I was praying earlier this week about what I could do to make our homeschool time more meaningful and I was impressed that we need to spend more time in religious studies; specifically, the topic of Church History came to mind. We have some manuals from D&C and church history that I have begun to study myself, and so I thought I could tailor these lessons for Rychen. We have read about the first vision and read various children's accounts/videos this week. It has been really nice for me to study on my own as well.
One part of the story really stands out to me now, which I have overlooked in the past:
"I soon found, however, that my telling the story had excited a great deal of prejudice against me among professors of religion, and was the cause of persecution, which continued to increase; and though I was an obscure boy, only between fourteen and fifteen years of age, and my circumstances in life such as to make a boy of no consequence in the world, yet men of high standing would take notice sufficient to excite the public mind against me, and create bitter persecution..." (Joseph Smith History 1:22)
This verse is so cool. He is saying, "I was a poor, uneducated 14 year old boy! And yet the mighty theologians of the day were aroused in fear and suspicion, and resorted to reviling against me" ... and we know that persecution and physical attacks and arrests didn't stop until it all culminated in his murder, sealing his testimony with his martyrdom.
The question is we all need to ask is this: WHY WAS JOSEPH SMITH SUCH A THREAT? Why do churches TO THIS DAY continue to persecute his work and seek to destroy it?
When I was a teenager my mom told me something absolutely profound that will always stick with me: The very fact that the church receives so much negative attention and persecution only adds MORE witness to the truth of it. Why else would Satan stir people up in opposition? Why else would it be worth anyone's time? You don't see so much opposition against other matters; only controverisal matters were there are clear roles good and evil.
If the Mormon church is so vitally important to be one of the two (good or evil; God's work or Satan's), each and every person ought to find out for themselves. The implications are endless. If Joseph Smith was indeed a prophet; if he indeed saw God and followed God's instructions in resetoring Christ's own gospel from when He was alive; if the Book of Mormon is indeed scripture - Your life will be changed forever. You will come closer to God, have more joy, have more truth, and progress toward an eternal perfection. IF THIS IS TRUE, what time do you have to waste? Every person needs to find out. Study it out and pray about it.
I have done this and I know its God's work. Jesus Christ established a church; a way for salvation and also for eternal progression and happiness. When the apostles died, a great apostasy came and truths were lost. For 1800 years, man has relied upon scholarship and reasoning, establishing various chuches of man to figure out God and salvation. But salvation does not come through a theology degree; it can only come through Divine Authority from God himself. In 1830 the Great Apostasy came to an end when Jesus Christ, Peter, James and Jon, and many other prophets appeared in resurrected form to restore Christ's own church and Priesthood. I know this is true. It is wonderful and amazing!! I believe the incredible miracles in the Bible and I know that Prophets and Angelic ministers still work in the world today too, to bless our lives!
Happy Easter. What a beautiful time to reflect on RESTORATION. Easter is about restoration of Life. And because of that, we also have a restoration of TRUTH and AUTHORITY. I am so thankful to have the gospel in my life. It's a wonderful gift I wish to share with all my friends. Happy Easter!
(Read Joseph Smith's story here)
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