Indeed, as one surveys the buffet of belief options available under the auspices of the First Ammendment, and provided so generously by professors of innumerable philosophies and belief systems, why would anyone choose just one religious tradition, let alone Joseph Smith's? (Some people wish to be conciliatory and diplomatic, and try to claim that all religions are true and equal. Pondering this leaves one feeling as if he had recently eaten toothpaste, chocolate, lemons, and ketchup all at once. Contradictory systems of belief cannot all be true, however appealing when presented on their own terms. The ideas, even the aesthetics, become goofy and incongruent when they are presented side by side.)
There are many systems of belief. All have strengths and virtues; all contain bits and fragments, nuggets, of truth. Almost all encourage piety and benevolence. But an idea expressed by the early leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has informed my opinion of all religions, faiths, and mystical experiences: Religion without direct revelation from God is a farce. If a belief system does not offer direct communication with God to its adherents, no one should follow it.
Every teaching of Joseph Smith presumes that his audience is not only capable of receiving the same revelation that he has, but insists that they go and obtain it before proceeding further. I wonder if anyone, any religious teacher in the history of the world, has ever demonstrated such immense faith in God, or in his audience members.
Joseph Smith taught, "The best way to obtain truth and wisdom is not to ask from books, but to go to God in prayer, and obtain divine teaching" (History of the Church, 4:425). "God hath not revealed anything to Joseph, but what he will make known unto the Twelve, and even the least Saint may know all things as fast as he is able to bear them..." (Discourses of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 150-151). The Book of Mormon also invites the world to examine it, and go to God in prayer to ask for a spiritual confirmation of its truthfulness. Joseph took the same tack with all his teaching. He encouraged everyone to examine what he said, and pray to learn whether it was true or not. If there were no confirmation, you could discard it and go on your way; if there was a confirmation, the person was accountable to God conform their behavior to that new revelation.
Many early members of the Church received such confirmation in miraculous ways. Visions, angelic visitations, miracles of healing, and all the rest of the New Testament style spiritual manifestations and gifts were exhibited before their eyes. But many who had these experiences also fell away, and many became embittered and violent enemies of Joseph and those who believed him. Such people eventually rallied a mob that murdered Joseph Smith. That kind of hostility and persecution followed Joseph from the moment he told people he had seen a vision to the very end of his life.
My short answer to the question posed in all sincerity by the minister cited above is that I have prayed and learned for myself through personal revelation that Joseph is a true prophet, and that the scriptures he introduced to the world come from God. I have experimented as Jesus directs in John 7:17: "If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself." I have followed directions, and reaped the consequences, and the fruit is good. It is more than general good feelings and excitement, though they are part of my experience. There is also direct personal revelation. The more exactly I follow the spiritual path laid out in the teachings and revelations given by Joseph Smith, the greater the happiness and personal revelations. Day to day directions and specific promptings come to me. I still have plenty of mountain to climb, but at least I am certain I am climbing the right mountain.
The Lord explains to Moses the characteristics of a true prophet: "If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream...With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the Lord shall he behold..." (Num. 12:5-8). Joseph claimed that he met God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ face to face. Moses gave us a test for a true prophet: "When a prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him" (Deut. 18:22). The ability to foretell the future is a gift of a true prophet.
Joseph made many prophecies, publicly and to individuals. Some have been fulfilled; others have yet to be. The following prophecy was made by Joseph Smith on Christmas day, 1832: "Verily, thus saith the Lord concerning the wars that will shortly come to pass, beginning at the rebellion of South Carolina, which will eventually terminate in the death and misery of many souls; And the time will come that war will be poured out upon all nations, beginning at this place. For behold, the Southern States shall be divided against the Northern States, and the Southern States will call on other nations, even the nation of Great Britain, as it is called, and they shall also call upon other nations, in order to defend themselves against other nations; and then war shall be poured out upon all nations. And it shall come to pass, after many days, slaves shall rise up against their masters, who shall be marshaled and disciplined for war. And it shall come to pass also that the remnants who are left of the land will marshal themselves, and shall become exceedingly angry, and shall vex the Gentiles with a sore vexation. And thus, with the sword and by bloodshed the inhabitants of the earth shall mourn..." (D&C 87:1-6).
This prophecy was fulfilled three decades later, in every detail. South Carolina rebelled first by firing on Fort Sumter, leading to the outbreak of the war between the Southern and Northern States. Over six hundred thousand soldiers died in that war; it is still the bloodiest conflict in this nation's history. It was also the beginning of modern warfare. The Civil War saw the advent of the machine gun and trench warfare. It saw the beginning of an Air Force, since balloons were used for surveillance of enemy troop movements. It saw the advent of metal-plated warships, precursors to our modern sea vessels. (The duel between the Monitor and the Merrimac was the first modern battle between such ships.) It was the first war that employed railway transportation and the wire telegraph for instant communication over huge distances. Soon afterward, other wealthy nations incorporated these technological advances into their militaries; conflicts that followed this war bore the stamp of its innovations, and the horrors associated with increased killing power. Millions died in trenches when war engulfed the world in World War I. Aside from the atom bomb, almost all military technological advances until the end of World War II were just improvements of what was first used during the Civil War. War has been poured out upon all nations, just as Joseph prophesied.
The areas in Missouri evacuated by the Latter-day Saints because of intense persecution there were scourged by various mobs and renegades during the Civil War. It was undecided territory, some siding with the North, others with the South. Any semblance of civilization or dignity was abandoned in the destructive terror and scorched-earth tactics employed there. Perhaps this is what was meant by "angry" inhabitants vexing the Gentiles. Slaves were enlisted for the first time by the North as soldiers during the Civil War. The South called on Great Britain for aid, too. (The last Southern military force to surrender was a ship that circled the world flying the Southern flag. Calls for support were spread far and wide to find backing from other nations.)
On April 2, 1843, Joseph reaffirmed what he had prophesied in 1832: "I prophesy, in the name of the Lord God, that the commencement of the difficulties which will cause much bloodshed previous to the coming of the Son of Man will be in South Carolina. It may probably arise through the slave question. This a voice whispered to me, while I was praying earnestly on the subject, December 25, 1832" (D&C 130:12-13). Note that he reports what "a voice whispered to" him.
Joseph Smith made many other prophecies; this is one of the most notable examples. In all my years, even as a missionary in the South, I never heard anyone critical of my faith address this glaring and amazing prediction of his. This prophecy was published and carried by my ancestors in wagons to what was then called "Northern Mexico," now Utah, thirteen years before the Civil War broke out. Some newspaper writers in the States who were aware of this prophecy, and saw its fulfillment, wondered aloud if America had actually killed a true prophet. I am convinced the mobbers had.
Another prophecy made by Joseph Smith, often overlooked even by members of the Church, is found in D&C 121: "God shall give unto you knowledge...that has not been revealed since the world was until now...in the last times (our day)...A time to come in which nothing shall be withheld...if there be bounds set to the heavens or to the seas, or to the dry land, or to the sun, moon, or stars—All the times of their revolutions, all the appointed days, months, and years, and all the days of their days, months, and years, and all their glories, laws, and set times, shall be revealed in the days of the dispensation of the fulness of times (our day)...According to that which was ordained...of the Eternal God...before this word was..." (vs. 26-32).
This prophecy about scientific advances in the field of astronomy was made by Joseph Smith and recorded in a letter written from the bowels of a stinking, freezing pit-prison in frontier Missouri on March 20, 1839. Today anyone with access to the internet can look up the masses of the earth, Moon, and Sun, their rates of rotation, and the other cycles they go through. The same information is also available for the planets in our solar system, many stars in the sky, as well as planets being newly discovered as I write this. The rotation rate and general direction of our galaxy's movement, is also available for anyone who cares to dig up the info.
What is the point of predicting amazing leaps in the science of astronomy in advance of their arrival? Such a miracle is not meant to be a substitute for faith, but evidence to bolster the faith of those who already believe. If we need a steady diet of miracles to keep us loyal, we will fall short. The link between emperical evidence and behavior is not that strong. Donuts and tobacco products are proof that people can know something, but not change their behavior. The restored gospel is a program in which knowledge through direct revelation, and the power to live up to that knowledge, arrive simultaneously. One receives a mighty change of heart and a increased faith, through the Holy Spirit, at the same time (see Mosiah 5:2).
One could conjecture many possible reasons for a prophecy about improved understanding of astronomy, but one is certain: Calendars are important to God. The name of His Church today is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The name itself is a prophecy, a warning that the whole earth is on the cusp of a massive revolution, the last days before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ Himself, and all the great and terrible turmoil associated with it. If one prophecy comes true, it is good cause to believe another; Joseph predicted other things accurately, therefore it is logical to assume that we really are living in the latter days.
What shall we do about it? Repent, believe in Jesus Christ, be baptized, and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands. Then we will be cleansed in our hearts, and receive directions (through the same kind of whisperings that taught Joseph Smith) of how we can prepare individually and help others prepare for the return of Jesus Christ to the earth.
Beyond amazing predictions, or confidence in his audience that they could receive communications from God, Joseph Smith is also a guide through the jungle of personal spiritual development. He knew and taught the formulae for spiritual growth.
He told John Taylor, "...you have been baptized, you have had hands laid upon your head for the reception of the Holy Ghost, and you have been ordained to the holy priesthood. Now, if you will continue to follow the leadings of that spirit, it will always lead you right. Sometimes it might be contrary to your judgment; never mind that, follow its dictates; and if you be true to its whisperings it will in time become in you a principle of revelation so that you will know all things" (Deseret News: Semi-Weekly, 15 Jan. 1878, 1).
I am a witness that this is also a correct principle (not that I know all things, but that by following those counter-intuitive whisperings, a principle of revelation grows in us). Revelation, and the ability to receive it, are not static. It is a dynamic principle in any individual, and the more you learn to detect it and follow such promptings, the more promptings you receive. This becomes a cycle of receiving and obeying, becoming more in tune, receiving, obeying, tuning, receiving, etc. It works just as Joseph taught (and lived it himself).
Outcomes of following such promptings abound in my own life. I have become so accustomed to Joseph Smith's teachings, prophecies, and scripture revealed to him being validated by personal revelation and other people's scientific probing that I take his calling as a prophet for granted.
In sharp contrast, I have not heard any modern preacher or teacher of another faith suggest that his adherents ask God for confirmation of his teachings, or his calling. To me, this bespeaks a lack of faith in God, or a lack of confidence in one's audience. Nor do they produce new scripture like ancient prophets, or make predictions about the future that extend beyond interpretations of preexisting prophecies in the Bible.
Joseph never claimed to be more than a man, but he also never claimed to be less than a true messenger sent from God. His teachings are consistent with the whole New Testament, not just a pamphlet's worth of instructions to confess Jesus and leave it at that. Modern preachers seem unable to reconcile statements about salvation by grace and the innumerable invitations to ensure salvation by altering behavior (repent) in the scriptures. This indicates that their teachings are not consistent with the faith described in the New Testament. Joseph Smith was able to explain why grace saves us while works enumerated in the scriptures are still imperative to our eternal salvation. He made the scriptures more comprehensible and internally consistent for his audiences, in contrast to the river of contradictions and loose ends so common then and today.
Spiritual rebirth, being born again, is a true doctrine, but the extension of that idea is that after one is born, one is an infant in need of maturation and growth. Paul hints at this by comparing simple ideas to milk, and more complex doctrines to meat. One does not feed a baby fillet mignon. Much of what passes for Christian teaching today is unwilling to grow up and face "hard sayings." This defect is absent with Joseph Smith; he could take the most learned men as far as they were ready, willing, and able to go. And contrary to modern pop-Christianity, this growth and maturation is not cosmetic; it is mandatory. Joseph Smith's powers were not the result of his imagination; he was informed directly by the Holy Ghost. His detractors and Jesus' enemies explained their abilities the same way: "thou...hast a devil" (John 8:48).
Both were persecuted and eventually murdered for doing what God told them and for teaching God's word, for doing the right thing. Both are misrepresented posthumously. The parallels between their ministries and lives are striking (though Joseph was the servant of Jesus, not His peer). Joseph Smith was a humble, powerful witness for Jesus Christ; he always pointed people to Him. The Book of Mormon and other scriptures revealed through him confirm this great truth—that Jesus Christ is the Savior.
This could go on much longer, but let this be a short answer to a big and important question: Was Joseph Smith a true prophet? Yes—the evidence in his favor becomes overwhelming if one will just look for it. And God confirms the truth of His message (including what was delivered by Joseph Smith) when we ask in humble prayer, with a willingness to change our lives accordingly.
Beyond amazing predictions, or confidence in his audience that they could receive communications from God, Joseph Smith is also a guide through the jungle of personal spiritual development. He knew and taught the formulae for spiritual growth.
He told John Taylor, "...you have been baptized, you have had hands laid upon your head for the reception of the Holy Ghost, and you have been ordained to the holy priesthood. Now, if you will continue to follow the leadings of that spirit, it will always lead you right. Sometimes it might be contrary to your judgment; never mind that, follow its dictates; and if you be true to its whisperings it will in time become in you a principle of revelation so that you will know all things" (Deseret News: Semi-Weekly, 15 Jan. 1878, 1).
I am a witness that this is also a correct principle (not that I know all things, but that by following those counter-intuitive whisperings, a principle of revelation grows in us). Revelation, and the ability to receive it, are not static. It is a dynamic principle in any individual, and the more you learn to detect it and follow such promptings, the more promptings you receive. This becomes a cycle of receiving and obeying, becoming more in tune, receiving, obeying, tuning, receiving, etc. It works just as Joseph taught (and lived it himself).
Outcomes of following such promptings abound in my own life. I have become so accustomed to Joseph Smith's teachings, prophecies, and scripture revealed to him being validated by personal revelation and other people's scientific probing that I take his calling as a prophet for granted.
In sharp contrast, I have not heard any modern preacher or teacher of another faith suggest that his adherents ask God for confirmation of his teachings, or his calling. To me, this bespeaks a lack of faith in God, or a lack of confidence in one's audience. Nor do they produce new scripture like ancient prophets, or make predictions about the future that extend beyond interpretations of preexisting prophecies in the Bible.
Joseph never claimed to be more than a man, but he also never claimed to be less than a true messenger sent from God. His teachings are consistent with the whole New Testament, not just a pamphlet's worth of instructions to confess Jesus and leave it at that. Modern preachers seem unable to reconcile statements about salvation by grace and the innumerable invitations to ensure salvation by altering behavior (repent) in the scriptures. This indicates that their teachings are not consistent with the faith described in the New Testament. Joseph Smith was able to explain why grace saves us while works enumerated in the scriptures are still imperative to our eternal salvation. He made the scriptures more comprehensible and internally consistent for his audiences, in contrast to the river of contradictions and loose ends so common then and today.
Spiritual rebirth, being born again, is a true doctrine, but the extension of that idea is that after one is born, one is an infant in need of maturation and growth. Paul hints at this by comparing simple ideas to milk, and more complex doctrines to meat. One does not feed a baby fillet mignon. Much of what passes for Christian teaching today is unwilling to grow up and face "hard sayings." This defect is absent with Joseph Smith; he could take the most learned men as far as they were ready, willing, and able to go. And contrary to modern pop-Christianity, this growth and maturation is not cosmetic; it is mandatory. Joseph Smith's powers were not the result of his imagination; he was informed directly by the Holy Ghost. His detractors and Jesus' enemies explained their abilities the same way: "thou...hast a devil" (John 8:48).
Both were persecuted and eventually murdered for doing what God told them and for teaching God's word, for doing the right thing. Both are misrepresented posthumously. The parallels between their ministries and lives are striking (though Joseph was the servant of Jesus, not His peer). Joseph Smith was a humble, powerful witness for Jesus Christ; he always pointed people to Him. The Book of Mormon and other scriptures revealed through him confirm this great truth—that Jesus Christ is the Savior.
This could go on much longer, but let this be a short answer to a big and important question: Was Joseph Smith a true prophet? Yes—the evidence in his favor becomes overwhelming if one will just look for it. And God confirms the truth of His message (including what was delivered by Joseph Smith) when we ask in humble prayer, with a willingness to change our lives accordingly.
