To anyone who has read this book that I have wrote for my posterity,
We have now gone through the Book of Mormon together, and as I wrote so many of my thoughts and inspired messages you first must know that these writings are a limited record of what the Lord has taught me in my studies. I look forward to reading the Book of Mormon again, and being prompted to search and ponder upon different aspects of each chapter as the promptings seem unlimited, when I search my scriptures. Personal revelation and inspiration are just some of the great beauties that we have in the words of the Lord.He does and will speak to you and me in the scriptures anytime that our heart is open and that we are seeking for His will and direction in our lives. Please follow the promptings of the spirit to do what He has asked you to do regarding your own scripture study and the manner after which you can best serve Him through sharing what you learn and the spirit that the scriptures bring upon you. I can witness that it will deepen your joy and bring more light into your life every time that you study the Book of Mormon.
Moroni tells us in Moroni 10: 3-4:
" Behold I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder them in your hearts.
And when ye shall receive these things I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true: and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, He will manifest the truth of it unto you by the power of the Holy Ghost. "
I testify that each and every time that I have asked with a sincere heart and will real intent, having faith in Christ; to know if the Book of Mormon is a true recording from God, and if Joseph Smith is truly an appointed prophet of the Lord? ; my answer has come strong and powerful that YES, these words are true; and Joseph Smith is indeed a prophet of God.
Today, I ask you my brother's and sisters, and those that I love to do something for me; if you have felt that I have ever shown you love: I ask you to show me love in return by pondering upon this question in your minds;
First- If you know that the Book of Mormon is true; and if you know that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God would you be willing to give up everything that you love and hold dear in your heart for the sake of the Book of Mormon; and the restored gospel of Jesus Christ? I am not proposing you will be required to give up all that you love in order to keep these gifts that you have; but unless you would be willing to do that; then I personally ask you to question if you do deeply know, believe in and respect what a enormous gift that you have been given in this blessing that you have?
You might ask how to get to that point? I say read this book over and over and pray that you can get to that point. Once you have gotten to that point; I can tell you; you will know, because you will almost wish that you could be given the opportunity to give up everything that you love; in order to show Him how thankful that you are.....and the result in wishing this; will be that you will give up everything that you don't need or that may be cluttering your life; or keeping you from sharing your gift with others. If you do know the truthfulness of the gospel these quotes below will not be frightful to you; because you know who He is and how He will help you; and what He is giving you in His gospel.
“Let us here observe that a religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things never has power sufficient to produce the faith necessary unto life and salvation . . . When a man has offered in sacrifice all that he has for the truth’s sake, not even withholding his life, and believing before God that he has been called to make this sacrifice because he seeks to do his will, he does know, most assuredly, that God does and will accept his sacrifice and offering, and that he has not, nor will not seek his face in vain. Under these circumstances, then , he can obtain the faith necessary for him to lay hold on eternal life.”
- Joseph Smith, Lectures on Faith, 69
“All intelligent beings who are crowned with crowns of glory, immortality, and eternal lives must pass through every ordeal appointed for intelligent beings to pass through, to gain their glory and exaltation. Every calamity that can come upon mortal beings will be suffered to come upon the few, to prepare them to enjoy the presence of the Lord. If we obtain the glory that Abraham obtained, we must do so by the same means he did. If we are ever prepared to enjoy the society of Enoch, Noah, Melchizedek, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, or of their faithful children, and of the faithful Prophets and Apostles, we must pass through the same experience, and gain the knowledge, intelligence, and endowments that will prepare us to enter into the celestial kingdom of our Father and God. . . Every trial and experience you have passed through is necessary for your salvation. . . It is recorded that Jesus was made perfect through suffering. If he was made perfect through suffering, why should we imagine for one moment that we can be prepared to enter into the kingdom of rest with him and the Father, without passing through similar ordeals.”
- Brigham Young, Discourses of Brigham Young, p. 345-346
Second- If these quotes scare you, or If this challenge scares you; and if you are having doubts to the validity of this book and of Joseph Smith as a prophet of God; I would ask you to consider all of these things:
1. A sincere inquirer should see the spreading of the restored gospel as the fruit of the Lord’s work through the Prophet.
There are now more than 29,000 congregations and 88,000 missionaries teaching the gospel across the world. Millions of Latter-day Saints are seeking to follow Jesus Christ, live honorable lives, care for the poor, and give of their time and talents in helping others.
Jesus said:
“A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. …
“… By their fruits ye shall know them.” ( Matthew 7:18-20 )
(" Joseph Smith " - By Elder Neil L. Anderson )
2. An angel told Joseph that his name would “be had for good and evil among all nations, kindreds, and tongues.”
The good spoken of Joseph Smith came slowly; the evil speaking began immediately. Joseph wrote, “How very strange it was that an obscure boy … should be thought … of sufficient importance to attract … the most bitter persecution.”
While love for Joseph grew, so also did hostility. At the age of 38, he was murdered by a mob of 150 men with painted faces.While the Prophet’s life abruptly ended, the good and evil spoken of Joseph was just beginning.
Should we be surprised with the evil spoken against him? The Apostle Paul was called mad and deranged. Our Beloved Savior, the Son of God, was labeled gluttonous, a winebibber, and possessed of a devil.( Acts 26:24, Matthew 11:19, John 10:20 )
The Lord told Joseph of his destiny:
“The ends of the earth shall inquire after thy name, and fools shall have thee in derision, and hell shall rage against thee;
“While the pure in heart, … the wise, … and the virtuous, shall seek … blessings constantly from under thy hand.”
Why does the Lord allow the evil speaking to chase after the good? One reason is that opposition against the things of God sends seekers of truth to their knees for answers. ( " Joseph Smith " - Elder Neil L. Anderson )
3. If the past polygamy of the church bothers you, I would ask you to consider why watching movies and television shows that not only condone but also glorify infidelity, promiscuity, and vulgarity do not bother you? I am not suggesting that I believe in the practice of polygamy when God does not command it; but I am suggesting that there seems to be more reason for a person to persecute TV programs; Movie Makers; and immoral behavior to the point they would abandon those things; rather than abandon a church who practiced marital commitment to more than one person; not engaged in adulterous relationships portrayed in a positive manner all over the our world ; and whom practiced this for a good cause; being commanded of God; and creating a righteous generation, as well to help take care of widows in a time of limited believing husbands; in a time of dire need for protection and providing for women.
4. Consider the characteristics a prophet must hold while pondering Joseph Smith and these requirements:
A. He will boldly claim that God [has] spoken to him.
B. Any man so claiming would be a dignified man with a dignified message; no table-jumping, no whisperings from the dead, no clairvoyance, but an intelligent statement of truth.
C. Any man claiming to be a prophet of God would declare his message without any fear and without making any weak concessions to public opinion.
D. If he were speaking for God, he could not make concessions although what he taught would be new and contrary to the accepted teachings of the day. A prophet bears witness to what he has seen and heard and seldom tries to make a case by argument. His message and not himself is important.
E. Such a man would speak in the name of the Lord, saying, “Thus saith the Lord,” as did Moses, Joshua, and others.
F. Such a man would predict future events in the name of the Lord, and they would come to pass, as did Isaiah and Ezekiel.
G. He would have not only an important message for his time but often a message for all future time, such as Daniel, Jeremiah, and others had.
H. He would have courage and faith enough to endure persecution and to give his life, if need be, for the cause he espoused, such as Peter, Paul, and others did.
I. Such a man would denounce wickedness fearlessly. He would generally be rejected or persecuted by the people of his time, but later generations, the descendants of his persecutors, would build monuments in his honor.
J. He would be able to do superhuman things, things that no man could do without God’s help. The consequence or result of his message and work would be convincing evidence of his prophetic calling. “By their fruits ye shall know them” [Matt. 7:20].
K. His teachings would be in strict conformity with scripture, and his words and his writings would become scripture. “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (2 Pet. 1:21).
Now, I have given but an outline which you can fill in and amplify and then measure and judge the Prophet Joseph Smith by the work and stature of other prophets.
As a student of the life of the Prophet Joseph Smith for more than 50 years, I say to you … , by these standards Joseph Smith qualifies as a prophet of God.
I believe that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God because he talked like a prophet. He was the first man since the Apostles of Jesus Christ were slain to make the claim which prophets have always made, [namely,] that God had spoken to him. He lived and died like a prophet. I believe he was a prophet of God because he gave to this world some of the greatest of all revelations. I believe that he was a prophet of God because he predicted many things which have come to pass, things which only God could bring to pass.
John, the beloved disciple of Jesus, declared, “The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” [Rev. 19:10]. If Joseph Smith had the testimony of Jesus, he had the spirit of prophecy, and if he had the spirit of prophecy, he was a prophet. I submit to you, and I submitted to my friend, that as much as any man who ever lived he had a testimony of Jesus, for, like the Apostles of old, he saw Him and heard Him speak. He gave his life for that testimony. I challenge any man to name one who has given more evidence of the divine calling of Jesus Christ than did the Prophet Joseph Smith.
I believe the Prophet Joseph Smith was a prophet because he did many superhuman things. One was translating the Book of Mormon. Some people will not agree, but I submit to you that the Prophet Joseph Smith in translating the Book of Mormon did a superhuman work. I ask you … to undertake to write a story on the ancient inhabitants of America. Write as he did without any source of material. Include in your story 54 chapters dealing with wars, 21 historical chapters, 55 chapters on visions and prophecies, and, remember, when you begin to write on visions and prophecies you must have your record agree meticulously with the Bible. You write 71 chapters on doctrine and exhortation, and, here too, you must check every statement with the scriptures or you will be proven to be a fraud. You must write 21 chapters on the ministry of Christ, and everything you claim He said and did and every testimony you write in your book about Him must agree absolutely with the New Testament.
I ask you, would you like to undertake such a task? I would suggest to you too that you must employ figures of speech, similes, metaphors, narrations, exposition, description, oratory, epic, lyric, logic, and parables. Undertake that, will you? I ask you to remember that the man that translated the Book of Mormon was a young man who hadn’t had the opportunity of schooling that you have had, and yet he dictated that book in just over two months and made very few, if any, corrections. For over 100 years, some of the best students and scholars of the world have been trying to prove from the Bible that the Book of Mormon is false, but not one of them has been able to prove that anything he wrote was not in strict harmony with the scriptures. …
Joseph Smith undertook and accomplished other superhuman tasks; among them I list the following: He organized the Church. (I call attention to the fact that no constitution effected by human agency has survived 100 years without modification or amendment, even the Constitution of the United States. The basic law or constitution of the Church has never been altered.) He undertook to carry the gospel message to all nations, which is a superhuman task still in progress. He undertook, by divine command, to gather thousands of people to Zion. He instituted vicarious work for the dead and built temples for that purpose. He promised that certain signs should follow the believers, and there are thousands of witnesses who certify that this promise has been fulfilled.
I said to my friend, “… I cannot understand your saying to me that my claims are fantastic. Nor can I understand why Christians who claim to believe in Christ would persecute and put to death a man whose whole purpose was to prove the truth of the things they themselves were declaring, namely, that Jesus was the Christ. I could understand them for persecuting Joseph if he had said, “I am Christ,” or if he had said, “There is no Christ,” or if he had said someone else is Christ. Then Christians believing in Christ would be justified in opposing him. But what he said was, “He whom ye claim to serve, declare I unto you. … I testify that I saw Him and talked with Him. He is the Son of God. Why persecute me for that?” …
( " A Profile of a Prophet " - Hugh B. Brown )
Pray and ponder upon these things....I know the truth of all things will be made known unto you with an open and willing heart.
I love you all. In the name of Jesus Christ-Amen.
Emily Gail Turano :)
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