Day of Faith: Personal Quests for a Purpose – 3. Rachel Esplin.

Depiction of Joseph Smith Reading Bible

As a 14-year-old, Joseph lived in a time and place in which lots of different religions (mostly Christian) were seeking followers. Different members of Joseph’s family favored one church or the other, but he was confused about which church was the right one to follow. One day he was reading the Bible in James 1:5-6, which states:

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

He describes his reaction to reading these verses this way:

Never did any passage of scripture come with more power to the heart of man than this did at this time to mine. It seemed to enter with great force into every feeling of my heart. I reflected on it again and again, knowing that if any person needed wisdom from God, I did; for how to act I did not know, and unless I could get more wisdom than I then had, I would never know; for the teachers of religion of the different [churches] understood the same passages of scripture so differently as to destroy all confidence in settling the question by an appeal to the Bible.

So Joseph went one morning into the woods to pray. He described what happened in these words:

After I had retired to the place where I had previously designed to go, having looked around me, and finding myself alone, I kneeled down and began to offer up the desires of my heart to God. I had scarcely done so, when immediately I was seized upon by some power which entirely overcame me, and had such an astonishing influence over me as to bind my tongue so that I could not speak. Thick darkness gathered around me, and it seemed to me for a time as if I were doomed to sudden destruction. But, exerting all my powers to call upon God to deliver me out of the power of this enemy which had seized upon me, and at the very moment when I was ready to sink into despair and abandon myself to destruction–not to an imaginary ruin, but to the power of some actual being from the unseen world, who had such marvelous power as I had never before felt in any being–just at this moment of great alarm, I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me. It no sooner appeared than I found myself delivered from the enemy which held me bound. 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.

Joseph was visited by God the Father and Jesus Christ.

No sooner, therefore, did I get possession of myself, so as to be able to speak, than I asked the Personages who stood above me in the light, which of all the [religions] was right…and which I should join…I was answered that I must join none of them…many other things did he say unto me, which I cannot write at this time.

Depiction of Joseph Smith's Visit from God and Jesus

Joseph was told that these other churches contained part of the truth, but none of them contained a fulness of the truth. Important truths, as well as proper authority had been lost from the earth after the death of Christ’s apostles (e.g. Peter, James, John) and the resulting apostasy.

Prophets are called of God to relay important messages to people on the earth. Several prophets like Moses, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Isaiah, and Paul, received messages from heavenly messengers so they could tell people God’s will in ancient days. Similarly, Joseph was asked to deliver messages to the world and reestablish the Church of Jesus Christ on the earth.

During the next 25 years, Joseph Smith led The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the “Mormon church”), which grew to have tens of thousands of followers (and now has millions).

Joseph was assassinated in Carthage, Illinois in 1844 by a mob. John Taylor, one of Joseph’s successors as leader of the church, stated the following about Joseph’s contribution:

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. In the short space of twenty years, he has brought forth the Book of Mormon, which he translated by the gift and power of God, and has been the means of publishing it on two continents; has sent the fulness of the everlasting gospel, which it contained, to the four quarters of the earth; has brought forth…revelations and commandments…and instructions for the benefit of the children of men; gathered many thousands…founded a great city, and left a fame and name that cannot be slain. He lived great, and he died great in the eyes of God and his people; and like most of the Lord’s anointed in ancient times, has sealed his mission and his works with his own blood (Doctrine & Covenants 135:3)

Below are depictions of what Joseph Smith and his wife Emma looked like.

Joseph Smith

Emma Smith

For more information:

• The restoration of the Gospel
• The restoration of the Priesthood
• How can I know this is true?

Heavenly Father loves and knows each of us individually. We pray to Him with the faith that He listens to every sincere prayer and answers in the way that He sees best (sometimes not in the way we want). Through prayer we can build a relationship with Him. The most important goal of this life is to follow the steps He has laid out for us to have eternal life (live with Him after we die). From a young age, children are taught a song entitled “I Am a Child of God” that emphasizes these principles.

He has a body that looks similar to ours except that it is glorified and perfect. The following passage from the first chapter in the Bible (Genesis 1:26-27) explains:

26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

Being away from His presence on earth, we are limited in our understanding of His nature. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.” (Isaiah 55:8) But He provides a way for us to learn about Him through prophets and through personal prayer.

For more information:

• God is your loving Heavenly Father
• You lived with God
• God has a plan for your life
• Life after death
• How can I know this is true?

Many different names are used in the Bible in referring to Jesus Christ, including:

• Jehovah (see Isaiah 12:2 and 26:4)
• Immanuel (see Isaiah 7:14)
• Lord (see Genesis 2:4)
• Prince of Peace (see Isaiah 9:6)
• Messias or Messiah (see John 1:41, 4:25)

In the New Testament, the apostle Paul teaches about Jesus Christ:

Giving thanks unto the Father…Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. (Colossians 1:12-17)

Paul describes Jesus as:

• The firstborn Son of the Father
• One who allows us to be forgiven of our sins
• Being in the image of his Father
• The creator of all things in heaven and earth
• Having great power

Because Jesus Christ was born spiritually before any of us, He is often referred to as the Firstborn Son of God. Because we also were born of God spiritually, we can consider Him our brother, even though he is more holy and powerful than us. He was also born physically; God was his Father and Mary his mother. Living on the earth allowed him to experience the temptations and challenges of this world.

Depiction of Mary and Joseph with Baby Jesus

Some of Jesus’ life is recorded in the first four books of the New Testament. As a child in Nazareth, He “grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him. (Luke 2:40) At the age of twelve he conversed with doctors (possibly meaning philosophers), “both hearing them, and asking them questions.” (Luke 2:46)

Depiction of Jesus Conversing with Doctors As a Boy

As a man, He began teaching the people of Jerusalem and surrounding areas. He taught them what his Father would have them know and do.

Depiction of Jesus Teaching the People of Jerusalem

As an example for us, He was baptized (in the Jordan River).

Depiction of Jesus Baptized by John the Baptist

With the power He had been given from his Father, he also performed miracles such as healing the sick, giving sight to the blind, and raising the dead.

Depiction of Jesus Healing a Blind Man

Most importantly, Jesus performed the atonement. All of us sin (go against God’s will) in this life, making us unworthy to return to God’s presence. As part of the atonement, Jesus suffered for our sins. This means that if we accept this gift from Jesus and turn away from our sins (repent), we are eligible to return to live with God (and Jesus) again after this life.

Depiction of Jesus Praying Before Suffering for Us

Also as part of the atonement, Jesus allowed himself to be crucified (killed on a cross).

Depiction of Jesus on Cross

Even though it is sad to think of the suffering He went through for us, it is comforting to know that after He died, He was resurrected (or brought back to life with a body that would never die again) and that because He was resurrected, it made it possible for us to be resurrected (see Matthew 27:52).

He now lives in the heavens and directs prophets on the earth.

Depiction of Resurrected Jesus

For more information:

• More about Jesus Christ
• Faith in Jesus Christ
• The Atonement of Jesus Christ
• Resurrection and Judgment
• How can I know this is true?