Members of the Mormon Church believe that Joseph
Smith was the first prophet of the latter-days. He is revered because he
restored the gospel to the earth, organized the Church, and translated the Book
of Mormon. Mormons do
not worship him but they do honor him as Catholics honor their Saints.
Joseph Smith was
just a young boy of fourteen when he desired to know which church was true.
During the early 1800's the area of Palmyra New York experienced a great
religious revival. Churches everywhere were competing and urging people to join
their congregation. Young Joseph Smith did not know who was right. After
reading in the Bible "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,"1 he decided to ask for himself.
In the spring of
1820 Joseph Smith retired to a
grove of trees and began to pray. What transpired then was truly a miracle and
not something that Joseph Smith ever expected. God the Father and His Son Jesus
Christ appeared unto the boy Joseph. God the Father gestured towards Christ and
said, "This is My Beloved Son. Hear him." 2 Then Christ
proceeded to tell Joseph Smith that none of the churches on the earth were true
and that Joseph would be instrumental in restoring the fullness of His gospel
on the earth. Because of Joseph Smith's vision The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints teaches that God and Jesus Christ are two separate and
distinct beings, with bodies of perfected flesh and bone, that are one in
purpose.
Because of his
vision Joseph Smith was greatly persecuted. But he would not deny it. For he
said, "I had seen a vision; I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I
could not deny it." 3
A few years
after what Mormons call "The First Vision," another holy messenger,
the angel
Moroni, visited Joseph Smith. Moroni was an ancient prophet that
lived in the Americas. He was the last writer on a sacred record of scripture
called the gold plates. Moroni proceeded to tell Joseph Smith where the plates
were buried. In 1827 Joseph Smith received the gold plates and began
translating them. He read the record straight from the plates while another
translated it. The translation is called The Book of
Mormon. It is another testament of Jesus Christ and a record of the
ancient inhabitants of the American continents.
Later Joseph
Smith received the priesthood, which is God's power on earth. Under Christ's
direction Joseph Smith organized The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints on April 6, 1830. Through future revelations from Joseph Smith, many
recorded in The Doctrine and Covenants, sweet and precious truths and practices
were restored to the earth including: apostles, temples, the power to
seal in heaven and on earth, the Word of Wisdom,
forever families, missionary
work, and the organization of Christ’s church.
1. James 1:5