Joseph Smith
Joseph Smith, whose name is appended to the Articles of Faith, is the prophet and revelator through whom was restored to earth the Gospel of Jesus Christ, in these the last days, the dispensation of the fulness of times, declared and predicted by prophets in earlier dispensations. The question of Joseph Smith’s divine commission is a challenging one to the world today. If his claims to a divine appointment be false, forming as they do the foundation of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (often called the Mormon Church) in this the last dispensation, the superstructure cannot be stable; if, however, his avowed ordination under the hands of heavenly personages be a fact, one need search no farther for the cause of the phenomenal vitality and continuous development of the restored Church of Jesus Christ.
The circumstances of the divine dealings with Joseph Smith, the marvelous enlargement of the work instituted by this latter-day prophet, the fulfilment through his instrumentality of many of the momentous predictions of old, and his own prophetic utterances with their literal realizations, will yet be widely acknowledged as proof conclusive of the validity of his ministry. The exalted claims maintained for him and his life’s work, the fame that has made his name known for good or evil among most of the civilized nations of the earth, the stability of the religious and social systems that owe their origin as nineteenth-century establishments to the ministrations of this man, give to him an individual importance demanding serious and impartial consideration.
His Parentage and Youth—Joseph Smith Jr. , the third son and fourth child in a family of ten, was born December 23, 1805, at Sharon, Windsor County, Vermont. He was the son of Joseph and Lucy Mack Smith, a worthy couple, who though in poverty lived happily amid their home scenes of industry and frugality. When the boy Joseph was ten years old, the family left Vermont and settled in the State of New York, first at Palmyra and later at Manchester. At the place last named, the future prophet spent most of his boyhood days. In common with his brothers and sisters he had but little schooling; and for the simple rudiments of an education, which by earnest application he was able to gain, he was mostly indebted to his parents, who followed the rule of devoting a portion of their limited leisure to the teaching of the younger members of the household.
In their religious inclinations the family favored the Presbyterian church; indeed the mother and some of the children joined that sect; but Joseph Smith, while at one time favorably impressed by the Methodists, kept himself free from all sectarian membership, being greatly perplexed over the strife and dissensions manifest among the churches of the time. He had a right to expect that in the Church of Christ there would be unity and harmony; yet he saw among the wrangling sects only confusion. When Joseph was in his fifteenth year the region of his home was visited by a storm of fierce religious excitement, which, beginning with the Methodists, soon became general among all the sects; there were revivals and protracted meetings, and discreditable exhibitions of sectarian rivalry were many and varied. These conditions added much to the distress of the young man earnestly seeking the truth.
Joseph Smith’s Search and Its Result
Angelic Visitations
Later Developments: the Martyrdom
Authenticity of Joseph Smith’s Mission
Introduction
Articles of Faith (full text)
October 11th, 2009 at 6:31 pm
well from what i’ve read here and on other sites. smith made his share of mistakes in life but i suppose that that matters little when you repent and if you had reason to think the lord had given you a mission and you carried it out in faith. the lord would smile upon the one who served him. as for the visions im not a mormon but i do believe that nothing said by god can be impossible. i’ve heard that there is no geological evidence for the book of mormon but god could have changed the landscape beyond recognition if he sought fit.
June 18th, 2011 at 9:02 pm
I have my doubts about Joseph Smith and his claims. For one I don’t believe Jesus would contradict what he preached on the sermonon the mount on the subjest of adulty. He preached if you so much as look at a woman with lust in your heart than you have committed adultry. So why would he tell Joseph Smith to go and marry so many women and even some that were already married. I do not believe he did and I believe he only married so many to justify his addiction to flesh, and to justify it he said Jesus said to do it. And that is why so many other religions have trouble grasping or believing in the mormon church. They have the good foundation with their belief in Jesus, but the whole Joseph Smith thing is just too much.
June 20th, 2011 at 12:33 pm
The only way to get past all the rumors and misperceptions of Joseph Smith is to get down on your knees and ask God (sincerely) if Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. The trend of the early 1800′s was to marry for station and then have mistresses for sex. Plural marriage was no good for men looking for sexual partners, especially because of the financial support husbands had to provide for their wives. Women could accept or reject an offer of plural marriage, and could divorce their husbands for any reason. Joseph Smith had no children by his plural wives, and there was no birth control in those days. He only had children by Emma, his first wife. Most of Joseph’s marriages were “spiritual” and meant for heaven only, with no cohabitation on earth.
July 2nd, 2011 at 6:16 pm
If there is a god why would he/she let so many incorrect Religions to exsist? They all can’t be correct. If I want to talk to god I will NOT pay anyone else to it for me. I will just pray direct to him – cut out the middle man. However to me beleiving in God if like wanting Father Christmas to me true. It would be great if he exsisted, but sorry he does not.
July 11th, 2011 at 1:19 pm
My first prayer was, “Is there anyone up there? If there is a God, please manifest yourself to me.” He did.
That there are so many religions show the invention and ideas of men. The truth comes directly from God through revelation.
July 22nd, 2011 at 11:18 pm
The picture of Joseph Smith on this page does not look anything like him.. they made him much more good looking, why not put a real looking pic of him??
July 26th, 2011 at 1:18 pm
There are none to work from, sorry. Various artists portray him differently, and we have an assortment of those. No one knows exactly how he looked except that he was large of stature and had a prominent nose.
July 31st, 2011 at 3:45 pm
we do know from the “death mask”- a quick plaster (?) mold what his general features were. there was a mask taken of both Joseph and his brother, Hyrem, after they were killed.
July 31st, 2011 at 3:56 pm
in response to Joseph Smith being a lustful man, there are many stories throughout the bible that show plural marriage has always been on the earth. it has an eternal purpose and has it’s circumstanses where it is approved by God. but you are right, any man who takes on plural wives or concubines without God’s approval, is commiting adultry, and that is a very serious offense in His eyes. Joseph Smith was commanded to take on plural wives, even though he sorrowed about having to obey this. his wife Emma, could see he was concerned about something, so she prayed and got the revelation that he was to take on another wife. out of obedience to God, she told her husband, the prophet, to obey.
October 12th, 2011 at 8:20 am
I’m just wondering. If God is the same yesterday, today and forever, why would He change midstream and give new “laws” to Joseph Smith. God knows the beginning and the end and knew what would happen before it happened so He would not have to change anything about His original creation because He already knew what was going to happen.
To say that Joseph Smith took on “many” wives out of a command given by God is ludicrous. There have been several mormons who have used that thought process to the detriment of innocent young girls (even as young as 12) who have had children for them. I do realize that there is evil everywhere but I can’t for one second believe that God desires for a man to have more than one wife. When the earth first began He did not give Adam several women He gave him one. That was to be a pattern for marriage that still exists today. We are also to obey the laws of the land and this land says it is bigotry to have more than one wife. An earlier post said if you even look at another lustfully that is adultry. Do Mormons only believe and live parts of the Bible they claim to be truth. I am not trying to get on your case I am just saying that ALL the Bible is truth and spoken into existence by God and we can’t pick and choose which parts we want to live and write a new book to incorporate what we believe was left out by a Holy God who created us and gave us the Bible as our guide so that we might live according to HIS commands. Adding to His Word is blasphamy.
Deuteronomy 4:2
Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the LORD your God that I give you.
I believe this verse says it all. You have added to His commands by adding another book that you go by and that is given equal authority to the Word of God, the Bible. That should be unthinkable that you would believe a mere man would have the same authority as our Great and Mighty God, Lord and Savior, Father of the Nations who would be able to add to the book He (God) gave us, the Bible!
October 12th, 2011 at 10:40 am
Cindy, we haven’t changed anything. Plural marriage was practiced anciently by God’s chosen prophets and was still practiced at the time of Christ. It is only lawful in God’s eyes when He commands it. You may be referring to “fundamentalist polygamist sects” in existence today wherein the victimization of young girls has been discovered. They have absolutely nothing to do with our church. Joseph Smith had no offspring except by his wife Emma.
Mormons accept all of the Bible and do not pick and choose between biblical doctrines. From the Bible, we know that Christ is a resurrected being, our Creator and Savior, the Son of God. We know that our works matter from the Book of James. We know about baptism for the dead from Paul.
We have never questioned the authority of God, nor do we think any man is anywhere near Him in authority or power. We don’t worship Joseph Smith or any other man. But we do know that the Lord, through a prophet or apostle, makes policy changes in His living church. Examples are those made by Christ’s apostles of old — taking the gospel to the gentiles, changing the dietary laws for new converts, and doing away with the requirement for circumcision. Eternal law is something quite different than these changes made because of revelation. Ours is the true and living church.
October 13th, 2011 at 5:35 pm
I seem to remember hearing that Joseph Smith took his wagon train of followers on to Salt Lake City. Then the grasshoppers attacked their crops, dooming them to starve, but after they prayed, the seagulls flew in and ate the grasshoppers.
I always liked that story for the power of prayer.
October 13th, 2011 at 11:58 pm
Really, grow up. ..We live and we die, just like the ant you stepped on walking into the house tonight. And then we are dead. People make up religions to comfort the act of dying. Get over it and live your life, because it will end. forever…
October 14th, 2011 at 8:50 am
Kevin, Thanks for visiting this unofficial site. I used to think as you did. When you’re ready to believe what you already know–and what the entire created world typifies–you’ll not only see God but wonder why it took so long. I can no more deny God and my personal experience in knowing Him as Father of my spirit and Jesus Christ, His Son, than I could that I myself live and am typing this note to you today. . You are free to choose; there never will be compulsion to believe, only missed liberty, beauty, spiritual riches and a veritable feast–what you now trade for the bread crumbs of fleeting pleasure on the world’s buffet table.
Though we disagree, we respect your difference of opinion. Take care and if you ever decide to explore faith, we hope you’ll remember this witness and come back and discover what is available to you. God bless you in your life journey.
October 14th, 2011 at 8:56 am
Thanks for writing, M.V. Sounds like you may have visited Temple Square in Salt Lake City. The prophet following Joseph’s martyrdom, Brigham Young, did enter the valley here and begin life anew. They did, as you recalled, have an attack on their crops, as they painstakingly strove to provide for the families. You are right: miraculously, seagulls flew in and ate the grasshoppers. Thanks for your own affirmation of the power of prayer. Do you have any other thoughts or questions about what we believe as lay members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? Have you ever read The Book of Mormon? Take care and visit again and let us know if you’ve anything else you’d like to share or ask.
October 14th, 2011 at 10:23 am
Is it true that Mormons believe that Jesus Married Martha and
Mary at the wedding that Jesus turned the water into wine?
October 14th, 2011 at 11:11 am
Thanks for visiting our lay site, Bobby. Actually, that is not a teaching or doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We don’t know whose wedding that was, just that it was the occasion of the stated miracle. Do you have additional interest in or questions regarding the restored Church of Jesus Christ in our day? God bless you in your spiritual journey.
November 21st, 2011 at 12:22 am
That’s a very sad outlook. Since I have been helped multiple times by our Father and Jesus Christ I will have to say the same as above, until you are ready to be grateful and realize where the good around you and given to you come from you are subjecting yourself and others to a confused and sad estate. I can’t imagine him not in my life. I am miserable without his guidance and help even when I mess up. He does what noone else can. Believe..he is waiting for you to come to him. He will not force his will upon you. You must open up your heart and ears. Try praying and listening. Amazing enough, it’s such a small thing to ask from him yet we act like its for difficult and we can do everything ourselves…until we ever admit, we really can’t and we’ve messed things up because we wouldn’t. Just ask, he is wonderful!
November 30th, 2011 at 12:49 pm
“Ours is the true and living church.” -Does that mean to the exclusion of all others, such as the ‘sects’ of Methodists et.al. – How about Jews? How about the other religions of the world? Are the all ‘false’ and frauds?
December 1st, 2011 at 12:02 am
Thanks for your comment, Sam. “The one true and living church” is the one headed by Jesus Christ Himself, that receives its doctrine directly from Him, and to which He has given the authority to perform ordinances and miracles in His name.
God loves His children. In the Book of Mormon early prophets prophesied that the Church would be small, even until the Second Coming of Christ. Does that mean that the Lord will not bless His children that belong to other churches or belief systems? Does that mean that He doesn’t hear or answer their prayers? No. The Lord might be the creator of worlds without number, but He is still intimately involved with His children on earth as a loving parent. All churches have a kernel of truth and even much truth, mingled with the ideas of men, perhaps, but most of those men have been sincere men of faith, with a few practicing “priestcraft” — preaching to get gain. In the Book of Mormon there are a few accounts of men who preached lies purposely to gain prestige and money.
The Mormon idea of salvation is perhaps the most inclusive of any religion. With people of all faiths, and even those who reject the gospel of Christ being saved in a kingdom of glory.
December 14th, 2011 at 1:34 pm
I’m not easily impsrseed but you’ve done it with that posting.
December 16th, 2011 at 12:25 am
Thanks.