Joseph Smith, a Prophet of God: I

Joseph Smith, a Prophet of God. BY ELDER (lEOIKlK W. CKOCKWEl.L. I. The question of extreme importance, Was Joseph Smith a prophet of God? is one that should not be passed lightly by. In regard to it, every man and woman upon the face of the whole earth should know the truth. Upon this most important question hangs the destiny not only of the inhabitants of this nation, but of every nation and isle of the sea upon the whole earth. The Latter-day Saints testify that Joseph was called and chosen to be a prophet of the Lord, and upon this is based the foundation of their faith; while there are people of different lands who assert positively that he was an impostor. The accusation is made that he is looked upon by his followers as being equal, if not superior, to the Savior of the world. There never was anything more ridiculous, absurd, or untrue. He is counted, however, by them as among the greatest of God's prophets. If he was called and chosen as a prophet of the Most High, it is necessary that every person render obedience to the gospel which he promulgated, if he hopes or desires to become a member of the Church of Christ. It was restored to the earth by angels and divine messengers from the heavens, with authority from God to administer in all the ordinances thereof. If Joseph was not so called, thousands have been deceived and are yet in their sins. Either he was a prophet of God, or he was not. Such being the case, it would be the part of wisdom for everyone to lay aside his prejudices, and with a humble heart investigate the claims

24 IMPROVEMENT ERA. and the works of this man, asking the Heavenly Father to direct him in the path of right. There is no middle ground upon which the name of Joseph Smith can stand. He was either a true prophet of God, or he was not. It shall be my object to endeavor to prove, from a few of his prophecies, that he was an inspired man, a true prophet of the Lord. In the writings of Moses, the law-giver to Israel, there is a rule or test which the Lord himself gave, whereby the children of men might be able, in all ages of the world, to discern a true prophet from an impostor: "When a prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, if the thing follow not, n' r come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not fear him" (Deut. 18: 22). Under this law, it would be consistent to weigh the question at issue, and all Latter-day Saints are willing that the man whom they honor as one of the greatest of the prophets of the world, shall be judged by this law, and if he fails to pass this test favorably, I for one am willing to admit that they have been deceived. The first prophecy which he gave to the world was the words spoken to him by an angel, who said his name was Moroni— one of the ancient inhabitants of this land —as follows: "God has a work for you to do; and your name shall be had for good and evil among all nations, kindred and tongues — or it; shall be both good and evil spoken of among all people." How great the presumption, how great the egotism that would have led this unlettered boy of fourteen years of age to have uttered this prophecy in and of himself ! A boy whose name, in the regular or natural course of events, would, in all probability, never have been known outside of the immediate neighborhood in which he lived. He did not come of renowned parentage. His name was one of the most common in the English language. He was not domiciled in the habitations of the wealthy, but he was a child of the common people. His father was an honest but poor farmer. He was born and bred to the trials of the poor. Has that prophecy been fulfiled? Let the world answer. Take the wings of the morning and fly to the uttermost parts of the

JOSEPH SMITH A PROPHET OF GOD. 25 earth; go into every nation, and wherever you find the gospel of Jesus Christ taught or preached, there you will also find the name of Joseph Smith held in honor and reproach. There was, at the time of his going to the grove to ask his Heavenly Father's guidance, a great religious revival in the neighborhood, in which several of the different sects took part, and he was mystified to hear one say, "Lo! here is Christ," another say, "Here is the way," and another cry, "Here is the way to be saved!" He did not believe tiiat the Lord was the author of such confusion. He knew that, since they taught different doctrines, they all could not be right. Never for an instant, however, did he imagine that they all were wrong. Having read from the Apostle James (1: 5) "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," he went to seek light in prayer. The Lord, in answer to his prayer, appeared unto him, accom- panied by his Son Jesus Christ, in a glorious vision. He was told to join none of the sects, for they had all gone out of the way. They taught for doctrines the commandments of men. He was dumbfounded to hear this; and, hastening to his home, he found a preacher of one of these sects and to him, in his childlike sim- plicity and innocence, he related what he had both seen and heard. His heart overflowed with joy, that he was able to inform this so-called man of God of the vision, and perhaps be the means of causing him to turn his feet into the path of right. But how unspeakably astonished he no doubt was to hear this great and good man— as he believed him to be — treat him with scorn, turn his story into ridicule, and tell him that the days of revelation were passed, that God no longer spoke from the heavens, and that what he had seen was all from the devil! Believing that God was no respecter of persons, and was the same yesterday, today and forever, he was filled with amazement to hear this preacher of righteousness make this declaration. Like Paul, Joseph knew he had seen a vision, no matter what any one said to the contrary. Beginning with this minister of the gospel who thus held him up to continual scorn and ridicule, persecution started, and from that time his life was full of trials and hardships. Hunted upon every side, placed in the jails of Illinois and Missouri, arrested and

26 IMPROVEMENT ERA. tried over two score times for various crimes — but upon trial being always acquitted — at last, when in jail at Carthage, Illinois, the mob declared, "The law cannot touch him, powder and shot shall!" He died a martyr to the cause of truth, giving his life for his friends. He sealed his testimony — that the gospel had been restored to the earth through his instrumentality — with his blood. [TO BE CONTINUED.] Portland, Oregon. Capernaum. {For the hriprovew£nt Era.) "Capernaum, thou shalt be cast down to hell !" 'Twas spoken in a time long passed away; Unheeded, the prophecy on them fell — O'ertaken all, they perished in a day. An earthquake buried thee beneath the ground; Thy tott'ring buildings fell in heaps of stone; Then ope'd the earth — the people none were found- Their names and habitations still unknown. Ah ! was it here Christ did those wondrous things ? 0 was it here that he pronounced thy doom ? 0 city lost, how bitter are the stings And punishment, that end not in the tomb ! But in this age, this resurrection day. Thy time is come, light falls again on thee; The destruction shows that hid thee away, Yet not completed is thy destiny. Then come ye forth, thy story speak aloud, No longer sleep, all hidden 'neath the sod ! Cant off the clods that bind, and leave thy shroud, Gaze once again upon the works of God !

RUINS OF THE SYNAGOGUE AT CAPERNAUM. Ah ! his displeasure thou hast suffered long, In silence born it, hidden there from sight; Come forth, and sing a resurrection song, And bask again in heaven's glorious light ! Lydia D. Alder. AT THE Excavation of CAPBRNAUii, April, 1905. Consolation. (For the Improvement Era.) When the cold frost of death Falls on the lea, And, sorrow-laden, you Call on Me, Know that your faded flower. Blossoms in heaven's bower, Only a single hour Hidden from thee. Theodore E. Curtis.