Joseph Smith: An Apostle of Jesus Christ

LDS.org ^ | Dennis B. Neuenschwander

[Paragon Defender]

Joseph Smith: An Apostle of Jesus Christ

By Elder Dennis B. Neuenschwander Of the Seventy

 

 

 

Dennis B. Neuenschwander, “Joseph Smith: An Apostle of Jesus Christ,” Ensign, Jan 2009, 16–22

Adapted from a presentation to the Seventy.

 

 

 

In the Doctrine and Covenants we read that Joseph Smith was “called of God, and ordained an apostle of Jesus Christ” (D&C 20:2). The call of an Apostle is first to witness or testify of Jesus Christ. Old Testament prophets testified of His coming. The New Testament Apostles bore personal witness of Christ’s being and of the absolute reality of His Resurrection. This apostolic witness was the basis of their teaching. “Ye shall be witnesses unto me” (Acts 1:8) was Jesus’s instruction to the original Twelve. Peter testified on the day of Pentecost to the Jews who had gathered “out of every nation” (Acts 2:5) that “this Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses” (Acts 2:32). Similarly, Paul wrote to the Corinthians that Jesus “was seen of me also” (1 Corinthians 15:8). The sure witness of Christ’s being and the reality of His Resurrection is the first pillar of apostolic testimony.

The second pillar is centered on the Savior’s redemptive and saving power. Peter teaches that to the Lord “give all the Prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins” (Acts 10:43).

Without these twin pillars of testimony concerning Christ, there could be no Apostle. Such testimonies are born of experience, divine command, and instruction. For example, Luke writes that Christ showed Himself to the Apostles “alive after his passion … being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3).

How does the Prophet Joseph Smith fit into these apostolic requirements? The answer is “Perfectly.”

The First Vision

Joseph Smith’s apostolic instruction began in 1820. Pondering the questions of religion, he soon found that there was no way to reason or argue one’s opinion to an authoritative conclusion concerning the correctness of the various churches or their doctrines. Short of a divine manifestation, young Joseph could add only one more opinion to the already existing “war of words and tumult of opinions” (Joseph Smith—History 1:10). But Joseph’s questions on religion were answered by the personal and physical manifestation of God the Father and His divine and living Son, Jesus Christ—an experience referred to as the First Vision.

Like that of the original Apostles, Joseph’s experience with Deity was direct and personal. There was no need for the opinion of others or the deliberations of a council to define what he saw or what it came to mean to him. Joseph’s vision was at first an intensely personal experience—an answer to a specific question. Over time, however, illuminated by additional experience and instruction, it became the founding revelation of the Restoration.

As apostolic as this manifestation of Christ’s being, existence, and Resurrection was to Joseph Smith, it was not the only thing Jesus wanted to teach him. The boy Joseph’s first lesson arose from the manifestation of Christ’s absolute, omnipotent, and divine power. Joseph learned firsthand at least one meaning of the redeeming and saving power of Christ when he prayed in the grove. As he began to pray, “Thick darkness gathered around me, and it seemed to me for a time as if I were doomed to sudden destruction” (Joseph Smith—History 1:15). With every bit of energy Joseph had, he began to call upon God to deliver him from the grasp of this enemy.

“At the very moment when I was ready to sink into despair and abandon myself to destruction … , I saw a pillar of light. …

“It no sooner appeared than I found myself delivered from the enemy which held me bound” (Joseph Smith—History 1:16–17).

Joseph Smith’s confrontation with the adversary is reminiscent of an experience Moses had, about which the Prophet would learn some few years later. Unlike the boy Joseph, however, Moses saw God’s greatness first and then was confronted with the power of the adversary before being delivered from his influence. (See Moses 1.)

The difference in the order of events is significant. Moses was already far into maturity and had much knowledge and influence prior to this event. By displaying His magnificent power to Moses before he faced the adversary, the Lord helped Moses put his life into perspective. After experiencing God’s glory, Moses said, “Now, for this cause I know that man is nothing, which thing I never had supposed” (Moses 1:10). This incident enabled Moses to withstand the temptations of the adversary that followed.

Joseph Smith, on the other hand, was an inexperienced young man, who in his lifetime would repeatedly face adversarial power and the overwhelming problems it brings. By facing the adversary first, then being saved from his assault by the appearance of the Father and the Son, Joseph learned this indelible lesson: as great as the power of evil might be, it must always withdraw with the appearance of righteousness.

This lesson was critical in Joseph’s apostolic education. He needed this knowledge not only because of the personal trials that lay ahead of him but also because of the overwhelming opposition he would face in founding and directing the Church.

The boy Joseph went into the grove seeking wisdom, and wisdom he received. His apostolic instruction had begun. Among the great apostolic lessons of this First Vision were both the physical nature of the Savior and Heavenly Father and the initial and fundamental lessons relating to Their power—each a pillar of apostolic testimony.

The Book of Mormon

Joseph Smith’s early apostolic instruction continued with his translation of the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon gave Joseph access to “the fulness of the everlasting Gospel” (Joseph Smith—History 1:34), principles that were necessary to understand even prior to the organization of the Church. The Prophet was introduced to numerous “plain and most precious” (1 Nephi 13:26) prophetic and apostolic testimonies regarding the Savior, all of which served as models for him.

Indeed, the Book of Mormon prophets employ over 100 titles in their teachings of Christ, each of which helped Joseph understand the Savior’s divine role.1 By virtue of these teachings, Joseph Smith became intimately acquainted with ancient prophets, giving him insight into the divine purpose of his responsibilities.

The Book of Mormon illuminates the universality of Christ’s Atonement. The Savior’s holy sacrifice is not confined to the borders of the Holy Land of His day or even restricted to the apostolic world of the original Twelve. The Atonement encompasses all of God’s creations—past, present, and future. What an impression Jacob’s teaching of the “infinite atonement” (2 Nephi 9:7) must have made on the mind of young Joseph, especially in contrast to Christian teachings at the time.

The Book of Mormon also introduces the universality of the Resurrection and other doctrines relating to it. Discourses on this doctrine by Lehi, Jacob, King Benjamin, Abinadi, Alma, Amulek, Samuel the Lamanite, and Moroni are all rich sources of instruction.

During the translation of the Book of Mormon, the Prophet received additional valuable personal instruction concerning the redemptive and saving power of Christ. In 1828 Martin Harris persuaded Joseph to lend him the first 116 pages of the Book of Mormon manuscript. When Martin Harris lost those pages, the Prophet felt an enormous despair.2 His mother, Lucy Mack Smith, recorded that Joseph exclaimed: “Oh, my God! … All is lost! all is lost! What shall I do? I have sinned—it is I who tempted the wrath of God. … How shall I appear before the Lord? Of what rebuke am I not worthy from the angel of the Most High?”3

For well over a month the Lord left Joseph in this terrible condition of remorse.4 Then came relief and the apostolic lesson. The Lord told Joseph:

“The works, and the designs, and the purposes of God cannot be frustrated, neither can they come to naught. …

“For although a man may have many revelations, and have power to do many mighty works, yet if he boasts in his own strength, and sets at naught the counsels of God, and follows after the dictates of his own will and carnal desires, he must fall and incur the vengeance of a just God upon him” (D&C 3:1, 4).

These words carefully describe what Joseph Smith had been experiencing. He had learned the exacting nature of the apostolic call and to whom the Apostle, at all cost, owes his loyalty. “Although men set at naught the counsels of God, and despise his words,” Joseph was told, “yet you should have been faithful” (D&C 3:7–8). Joseph Smith had lost access to the plates for a season and had been taught an invaluable lesson. Subsequently, the plates were returned, and his position as translator restored.

How critical were the lessons provided by the translation of the Book of Mormon as Joseph Smith grew in his apostolic calling! The Book of Mormon is the “keystone of our religion”5 because it contains so many prophetic testimonies of Christ and stands as a tangible witness of the Restoration.

Continuing Revelation and Scripture

After finishing the translation of the Book of Mormon in 1829 and organizing the Church in 1830, Joseph Smith had the opportunity to receive continuing apostolic education through the process of translating other scripture. This included three years of translating the Bible and, beginning in 1835, translating the book of Abraham. Joseph Smith’s translation of the Bible expanded his understanding of the role of Old Testament prophets and New Testament Apostles. It also resulted in additional revelation, namely the book of Moses.

The book of Moses provided the Prophet with important knowledge about the Savior’s ministry, including His role in the Creation. “The Lord spake unto Moses, saying: … I am the Beginning and the End, the Almighty God; by mine Only Begotten I created these things” (Moses 2:1). Further, He said, “And worlds without number have I created; … and by the Son I created them, which is mine Only Begotten” (Moses 1:33).

The book of Moses clarified Christ’s relationship to the Father in the premortal existence and reinforced the Prophet’s understanding of the ascendant power of righteousness. One of the most beautiful of all the apostolic lessons that came to Joseph Smith in this revelation was the confirmation of God’s love. It was so different from the harsh, unforgiving, and judgmental personage so many believed God to be; the book of Moses reveals a God of infinite compassion. Enoch saw that the “God of heaven … wept” (Moses 7:28) over those who would not receive Him. Wishing to know how it was possible, Enoch was given an answer that has a familiar biblical feel to it: “I [have] given commandment, that they should love one another, and that they should choose me, their Father. … Wherefore should not the heavens weep, seeing these shall suffer?” (Moses 7:33, 37; see also Deuteronomy 6:5; Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 22:37–39).

Through the translation of the book of Moses, the Prophet also became more acquainted with the redeeming and saving power of the Savior. As the Lord said, this earth was created “by the word of my power” (Moses 1:32) for the purpose of bringing “to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39). Many long years before the Savior taught Thomas and the Twelve that “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6), He revealed to Moses that “this is the plan of salvation unto all men, through the blood of mine Only Begotten, who shall come in the meridian of time” (Moses 6:62).

The First Vision in the grove, the translation of the Book of Mormon, the revision of the Bible, the revelation of the book of Moses, and the translation of the book of Abraham laid the basic foundation of the Church, largely through the rapidly expanding knowledge and testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith relating to Jesus Christ.

Revelations given to him and compiled in the Doctrine and Covenants contain a wealth of knowledge concerning the Savior. One could research the numerous topics and cross-references of the Topical Guide and Guide to the Scriptures referring to Jesus Christ and still not understand the breadth of information on the Savior that the Prophet Joseph Smith brought to the world. I am grateful to know that Jesus was “in the beginning with the Father” (D&C 93:21). I am grateful to know that He “suffered these things for [me], that [I] might not suffer if [I] would repent” (D&C 19:16).

My Testimony of What the Prophet Revealed

I am grateful for yet one other thing about the Savior’s ministry that stirs my soul deeply. From studying the promises of Malachi, Moroni’s initial visit with Joseph, the Savior’s words to the Nephites, and the visit of Elijah in the Kirtland Temple, I learn that God loves His children and has provided a way for each to return to Him. I know of no doctrine more just, no teaching that gives more hope than that of redemption of the dead. I am so grateful for the revelations that teach me that the Savior’s Atonement reaches to those who have lived, loved, served, and hoped for a better day yet never heard of Jesus or had the opportunity to embrace His gospel. This knowledge alone would be sufficient to convert me to the gospel if I knew nothing else at all. Here, at least for me, is the ultimate testimony of Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice.

What, then, can be said of the incomparable saving power of Christ? That which Joseph Smith learned in the Sacred Grove about the power of righteousness overcoming evil foreshadows the final scene. So reveals the Lord:

“I, having accomplished and finished the will of him whose I am, even the Father, concerning me—having done this that I might subdue all things unto myself—

“Retaining all power, even to the destroying of Satan and his works at the end of the world, and the last great day of judgment” (D&C 19:2–3).

Our own testimonies of the Savior are framed by the testimony and teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith. Is it any wonder then that the Prophet taught that “the fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets, concerning Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it.”6

Joseph Smith’s apostolic testimony of the divine reality and the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, as well as his knowledge of the redemptive and saving power of the Savior, can best be seen by the Prophet’s own beautiful, powerful, and succinct witness:

“And now, 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!

“For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father—

“That by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God” (D&C 76:22–24).

How grateful I am for the apostolic call of Joseph Smith.

 

 

 

Notes

1. See Book of Mormon Reference Companion, ed. Dennis L. Largey (2003), 457–58.

2. See Lucy Mack Smith, History of Joseph Smith, ed. Preston Nibley (1958), 128–29.

3. History of Joseph Smith, 128, 129.

4. The 116 pages were lost in June 1828. In July Joseph Smith received what is now section 3 of the Doctrine and Covenants. In September the plates were returned to the Prophet. See the historical introductions to D&C 3; 10.

5. History of the Church, 4:461.

6. History of the Church, 3:30.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[DelphiUser]

Didn’t think you did. Just explaining.

[Tennessee Nana]

with first a warning, thread locking and a suspension of posting rights.
_________________________________________________

Theres been all that for a while...

and BTW I dont offend easily...

but you go ahead...

[DelphiUser]

Nice, I do not condone polygamy. It Is an illegal practice and my religion requires me to obey the laws of the land.

I have pointed out that polygamy is Biblical.

I have also pointed out that making polygamy illegal does not make it immoral any more than making abortion legal makes it moral.

For God fearing men God's word not law determines morality.

[eyedigress]

I do recall you from years back. I wish you a Happy New Year and a chance to teach the idiots how to live again. (I’ll take my IBM and go home). ;^)

[restornu]

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[americanophile]

...is it inaccurate?

[DelphiUser]

Thanks, I wish you a wonderful, freedom filled 2011.

TTYL

Delph

[DelphiUser]

Going to bed... visiting relatives and its just too hard to keep up on my phone.

Delph

[restornu]

What is inaccurate?

[restornu]

NO I was really puzzle when I first read it and I don’t think it was honest in presenting it self so close to the Church web site but I think like most of this stuff on the net one has to look carefully as not to be fooled!

[delacoert]

Just having a hard time accepting some of their threads (like this one for example) that I find extremely offensive.

I agree. Thank you.

[restornu]

No it is not accurated it is late...

[Syncro]

"Jesus was always God.

"Isa 43 Jehovah was the only God formed"

First lets qualify, Jehovah is Father God.

God was not "formed." He has existed forever.

In traditional mainstream Christianity, Jehovah always refers to God the Father.

Jehovah is not a name for Jesus as LDSers are wont to exclaim. (!)

So because Jesus was always God, that explains the 'we' in the following passage of scripture. I have added the portion in the [ ]:

Genesis 26: And God said, Let us [God the Father, God the Holy Spirit, God the Son, Jesus] make man in our [God the Father, God the Holy Spirit, God the Son, Jesus] image, after our [God the Father, God the Holy Spirit, God the Son, Jesus] likeness:... 27: So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him

It has been said that you can find Jesus in every page of the OT.

[eyedigress]

It’s true but you had better be quick! ;^)

[Redcloak]

Just curious, has the author picked out his planet yet? I’m sure that he wouldn’t want to be the god of a lifeless rock. Or worse, perhaps, having nothing but silicon based lifeforms swimming in liquid nitrogen as worshipers. He should pick a good one before they’re all taken.

[Sontagged]

Which Bible test? you don’t have to tell me your message, just what you are referring to.

[restornu]

I appreciate your understanding for many in my youth held to that belief that Jehovah was God the Father which was universal.

Now that more understanding has come into the earth many realized Jehovah is the Son YAWA etc.

To the LDS Elohim is the Father.

This Isa 43 Jehovah was the only God formed" I paraphased it that way because the verse states none before, and none afterward,

These verses are all taken from the Blue Bible gateway.

KJV

Isa 43:10 Ye [are] my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I [am] he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.

NIV

Isa 43:10 "You are my witnesses," declares the Lord, "and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me.

NASB

Isa 43:10 "You are My witnesses," declares the LORD, "And My servant whom I have chosen, So that you may know and believe Me And understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, And there will be none after Me.

[MARTIAL MONK]

UTAH!

•

•

•

• Utah is a beautiful state.

It’s Reagan country.

• That’s 72.77% for Reagan in 1980.

Utah is one of the few states that should never be asked for bona fides, either Republican or conservative. Ever. Conservatism is in the blood. It’s the nature of the critter.

If you want to see the cutting edge of conservatism in the same place as a mature vision of a conservative society just take a tour of Utah. It’s an ultra-modern state where traditional values have never skipped a beat. This is what the Republican Party is all about.

In the 1980’s the Republican Party was full of bright young kids rarin’ to go, to build a life, raise their families, to make an America that they could be proud of. We set the world on fire with those kids. All we did was to get out of their way. Today those kids are greyer, rounder, slower and much of the fire is gone from the belly. Their replacements aren’t much. Daily I see young tradesmen who have to bring their girlfriends along to read or understand the simplest of forms. They have no ambition beyond “gittin’ a job”.

Some time ago some of us became worried about the quality of leadership coming up through the ranks and we set about trying to find out what happened to those bright young folks and why. We found them, they are just not as numerous and they have shifted their sights upward. They are now in international banking, in high tech, in medical research. Most are as conservative as Goldwater and living quietly in a society that has seemingly rejected that conservatism. It is our intent to open doors and get these folks pipelined into leadership positions.

There is also a geographic bias. The Dakotas and Nebraska have disproportionate share for their populations. Colorado is good, as is West Texas or Wyoming. We are creaming the best of California. There is one state that stands out, though, and that is Utah. They are everywhere, young, confident, bright and ambitious.

This I what we are looking for:

•

States that can stand on their own and be states.

And this:

Young. Utah has the youngest population of any state. They are young and conservative, a combination that few states have.

Educated. The population coming up is young and well educated and they are doing it on one of the lowest budgets in the country.

Families. A new generation of conservative leaders. Utah is one of the fastest growing states and it is primarily internal growth. Intact families having children.

Utah is not an addendum to or an ally of the conservative movement, Utah is the heart and soul of it. The South was never part of the Reagan Revolution. Utah led it.

I am concerned that we may be alienating the most conservative state in the union. In 1980 I was in Arizona and sometimes Nevada during Reagan’s campaign. We didn’t have much to do, Reagan was our guy, and generally we were left alone except for the push to raise money. We would occasionally get a request to do something or other and of course we would have a meeting, usually at night after work. We would discuss who was going to do it, how we were going to pay for it, how it was to be done, etc. It was a good two week process. The Mormons had a separate organization that sometimes intersected with ours. We could hand them something at eight o’clock at night and at eight the next morning they would have people on the streets in Salt Lake, in Phoenix, in Reno, in Boise, in Helena and all points between. Without doubt they were the most enthusiastically Reaganite state in the union.

Take heart and may God Bless.

[Syncro]

Well restornu, no God formed doesn't presuppose that God was formed. Unless He formed Himself.

The point of that scripture isn't on the word "formed" but on the fact that he is the Alpha and The Omega, as is Jesus.

It's quite clear from gathering many scriptures ( instead of just one that uses the word formed, which I would have to check the Hebrew to see it's real meaning) that God is one God and was not "formed" by a sexual union with another god before him.

Now about the title YAWA (or Yhwh) from which comes Jehovah you can read below and see it is the Father God and not Jesus except in the sense that God, Son, and the Holy Spirit make up the One True God:

Interestingly, the Name of God “YHwH” is often translated “The Lord” in the Old Testament. It means “He IS”

In appearance, Yhwh () is the third person singular imperfect "ḳal" of the verb ("to be"), meaning, therefore, "He is," or "He will be," or, perhaps, "He lives," the root idea of the word being,probably, "to blow," "to breathe," and hence, "to live." With this explanation agrees the meaning of the name given in Ex. iii. 14, where God is represented as speaking, and hence as using the first person—"I am" (, from , the later equivalent of the archaic stem ). The meaning would, therefore, be "He who is self-existing, self-sufficient," or, more concretely, "He who lives," the abstract conception of pure existence being foreign to Hebrew thought. There is no doubt that the idea of life was intimately connected with the name Yhwh from early times. He is the living God, as contrasted with the lifeless gods of the heathen, and He is the source and author of life (comp. I Kings xviii.; Isa. xli. 26-29, xliv. 6-20; Jer. x. 10, 14; Gen. ii. 7; etc.). So familiar is this conception of God to the Hebrew mind that it appears in the common formula of an oath, "ḥai Yhwh" (= "as Yhwh lives"; Ruth iii. 13; I Sam. xiv. 45; etc.).

That bit came from a post on this thread by FR member Alamo Girl, who is highly respected on this forum for her Biblical wisdom and knowledge.

LINK

You would do well to read that whole post of hers, it could very well speak to your heart.

[Cronos]

ok, so the LDS does not believe that God the Father had a Father who had a Father and so on?

If you can clarify that point, it would help us understand each other a lot. thank you!