--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 26 number: 11 published: 1923-09 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations, "Lessons from the First Angel Visitations to Joseph", *Improvement Era* 26, no. 11 (September 1923): 1051–1052.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera26011unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera26011unse start_page: 1051 end_page: 1052 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1923-09) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera26011unse publication_year: 1923 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1923, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Lessons from the First Angel Visitations to Joseph Lessons from the First Angel Visitations to Joseph Every step which the Prophet Joseph Smith made in furthering the establishment of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was first made an object of prayer. From the time he took the advice of James and went to the grove where he received the first vision, — in which he was enjoined to hear the words of the Father's beloved Son Jesus Christ, — until the time of his death, in every contemplated action, he perseveringly solicited divine guidance through prayer, When some three and a half years had elapsed since the first vision, he felt that it was time for him to know further what the will of the Lord was regarding the work that he was to do. So, remembering again his method of obtaining wisdom, he went to the Lord as he did when he tested the promise of James. He went with repentance in his soul, fearing that he had done wrong during the interval of these years, and made confession that he had been led into some temptations and had shown a disposition of levity and a desire to associate with jovial company, not consistent with the character that he thought should be maintained by one who had been called of God as he was. Feeling thus condemned, firmly and with steadfast purpose, he supplicated God for forgiveness, and that he might know his standing before the Lord. His prayers were real con- versations with the Lord and came from the heart, as prayers always should. While he was thus engaged in praying one of the most marvelous manifestations of modern times took place. The angel Moroni appeared before him, saying he was sent of God. He not only pointed out where the plates of the Book of Mormon were hidden and showed them to Joseph in vision, but he quoted important scripture passages, by prophets of old, that were fundamental in the establishment of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints upon the earth, and were soon to be fulfilled. The wonderful promise was made that the Priesthood should be revealed, that there was a book deposited which gave an account of the former inhabitants of this continent, that it contained a fulness of the Gospel as delivered by the Savior to the ancient inhabitants, and that great judgments were about to come upon the earth. 1052 IMPROVEMENT ERA The whole career of the Prophet teaches us that whenever he desired wisdom and understanding concerning the work where-unto he had been called, he sought the Lord through prayer; furthermore, that the work of the Lord and the laying of its foundations were not the acts of a moment, but of growth directed of the Lord, and that the Prophet was to grow with it. As witness to this, we have first the heavenly vision, followed by a number of years of experience; then the visit of the angel Moroni, with certain promises concerning the reveal- ing of the Priesthood and the coming of Elijah to confer the keys that would be for the salvation of the living and the dead; and furthermore, the revealing of the hidden plates of the Book of Mormon; then four years of education before these plates were delivered; then nearly three years before they were trans- lated. Finally the Priesthood was restored, the Church organ- ized, and the keys of the gathering were committed, and other fundamentals attended to pertaining to the establishment of the "marvelous work and a wonder" which was about to come forth. Some of us are prone to think that the work of the Lord should progress more rapidly, that purposes should happen as they are revealed, but we should remember the lesson in the life of Joseph, that before the will of God can be done among men, there must be a preparation of those through whom it is to be done. Are we willing to make the sacrifice that shall give us that preparation? The Lord is willing and anxious that his work shall grow, he requires that we shall seek him in prayer and prepare ourselves to accomplish what he has given us to do. And the Prophet has set us a wonderful example in thi3 respect. He asked the Lord what to do. The Lord told him, then he faithfully set about to perform his tasks. Like fruits, all purposes of the Lord grow. Men cannot make them grow, the growing is done by the Lord, but men can place themselves in the midst of the chain of sequences that will further the purposes of God. The results of our lives are largely matters of cause and effect. Like all fruits of righteousness, the fruits of the kingdom of God must be grown. We must remember that we have not done our duty in this respect because we know how to do it. We should rather spend the time that we spend in wishing and hoping for the fruits of righteousness, in fulfilling the conditions of their growth. These conditions, as with the Prophet, are divine guidance through prayer, obedience to jhe will and commandments of God, earnest work, and effort on our part towards the achieve- ments we pray for. The fulfilment, the desired result, will then come just as surely as causes bring effects.