As a missionary, I was sometimes asked why we need Joseph Smith or the Book of Mormon when “we already have the Bible.” One potential answer to this question is a battery of other questions that the Bible does not answer clearly. Asking these simple questions—“Where did I come from?” “Why am I here?” “Where do I go when I die?” “Why does God allow so much evil and suffering if He is good?” “How do I get to heaven or avoid hell?”—highlights the need for Joseph Smith and continuing revelation. Using only the Bible and intellectual reason to answer these questions creates confusion.
The huge number (tens of thousands) of major Christian denominations, along with countless Bible studies and revivals, each teaching slightly (or massively) different doctrines based on different logic and conclusions, is explosive evidence for the fact that Christianity was derailed and lost its foundation anciently.
The Apostasy
Many have misconstrued Jesus’ statement to Simon Peter: “…thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Was Peter invincible? No. He denied knowing the Savior three times, went on to serve with distinction, but was ultimately murdered, crucified upside down for his testimony of the Savior. His own loyalty was firm unto death, but he himself was martyred.
Jesus predicted His, and His disciples’ eventual deaths. What was the rock that the gates of hell would not prevail against? Look back a few verses and you find it:
“He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
“And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
“And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
“And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matt. 16:15-18). The rock against which hell could not prevail was REVELATION, direct communication from God to His Church. No one can impede it or intercept it; prophets receive revelation whether on mountains or in dungeons (see also D&C 121:33). If anyone doubts that Jesus is speaking of revelation in Matthew chapter 16, look back a few verses further:
“The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven.
“He answered and said unto them…A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign…” (Matt:1-2, 4). Peter received his knowledge that Jesus was the Christ through the quiet whisperings of God’s Holy Spirit; these men wanted Jesus to perform some physical astonishing miracle before they would believe. Those who put their wisdom and appetites above God will demand appeasement of their five senses and their intellects through magic tricks before they believe and act; one miracle, one “sign,” would not have satisfied them anyway. Jesus rebuked them for being in such a state; it takes faith to follow the Spirit, whereas following what seems obvious to the eye takes no faith. He rejoiced that Peter was susceptible to that tiny spiritual whispering; He would need such a man to lead His Church and feed His sheep.
Jesus visited the Apostles after His resurrection and before He ascended into heaven, and charged them to go into all the world, teaching and baptizing. The Book of Acts records their miracles, teachings, travels, and even revelations they received from God. For instance, Peter was told in a vision that Romans, considered unclean by devout Jews, could now be proselytized and baptized into the faith (see Acts 10). They continued to produce new scripture as long as they received new revelations.
Two and a half centuries later, all those with authority from God and the spiritual gifts of miracles and especially the gift of revelation, were gone. They became like a ship without rudder, sails, compass, or well-informed and experienced captain or sailors. Its leaders argued in large councils and voted on such fundamental concepts as the nature of God. The fact that no one claimed to have any revelation on something so fundamental was a red flag indicating that they had strayed and lost the Lord’s assistance. The original Apostles asked God; later, leaders argued with each other and used philosophies of the world to back up their disputations.
Restoration
Martin Luther was among the first Christians to publicly denounce the differences between the Church described in scripture, and Christian denominations in his day. (Most people hesitated to do so, since such criticisms were often punished with burning at the stake for heresy.) He recorded part of his own inquisition (thankfully he was not burned or tortured) in 1521 at a German legal hearing called The Diet of Worms (no joke):
“[One] kind [of my writings] consists in those writings leveled against the
papacy and the doctrine of the papists, as against those who by
their wicked doctrines and precedents have laid waste Christendom
by doing harm to the souls and the bodies of men. No one can
either deny or conceal this, for universal experience and
world-wide grievances are witnesses to the fact that through the
Pope's laws and through man-made teachings the consciences of the
faithful have been most pitifully ensnared, troubled, and racked
in torment, and also that their goods and possessions have been
devoured (especially amongst this famous German nation) by
unbelievable tyranny, and are to this day being devoured without
end in shameful fashion; and that though they themselves by
their own laws take care to provide that the Pope’s laws and
doctrines which are contrary to the Gospel or the teachings of
the Fathers are to be considered as erroneous and reprobate. If
then I recant these, the only effect will be to add strength to
such tyranny, to open not the windows but the main doors to such
blasphemy, which will thereupon stalk further and more widely
than it has hitherto dared. . .”
The vessel was lost at sea; Luther was merely pointing out that fact. He made no special claim to revelation; he had the scriptures, and his interpretation of them via his intellect. It might have been closer to the original intent than orthodox interpretations, but it was still his intellect; the compass of divine revelation was missing despite good intentions and some correct ideas.
Reformers like Luther tried to reform Christianity; he (like other Protestants) protested and formed their own churches. Puritans were called such because they rejected human authority and appealed to the Bible alone as their sole “pure” source of authority. Numerous different churches sprang up with each disagreement throughout the centuries.
By the time the American colonists were free from British rule, they also had many different Christian faiths, all reaching widely different conclusions using the same Bible.
This is the religious environment into which young Joseph Smith was thrown.
Reformation or protests, or even recognizing the need for them, were good epiphanies, but they were insufficient to bring back to life what was lost. A divinely-driven restoration was needed instead.
Strange Prophecies
Jesus prophesied about His own death and resurrection; the Apostles predicted the death and restoration of the true Church. Athletes might taunt opponents and boast of victory before the game even begins; if they win, they are vindicated. But who would say they would be whipped thoroughly, lose, and then come roaring back in the second round to win? This is comparable to the improbability of what Jesus prophesied about His own resurrection, or what the Apostles prophesied for the Church.
The epistles comprising the end of the New Testament bear witness to the fact that the fledgling Church was already losing its way. Again and again, Paul, Peter, John, and other Apostles warn and correct wayward congregations.
Jesus warned His Twelve Apostles before He sent them into the world:
“They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service” (John 16:2). He was rejected and killed; they would be, too.
Jesus warns Peter:
“Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdest thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not.
“This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me” (John 21:18-19). Peter, the Rock, could expect no better treatment than Jesus; he would also be killed. The story of martyrdom among Jesus’ disciples is almost uniform; only John the Beloved was spared, because he was translated, changed to be immortal yet still living on earth among mortals (see John 21:21-23, Matt. 16:28, D&C 7).
Paul even predicts total apostasy to a group of saints who are mistakenly awaiting the Second Coming at any moment:
“Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ…
“That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled…as that the day of Christ is at hand.
“Let no man deceive you by any means; for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first…
“And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the Spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming…” (2Thes. 2:1-3, 8).
To move from victory to victory is not unexpected; to move from total defeat to total victory is miraculous, and that is just what the Apostles prophesied for the Church.
The First Vision
When the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, appeared to Joseph Smith in 1820, the massive drift from truth became apparent:
“…I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me.
“…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!
“…I asked the Personages…which of all the sects was right…and which I should join” (JS—H 1:16-18). This is a great moment—many believers throughout the preceding millennia had asked similar questions—which church is the right one? What is truth?
“I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong…” ALL wrong. Not one church on earth using the Bible taught truth completely, or was free from errors.
“…and the Personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight…” (JS—H 1:19). “Abomination” is strong language, but think for a moment: how would you feel if people who had never met you circulated misrepresentations of you to the world, not even asking your consent? The creeds were those conclusions about Jesus, God, and their natures that the ancient councils had reached after hammering things out through disputation, argument, logic, and philosophical debates. In other words, their understanding of the nature of God was based on everything EXCEPT directly asking Him and receiving answers from Him.
How important is a correct understanding of the nature and character of God? “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent” (John 17:3). It is critical. No wonder Jesus describes those creeds as “abominations;” anything that keeps us from knowing Him and the Father impedes our salvation.
By stark contrast with the confusion of the man-made creeds, Joseph Smith taught, “It is the first principle of the Gospel to know for a certainty the Character of God…” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 345). Most religions relegate knowing God to the realm of mystical, baffling esoterica that defy language. (For some, the profound disorientation caused by the circular confusion of the creeds is often cherished as the essence of spiritual feelings.) Not so with the Prophet; Joseph Smith does teach that there are things beyond mortal understanding, but many truths about God are within mortal comprehension: His fatherhood of our spirits; the fact that He has a body of flesh and bone; the fact that we are members of His family; the fact that Jesus is His literal Son.
The fact that Jesus and His Father both have bodies, and are two physically separate individuals was made clear when both appeared to Joseph Smith in the First Vision. Ancient darkness and confusion were dispelled in an instant. Jesus further explained to young Joseph Smith:
“…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” (JS—H 1:19).
This goes back to what Jesus said of the Pharisees; a wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; those who value their flesh, their own wisdoms and intellects and physical senses, will rank their reasoning and five senses above the whisperings of the Spirit, before revelation.
One reason we might neglect those whisperings is because “the wind bloweth where it listeth” (John 3:8). The Spirit blows wherever it wants, whenever it wants. It takes courage to follow it. We can heed the call and follow those promptings, like the Apostles of old (who often followed the Spirit right to their deaths), or we can set courage and faith aside, and work within the limits of our own wisdom. This is exactly what the early Christian Church’s leaders apostatized toward; this is still what preachers were doing in the days of Joseph Smith when he prayed to know which Church to join.
The Right Compass
After the Lord points out problems, He presents solutions; He said that the creeds were wrong, and His personal appearance, along with the Father, to Joseph, dispelled that ignorance. What about relying on “the commandments of men” and “deny[ing] the power” “of godliness?”
Even before Joseph Smith was commanded to restore the formal organization of the Church of Christ in 1830, he was commanded to translate the Book of Mormon from gold plates hidden in a hill near Joseph’s farm. They contained a record of an ancient people descended in part from Israelites who lived in the Americas. Jesus Christ visited them after His resurrection, and taught them His gospel.
Not only does this record confirm that the Bible is true, it also teaches us the solution, if we will apply it, to relying solely our own power, understanding, willpower, tools, technology, etc. Among many other things, it teaches us how to solve the problem of relying on human understanding, and how to rely on God’s power. Here are a few scriptures from the Book of Mormon on the subject:
“And ye may know that [Christ] is, by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore I would exhort you that ye deny not the power of God; for he worketh by power, according to the faith of the children of men, the same today and tomorrow, and forever.
“And again, I exhort you, my brethren, that ye deny not the gifts of God, for they are many; and they come from the same God…and they are given by the manifestations of the Spirit of God unto men, to profit them” (Moroni 10:7-8).
God gives spiritual gifts, power, the same today as in the past; faith in Christ is a prerequisite; they are manifestations of the power of the Spirit in us. Miracles are NOT just history; they happen now.
“O Lord, I have trusted in thee, and I will trust in thee forever. I will not put my trust in the arm of the flesh; for I know that cursed is he that putteth his trust in the arm of flesh. Yea, cursed is he that putteth his trust in man or maketh flesh his arm” (2Ne. 4:34). Relying on human power and wisdom led Christianity into a morass of moral confusion, and the same thing happens individually without any divine guidance. If we are not to give preeminence to our own reasoning, and human abilities, what should follow?
“And I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do” (1Ne. 3:6). This seems at first to be a less-effective way to do things, but the Book of Mormon teaches that it is ultimately the only way to get things done properly. How do we get the Spirit? Through faith in Christ, combined with deep humility before Him, a willingness to do anything, however scary to us, that He prompts us to do through His Spirit. We also receive ordinances at the hands of ordained ministers who actually have authority, the priesthood.
Joseph Smith taught an Elder in the early restored Church of Jesus Christ, “Elder…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” (John Taylor, Deseret News: Semi-Weekly, Jan. 15, 1878, p. 1, quoted in Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith: Chapter 10). This man (John Taylor) later led the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as one of Joseph Smith’s successors. The pattern of leadership by those who are guided through revelation continues today (with Thomas Spencer Monson).
Personal revelation is open to us all, provided we know and follow the principles that allow us to receive it. Joseph Smith learned those principles from God, and taught them freely to all who would listen—just like Jesus’ original disciples.
