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Works of Joseph ...testify of Christ!
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FROM CUMORAH
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* Snow
* The Land of Joseph is the USA
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* Why Geography Matters
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* Kendra Burton
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* Stories about the Art
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* Algonquian’s
* Apache
* Blackfoot Indians
* Brigham Loves the Lamanites
* Buffalo Tiger, Chief of the Miccosukee
* Catawba
* Cherokee Tribes
* Cheyenne Tribes
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* COCOPAH INDIAN TRIBE
* Cree Chief Yellowface
* Free Masonry
* Hopi
* Iroquois Nation
* Delaware/Lenni-Lenape
* Maps of the Indians
* Lamanite DNA
* Mound Builders & Modern Indians
* Mounds
* The Moqui Indians
* Native American DNA
* Navajo
* Pawnees
* Pima
* Pottawattomie
* Polynesians of Lehi
* Prophets speak about Lamanites
* Shevwits-Paiutes
* Shoshone
* Southwest Indian Tribes
* Stockbridge Indians
* Taino Indians
* The “BOOK” of Native American Indians
* Tohono O’odham Nation (Papago)
* Trail of Tears
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* Blog
* Tools of Faith
* Altars of Stone
* B of M Witnesses
* Breastplates & Cement
* Gold Plates
* Guns & Rifles
* Joseph Smith was Irish
* Jewish Jubilees
* Liahona
* Martyrs
* Reformed Egyptian
* Rods, Staffs & Sticks
* Science
* Seer Stones
* Stone & Alvin’s Box
* Swords
* The Translation
* Two Sets of Plates
* Urim & Thummim
* Unique Tools
* “White Stone”
* Geography
* Joseph Fielding Smith Doctrines of Salvation Volume 3 Chapter 12 A VOICE
FROM CUMORAH
* A Choice Land
* America- Means United States
* Benjamin Winchester
* Chiastic Geography
* Cumorah
* Cumorah Lesson
* Battles of Cumorah
* DNA
* Greatness of the Evidence
* Hinterlands
* Land Desolation
* Lands of Promise
* United States of America
* United States Constitution
* Cainan
* Enoch
* Jerusalem
* Biet Lehi
* New Jerusalem
* North & South-Not America
* Letter II WW Phelps to Cowdery
* Letter VII-One Cumorah
* Manti in Missouri
* Maps
* Mesomania
* Meso-Theory
* Moroni’s America Blogs
* Necks, Lines, Passes, Strips and Narrows
* Prophets vs Scholars (Cumorah)
* Quotes of Leaders
* Sidon
* Snow
* The Land of Joseph is the USA
* Where did the Book of Mormon Events Happen?
* Chiastic Geography
* Whistling & Whittling Brigade
* Why Geography Matters
* Written Language
* Zarahemla
* Translation
* Art
* Ken Corbett
* Kendra Burton
* Val Chadwick Bagley
* Brooke Malia Mann
* David Lindsley
* Stories about the Art
* The Savior’s Hands
* Lamanites
* Algonquian’s
* Apache
* Blackfoot Indians
* Brigham Loves the Lamanites
* Buffalo Tiger, Chief of the Miccosukee
* Catawba
* Cherokee Tribes
* Cheyenne Tribes
* Chickasaw/Choctaw
* Chippewa
* COCOPAH INDIAN TRIBE
* Cree Chief Yellowface
* Free Masonry
* Hopi
* Iroquois Nation
* Delaware/Lenni-Lenape
* Maps of the Indians
* Lamanite DNA
* Mound Builders & Modern Indians
* Mounds
* The Moqui Indians
* Native American DNA
* Navajo
* Pawnees
* Pima
* Pottawattomie
* Polynesians of Lehi
* Prophets speak about Lamanites
* Shevwits-Paiutes
* Shoshone
* Southwest Indian Tribes
* Stockbridge Indians
* Taino Indians
* The “BOOK” of Native American Indians
* Tohono O’odham Nation (Papago)
* Trail of Tears
* Ute Indians
* Zelph
* Maps
* North American Maps
* Cool Stuff
* Moroni’s America-Land Bountiful Edition
* Humor
* Store
* Links
* Book of Mormon Evidence
* Moroni’s America
* Lost Civilizations of North America
* LDS Archaeology
* Book of Mormon Remnants
* Keeper of the Prophets Sword
* Joseph Smith Foundation
* Blake Replicas
* Mormon Art & Bronze
* JS Papers
* JS Personal Hist
* Letter to Emma
* Letters I to VIII
* Zelph Account
* BofM Blog
* You Tube
* Contact Us
* About Us
* Privacy Policy
* Terms and Conditions
* Blog
JOSEPH SMITH
Prophet, Seer, Revelator
25th Book of Mormon Evidence Virtual Conference- Online and at your home
Watch Video
THE BOOK OF MORMON EVENTS TOOK PLACE IN MORONI’S AMERICA, WHICH IS THE HEARTLAND
OF THE UNITED STATES.
THE HEARTLAND OF THE UNITED STATES IS MORONI’S AMERICA
→The Book of Mormon is the Word of God, and a Real History of a Real People
→Hill Cumorah is in Manchester, New York
→The New Jerusalem will be built in Missouri
→Adam-ondi-Ahman is in Daviess County, Missouri
→The “Plains of the Nephites” are in the Midwest (Illinois, Indiana, Ohio)
→Zelph’s mound is near Valley City, Illinois
→Zarahemla is across from Nauvoo at Montrose, Iowa
→Manti is in southeastern Missouri near Huntsville.
THIS IS THE PLACE. THERE IS ONLY “ONE CUMORAH!”
“In the face of this evidence coming from the Prophet Joseph Smith, Oliver
Cowdery, and David Whitmer, we cannot say that the Nephites and Lamanites did
not possess the territory of the United States and that the Hill Cumorah is in
Central America. Neither can we say that the great struggle which resulted in
the destruction of the Nephites took place in Central America. (continued below
the maps)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Zelph, A Man of God by Ken Corbett
(Continued from above) If Zelph, a righteous man, was fighting under a great
prophet-general in the last battles between the Nephites and Lamanites; if that
great prophet-general was known from the Rocky Mountains to “the Hill Cumorah or
eastern sea,” then some of those battles, and evidently the final battles did
take place within the borders of what is now the United States. There were no
righteous prophets, save the Three Nephites, after the death of Moroni, and we
learn that Zelph was slain during one of these battles during the great last
struggle between the Nephites and Lamanites and was buried near the Illinois
River. In the Book of Mormon story the Lamanites were constantly crowding the
Nephites back towards the north and east. If the battles in which Zelph took
part were fought in the country traversed by the Zion’s Camp, then we have every
reason to believe from what is written in the Book of Mormon, that the Nephites
were forced farther and farther to the north and east until they found
themselves in the land of Ripliancum, which both Ether and Mormon declare to us
was the land of Ramah or Cumorah, a land of “many waters,” which “by
interpretation, is large, or to exceed all.” This being true, what would be more
natural then that Moroni, like his father Mormon, would deposit the plates in
the land where the battles came to an end and the Nephites were destroyed? This
Moroni says he did, and from all the evidence in the Book of Mormon, augmented
by the testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith, these final battles took place in
the territory known as the United States and in the neighborhood of the Great
Lakes and hills of Western New York. And here Moroni found the resting place for
the sacred instruments which had been committed to his care.” Joseph Fielding
Smith, Doctrines of Salvation Vol. 3 Ch. 12 (color added)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
New Discoveries in our Knowledge of the Book of Mormon
In 1909, B. H. Roberts wrote: “Let me here say a word in relation to new
discoveries in our knowledge of the Book of Mormon, and for matter of that in
relation to all subjects connected with the work of the Lord in the earth. We
need not follow our researches in any spirit of fear and trembling. We desire
only to ascertain the truth; nothing but the truth will endure; and the
ascertainment of the truth and the proclamation of the truth in any given case,
or upon any subject, will do no harm to the work of the Lord which is itself
truth. Nor need we be surprised if now and then we find our predecessors, many
of whom bear honored names and deserve our respect and gratitude for what they
achieved in making clear the truth, as they conceived it to be–we need not be
surprised if we sometimes find them mistaken in their conceptions and
deductions; just as the generation who succeed us in unfolding in a larger way
some of the yet unlearned truths of the Gospel, will find that we have had some
misconceptions and made some wrong deductions in our day and time. . . . All
which is submitted, especially to the membership of the Church, that they may be
prepared to find and receive new truths both in the Book of Mormon itself and
about it.” (B. H. Roberts, New Witnesses for God, Vol. II. (3 Volumes), Deseret
News: Salt Lake City, 1909, pp. 503-504)
Editor Opinion
I believe the Prophet Joseph Smith actually knew a great deal about Book of
Mormon geography. I believe if you study, read and pray about the Prophet
Joseph’s writings, you will find his strong belief in the North American setting
for the Book of Mormon. Read Letter VII, Wentworth Letter, Josephs letter to
Emma, D&C 28, 30,125, 128 and many other sources that reflect this belief. I
believe it is important to know more about where Lehi landed, and Nephi served,
and where the final battles of the Nephites happened. It adds to my testimony
just as knowing the Lord was born in Bethlehem. Cumorah in New York is the key.
This is where the angel appeared to Joseph, where the plates were hidden and the
very hill where the Jaredites and Nephites were destroyed.
Below is some great counsel from the LDS Newsroom about our witnesses about
Church doctrine. I have felt a deep confirmation for example, that there is only
ONE CUMORAH. This knowledge gives me a deeper understanding of the important
role that Hill Cumorah played in the coming forth of the Book of Mormon.
“Individual members are encouraged to independently strive to receive their own
spiritual confirmation of the truthfulness of Church doctrine. Moreover, the
Church exhorts all people to approach the gospel not only intellectually but
with the intellect and the spirit, a process in which reason and faith work
together.” LDS Newsroom
Joseph Smith Knew the Nephites
“Such questions have been asked as “How much did the prophet Joseph Smith
actually know about Book of Mormon geography?” and “How much of what he knew did
he feel at liberty to reveal to his followers?” Joseph Smith was first shown the
plates of the Book of Mormon on September 22, 1823, but it was not until the
fourth anniversary of that date, i.e., in 1827, that they actually came into his
possession. What was he doing during those four years, and why that long wait
before he could get on with his important assignment of translating them into
English? A recent study documents no fewer than 22 visitations of the angel
Moroni to Joseph, as well as appearances of Nephi, Alma, Mormon, and other Book
of Mormon notables [Robert J. Woodford, “Book of Mormon Personalities Known by
Joseph Smith” The Ensign, Vol. 8, No. 8, August 1978, pp. 12-15; also “The Story
of the Doctrine and Covenants,” i.b.i.d., Vol. 14, No. 12, December 1984, pp.
32-39]. Most of these visits were made, no doubt, during this four-year period,
and many of them were reported by Lucy Mack Smith, mother of the Prophet, who in
her old age dictated a biography of her controversial son. (Smith, 1979) Chapter
18 (pp. 79-85) of Mother Smith’s biography is of particular interest. It starts
with the date September 22, 1823, when young Joseph told his father of the
visits of Moroni through the previous night. Then, that evening and the next,
his whole family gathered about to listen to him.
From this time forth, Joseph continued to receive instructions from the Lord,
and we continued to get the children together every evening for the purpose of
listening while he gave us a relation of the same. I presume our family
presented an aspect as singular as any that ever lived upon the face of the
earth–all seated in a circle, father, mother, sons and daughters, and giving the
most profound attention to a boy, eighteen years of age, who had never read the
Bible through in his life: he seemed much less inclined to the perusal of books
than any of the rest of our children, but far more given to meditation and deep
study.
During our evening conversations, Joseph would occasionally give us some of the
most amusing recitals that could be imagined. He would describe the ancient
inhabitants of this continent, their dress, mode of traveling, and the animals
upon which they rode; their cities, their buildings, with every particular;
their mode of warfare; and also their religious worship. This he would do with
as much ease, seemingly, as if he had spent his whole life among them. (Smith,
pp. 82-83) . . . In any case, the Prophet seems to have known a good deal about
ancient Nephite civilization. Why, then did he not tell his followers more about
such matters as Book of Mormon geography? Because they were not yet ready for
it, and because that was not what the Church was to become involved in at that
stage of development. It would seem, however, that he at least left a few clues
behind, perhaps to stimulate us of the present generation to further inquiry.
(Incidentally, I am not one to accept everything Joseph Smith ever said or wrote
as automatically binding; he was a human being like the rest of us. But I do
believe he had special insights, and whatever he may have had to say–even on a
subject like Book of Mormon geography–is worthy of careful consideration.)” Ross
T. Christensen at the Thirty-third Annual Symposium on the Archaeology of the
Scriptures, held at BYU on September 28 and 29, 1984.
Joseph Smith Among the Prophets by Robert L. Millet
“He is the preeminent witness of Christ in this the final dispensation. Joseph
Smith, the Mormon prophet, was little understood by the people of the nineteenth
century and may be even more of a puzzle to those who live at the end of the
twentieth. “No man knows my history,” he said once. “I cannot tell it: I shall
never undertake it. I don’t blame any one for not believing my history. If I had
not experienced what I have, I would not have believed it myself” (History of
the Church, 6:317). Like his Master, Jesus Christ, Joseph Smith was called upon
to endure a certain kind of loneliness in life. This farm boy who grew to become
a prophet could bear a personal witness of the divine Redeemer, for, like Jesus,
Joseph was also, to some degree at least, a man of sorrows and acquainted with
grief (Isa. 53:3). His life was characterized not only by persecution and
suspicion, but also by an isolation known only to those who walk in the glorious
rays of the noonday sun and yet must minister among others content to walk in
the fading light of dusk. “God is my friend,” he wrote to his wife Emma at a
difficult time. “In him I shall find comfort. I have given my life into his
hands. I am prepared to go at his call. I desire to be with Christ. I count not
my life dear to me, only to do his will” (in The Personal Writings of Joseph
Smith, compiled by Dean C. Jessee, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1984,
page 239; punctuation and spelling corrected). Such expressions give us a
glimpse of the underlying secret of his humility and success: he knew, and he
wanted all others to know, that he walked in the light of the Almighty. He was
the covenant spokesman of the Almighty; God knew it, and he knew it.
Known by the Ancients
The dispensation of the fulness of times was destined to bring to consummation
the work of the Lord. Because this era would be a time when God would “gather
together … all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on
earth” (Eph. 1:10), it was a day anticipated and longed for by the early Saints.
It was known and spoken of by them, as was the man who would lead the final
dispensation.
President Brigham Young thus observed concerning Joseph Smith: “It was decreed
in the counsels of eternity, long before the foundations of the earth were laid,
that he, Joseph Smith, should be the man, in the last dispensation of this
world, to bring forth the word of God to the people, and receive the fulness of
the keys and power of the Priesthood of the Son of God.The Lord had his eye upon
him, and upon his father, and upon his father’s father, and upon their
progenitors clear back to Abraham, and from Abraham to the flood, from the flood
to Enoch, and from Enoch to Adam. He has watched that family and that blood as
it has circulated from its fountain to the birth of that man. He was
foreordained in eternity to preside over this last dispensation” (in Discourses
of Brigham Young, selected by John A. Widtsoe, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book
Company, 1954, page 108; emphasis added).
Others knew of the coming of Joseph Smith in the last days and of the vital role
he would play in the winding-up scenes. Joseph of old (see 2 Ne. 3:7, 18), the
resurrected Savior to the Nephites (see 3 Ne. 21:9–11), Moroni (see Morm.
8:14–16, 23–25), and John the Baptist (see JST, John 1:20–22) all spoke of a
great prophet, a great Elias who was to restore all things before the second
coming of the Messiah. (SeeTeachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, page 364.)
There is another sense in which Joseph Smith was known to the ancients: he was
schooled and tutored by them during his own mortal ministry. Save Jesus Christ
only, the world has never known a more competent scriptural authority than
Joseph Smith. It is one thing to read a book of scripture and quite another to
be personally instructed by its authors. Who among the world’s scholars and
religious leaders can lay claim to having stood face to face with Adam, Enoch,
Noah, Moses, Elijah, John the Baptist, Peter, James, and John? Who can speak
with authority about life in ancient America because of lessons learned from
Nephi, Mormon, Moroni, and other ancient American Hebrews? (See Journal of
Discourses, 13:47; 17:374; 21:94, 161–64; 23:362.) Many of Joseph’s heavenly
visitors laid their hands on his head and conferred their priesthood keys and
authorities. (See D&C 128:20.)
In summarizing these events, President John Taylor said: “Joseph Smith in the
first place was set apart by the Almighty according to the counsels of the gods
in the eternal worlds, to introduce the principles of life. … The principles
which he had, placed him in communication with the Lord, and … with the ancient
apostles and prophets; such men, for instance, as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Noah,
Adam, Seth, Enoch, and Jesus and the Father, and the apostles that lived on this
continent as well as those who lived on the Asiatic continent. He seemed to be
as familiar with these people as we are with one another. Why? Because he had to
introduce a dispensation which was called the dispensation of the fulness of
times, and it was known as such by the ancient servants of God” (in Journal of
Discourses, 21:94; emphasis added). Joseph Smith knew the scriptures, he knew
their precepts, he knew their prophets, and he knew the central character—the
Lord Jesus Christ.
A Dispensation Head
The Apostle Paul explained that “the spirits of the prophets are subject to the
prophets” (1 Cor. 14:32). There is an order even among those called as oracles
and mouthpieces of the Almighty.
Elder Bruce R. McConkie observed: “You start out with the Lord Jesus, and then
you have Adam and Noah. Thereafter come the dispensation heads. Then you step
down, appreciably, and come to prophets and apostles, to the elders of Israel,
and to wise and good and sagacious men who have the spirit of light and
understanding” (“This Generation Shall Have My Word through You,” in Hearken O
Ye People: Discourses on the Doctrine and Covenants, Sperry Symposium 1984,
Sandy, Utah: Randall Book Company, 1984, page 4).
Joseph Smith, like Adam, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and others, stands as a
dispensation head. The dispensation head becomes the means by which the
knowledge and power of God are channeled to men and women on earth. He becomes
the means by which the gospel of Jesus Christ—the plan of salvation and
exaltation—is revealed anew, the means by which divine transforming powers,
including saving covenants and ordinances, are extended to people during an age
of time called a dispensation. The dispensation head stands as the preeminent
prophetic witness of Christ; he knows firsthand because of what he has seen and
heard and felt and experienced. Because of his central place in the plan,
because it is by means of the power of his testimony that men and women come to
know the Lord and bask in the light of the Spirit, the calling and position of
the dispensation head thus becomes something to which his followers bear
witness.
Elder McConkie thus pointed out: “Every prophet is a witness of Christ; every
dispensation head is a revealer of Christ for his day; and every other prophet
or apostle who comes is a reflection and an echo and an exponent of the
dispensation head. All such come to echo to the world and to expound and unfold
what God has revealed through the man who was appointed for that era to give his
eternal word to the world” (“This Generation Shall Have My Word through You,”
pages 4–5).
To be sure, we worship the Father in the name of the Son; Christ our Lord is the
way to the Father, and his is the only name under heaven whereby man can be
saved. But, as we have seen, the dispensation head is the preeminent prophetic
revealer of Christ. Thus, to bear witness of Joseph Smith is to bear witness of
Jesus Christ, who sent him, in the same way that a testimony of Christ also
implies clearly a testimony of the Eternal Father, who sent Him. On the other
hand, to deny Joseph Smith outright—to deny the spiritual impressions which
attest to his prophetic assignment—is to deny the Lord, who sent him. Jesus told
his disciples that “he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me
despiseth him that sent me” (Luke 10:16; compare D&C 1:38; D&C 84:36; D&C
112:20).
There is a supernal power, an unusual spiritual endowment from that Lord we
worship, associated with bearing a pure and fervent testimony of Joseph Smithand
the Restoration. Such outpourings surely signify heaven’s approbation. President
Joseph F. Smith, nephew of the Prophet, declared: “I believe in the divinity of
Jesus Christ, because more than ever I come nearer the possession of the actual
knowledge that Jesus is the Christ, the son of the living God, through the
testimony of Joseph Smith … that he saw Him, that he heard Him, that he received
instructions from Him, that he obeyed those instructions” (Gospel Doctrine, Salt
Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1919, page 495; emphasis added).
“… Save Jesus Only”
It is not difficult to catch an occasional glimpse of the singular role of
Joseph Smith in this final age of the world. In a spirit of gratitude and
tribute, Elder John Taylor, a man not prone to hyperbole, wrote: “Joseph Smith,
the Prophet and Seer of the Lord, has done more, save Jesus only, for the
salvation of men in this world, than any other man that ever lived in it” (D&C
135:3). More than Enoch? More than Abraham? More than Jacob? More than Moses?
What did Elder Taylor mean? We might consider the following possibilities:
1. Joseph Smith serves as the legal administrator associated with that period of
time prophesied by Joel when the Lord would pour out his Spirit upon all flesh
(see Joel 2:28–29). When Moroni first appeared to Joseph in September 1823, he
quoted these verses in Joel and said “that this was not yet fulfilled, but was
soon to be” (JS—H 1:41). In the years since Moroni’s visit, many have indeed
dreamed dreams and seen visions. Above all else, the Spirit of God has been the
driving influence behind the dissemination of eternal truth and the spiritual
transformation of those who have submitted to the terms and conditions of the
restored gospel of Jesus Christ.
In addition, this Spirit has affected those outside the faith. President Joseph
Fielding Smith, after quoting the prophecy of Joel, provided the following
insight: “There have been a great many discoveries. In fact, since the
establishment of the gospel, these discoveries and inventions have been
increasing more rapidly and we have seen more, perhaps, … than was seen during
all the years from the days of the revival of learning and the reformation down
to the visitation of Moroni to the Prophet Joseph Smith” (Doctrines of
Salvation, 3 volumes, Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1954–56, 1:179). In short, the
Spirit of God—meaning the Light of Christ—has been behind the rapid
intellectual, scientific, and technological developments from the time of the
Industrial Revolution to our own Information Age. Joseph Smith presides over our
age of enlightenment and expansion.
2. Though we thrill in the knowledge that God continues to guide his church and
kingdom, most of what we know today in the form of doctrine has come to us
through Joseph Smith. His call initiated the “times of restitution of all
things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the
world began” (Acts 3:21), a day of restoration that will continue throughout the
Millennium. It is called the dispensation of the fulness of times. Joseph Smith
was raised up to make known “those things which never have been revealed from
the foundation of the world, but have been kept hid from the wise and prudent,
[things that] shall be revealed unto babes and sucklings in this, the
dispensation of the fulness of times” (D&C 128:18; see also D&C 124:41).
3. With the visit of the Savior to the postmortal spirit world, the work of the
redemption of the dead began. But after the period of the Great Apostasy, this
responsibility came to rest with the final dispensation. Think on it! Joseph
Smith and his successors bear a major responsibility for the teaching of the
gospel in the world of spirits and the performance of saving ordinances for
literally billions of our Father’s children.
President Brigham Young uttered this bold statement: “Joseph Smith holds the
keys of this last dispensation, and is now engaged behind the vail in the great
work of the last days. … No man or woman in this dispensation will ever enter
into the celestial kingdom of God without the consent of Joseph Smith. From the
day that the Priesthood was taken from the earth to the winding-up scene of all
things, every man and woman must have the certificate of Joseph Smith, junior,
as a passport to their entrance into the mansion where God and Christ are. … He
holds the keys of that kingdom for the last dispensation—the keys to rule in the
spirit world. …
“Should not this thought comfort all people? They will, by-and-by, be … thankful
for such a man as Joseph Smith, junior. … It is his mission to see that all the
children of men in this last dispensation are saved, that can be, through the
redemption” (in Journal of Discourses,7:289; emphasis added).
A Tribute
As suggested earlier, the life of Joseph Smith in some degree followed the
pattern set by his Master, Jesus Christ. That pattern holds true even when
extended to its tragic conclusion. Like his Master, Joseph Smith also shed his
blood in order that the final testament, the reestablishment of the new
covenant, might be in full effect. (See Heb. 9:16.) Just prior to his death, the
Prophet Joseph was reported to have remarked:
“I am tired, I have been mobbed, I have suffered so much. Some of the brethren
think they can carry this work out better than I can, far better. I have asked
the Lord to take me out of this world. I have stood all I can. I have to seal my
testimony to this generation with my blood. I have to do it, for this work will
never progress until I am gone, for the testimony is of no force until the
testator is dead. People little know who I am when they talk about me, and they
never will know until they see me weighed in the balance in the kingdom of God.
Then they will know who I am, see me as I am” (Mary Elizabeth Rollins Lightner,
in They Knew the Prophet,compiled by Hyrum and Helen Mae Andrus, Salt Lake City:
Bookcraft, 1974, pages 26–27).
President Brigham Young offered this testimonial: “Who can justly say aught
against Joseph Smith? … I am bold to say that, Jesus Christ excepted, no better
man ever lived or does live upon this earth” (Discourses of Brigham Young, page
459). Elder Wilford Woodruff observed: “There is not so great a man as Joseph
standing in this generation. … His mind, like Enoch’s, expands as eternity, and
only God can comprehend his soul” (In Journal History, 9 April 1837).
One of the significant challenges we face as Latter-day Saints at the close of
the twentieth century is to be true and faithful to the legacy Joseph Smith left
us. The Psalmist declared that in the last days the wicked would strike at the
foundations of the faith of believers (see JST, Ps. 11:1–3) and would seek to
undermine those fundamental verities which underlie our commitment to the church
and kingdom of God. This has entailed and will yet entail attempts—both vicious
and subtle—to malign the name and labors of Joseph Smith, the founding prophet
of this dispensation. But be it remembered that the God of heaven has called and
approved Joseph Smith; those who attempt to mar the name and image of the
Prophet of the Restoration will eventually answer to God for their actions.
President George Albert Smith observed: “Many have belittled Joseph Smith, but
those who have will be forgotten in the remains of mother earth, and the odor of
their infamy will ever be with them, but honor, majesty, and fidelity to God,
exemplified by Joseph Smith and attached to his name, will never die” (cited by
Harold B. Lee in Conference Report, October 1973, page 166).
Joseph Smith was and is a prophet of the living God. I know that the Lord
appeared to him, called him, and empowered him to reveal the Father and Son and
the doctrines of salvation to a world that had been wandering for centuries in
darkness. May the Lord endow each of us with the commitment and spiritual
strength to live as we believe, in order that we can evidence our appreciation
for God our Father, for Jesus Christ his Son, d for their preeminent prophetic
witness in these last days, Joseph Smith the Prophet.
Gospel Dispensations (dates are approximate)
A gospel dispensation is “a period of time in which the Lord has at least one
authorized servant on the earth who bears the holy priesthood and the keys, and
who has a divine commission to dispense the gospel to the inhabitants of the
earth. When this occurs, the gospel is revealed anew.” There have been many
gospel dispensations since Adam. Among these were the dispensations led by
Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and the Lord himself. Other gospel dispensations
existed as well, such as those among the Nephites, the Jaredites, and the Lost
Tribes of Israel. Although the plan of salvation taught in each age of the world
is the same, each dispensation makes a unique contribution. In the dispensation
led by Jesus, for example, the Lord fulfilled the earthly requirements of the
Atonement. The dispensation led by the Prophet Joseph Smith is “the dispensation
of the fulness of times” in which the Lord will bring to culmination all the
plans he has set in motion in all ages of the world.” (See Bible Dictionary,
“Dispensations.”) Robert L. Millet is dean of Religious Education and professor
of ancient scripture at Brigham Young University. (Colored headings added)
Brigham Young about Joseph Smith
“Who can say aught against Joseph Smith? I do not think that a man lives on the
earth that knew him any better than I did, and I am bold to say that, Jesus
Christ excepted, no better man ever lived or does live upon this earth. I feel
like shouting Hallelujah all the time, when I think that I ever knew Joseph
Smith, the Prophet.” Millennial Star, XXI (July 11, 1863)
Wilford Woodruff about Joseph Smith
“The Prophet called the Quorum of the Twelve together several months before his
death, and informed them that the Lord had commanded him to hasten their
endowments; that he did not expect to remain himself to see the Temple
completed; that he wished to confer the keys of the Kingdom of God upon other
men, that they might build up the Church and Kingdom according to the pattern
given. The Prophet stood before the Twelve from day to day, clothed with the
spirit and power of God, and instructed them in the oracles of God, in the
pattern of heavenly things, in the keys of the Kingdom, in the power of the
priesthood, and in the knowledge of the last dispensation of the fulness of
times.
In his last charge to the Quorum of the Twelve, he rose up in all the majesty,
strength, and dignity of his calling, as a prophet, seer, and revelator, out of
the loins of ancient Joseph, and exhorted and commanded the brethren of the
Twelve to rise up, and go forth in the name of Israel’s God, and bear off the
keys of the Kingdom of God in righteousness and in honor in all the world. They
were instructed to walk in all holiness, godliness, faith, virtue, temperance,
patience, and charity; to do honor to the cause of God in this last dispensation
and fulness of times; and when their work was finished, to follow his example by
boldly sealing their testimony with their blood, for the word of God, and the
testimony of Jesus Christ, if necessity required it, that they might be prepared
for the reward, which is beyond the veil.
Those who were present on those occasions cannot forget the teachings that fell
from the lips of that noble, but now martyred Prophet of God. Though his body
sleeps in the tomb, his testimony lives, not only in the hearts of men, but is
on record and will remain in force, while his persecutors will reap a just
reward for all their works. And I hereby bear my testimony unto all men into
whose hands these lines may fall, that I have been acquainted with Joseph, and
Hyrum Smith, the Prophet and the Patriarch of the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints; have attended their private and public counsels from time to
time, during the last ten years of my life; and notwithstanding their enemies
have caused the earth to be deluged, as it were, with lies, slanders, and
fabrications, with the intent to injure their character and destroy their
influence among men; that I have never heard either of those men teach, counsel,
or advocate, or practice any principle that was contrary to the word of God,
virtue, or temperance, or unbecoming men standing in their high and holy
calling. On the contrary, I have been astonished at the patience, forbearance,
long-suffering, philanthropy, and charity manifested in the lives of those men.
I have been filled with joy by the beauty, order, knowledge, principles,
intelligence, and glory manifest in the teachings, counsels, and revelations of
Jesus Christ given through those servants of God, for the benefit of the
children of men in this last dispensation.” WILFORD WOODRUFF FOURTH PRESIDENT OF
THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS History of His Life and Labors
AS RECORDED IN HIS DAILY JOURNALS “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit
with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in
his throne.”—Rev. 3:21. PREPARED FOR PUBLICATION BY MATTHIAS F. COWLEY Salt Lake
City, Utah 1909
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OUR MISSION: TESTIFY, TEACH, SHARE, EXPLAIN
* TESTIFY OF CHRIST
Contemporaries of the Prophet Joseph Smith have amazing stories of faith in
the Lord. You will find strong testimonies from Women of Faith, Men of
Strength, and from members of Presidencies who all witness of the Lord's True
Church on the earth.
* TEACH THE WORKS OF JOSEPH SMITH
"Joseph Smith, the Prophet and Seer of the Lord, has done more, save Jesus
only, for the salvation of men in this world, than any other man that ever
lived in it." JSH 1:35 Joseph IS the Prophet of this, "The Last Dispensation"
and we love him.
* SHARE THE BOOK OF MORMON
“I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book
on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God
by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.” (History of the Church,
4:461.) We testify that the Book of Mormon, the Bible, the Doctrine and
Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price are the Word of God. They testify of
the Lands chosen for God's children.
* EXPLAIN HEARTLAND GEOGRAPHY
Accordingly, this nation's covenant and founding principles must be
vigorously upheld through righteous leaders in order for it to carry on its
sacred responsibility to “bless the nations of the earth” with the gospel.
That is why it is absolutely critical that righteous, God-loving and covenant
keeping leaders be chosen to lead and guide it. And that is why it is
critical to understand "where" the covenant and promised lands of the Book of
Mormon were located. That nation today is the United States of America.
"And the king said that a Seer is greater than a Prophet." Mosiah 8:15
Contact Us
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* THIS IS 1938: FIRST, THEY CAME FOR THE UNVACCINATED
This article is spot on with my feelings about covid and the jab. I wanted
you all to read it. This Is 1938: First, They Came for the Unvaccinate Wayne
Allyn Root|Posted: Aug 08, 2021 12:01 AM Share TweetThe opinions expressed
by columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of
Townhall.com. […]
By riannelson@aol.com | August 27, 2021
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* BYU HAWAII REQUIRES VACCINE
To me personally this is a very sad idea. I do not trust the current
non-approved shot that has been offered for Covid 19. I don’t believe it has
been tested long enough and it has not been approved by the FDA. It is sad to
see my Church that I love to require people […]
By riannelson@aol.com | July 20, 2021
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* WHAT ARE DEEP UNDERGROUND MILITARY BASES (DUMBS) REALLY USED FOR?
Jared JamesJuly 12, 20210 Comments What Are These Deep Underground Military
Bases (DUMBs) REALLY Used For?! It is said that there are 1,400 DUMBS
worldwide. Anywhere from 131 to 188 of them in the US and new ones being
built every year. Let’s hope not anymore!! Each of these DUMBs cost
anywhere from 17 – 26 […]
By riannelson@aol.com | July 13, 2021
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PRIVACY POLICY
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
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This website is not endorsed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Later-day Saints.
All opinions are my own. I believe the Book of Mormon is the word of God and
Joseph Smith is and was a Prophet and most events of The book of Mormon happened
in North America in the Heartland of the United States.
DIVINE INSTRUMENTS
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WORKS OF JOSEPH …TESTIFY OF CHRIST
"Joseph Smith, the Prophet and Seer of the Lord, has done more, save Jesus only,
for the salvation of men in this world, than any other man that ever lived in
it." D&C 135:3
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