Joseph Smith: Mormon Prophet

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, known as the Mormons, believe that Joseph Smith was a prophet. That is, they see him filling the same role as Moses or Isaiah. He was called of God to teach and lead people, and to be a witness of Jesus Christ and His sacrifice. In discussing this... Read More

Here is how a recent Sunday of mine went: I got up at 3:30 AM to go to work. I work at a hospital, which explains both the oddball hours and why I was at work on Sunday. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, known as the Mormons, affirms the Law of the Sabbath and holds worship services on Sunday. However, the Church also allows servicemen, first responders, peace officers, and so forth to d... Read More

We all admire people who stand up for what they believe, even in the worst of circumstances. We all remember Jeff Widener’s AP photo of the lone man standing in front of the four tanks rolling onto Tiananmen Square in 1989. This one man was clearly overwhelmed, out-armored, and outgunned. Yet he held his ground, inspiring millions. This reminds me of an incident in the life of Joseph Smith, the founding ... Read More

This year members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (known as the Mormons) are studying the life and teachings of the Church’s founding prophet Joseph Smith. One lesson is on the Wentworth Letter, an important document for Latter-day Saints. Joseph Smith explained its origin: ... Read More

John Taylor, the third president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (known as the Mormons), reminisced about his associate Joseph Smith, the founder of the Church: “Some years ago, in Nauvoo [Illinois], a... Read More

Joseph Smith, the first prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, known as the Mormons, was a man of peace. Being a victim of prejudice and misunderstanding himself, he had sympathy for the outcast, the loner, and the forgotten. His was a voice of ... Read More

I am fascinated by Joseph Smith, the first prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, known as the Mormons. Of course for me, he was the paramount spiritual leader, second only to Jesus Christ. And he accomplished much, all befo... Read More

This Saturday I received training for a new volunteer position in my church. As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, known as the Mormons, I now have the responsibility to help members of my congregation to find jobs, to find better jobs, to get job training, or to start home businesses or become self-employed. This calling is sometimes known as the Employment Consultant. SELF-RELIANCE As I attended the training meeting (much of what I was taught can be found at the Church’s web-page ... Read More

Recently TCM (Turner Classic Movies) rebroadcast Ben-Hur. It was part of a retrospective on the career of Charlton Heston, who died April 5, 2008. As I watched this Oscar-winning epic, I was reminded that the film, in addition to being “A Tale of The Christ,” is about the relationship between the Roman Messala and the Jew Ben-Hur. Both are fictitious characters. In th... Read More

In addition to being a prophet, Joseph Smith, the founder of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (known as the Mormons), was also a small businessman. He oversaw the general store in Nauvoo, Illinois. This was more of a side occupation than a career choice, since Joseph Smith was told in a ... Read More

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, known as the Mormons, revere John the Baptist. As Jesus Christ said, John was not only a prophet, but also “much more than a prophet” (Luke 7:26). WHAT IS A PROPHET? Joseph Smith, the founder of the Church of Jesus Christ explained that a prophet was essentially a ... Read More

I love reading the diaries and journals of Joseph Smith, the first prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, known as the Mormons. I especially love the early ones which are written in Joseph Smith’s own hand. You get exposed to Joseph Smith’s mind, unfiltered. There are no scribes, no copyists, no amanuenses—just Joseph Smith and his quill. Here are some examples: 28 November 1832 • Wednesday This day I have spent in reading a... Read More

This past Saturday, Thomas S. Monson was installed as sixteenth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as the Mormons. This process involved two points of doctrine: the principle of common consent and the practice of solemn assemblies. Both of these began with the founding prophet Joseph Smith. CO... Read More

Life can be circular at times. Sometimes we are up. Other times we are down. And sometimes it feels like we are just merely going in circles. I believe this—not only from personal experience, but also from my religion. Joseph Smith, the founding prophet of ... Read More

The Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard frequently lamented that he wrote “without authority” (The Essential Kierkegaard, 454). He meant several things by this. One shade had to do with his philosophic writings: he was merely a reader of books, and not any authority figure. But the complaint also implied that he was a layman (ibid, 344). That is, God had not called him to a divinely-inspired position, such as Paul or Isaiah. He was not clergy; he was merely a thinker, and that is as far as it went. Unlike Søren Kierkegaard,... Read More

The Prophet Joseph Smith declared that he was laying “a foundation that [would] revolutionize the whole world.” (“Chapter 44: The Restoration of All Things: The Dispensation of the Fulness of Times,” Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, [2007], 507–16.) This has come ... Read More

This Sunday is Easter. Christians everywhere will pause and reflect upon the central point of their theology: the resurrection and the redemption of Jesus Christ. In this spirit, the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (commonly called the Mormon Church) issued an Easter message. In it, they reaffirm the basics of Christ... Read More

Joseph Smith, the founding prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (commonly called Mormon Church), championed globalism. One of his early associates, Wilford Woodruff (who later became the fourth president of the Church), recalled a meeting held in the 1830s. In it, Joseph Smith spoke of the worldwide destiny of the Church: &#... Read More

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly referred to as the Mormon Church, claim that The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ was translated from gold plates. To substantiate this claim, they usually cite ... Read More

Joseph Smith, the founding prophet of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, often referred to as the Mormon Church, established the pattern for regular, general conferences of the whole church. The idea was not his, but it was a commandment from God. The revelation, in part, reads: “The several elders composing this church of Christ are to meet in conference once in three months, or from time to time as said conferences shall direct or appoint; And said... Read More

In studying the history of Joseph Smith and the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, referred to as the Mormons, we emphasize Joseph Smith’s own testimony of the Book of Mormon, that book of additional scripture that is another testament of Jesus Christ. We also talk about the tes... Read More

Joseph Smith, the first president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, referred to as the Mormons was consistent with his account of the history of the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ: ... Read More

This Sunday my church (the Mormon Church) studied the history of Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. The lesson material covered Joseph Smith’s own words describing the events with the ... Read More

One of the most stunning visuals in the film The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers was the scene of the ents attacking the stronghold of Isengard. Seeing this army of living oak, rowan, and beech trees chucking rocks at the tower and smashing the orcs was a hoot. Of course this scene reminds us of Macbeth where the soldiers camouflage themselves and attack Dunsinane Castle. As they approach the stronghold, it looks as if Birnam Forest itself is alive and menacing. In his fantasy Tolkien seems to say, “Instead of humans disguising themselves as trees and attacking the castle, why not have real trees instead?” There is a not-so-subtle environmental message here. Tolkien was clear on this matter: "I am a hobbit myself, except f... Read More

As some people see things, we are living in the Information Age. That is, the dominating and distinguishing attribute of our era is information. Earlier eras were known as the Stone Age, the Bronze Age, and the Iron Age. The distinguishing characteristic was the materials the used. But our age is different. It is not so much the materials or tools we use, but how we use them. It is the guiding information that sets us apart from previous ages. Even though information is a blessing—after all, the Internet is also known as the Information Superhighway for a reason—there are some drawbacks associated with the process. I see three critical aspects of information: accessibility, accuracy, and utility. These are some of the basic questions of informatics. ACCESS... Read More

There was a lot of reminiscing when political commentator William F. Buckley passed on. I read and saw several of the “last interviews” various people had with him. One interview caught my eye. In it, Buckley discussed his experience at Yale as an undergraduate, and the relationship universities have to God: “Well, what happened there was that as a student at Yale in my junior and senior year, certain paradoxes sort of crystallized. One of them had to do with Christianity. Although Yale was at least ostensibly a Christian-oriented college having been founded as such 200 years earlier, there was a kind of nagging inattention and sometimes hostility to religion in the classrooms, and... Read More