. The Restoration of the Gospel included the legitimate authority to act in God’s name, referred to as the Priesthood, a new book of scripture, known as the Book of Mormon, and other divine laws necessary to operate God’s kingdom on the Earth.
Some Takeaways from the Book
As I read the book, one of the things that occurred to me was how much “in over his head” Joseph was in restoring Christ’s church. Joseph was very young and uneducated when he was called to this mission. Due to the magnitude of his calling, to have any degree of effectiveness, he had no choice but to constantly seek God’s will while, at the same time, developing his own judgement. And while he had a few individuals who he could call close friends, I can’t help but wonder how alone he must have felt—no one could really relate to him.
Joseph’s life was in a constant state of flux. From keeping himself worthy to receive God’s revelations to leading a fledgling church to dealing with corrupt government officials, the roller coaster never stopped. In the book, he laments how difficult it was for him to find peace.2 He points out that many prophets before his time were either killed or forced to flee hostile environments. He would continue receiving fierce persecution until finally being murdered at the age of 38.
Perhaps my biggest takeaway from reading the book was how much Joseph revolutionized the concepts behind Christianity. He solved the mystery of the nature of God revealing that God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are three separate beings. He revealed that not only is there life beyond death, but that the human race will self-perpetuate into the eternities, as family units, and that this privilege can only be enjoyed by those who enter into agreements with God and keep His commandments. He taught that everyone, no matter when or where they lived during the Earth’s existence, will receive the opportunity to hear Christ’s gospel whether in this life or the next. He taught that God still uses the same pattern that He did in the Bible to reveal His gospel on the Earth—through prophets—and that these prophets have been given the authority to establish God’s church. Many others principles are discussed in the book.
A Normal Person Just like Everyone Else
One morning, when I was nearly done reading the book, a thought came to mind. It occurred to me that Joseph was really a normal person like all of us. He had his problems and insecurities like everyone else. He was fighting through life trying to figure things out. And just like every follower of Christ before him, he had to experience trials to draw closer to God. God uses normal people to accomplish his purposes. Apparently, He prefers this method. Nearly two thousand years earlier, the Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians “God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty.”3
When I realized that Joseph was a regular individual trying his best to do God’s will, it gave me hope in my own journey. I’m certainly a regular person and could use divine help in my life. I like to think that if God was willing to do that for a humble farm boy in 1820 then he can certainly do that for me or anyone else that seeks after Him.
Footnotes
- “Church History,” 1 March 1842 (Wentworth Letter)
- Joseph Fielding Smith, “Discourse-Burden of the Prophet’s Ministry-Friendship,” in Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 314
- 1 Cor. 1:27 (KJV)