Immediately on our coming up out of the water after we had been baptized, we experienced great and glorious blessings from our Heavenly Father. 16 quotes from Joseph F. Smith: 'Everywhere in nature we are taught the lessons of patience and waiting. We may have third-party advertising companies serving ads to you when you visit our website. When the light had departed, I had no strength; but soon recovering in some degree, I went home. It seemed to enter with great force into every feeling of my heart. President Joseph F. Smith on April 6, 1904, issued a " Second Manifesto ," which reaffirmed the first regarding polygamy. They dont have extra insight. We are a volunteer organization. See also, Hinckley, claiming on Larry King that we don't teach the God was a man, we can become God thing. Notice how President Smith refuses to answer the question directly. Tayler: You do not mean that you reached it by any process of reasoning or by any other method by which you reach other conclusions in your mind, do you? Even without that, if I have to choose to believe something said at General Conference or under penalty of perjury, Im believing the latter. In a January set in . Even more recently, Elder Dallin H. Oaks told the youth that he has never had an experience like Alma the Younger (you know, having a vision, seeing angels, or seeing Christ), and that he didnt know a single one of the 15 brethren who had either. And it is not binding upon them as members of the church until they accept it. Members of the church love to speak in hushed tones about the supposed spiritual manifestations to which the brethren are privy. 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 sects was right (for at this time it had never entered into my heart that all were wrong)and which I should join. [7] McClure's added that he was "a man of violent passions; one could easily imagine him torturing heretics or burning witches to advance the kingdom of God.". Members of the church love to speak in hushed tones about the supposed spiritual manifestations to which the brethren are privy. Choices and How To Opt Out Of Interest-Based Advertising After this third visit, he again ascended into heaven as before, and I was again left to ponder on the strangeness of what I had just experienced; when almost immediately after the heavenly messenger had ascended from me for the third time, the cock crowed, and I found that day was approaching, so that our interviews must have occupied the whole of that night. Reed Smoot, a Senator from the State of Utah, to Hold His Seat 1, Proceedings Before the Committee on Privileges and Elections of the United States Senate in the Matter of the Protests Against the Right of Hon. When the prophet reached the city of Washington, he desired to be presented to . : Perhaps I may say in this way: Chosen by the body, the twelve themselves, by and with the consent and approval of the first presidency. Testimony of Joseph F. Smith Recorded in his own voice, Joseph F. Smith admonishes Church members to serve faithfully and to know that he is firm in the faith. For no sooner was it known that I had them, than the most strenuous exertions were used to get them from me. We were filled with the Holy Ghost, and rejoiced in the God of our salvation. The oldest daughter, Lovina, married Lorin Walker in June 1844, shortly before her father's martyrdom. Chairman: How by inspiration; does it come in the shape of a vision? At length the time arrived for obtaining the plates, the Urim and Thummim, and the breastplate. It described Joseph F. Smith as "furtive," "lurking," and "sly," likening him to a cat that would attack only when one's back was turned. After the Manifesto, the church continued secretly practicing polygamy until the Reed Smoot hearings forced Joseph F. Smith to publish a second Manifesto in 1904. Guidelines For Preventing Illness And What To Do If They Are . If you would like to learn more about what options you have about limiting the gathering of information by third-party ad networks, you can consult the website of the Network Advertising Initiative. Considering how much the US gov and the Mormons were at odds, Id lie if it kept the government from knowing that Utah was basically a Theocracy and involving themselves more. Copyright 1997-2023 by The Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research, Inc. All Rights Reserved. (1:46) The Prophet Joseph Smith was chosen by God to restore the fulness of the gospel to the earth. Most browsers support cookies, but users can set their browsers to decline them and can delete them whenever they like. After Joseph finished, other people were privileged to see the gold plates. The number is probably* too high if you're just using the Temple Lot case, and the number is way, way too low* using all . Enabling cookies from our website is not strictly necessary for the website to work but it will provide you with a better browsing experience. And again, so soon as I had been baptized by him, I also had the spirit of prophecy, when, standing up, I prophesied concerning the rise of this Church, and many other things connected with the Church, and this generation of the children of men. None of the apostles after Joseph Smith were chosen by revelation? In accordance with this, my determination to ask of God, I retired to the woods to make the attempt. How are the apostles selected? Smith: President John Taylor. To find out more about interest-based advertising in the web environment, and how to opt-out of information collection for this purpose by companies that participate in the Network Advertising Initiative or the Digital Advertising Alliance, visit NAIs opt-out page or DAAs Consumer Choice Page. When I came to myself again, I found myself lying on my back, looking up into heaven. He wrote, "After the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives!" ( Doctrine and Covenants 76:22 ). Smith: No, sir; it has been the choice of the body. Worthington: Yes, since 1882 twenty-one years. No portion of this site may be reproduced without the express written consent of The Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research, Inc. Any opinions expressed, implied, or included in or with the goods and services offered by FAIR are solely those of FAIR and not those of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Smith: I will say this, Mr. Chairman, that no revelation given through the head of the church ever becomes binding and authoritative upon the members of the church until it has been presented to the church and accepted by them. : What do you mean by being presented to the church? There he met Emma Hale, whom he married on January 18, 1827. These witnesses have also recorded their testimonies, for in the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established (2 Corinthians 13:1). Moroni returned once ayear for four years andfurther instructed theyoung prophet. Joseph F. Smith, "Testimony Bearing . : I understand you to say that the original twelve apostles were selected by revelation? He said this Aaronic Priesthood had not the power of laying on hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost, but that this should be conferred on us hereafter; and he commanded us to go and be baptized, and gave us directions that I should baptize Oliver Cowdery, and that afterwards he should baptize me. on the Internet. 4) Other usability features including tracking whether youve already given your consent to cookies The First World War figured prominently during the final years of Joseph F. Smith's Church presidency. Sponsored legislation by Joseph F. Smith, the Representative from Pennsylvania - in Congress from 1981 through 1983 All Rights Reserved. web pages I looked in, and there indeed did I behold the plates, the Urim and Thummim, and the breastplate, as stated by the messenger. I left the field, and went to the place where the messenger had told me the plates were deposited; and owing to the distinctness of the vision which I had had concerning it, I knew the place the instant that I arrived there. I often said to myself: What is to be done? 1, p. 484 (Entire Smoot hearings are on-line. : In the first place they were chosen by revelation. The persecution became more bitter and severe than before, and multitudes were on the alert continually to get them from me if possible. They dont have exclusive access to hot tips from God. By this time, so deep were the impressions made on my mind, that sleep had fled from my eyes, and I lay overwhelmed in astonishment at what I had both seen and heard. Smith: I am so sustained and upheld by my people. I had actually seen a light, and in the midst of that light I saw two Personages, and they did in reality speak to me; and though I was hated and persecuted for saying that I had seen a vision, yet it was true; and while they were persecuting me, reviling me, and speaking all manner of evil against me falsely for so saying, I was led to say in my heart: Why persecute me for telling the truth? The Smoot hearings are one of the more fascinating bits of Mormon history. They can also know the peace and happiness that come through the Savior Jesus Christ, whom Joseph Smith worshipped and served. Two days after the arrival of Mr. Cowdery (being the 7th of April) I commenced to translate the Book of Mormon, and he began to write for me. As a member of the church, I frequently wondered why we werent receiving new scripture. The column to the right addresses the Spanish Flu . For example, if they know what ads you are shown while visiting our site, they can be careful not to show you the same ones repeatedly. It was a whiteness beyond anything earthly I had ever seen; nor do I believe that any earthly thing could be made to appear so exceedingly white and brilliant. , he was asked many insightful questions: : What official position do you now hold in the church? . For anyone attracted to Mormon history, the Smoot hearings represented a gold mine of testimony 42 witnesses in 17 days for and against his admission to the Senate. Smith: No, sir; not in regard to each of them. Although Joseph accomplished many things during his life, most important was his commitment to being a disciple and witness of Jesus Christ. . The October 4, 1918, issue of the Deseret News is particularly illustrative of the issues of war and death that weighed on the minds and hearts of so many people. 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