This is my second post about the necessity of the Book of Mormon. Here I will talk about how the Book of Mormon came forth. Everything about the restoration of The Church of Jesus Christ upon the earth begins with a 14-yr old boy named Joseph.
Joseph Smith Jr was born in 1820, and raised primarily in New York state. When he was 14, there was a religious revival occurring through much of the country, and he was exposed to it. He was confused by some of the contradictory doctrine taught by various preachers, all of whom disagreed with doctrine taught by the other denominations. In his own words, “the teachers of religion of the different sects understood the same passages of scripture so differently as to destroy all confidence in settling the question by an appeal to the Bible.” He wanted to be baptized but couldn’t decide which church to join. One night he read James 1:5, which states: “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.”
This had a powerful effect on young Joseph. “I reflected on it again and again, knowing that if any person needed wisdom from God, I did; for how to act I did not know, and unless I could get more wisdom than I had, I would never know.” Not long after that he went into the woods close to his farm to pray. I will quote from his account:
After I had retired to the place where I had previously designed to go… I kneeled down and began to offer up the desires of my own heart to God. I had scarcely done so, when immediately I was seized upon by some power which entirely overcame me… as to bind my tongue that I could not speak. Thick darkness gathered around me, and it seemed to me for a time as if I were doomed to sudden destruction.
… But exerting all my powers to call upon God to deliver me out of the power 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 exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it feel upon me
… It no sooner appeared than I found myself delivered from the enemy which held me bound. When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other–This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!
God the Father and his only begotten Son appeared to Joseph. He was told by Jesus Christ not to join any of the churches, as they were all incorrect, that ‘they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof.’ He again forbade the young Joseph to join with any of them, and Joseph reports that other things were said of which we do not know.
Following this was a period of intense persecution for him, as every one of the religious sects united against him, as well as his own friends. He wrote later, “It caused me serious reflection then, and often has since, how very strange it was that an obscure boy… should be thought of a character of sufficient importance to attract the attention of the great ones of the most popular sects of the day, and in a manner to create in them a spirit of the most bitter persecution and reviling.” To continue:
However, it was nevertheless a fact that I had beheld a vision… 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;… I had seen a vision; I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I could not deny it, neither dared I do it; at least knew that by so doing I would offend God, and come under condemnation.
A fuller account of this vision is given here. Joseph continued living his life until the age of 17. On Sept 21st 1823, he was praying and supplicating God for forgiveness of his sins, and also that he might know his state and standing before Him. While praying, an angel appeared before him, standing in the air, wearing only “a loose robe of the most exquisite whiteness.” He described the angel as “glorious beyond description, and his countenance truly like lightning.” He announced himself as Moroni, a messenger sent from God. He said that God had a work for Joseph to do. He continued that there was a book deposited, written upon gold plates, giving an account of the former inhabitants of the continent as well as the source from when they sprang. He also told Joseph “the fullness of the everlasting Gospel was contained in it, as delivered by the Savior to the ancient inhabitants.”
The angel Moroni quoted Malachi 3 and 4, as well as Isaiah chapter 11, saying that it was about to be fulfilled. He also quoted Acts 3:22-23 and Joel 2:28-32, saying this was not yet fulfilled but was soon to be. During this angelic visit Joseph was told that when he received the plates (which was to be a few years hence) that he should not show them to anyone, only to those he would be commanded to, or he would be destroyed. He was then given a vision of the place on a hill in the region, where the plates were deposited. Moroni then departed, but reappeared twice more that night, and repeated his message each time. The next day he was commanded to tell his father of the angel’s appearances, who told him it was of God and to go and do as commanded by the messenger.
He went to the hill, used a lever to remove a large stone, and beneath it lay the plates deposited in a stone box, held together with “some sort of cement.” He attempted to take them out but was forbidden, saying the time had not yet come, and that he should return in one year’s time. He did so for the next four years until 1827, when he received the plates and the interpreters which had been prepared for him to translate the writings. Despite numerous attempts of others to find and take the plates from him, he continued translating until he was finished. That translation was published in 1830 as The Book of Mormon. Again, for those who wish a fuller account, click here.
We claim that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God, and he acted and taught as a result of revelation from God. In my next and concluding post, I will address the questions of what happened to the gold plates afterwards, statements of witnesses who were allowed to view the plates, as well as answer some questions that others have asked in the past about Joseph and his account of events.