Deseret Weekly | 1891-03-14 | Page 1 | Joseph Smith a True Prophet

JOSEPH SMITH A TRUE PROPHET A lecture delivered by F ider fider andrew aaenson before beare the students society in the 1 I hall salt sall lake OW city friday evening january 16 1891 I 1 will take for my text the follow following ilag words of the prophet moses mom spoken to the children of israel while they were journeying eying in the wilder wilderness new of ara the prophet who shall presume to speak a word in my name which I 1 have oot commanded ded him to speak 0 0 oven even that prophet shall dle die aud if thou my ay in thine heart how shall we know the word which the lord hast not spoken when a pro prophet bet speak eth tn in the name of oe tb lord tf ft the thing follow not nor come to pass that is the thing which the lord hath not spoken but the prophet hath bath spoken it presumptuously thou aback not he be afraid of him deut beut evill 2022 20 22 the passage which I 1 have read may ype e taken as a key by which to distin a true prophet from a false one R the e first definition of the word prophet h 4 recording to the standard dictionaries mp tion ara aries 6 9 is oue who prophecies one abo foretells future events a predictor a foreteller a seer in this light we shall proceed to test the claims of joseph smith whom the latter day saints claim to be the great prophet of the nineteenth century we claim for him that he was visited by holy beings who restored to him the foulness of the gospel of jesus christ with autho authority rhy to adm administer iniste in all the ordinances of tho the same tut that he received from the angel adgel forout moroni certain gold plates that had been bladen in the earth for fourteen hundred yeara and that he translated the engravings upon these plates into the engl 1 language by the gift and power of god the result of which was the book of Morra mormon we further claim that lie he organized the church of christ once more upon the earth and that he received by direct revelation a code of laws and commandments by which to govern the affairs of that church according to the original pattern given by jesus and his apostles eighteen hundred years ago we further claim that it is in of the utmost importance for all people who desire eternal salvation to know whether these things are true or not if joseph smith is what he professed to be A true prophet of god no one can reject his testimony without being condemned while on the other hand if he was an impostor or a false kroph et we can reject him without fear of divine punishment and the condemnation will rest upon the man who assumes to speak in the name of the lord presumptuously in this lecture I 1 shall confine myself to his prophetic and inspired utterance ig by brov proving in 9 their fulfillment and truthfulness mostly from a historic standpoint JOSEP JOSEPHS 1118 FIRST VISION one of the first declara declarations timis made by joseph smith when he was only a boy between fourteen and fifteen years of age was that the whole christian world had ha i gone astray and that the true church of christ was not to be found upon the earth what a startling declaration delarat lola could anything lae be moie on the part ofa of a common uneducated farmers boy than such an assertion preachers of the various denominations 1 in n the neighborhood where the boy resided became exasperated and at once denounced him as an impostor or a fraud A boy who had seen nothing of the world save the tract of cou country I 1 in n vermont where he was born and the western wilds of the state of new york where he now resided with his parents parents A boy who had perhaps never been even introduced to any of the prominent divines of the day who had bad never dever crossed the threshold of any important institution of learning who had never thoroughly examined the creed of any one denomination much less having hiving a knowledge of them all who had never crossed the ocean to acquaint himself with the great learning of europe with its thousands of preach ers and its universities and institutions of learning what did be know about the creeds and organizations existing among the millions million of christians in europe and america thus to denounce them all without further ceremony why even luther the great reformer of the sixteenth century with his profound learning and thorough knowledge of the catholic creed did not denounce the roman catholic church in such a manner as that ho he did not say it was rejected as a whole and that it was not the church of christ he simply contended that it had bad incorporated into its system doctrines sacraments and ordinances which were not true and not warranted in III the bible Lr simply desired to reform the church to purge it and remove from it erroneous doctrin is ts and wicked practices but joseph smith without any more knowledge of the religions of the world than what opportunities his attendance of the numerous revival meetings held iu im his immediate neighborhood bad given him denounced them all as false whence then his authority for the sweeping declaration he made as to t 0 condition of the so called christian chriatian churches his story is a simple plain ii and one he tells in iii his own straightforward manner how after attending the diffie different rent revival meetings without being able to conclude which of the denominations was the right one for him to join went into the woods to pray to the lord for that wisdom which the apostle james promises boball be given the honest believer the result was an attack of the power of darkness which threatened him with destruction then a light liblit far above him in the sky then an evolor ment in that light which descended upon him then a vision of two glorious personages standing above him in the air one of whom speaking to him while pointing to theother the other said this is my beloved son hear him here then was jesus christ being introduced trod ly by his father to joseph smith the praying boy who next was informed by the great redeemer himself that all the sects of the day were wrong that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight that the modern professors and teachers taught for doctrine the commandments af men having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof that he joseph should join none of these churches but that the true church should be revealed to him at some future tu retime time this then was josephs authority tho rity jesus christ bim himself self the redeemer of the world the son bon of god he that was crucified and put to death on mount calvary but who arose triumphant from the grave the founder the organizer the head the president of the christian church explained to joseph smith the condition of the world there is no higher authority than he if anyone in heaven or earth has a right ta to say what to is true christianity and what is not christ himself the founder or of the church has that right with that authority to back liim him joseph smith had no fear that his declarations would be met with successful contradiction there to is only one question that can present itself to our minds in that connection and that is did the boy tell the truth did he really converse with jesus christ or er was it an imagination of a bewildered and excited mind we shall see as we proceed I 1 will first introduce the prophets own testimony concerns concern conc ernD IDS this his first vision he says in his bis history it has often caused me s alous reflections both then and since how very strange it was that an obscure boy of a little over fourteen years of age and one too who was doomed to the necessity ot 01 obtaining a scanty maintenance by his daily labor should be thought a character of sufficient importance to attract the attention of the great ones of the most popular sects of tb the e day so as to create in them a spirit of the hottest persecution and reviling rev fling but strange or not so it was and was often cause of great sorrow to myself however it was nevertheless a fact that I 1 had bad had a vision I 1 have thought since that I 1 felt much like paul when he made his defense before king agrippa and related the account of the vision no he had when he saw a light and heard a voice but still there were but few who believed mar him some said he was dishonest others said he was mad and he was ridiculed and reviled ant all this did not destroy the reality of its his vision he had bad seen a vision he knew he had and all the p persecution under heaven could not make it otherwise and though they should persecute him unto death yet he be knew and would know unto hi his latest breath that he had both seen a light and heard a voice speaking to to him and all tho the world could not make him think or believe otherwise so it was with ith me I 1 had actually seen a light and in the midst of that light I 1 saw two personages penso pemon nages ages and they did in reality speak unto me or one of them did and though I 1 was hated and persecuted for saying that I 1 bad seen a vision yet ijac was true and while they were yer persecuting sec ing in me e reviling joae ine and speaking against me falsely for so saying I 1 was led to sav in my heart why persecute for telling the truth I 1 have actually seen a vision and who am I 1 that I 1 can withstand god or why does the world think to make me deny what I 1 have actually seen for I 1 ibave lave seen a vision I 1 know knew it and I 1 know knew that god know knew it and I 1 could not deny it neither dare I 1 do it at least I 1 knew that by so doing I 1 would offend god and come under condemnation dem nation since the time joseph had this vision the elders of the church of jesus christ of latter day saints have trave traversed reed the globe they have visited all the so called christian nations of the earth they have examined the creeds and organizations of the christian sects of every aad and every clime and have learned beyond doubt abat the true church of christ was not upon the earth rt at the time joseph made his sweeping declaration and that it does not exist outside of the church organized under the direction and authority of the redeemer Keu eemer himself by joseph smith HIE WORDS OF tiie THE ANGEL ANCIEL on the of september 1623 joseph smith after spending the previous night under the tutorship of the angel moroni was again visited by that holy personage on the hill cumorah in the western part of the state afrew york and was shown the plates la t es 1 which were delivered to him fo four ti r years later and from which he translated the book of mormon while standing on this historic hill with the angel at his side hn bo again received glorious Instruct instruction ioup jud warning sand among other thiap was vas told that when he should the book of mormon the workers of iniquity would aels his overthrow says the angel they will circulate falbo falsehoods hoods to to 4 destroy your reputation and also will seek to take your life but remember this if you ou are faithful and shall hereafter continue to keep the commandments of the lord you shall be preserved to brin bring 9 these things forth for in due time he will give you a commandment to come and take them when they are interpreted the lord will give the holy priesthood to some and they shall begin to proclaim this thin gospel and baptize by water and after that they shall have power to give the holy ghost by the laying on of bands then will persecution persecution erse cution rage more and more for abo the iniquities of men shall be revealed and those who are not built upon the rock will seek to overthrow the church but it will increase the more opposed and spread further and further the angel further told him your name shall be known among the nations for the work which th the lord will perform by your bands shall cause the righteous to rejoice and the wicked to rage with the one it shall be had in honor and with the other in reproach historical It ecord page these prophetic sayings have had so literal a fulfillment fulfilment that no further explanation is necessary it if the predictions here made were joseph Is own productions duct ions and no angel of god had a part in it is it not strange that every word of it should prove true tribulations tribulation PREDICTED in 1831 the saints were commanded to gather to jackson county mo which was designated as a land of inheritance for the saints in the last days and also as the identical spot where they should build that great city the new jerusalem about which the ancient prophets and saints had sung prayed and rejoiced so much joseph smith had just arrived in that goodly land together with a number of his brethren when a revelation containing some very strange sayings was given alven on the lot of auguet 1831 the tord lord said hearken 0 ye elders of my church chereb and give ear car to my word and learn of nae me what I 1 will concerning yoland yon and also concerning this land unto which I 1 have sent you yon for verily I 1 say unto you blessed Is lie he that keeneth my commandment whether in life or in ill death and he be that is faithful in tribulation the reward of the same is gi eater in the kingdom of heaven yo ye cannot behold with your natural eyes for the present time the design of your god concerning these things which shall come hereafter and the glory which shall follow after much tribulation for after much tribulation cometh the blessings wherefore the day cometh that ye shall be crowned with much story glory the hour is not yet but to is nigh at hand and remember this which I 1 tell you before that you may lay it to heart and receive that which shall follow doe doc and androv cov IOU 1 5 here is an opportunity for sound reasoning if joseph smith was an impostor and if he was trying to carry out a scheme with a view to benefit himself financially or if lie he was am bilious and seeking tor for vain glory or the honor of men could anything be more absurd than to predict troubles and when none such were immediately apparent if a schemer was doing that which joseph on that occasion was doing namely planting a colony of his followers in one of the most desirable sec eions of country within the borders of the united states would he not have enlarged upon the prospects ahead and predicted success and prosperity instead of difficulties and tribulations most assuredly he would but joseph spoke as he was directed by the lord and his own desires or ambition if any such he possessed cut no figure in the matter and now to the fulfilment fulfillment of the prophecy 1 or revelation no one who fa is acquainted with the history of the church will hesitate to testify that since that time the saints have indeed passed through much tribulation in less than three years after the revelation way was given they were driven from their homes in jackson county three years after that they were forced to leave their temporary possessions in clay county mo and still two years later under the exterminating order of governor lilburn W boggs they were ere driven from the state of missouri seven years after their expulsion from that state wicked mobs mabs after first killing the pr prophet het and patriarch in cold to blood 1 ol 01 in carthage jail drove the saints from nauvoo into the wilderness which was full of savage indians and even after coming to these mountains we have been subject to wicked prosecutions and persecutions if all this dont mean much tribulation what does it mean THE GATHERING OF THE NATIONS in a revelation given through joseph smith in kirtland ohio sept 11 the following occurs for behold I 1 say unto you that zion shall flourish and the glory of the lord shall be upon her and she shall be an ensign unto the people and there shall come to her out of of every nation hinder heaven doe doc and cov 61 41 42 the many different nationalities represented ted in this territory today is conclusive ve proof of the fulfilment fulfillment of this remarkable prophecy which was uttered at a time when