: I should like to ask one question. The oldest daughter, Lovina, married Lorin Walker in June 1844, shortly before her father's martyrdom. Google undertakes not to associate your IP address with any other data held by Google. During this exchange, then, Joseph F. Smith was essentially being examined as a "hostile witness." Tayler: Until they accept it? Those who receive the Prophets testimony by the power of the Holy Ghost will know the truth of the work he was called to do. President Smith was not likely to "cast pearls before swine," by discussing the revelatory process, and the legal requirements of the situation likely made him reply as little as possible to the questions posed. Having removed the earth, I obtained a lever, which I got fixed under the edge of the stone, and with a little exertion raised it up. The answer was usually, Its because we dont value the old scripture enough. Turns out the true answer is that the brethren simply arent receiving revelations. His hands were naked, and his arms also, a little above the wrist; so, also, were his feet naked, as were his legs, a little above the ankles. Copyright 1997-2023 by The Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research, Inc. All Rights Reserved. He said there was a book deposited, written upon gold plates, giving an account of the former inhabitants of this continent, and the source from whence they sprang. These cookies are not used for any purpose other than those described here. For no sooner was it known that I had them, than the most strenuous exertions were used to get them from me. The answer was usually, Its because we dont value the old scripture enough. Turns out the true answer is that the brethren simply arent receiving revelations. During the Smoot hearings, Elder B. H. Roberts was asked if he believed the first Manifesto was a revelation. As a child I was impressed, deeply, with the thought, and firmly with the belief, in my soul that the revelations that had been given to and through Joseph the Prophet, as contained in this book, the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, were the word of God, as were the words of the ancient disciples when they bore record of the Father and of the Son (Gospel Doctrine, 5th ed. Now to have full context you have to understand that the mormons believed at that time, that it was no sin to lie to the federal government and so this is probably Joseph F. Smith lying through his teeth, knowing all the members would understand it. 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. He first quoted part of the third chapter of Malachi; and he quoted also the fourth or last chapter of the same prophecy, though with a little variation from the way it reads in our Bibles. During these trials a prophet of God was put on trial and given the chance to stand up for his beliefs and tell the world what was up. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. : No, sir; it has been the choice of the body. Notice how President Smith refuses to answer the question directly. At length the time arrived for obtaining the plates, the Urim and Thummim, and the breastplate. You say that the councilors are appointed by the president of the church. Smith: Yes, except the manifesto. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3Zsvml57PE is a video describing how to learn more about the Mormon Church.Joseph Fielding Smith, Sr. (November 13, 1838 -- N. who help look after the poor; and who . No Personal Information will be shared in this manner. When asked, he defended his family relationships, telling the committee that he had cohabited with his wives and fathered children with them since 1890. A vision given to President JosephF. Smith in Salt Lake City, Utah, on October 3, 1918. 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). But what was my surprise when again I beheld the same messenger at my bedside, and heard him rehearse or repeat over again to me the same things as before; and added a caution to me, telling me that Satan would try to tempt me (in consequence of the indigent circumstances of my fathers family), to get the plates for the purpose of getting rich. Jesus directs His Church today through revelation to a prophet on the earth. Persecution continued as Joseph refused to deny that he had seen God. Smith: They are sustained as such at our conferences. No sooner had I baptized Oliver Cowdery, than the Holy Ghost fell upon him, and he stood up and prophesied many things which should shortly come to pass. 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? . Hoar: Through Joseph Smith? : The things of God knoweth no man but the spirit of God; and I cannot tell you any more than that I received that knowledge and that testimony by the spirit of God. Again, he told me, that when I got those plates of which he had spokenfor the time that they should be obtained was not yet fulfilledI should not show them to any person; neither the breastplate with the Urim and Thummim; only to those to whom I should be commanded to show them; if I did I should be destroyed. Moroni returned once ayear for four years andfurther instructed theyoung prophet. It was on the morning of a beautiful, clear day, early in the spring of eighteen hundred and twenty. on the Internet. The first thing that I can recollect was a voice speaking unto me, calling me by name. FAIR is controlled and operated by the Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research (FAIR), Smoot Hearings, Vol. He answered honestly that he did not believe it to be a revelation. The persecution became more bitter and severe than before, and multitudes were on the alert continually to get them from me if possible. LDS.org Gospel Topics Essays ABCs of Science and Mormonism now available in Print from Amazon! Reed Smoot, a Senator from the State of Utah, to Hold His Seat 2, Proceedings Before the Committee on Privileges and Elections of the United States Senate in the Matter of the Protests Against the Right of Hon. Although Joseph accomplished many things during his life, most important was his commitment to being a disciple and witness of Jesus Christ. In his first address to the Saints as Church President, he declared . : Is there any revelation in regard to the subsequent ones? He would serve as President for 17 years, from 1901 to 1918. While he was conversing with me about the plates, the vision was opened to my mind that I could see the place where the plates were deposited, and that so clearly and distinctly that I knew the place again when I visited it. 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. I lay musing on the singularity of the scene, and marveling greatly at what had been told to me by this extraordinary messenger; when, in the midst of my meditation, I suddenly discovered that my room was again beginning to get lighted, and in an instant, as it were, the same heavenly messenger was again by my bedside. Chairman: You say that was shown to you by God? President Joseph F. Smith on April 6, 1904, issued a " Second Manifesto ," which reaffirmed the first regarding polygamy. Two days later, he again affirms that the Brethren do not have any revelatory gift beyond that of any other member of the church. He had on a loose robe of most exquisite whiteness. : 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. If you only take one thing away from this. It was the first time in my life that I had made such an attempt, for amidst all my anxieties I had never as yet made the attempt to pray vocally. See also, Hinckley, claiming on Larry King that we don't teach the God was a man, we can become God thing. Explain? If you do choose to disallow cookies, your experience on the Website may be diminished, or your ability to choose some of the options on the Website may be limited. United States Senate (1904a), Burrows, Julius Caesar; Foraker, Joseph Benson, eds.. United States Senate (1904b), Burrows, Julius Caesar; Foraker, Joseph Benson, eds.. United States Senate (1905), Burrows, Julius Caesar; Foraker, Joseph Benson, eds.. No Bishop should withhold baptism from the child of same-sex parents because this revelation has not been sustained. Elder Russell M. Nelsons recent statement that the LGBT policy came as a revelation flies in the face of President Smiths testimony. FREE. Never mind that this contradicts his earlier testimony, here hestates that in the 21 years prior, not a single revelation had been given to the head of the Church. Amazing inspiring action packed day with Impact Launch! Hell that is the absolute central teaching of Mormonism! That record is the Bookof Mormon. Tayler: Are you prophet, seer, and revelator? . They dont have exclusive access to hot tips from God. It's pretty funny when you look at the preface to 138 and his congressional testimony side by side. He commenced, and again related the very same things which he had done at his first visit, without the least variation; which having done, he informed me of great judgments which were coming upon the earth, with great desolations by famine, sword, and pestilence; and that these grievous judgments would come on the earth in this generation. On the west side of this hill, not far from the top, under a stone of considerable size, lay the plates, deposited in a stone box. These companies may employ cookies and other identifiers to gather information which measures advertising effectiveness. Well, according to my best recollection, it must have been about 1882. The teachings of Jesus Christ in the Bible have long been a source of inspiration for mankind. (b) Where required by law: We may share the collected information where required by law, specifically in response to a demand from government authorities where such demand meets the legal requirements. At least he didn't lie to congress. I looked up, and beheld the same messenger standing over my head, surrounded by light as before. As a child I have listened to him preach the gospel that God had committed to his charge. While deciding whichchurch to join, Josephturned to the Bible forguidance. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Joseph Smith was such a prophet. Isn't this also the same dipshit that cut the original "first" vision out of JS's diary? Members of the church love to speak in hushed tones about the supposed spiritual manifestations to which the brethren are privy. Church President Joseph F. Smith took the stand in the Senate chamber in March 1904. A seven-year-old son died in September 1841. Jesus Christ. Testimony of Joseph Smith 'Crucial,' President Nelson Tells New Mission Leaders The 2021 Seminar for New Mission Leaders addresses 109 couples assigned to lead missionary work in 49 countries and 14 U.S. states ,, Advertisers and other third-parties (including the ad networks, ad-serving companies, and other service providers they may use) may assume that users who interact with or click on a personalized ad or content are part of the group that the ad or content is directed towards (for example, readers in the Pacific Northwest who read certain types of articles). That is, President Smith is replying about revelation which has been formally canonized. I have actually seen a vision; and who am I that I can withstand God, or why does the world think to make me deny what I have actually seen? As a member of the church, I frequently wondered why we werent receiving new scripture. In 1903, Apostle Reed Smoot was elected by the Utah legislature to the U.S. senate. Here Joseph F. Smith, an apostle since the age of 27, openly testifies in a congressional court that he has never had a revelation beyond the normal psychological phenomena common among people of all beliefs. My object in going to inquire of the Lord was to know which of all the sects was right, that I might know which to join. This code was especially designed to protect pertinent information that church officials in Salt Lake City sent to Smoot in Washington, D.C. What is so great about a living prophet if its likely hes never had an actual prophetic experience in his life? FAIR is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing well-documented answers to criticisms of the doctrine, practice, and history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He said it would be dishonorable of him to break the sacred covenants he had made with his wives and with God. So glad Im out of this and that I can just accept these things easily instead of having to try a major reconciliation with my beliefs when I hear outlandish things like this. 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? He also declared that any church officer who performed a plural marriage, as well as the offending couple, would be excommunicated. In other words, his guess as to what God wants him to do for His kingdom is as good as any Methodist preacher. After this communication, I saw the light in the room begin to gather immediately around the person of him who had been speaking to me, and it continued to do so until the room was again left dark, except just around him; when, instantly I saw, as it were, a conduit open right up into heaven, and he ascended till he entirely disappeared, and the room was left as it had been before this heavenly light had made its appearance. Is the absolute central teaching of Mormonism continued as Joseph refused to deny that he did not believe to! Was asked if he believed the first Manifesto was a voice speaking me. And Mormonism now available in Print from Amazon hot tips from God Urim and Thummim, and were... The U.S. Senate through revelation to a prophet on the earth advertising effectiveness Apostle Reed Smoot was by. # x27 ; s martyrdom the earth the old scripture enough March.. Smith: They are sustained as such at our conferences as President for 17 years, from 1901 1918. 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