Snippets for Relief Society 2015 :) Use search term Ezra Taft Benson to view more for this week or for other weeks.
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Joseph Smith, what a great lesson topic!
I asked my family what they thought of Joseph Smith, my youngest son, a man of few words, said:
"Willpower, perseverance and obedience in abundance...don't forget the word ABUNDANCE, mom."
(He knew this would make it to the blog.)
My husband Joel said, "He died so young, at an age when most people are just getting started. Yet he was so productive and did many things we all benefit from greatly."
These days, it seems like a good idea to have a significant conversation about Joseph Smith, for several pivotal reasons:
A - The First Vision is fundamental to our whole religion. It revealed ground-breaking truths to our world which haven't been on the earth for centuries. Specifically the physical nature of Heavenly Father and Jesus, as well as their relationship to each other. This told us volumes about ourselves and our destiny. By understanding Christ's relationship with the Father, we understand our own with Him. By understanding their physical nature, we also understand our destiny. We wouldn't be Mormons without these truths.
B - The Book of Mormon, which Joseph translated and brought to the world, is the keystone of our faith and a rich source of treasured, intimate and powerful spiritual experiences. In fact, this is most likely the best place to start if one wants a testimony of the prophet Joseph Smith. Or if a testimony needs to be re-gained.
The very miracle here, that prophets, angels, modern scriptures, revelations, and current contact with God actually exist - greatly sets our Christianity apart from the rest of today's religious world.
Yet how extremely important to know, and our great fortune to know, about prophets and apostles and a tangible God in touch with His children!
Either the First Vision and The Book of Mormon happened as Joseph Smith said they did...or they didn't. All else pivots on those two events.
C - The other reason we need to talk about Joseph Smith is because the world is talking about him more than ever, and very badly. Which is one of our modern society's best skills ~ to cast someone horribly through the artifice of words, and to put light for dark and dark for light.
The murmur mill has been humming at high pitch from the time Joseph was 14. The difference is now a lot more of us are experiencing it first or second-hand because of anti-mormonism posted online both in media and the internet in general. And if you're not grappling with Joseph's defamation yourself, for sure your children and a good percentage of your fellow sisters are.
A lot of degrading scorn is accomplished by taking quotes and stories such as translating methods, polygamy, wife age, etc, out of context. Especially common, is ignoring the culture of the time and assuming intent and thought processes we're really not privy to. Along with projecting the worst possible motives one can think of and then banking on them as representing Joseph Smith's character ~ based purely on the merits that one can speculate about them and then vocalizing it makes it so.
If it interests you or you have time - here is a perfect example:
The Urban Legend Of Adam Lightner
Trial by online comment thread juries. Don't fall for it.
Our modern culture excels at slander, spins, bad-mouthing, ridicule, discrediting, obscuring and tearing down in general. It's the collective hobby of our media newsrooms, court systems and online comment sections.
Everyone loves a good slam and a conspiracy theory. It sells.
I know something about this personally.
You could take any one of us, and put our fails, follies, past weak moments, poor choices of words, once-mistaken beliefs and learning curves on display and make any individual one of us look like complete idiots. No one is immune. And this despite us, perhaps, being very good, accomplished and honorable people as a whole and worthwhile most of the time.
Let me share an experience which I've never publicly shared. In fact, it may have never really been privately shared either. It was so unwelcome, nightmarish and painful, it's been left way back in the past and almost never re-visited.
I was divorced in 2001, and became a single mother to six young children. The oldest was 11 years-old. Life was difficult and trying financially and emotionally. There were untold volumes of heartache and disappointment during those years. My ex-spouse was officially diagnosed with narcissistic personality disorder and later as bi-polar also. Court was his glorious circus of entertainment. He thrived there. It didn't matter whether he won or lost, he was madly in love with the whole experience. It was like he was on stage with a captive audience. He took me there many times, much more than normal, both out of vindictiveness and with the intent of wearing me down. How I survived those five years in California's crippled justice system, and then a half a dozen more in Southern Oregon's I still can't say. It was sheer madness.
Loud drama people do well in court. It's a sad, modern failing of our time.
On one of those occasions, he filed a lawsuit against me suing for custody of our six children based on my being an unfit mother. There were 47 accusations in all which I stood trial for. Let me quickly say I won and kept custody, but not without passing through an excruciating process which left me stunned and flattened.
As a background, there really are no winners in the California family court system. Everyone is scarred for life. They are unfortunately comfortable with keeping families as ripped up and in distress as long as is possible. The average divorce case lasts five years in the county we were at. It really is a conflicted justice system.
Back to the story - of those 47 items on the agenda, some were embellished and exaggerated, some were stories taken out of context, some were completely fabricated and some were...embarrassingly true.
What was noticeably missing were the 470 things I did right. In other words, the court wasn't interested in looking at me as a whole or considering whether I was a fit mother based on what I accomplished as a parent or anything of merit. They only wanted to spend tens of thousands of dollars in lawyer money debating each and every negative item, true or not. I was on the stand and questioned mercilessly. I felt terrible and near worthless when the process was over.
So I recognize this same process happening within the modern media as well as other anti-mormonism sites about Joseph Smith. They trip over themselves in a race to the headlines to publish any unsavory bit they can frame. The myriad good, great and worthy elements of this prophet's character and accomplishments are rarely spoken of or alluded to. Which leaves the naive public with a very different feel for who the man Joseph actually was or what he is about. A prophet who sacrificed almost all comfort, safety and dignity to bring the gospel back to our world, which is pretty much Satan's playground now. All forces of the adversary fully zoned in on this man and his earnest, youthful efforts to establish the Lord's work.
Questions not to ask in class: If you were Lucifer (thank goodness this is completely hypothetical) who would you target? And how much effort and energy would you put into the endeavor given your destructive goals? Would a prophet like Joseph be left in peace? Not a chance. The fact there is so much commotion surrounding Joseph, even 171 years later after his death is evidence of how threatening he is to Lucifer's end-game. You can bet Satan is writhing in his cunning art of words to defame and take Joseph Smith down. Look how many souls Lucifer could confuse if he were successful. The fact Joseph Smith could create such significant vibes in our media even still today needs to be pondered. For example, who has been beating this drum of scorn and ridicule for so long?
Moroni told Joseph his name would be had for good and for bad among all nations.
The test of our faith is here and growing.
To note, if you had read the 47 claims made about me those 14 years back, you would have no idea who I was nor could you possibly fathom how my six children turned out in any semblance of normal.
Back to Joseph's character on trial. Question is...where will you stand? Some of the stuff they come up with about Joseph is pretty damning and daunting at first pass and even at second pass. And if you're not a tireless researcher type, their ridicule and clamor may be hard to reconcile with.
We need to be ready for this prominent, faith-depleting challenge of our day, in regards to the Prophet Joseph Smith. It appears the time has come for all good Saints to stand up and decide where they will be counted.
So let me say passionately, I for one, stand by Joseph Smith. Despite his mortal moments, he is a prophet of God. In fact he is a principal and extraordinary prophet. He opened our current dispensation...the seventh and last one.
I'm making a point to notice the 470 things he did right (I'm sure the number is far higher), and at such a dear sacrifice. What about how much goodness and happiness those 470 things have brought into my life?
Question of the day...where will you stand when the darts are thrown at Joseph Smith? Even ones which feel like they hit the mark?
The First Vision and The Book of Mormon are exactly as the prophet Joseph recounted to us ~ a sublime historical event which ushered in our dispensation, and the Book is proven to be full of Spirit and enlightenment.
Joseph remains a prophet still and died as a worthy and honorable man to the last. How do I know? We'll talk about this more in a bit. In fact Ezra Taft Benson mentions it later in the lesson. But I'd like to follow Ezra's train of thought.
Ezra shares a touching experience relating to his mission. He had prepared himself to talk to a chapel full of interested people on one topic for a hopeful, but doubtful 15 minutes. After he sat down from speaking, he realized he just filled 25 minutes easily about Joseph Smith and never even mentioned what he had prepared. The words flowed on their own with influence and power. Afterwards a fair number of people told him how much his sermon meant, because Joseph Smith was the exact question in many people's minds and Ezra had testified beautifully. A good number of baptisms resulted in a time and place where missionary work was all but shut down. This experience so touched President Benson as a young man, he cried.
President Benson went on his mission in 1922. If the Spirit is still teaching, validating and testifying of the prophet Joseph Smith 78 years after his death ~ is there a message about Joseph Smith for the rest of us?
Book Of Mormon
Even when I read this book fast, perhaps for an 80-day challenge or something, it enlarges my inner being and brings in light. I can actually feel and notice the swelling within me over the course of reading the book. And sometimes the enlightenment isn't specific to any one subject, but just a general, overall increase in well-being and spiritual confidence. It's an effect I can't help but register.
This is what makes this lesson so enjoyable. We get to talk about the Book of Mormon and our experiences and testimonies of it.
President Benson says:
"The most singular evidence in support of Joseph Smith’s claim to being a spokesman for Almighty God was the publication of a scriptural record, the Book of Mormon."
It's also the easiest to way to access a testimony. Why? The book has it's own power and testifies of itself. Any sincere reader, who is willing to read it just between themselves and God will, at some point, feel the divinity of the book.
If we attempt to "read" the book by reading someone else's synopsis of it, good or bad, it won't work. For a truly welcome experience, only you and God may be present. If we leave the door open to the possibility the book may be a true work, it will gladden, embolden and lift the heart. The book gifts us with a greater sense of well-being as well.
Listen to this sweet invitation from Ezra:
"We invite you to test the validity of our witness about the origin of the Book of Mormon. You can do this by reading it and asking our Heavenly Father if these things are true. I promise you, if you are sincere, you will receive a confirmation of the truthfulness by the Holy Ghost. Millions, with soberness and sincerity, testify they know it is from God."
Natural Class Discussion: How many of you have read the Book of Mormon? What does the Book of Mormon mean to you and why? Have you had any treasured experiences with the Book of Mormon you feel to share with us? (Great question to ask ahead of time to a couple of sisters.)
The First Vision
If we're going to talk Joseph Smith, we've got to talk First Vision. Not as a repetitive story, but as an exciting, extraordinary event. Each of us have been promised to know of it's surety if we seek to.
I have a beautiful treasured experience of the Spirit bearing powerful witness of this event myself. It only happened about seven years ago. For some reason I wasn't aware we were to seek a special manifestation of this one event. Once I did, it became one of the most spiritually clarifying events in my life.
The YW site has an excellent resource for teaching about how to get a specific testimony of the First Vision. You may want to skim this for lesson ideas or for yourself.
President Benson says:
"The prayer of a boy fourteen years of age, in the Sacred Grove, opened a new gospel dispensation."
"This restoration of the gospel, the bringing back of light and truth, is intended for the benefit and blessing of all God’s children. And so, humbly and gratefully, our missionaries go out into the world to proclaim that there has been an apostasy from the truth, but that through the goodness of God the heavens have again been opened and the gospel revealed unto man through Joseph Smith, the Prophet."
Possible Class Discussion: What truths did the First Vision teach us about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ? Why is this so important to our own understanding? (See point "A" at the top of this blog post for ideas.) Why would we be counseled to have a specific testimony of the First Vision itself? (see YW site for ideas to expand this discussion if you feel you'd like to emphasize it.)
Joseph Still A Prophet Today
Sometimes it's helpful to look at repeating patterns from the past, to help us understand what is happening now.
Joseph has been discredited and targeted from his youth. It's a pattern which would repeat itself over and over.
President Benson tells us:
"Simultaneous with the early development of the Church was a spirit of opposition and persecution. Wherever the tiny “mustard seed” was planted, attempts were made to frustrate its growth."
"The fourteen-year-old boy stood true against the world. God knew his son when he was chosen. He knew he would be loyal and true even to death."
Ezra Taft Benson continues:
"Some treated [Joseph Smith’s] testimony with great contempt and began to incite false stories and persecution against him. The young prophet, like the Apostle Paul of old, would not recant his testimony, but defended his claim in these words:
“I had seen a vision; I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I could not deny it, neither dared I do it; at least I knew that by so doing I would offend God, and come under condemnation.” (JS—H 1:25.)
If the persecution from the outside world wasn't enough, early in Church history, those around Joseph Smith including some apostles, would eventually claim he was a fallen prophet. Friends from his inner circle who were supposed to be closest to him, turned on him and betrayed him. At various times and for various reasons. He knew a lot of personal grief.
We know a couple of the three witnesses eventually came back, got re-baptized and apologized later on...but the issues people chose to discredit him over were oftentimes pretty superficial agendas. For example disappointment over bank failures or the proper use of seer stones or competition over who should lead.
The whirlwind of darts was always present and seeing it today is history repeating itself.
But let's take a look at some of the 470 things the man did right?
By the time he died, he had gathered approximately 15,000 Saints to Nauvoo along with all the comings and goings of building up the civic infrastructure of a town and their religious community. (And this after having already migrated from place to place with only primitive conveniences.) He (and his scribes) painstakingly wrote the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine & Covenants by hand. Went over every word. He managed to get the books published and sent missionaries through several parts of the world. He went himself on occasion. He had nine children. He formed the Mormon Battalion and marched with them. His sufferings were great and frequent, both physically and financially at the hands of mobs and thugs. He was vexed often by ruthless men in court.
Yet...
He also saw and spoke with heavenly messengers at least 139 times (the number recorded). He saw the Savior at least 10 times (incidences recorded).
What a testimony to how the heavens regarded him! They found him worthwhile enough to keep company with him often and this says something.
President Benson shares a piece about Joseph which is really touching and significant:
"Joseph Smith the Prophet went willingly to his death. He sealed his testimony with his life—his own blood. On that fateful day in Nauvoo, Illinois, as he looked back upon his city and people whom he loved, on his way to Carthage Jail and his martyrdom, he declared: “This is the loveliest place and the best people under the heavens; little do they know the trials that await them” [History of the Church, 6:554]."
"Later the Prophet said feelingly, but calmly and courageously, “I am going like a lamb to the slaughter, but I am as calm as a summer’s morning. I have a conscience void of offense toward God and toward all men. If they take my life I shall die an innocent man, and my blood shall cry from the ground for vengeance, and it shall be said of me, ‘He was murdered in cold blood’” [History of the Church, 6:555]."
He gave it all.
Whatever fails, follies, mis-steps, learning curves, and mistakes the Prophet Joseph made, he took care of them and had reconciled with the Heavens. The Doctrine & Covenants records his chastisements several times as well as his repentance. He was a man, and yes he stumbled, but this does not change the fact that when it was time to establish our dispensation, and our doctrine, and lead our Church, this is whom the heavens chose. And whom Heaven keeps choosing.
Good luck with this lesson!
Possible Hymns:
Praise To The Man #27
Joseph Smith's First Prayer #26
We Thank Thee O God For A Prophet #19
Nine Tips For Memorable Teaching
Joseph Smith, what a great lesson topic!
I asked my family what they thought of Joseph Smith, my youngest son, a man of few words, said:
"Willpower, perseverance and obedience in abundance...don't forget the word ABUNDANCE, mom."
(He knew this would make it to the blog.)
My husband Joel said, "He died so young, at an age when most people are just getting started. Yet he was so productive and did many things we all benefit from greatly."
These days, it seems like a good idea to have a significant conversation about Joseph Smith, for several pivotal reasons:
A - The First Vision is fundamental to our whole religion. It revealed ground-breaking truths to our world which haven't been on the earth for centuries. Specifically the physical nature of Heavenly Father and Jesus, as well as their relationship to each other. This told us volumes about ourselves and our destiny. By understanding Christ's relationship with the Father, we understand our own with Him. By understanding their physical nature, we also understand our destiny. We wouldn't be Mormons without these truths.
B - The Book of Mormon, which Joseph translated and brought to the world, is the keystone of our faith and a rich source of treasured, intimate and powerful spiritual experiences. In fact, this is most likely the best place to start if one wants a testimony of the prophet Joseph Smith. Or if a testimony needs to be re-gained.
The very miracle here, that prophets, angels, modern scriptures, revelations, and current contact with God actually exist - greatly sets our Christianity apart from the rest of today's religious world.
Yet how extremely important to know, and our great fortune to know, about prophets and apostles and a tangible God in touch with His children!
Either the First Vision and The Book of Mormon happened as Joseph Smith said they did...or they didn't. All else pivots on those two events.
C - The other reason we need to talk about Joseph Smith is because the world is talking about him more than ever, and very badly. Which is one of our modern society's best skills ~ to cast someone horribly through the artifice of words, and to put light for dark and dark for light.
The murmur mill has been humming at high pitch from the time Joseph was 14. The difference is now a lot more of us are experiencing it first or second-hand because of anti-mormonism posted online both in media and the internet in general. And if you're not grappling with Joseph's defamation yourself, for sure your children and a good percentage of your fellow sisters are.
A lot of degrading scorn is accomplished by taking quotes and stories such as translating methods, polygamy, wife age, etc, out of context. Especially common, is ignoring the culture of the time and assuming intent and thought processes we're really not privy to. Along with projecting the worst possible motives one can think of and then banking on them as representing Joseph Smith's character ~ based purely on the merits that one can speculate about them and then vocalizing it makes it so.
If it interests you or you have time - here is a perfect example:
The Urban Legend Of Adam Lightner
Trial by online comment thread juries. Don't fall for it.
Our modern culture excels at slander, spins, bad-mouthing, ridicule, discrediting, obscuring and tearing down in general. It's the collective hobby of our media newsrooms, court systems and online comment sections.
 |
| Two Mormon Elders pose in front of a movie poster in England in 1922 (Same time Ezra was serving his mission). The gist of the movie was the Mormon Elders were there to trap girls and make slaves out them in the guise of plural wives and transport them back to Utah. |
Everyone loves a good slam and a conspiracy theory. It sells.
I know something about this personally.
You could take any one of us, and put our fails, follies, past weak moments, poor choices of words, once-mistaken beliefs and learning curves on display and make any individual one of us look like complete idiots. No one is immune. And this despite us, perhaps, being very good, accomplished and honorable people as a whole and worthwhile most of the time.
Let me share an experience which I've never publicly shared. In fact, it may have never really been privately shared either. It was so unwelcome, nightmarish and painful, it's been left way back in the past and almost never re-visited.
I was divorced in 2001, and became a single mother to six young children. The oldest was 11 years-old. Life was difficult and trying financially and emotionally. There were untold volumes of heartache and disappointment during those years. My ex-spouse was officially diagnosed with narcissistic personality disorder and later as bi-polar also. Court was his glorious circus of entertainment. He thrived there. It didn't matter whether he won or lost, he was madly in love with the whole experience. It was like he was on stage with a captive audience. He took me there many times, much more than normal, both out of vindictiveness and with the intent of wearing me down. How I survived those five years in California's crippled justice system, and then a half a dozen more in Southern Oregon's I still can't say. It was sheer madness.
Loud drama people do well in court. It's a sad, modern failing of our time.
On one of those occasions, he filed a lawsuit against me suing for custody of our six children based on my being an unfit mother. There were 47 accusations in all which I stood trial for. Let me quickly say I won and kept custody, but not without passing through an excruciating process which left me stunned and flattened.
As a background, there really are no winners in the California family court system. Everyone is scarred for life. They are unfortunately comfortable with keeping families as ripped up and in distress as long as is possible. The average divorce case lasts five years in the county we were at. It really is a conflicted justice system.
Back to the story - of those 47 items on the agenda, some were embellished and exaggerated, some were stories taken out of context, some were completely fabricated and some were...embarrassingly true.
What was noticeably missing were the 470 things I did right. In other words, the court wasn't interested in looking at me as a whole or considering whether I was a fit mother based on what I accomplished as a parent or anything of merit. They only wanted to spend tens of thousands of dollars in lawyer money debating each and every negative item, true or not. I was on the stand and questioned mercilessly. I felt terrible and near worthless when the process was over.
So I recognize this same process happening within the modern media as well as other anti-mormonism sites about Joseph Smith. They trip over themselves in a race to the headlines to publish any unsavory bit they can frame. The myriad good, great and worthy elements of this prophet's character and accomplishments are rarely spoken of or alluded to. Which leaves the naive public with a very different feel for who the man Joseph actually was or what he is about. A prophet who sacrificed almost all comfort, safety and dignity to bring the gospel back to our world, which is pretty much Satan's playground now. All forces of the adversary fully zoned in on this man and his earnest, youthful efforts to establish the Lord's work.
Questions not to ask in class: If you were Lucifer (thank goodness this is completely hypothetical) who would you target? And how much effort and energy would you put into the endeavor given your destructive goals? Would a prophet like Joseph be left in peace? Not a chance. The fact there is so much commotion surrounding Joseph, even 171 years later after his death is evidence of how threatening he is to Lucifer's end-game. You can bet Satan is writhing in his cunning art of words to defame and take Joseph Smith down. Look how many souls Lucifer could confuse if he were successful. The fact Joseph Smith could create such significant vibes in our media even still today needs to be pondered. For example, who has been beating this drum of scorn and ridicule for so long?
Moroni told Joseph his name would be had for good and for bad among all nations.
The test of our faith is here and growing.
To note, if you had read the 47 claims made about me those 14 years back, you would have no idea who I was nor could you possibly fathom how my six children turned out in any semblance of normal.
Back to Joseph's character on trial. Question is...where will you stand? Some of the stuff they come up with about Joseph is pretty damning and daunting at first pass and even at second pass. And if you're not a tireless researcher type, their ridicule and clamor may be hard to reconcile with.
We need to be ready for this prominent, faith-depleting challenge of our day, in regards to the Prophet Joseph Smith. It appears the time has come for all good Saints to stand up and decide where they will be counted.
So let me say passionately, I for one, stand by Joseph Smith. Despite his mortal moments, he is a prophet of God. In fact he is a principal and extraordinary prophet. He opened our current dispensation...the seventh and last one.
I'm making a point to notice the 470 things he did right (I'm sure the number is far higher), and at such a dear sacrifice. What about how much goodness and happiness those 470 things have brought into my life?
Question of the day...where will you stand when the darts are thrown at Joseph Smith? Even ones which feel like they hit the mark?
The First Vision and The Book of Mormon are exactly as the prophet Joseph recounted to us ~ a sublime historical event which ushered in our dispensation, and the Book is proven to be full of Spirit and enlightenment.
Joseph remains a prophet still and died as a worthy and honorable man to the last. How do I know? We'll talk about this more in a bit. In fact Ezra Taft Benson mentions it later in the lesson. But I'd like to follow Ezra's train of thought.
Ezra shares a touching experience relating to his mission. He had prepared himself to talk to a chapel full of interested people on one topic for a hopeful, but doubtful 15 minutes. After he sat down from speaking, he realized he just filled 25 minutes easily about Joseph Smith and never even mentioned what he had prepared. The words flowed on their own with influence and power. Afterwards a fair number of people told him how much his sermon meant, because Joseph Smith was the exact question in many people's minds and Ezra had testified beautifully. A good number of baptisms resulted in a time and place where missionary work was all but shut down. This experience so touched President Benson as a young man, he cried.
President Benson went on his mission in 1922. If the Spirit is still teaching, validating and testifying of the prophet Joseph Smith 78 years after his death ~ is there a message about Joseph Smith for the rest of us?
Book Of Mormon
Even when I read this book fast, perhaps for an 80-day challenge or something, it enlarges my inner being and brings in light. I can actually feel and notice the swelling within me over the course of reading the book. And sometimes the enlightenment isn't specific to any one subject, but just a general, overall increase in well-being and spiritual confidence. It's an effect I can't help but register.
This is what makes this lesson so enjoyable. We get to talk about the Book of Mormon and our experiences and testimonies of it.
President Benson says:
"The most singular evidence in support of Joseph Smith’s claim to being a spokesman for Almighty God was the publication of a scriptural record, the Book of Mormon."
It's also the easiest to way to access a testimony. Why? The book has it's own power and testifies of itself. Any sincere reader, who is willing to read it just between themselves and God will, at some point, feel the divinity of the book.
If we attempt to "read" the book by reading someone else's synopsis of it, good or bad, it won't work. For a truly welcome experience, only you and God may be present. If we leave the door open to the possibility the book may be a true work, it will gladden, embolden and lift the heart. The book gifts us with a greater sense of well-being as well.
Listen to this sweet invitation from Ezra:
"We invite you to test the validity of our witness about the origin of the Book of Mormon. You can do this by reading it and asking our Heavenly Father if these things are true. I promise you, if you are sincere, you will receive a confirmation of the truthfulness by the Holy Ghost. Millions, with soberness and sincerity, testify they know it is from God."
Natural Class Discussion: How many of you have read the Book of Mormon? What does the Book of Mormon mean to you and why? Have you had any treasured experiences with the Book of Mormon you feel to share with us? (Great question to ask ahead of time to a couple of sisters.)
The First Vision
If we're going to talk Joseph Smith, we've got to talk First Vision. Not as a repetitive story, but as an exciting, extraordinary event. Each of us have been promised to know of it's surety if we seek to.
I have a beautiful treasured experience of the Spirit bearing powerful witness of this event myself. It only happened about seven years ago. For some reason I wasn't aware we were to seek a special manifestation of this one event. Once I did, it became one of the most spiritually clarifying events in my life.
The YW site has an excellent resource for teaching about how to get a specific testimony of the First Vision. You may want to skim this for lesson ideas or for yourself.
President Benson says:
"The prayer of a boy fourteen years of age, in the Sacred Grove, opened a new gospel dispensation."
"This restoration of the gospel, the bringing back of light and truth, is intended for the benefit and blessing of all God’s children. And so, humbly and gratefully, our missionaries go out into the world to proclaim that there has been an apostasy from the truth, but that through the goodness of God the heavens have again been opened and the gospel revealed unto man through Joseph Smith, the Prophet."
Possible Class Discussion: What truths did the First Vision teach us about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ? Why is this so important to our own understanding? (See point "A" at the top of this blog post for ideas.) Why would we be counseled to have a specific testimony of the First Vision itself? (see YW site for ideas to expand this discussion if you feel you'd like to emphasize it.)
Joseph Still A Prophet Today
Sometimes it's helpful to look at repeating patterns from the past, to help us understand what is happening now.
Joseph has been discredited and targeted from his youth. It's a pattern which would repeat itself over and over.
President Benson tells us:
"Simultaneous with the early development of the Church was a spirit of opposition and persecution. Wherever the tiny “mustard seed” was planted, attempts were made to frustrate its growth."
"The fourteen-year-old boy stood true against the world. God knew his son when he was chosen. He knew he would be loyal and true even to death."
Ezra Taft Benson continues:
"Some treated [Joseph Smith’s] testimony with great contempt and began to incite false stories and persecution against him. The young prophet, like the Apostle Paul of old, would not recant his testimony, but defended his claim in these words:
“I had seen a vision; I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I could not deny it, neither dared I do it; at least I knew that by so doing I would offend God, and come under condemnation.” (JS—H 1:25.)
If the persecution from the outside world wasn't enough, early in Church history, those around Joseph Smith including some apostles, would eventually claim he was a fallen prophet. Friends from his inner circle who were supposed to be closest to him, turned on him and betrayed him. At various times and for various reasons. He knew a lot of personal grief.
We know a couple of the three witnesses eventually came back, got re-baptized and apologized later on...but the issues people chose to discredit him over were oftentimes pretty superficial agendas. For example disappointment over bank failures or the proper use of seer stones or competition over who should lead.
The whirlwind of darts was always present and seeing it today is history repeating itself.
But let's take a look at some of the 470 things the man did right?
 |
| Printing of the Book of Mormon |
Yet...
He also saw and spoke with heavenly messengers at least 139 times (the number recorded). He saw the Savior at least 10 times (incidences recorded).
What a testimony to how the heavens regarded him! They found him worthwhile enough to keep company with him often and this says something.
President Benson shares a piece about Joseph which is really touching and significant:
"Joseph Smith the Prophet went willingly to his death. He sealed his testimony with his life—his own blood. On that fateful day in Nauvoo, Illinois, as he looked back upon his city and people whom he loved, on his way to Carthage Jail and his martyrdom, he declared: “This is the loveliest place and the best people under the heavens; little do they know the trials that await them” [History of the Church, 6:554]."
"Later the Prophet said feelingly, but calmly and courageously, “I am going like a lamb to the slaughter, but I am as calm as a summer’s morning. I have a conscience void of offense toward God and toward all men. If they take my life I shall die an innocent man, and my blood shall cry from the ground for vengeance, and it shall be said of me, ‘He was murdered in cold blood’” [History of the Church, 6:555]."
He gave it all.
Whatever fails, follies, mis-steps, learning curves, and mistakes the Prophet Joseph made, he took care of them and had reconciled with the Heavens. The Doctrine & Covenants records his chastisements several times as well as his repentance. He was a man, and yes he stumbled, but this does not change the fact that when it was time to establish our dispensation, and our doctrine, and lead our Church, this is whom the heavens chose. And whom Heaven keeps choosing.
Good luck with this lesson!
Possible Hymns:
Praise To The Man #27
Joseph Smith's First Prayer #26
We Thank Thee O God For A Prophet #19
Nine Tips For Memorable Teaching