….We Seek After These Things!

Author note. This is a copy of the talk I gave on July 29, 2007. The topic assigned was Joseph Smith. Not being so talented at writing these things on the net, my footnotes did not show correctly. I have added at the bottom the sources to the footnotes that I had, and tried to give the links to the talks I used. If they are not there, you can find them on LDS.org, under talk subjects, Joseph Smith, and restoration.

When Joseph Smith went into the grove of trees to pray, little did he know that he would walk out the head of the dispensation of fullness of times. He was, from that moment on the voice of the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ. A voice ultimately silenced in flesh with his martyrdom in Carthage Illinois.
John Taylor declared in the 135 section of the Doctrine and Covenants,

3 Joseph Smith, the Prophet and Seer of the Lord, has done more, save Jesus only, for the salvation of men in this world, than any other man that ever lived in it. ….He lived great, and he died great in the eyes of God and his people; and like most of the Lord’s anointed in ancient times, has sealed his mission and his works with his own blood;

Who is this man, Joseph Smith Jr, and what was his foreordained calling?

Brigham Young stated that Joseph Smith was foreordained to stand as the leading prophet of the dispensation of the fullness of Times.

Joseph’s grandfather Asael Smith felt that one of his descendants would become a prominent religious leader.

Joseph Smith testified, “I was called of my Heavenly Father to lay the foundation of this great work and kingdom in this dispensation, and to testify of his revealed will to scattered Israel.

Ancient Hebrew tradition speak of two Messiahs, one from the tribe of Judah, Messiah ben David, and one from the tribe of Joseph, Messiah ben Joseph.
There are several ideas from this legend that correlate with the mission and identity of Joseph Smith.
They are as follows,
1) He was to be born in the last days
2) He was to be born through the lineage of Joseph of Egypt
3) He would be the forerunner of the appearance of the “Messiah ben David in his Fullness of Glory
4) He would be the “revealer of the true faith of Jehovah”
5) The return of Elijah would be during the days of Messiah Ben Joseph
6) He would rebuild and restore temple worship
7) He would Gather the children of Israel around him, including members of the lost 10 tribes of Israel
8) He would be a warrior
9) He would be a King
10) He would die a Martyr
Although we can not say Joseph Smith Jr. is the person talked about in these legends and traditions, there are many scriptural references to the divine purpose and calling of the Prophet Joseph Smith. These scriptures can be found in the Joseph Smith Translation of Genesis Chapter 50, and 2 Nephi chapter 3.

2 Nephi 3:12 , 24
12 Wherefore, the fruit of thy loins shall write; and the fruit of the loins of Judah shall write; and that which shall be written by the fruit of thy loins, and also that which shall be written by the fruit of the loins of Judah, shall grow together, unto the confounding of false doctrines and laying down of contentions, and establishing peace among the fruit of thy loins, and bringing them to the knowledge of their fathers in the latter days, and also to the knowledge of my covenants, saith the Lord.
24 And there shall rise up one mighty among them, who shall do much good, both in word and in deed, being an instrument in the hands of God, with exceeding faith, to work mighty wonders, and do that thing which is great in the sight of God, unto the bringing to pass much restoration unto the house of Israel, and unto the seed of thy brethren.

It becomes clear that as we understand who Joseph Smith is, that we begin to understand his mission in this life if to be a Restorer of Truth and Light that has been taken from the world.
He is to restore the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That through his works the effects of the great apostasy would be overcome and the power of God would return to the Earth

In his talk The Richness of the Restoration, Elder Neal A. Maxwell, lists many of the effects of the apostasy. They range from doubt and despair, fleeting pleasures and selfishness, skepticism and being kept from the truth. He offers that the vital knowledge restored through the revelatory process. Moses 7:62 reads

62 And righteousness will I send down out of heaven; and truth will I send forth out of the earth, to bear testimony of mine Only Begotten; his resurrection from the dead; yea, and also the resurrection of all men; and righteousness and truth will I cause to sweep the earth as with a flood,

What are some of the truths that the Prophet restored?
1. The character and Nature of God and the Godhead. Joseph Smith Said, “if men do not comprehend the character of God, they do not comprehend themselves. President George Q Cannon Said, “There is in the plan of salvation, which God our heavenly Father has revealed, perfect love, mercy and justice, and every other attribute which pertains to the character of Deity are perfectly illustrated in the plan of salvation which he has revealed for man’s guidance.” 3 However, President Cannon lamented, “The difficulty today is, that the people do not believe that God is a being of this character.” 4 Michael’s Parents gave us a beautiful picture of the first vision. Not only does it depict the Father and the Son side by side, but the Holy Ghost is represented by the form of a dove. IT is my personal opinion that the strength and fortitude of Joseph Smith’s testimony of this vision is because of the presence and witness of the third member of the Godhead.
2. The Nature of Mankind and the concept that we are all sons and Daughters of God, and that we have a premortal existence.
3. The Nature of Lucifer and the purpose of the fall of Man
4. Salvation is more than Faith in Christ.
5. The reality of Revelation
6. The Plan of Salvation

If we consider the idea that Jesus Christ is “the same yesterday, and today, and forever”, which thought could also apply to his church.
Joseph Smith said
“All things had under the authority of the Priesthood at any former period shall be had again, bringing to pass the restoration spoken of by the mouth of all the Holy Prophets.
These things under the authority of the Priesthood are,
1. The restoration of the Priesthood authority
2. The organization of the Church
3. common consent
4. Missionary Work
5. Tithes and offerings
6. Fasting
7. Law of Health, in our case the Word of Wisdom
8. Ordinances
a. Baptism by immersion
b. Confirmation, the gift of the Holy Ghost
c. The sacrament
d. Ordinance for the dead and temple work, including
Baptism, washing and anointing, sacred clothing, endowment,
Prayer and eternal Marriage

He restored and was given the guide to understand and recognize spiritual gifts. These gifts are obtained through faith and the power of The Holy Ghost
The early Christians enjoyed those gifts and many of these gifts were manifested with the early saints
These gifts include
The gift and interpretation of the tongues
Healing
Prophecy
Revelation
Visions
Dreams
Seeing Angels and spirits
Miracles

He was responsible for restoring ancient texts and scriptures. He translated the Book of Mormon, the Bible and the Book of Abraham. He us scripture in the form of the Doctrine and Covenants

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland has pointed out that Joseph Smith has brought forth more printed pages of scripture than did any other mortal. More pages came through Joseph Smith than from Moses, Paul, Luke and Mormon Combined.
How does the fact that Joseph Smith’s mission as a restorer affect us as individuals?

Elder Gary J. Coleman, one of my former institute instructors, stated,

Yes, the Restoration has brought to earth again the true doctrines and ordinances of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Restoration affects every fiber of our being. It consumes every part of our mortal journey. It keeps us focused on which path we should walk upon in our daily search for meaning to life. There truly is a strait and narrow path which leads to eternal life by following the Savior and the living prophets. We must accept them as the inspired trainers for our race of life

President Gordon B. Hinckley has given his testimony of the Mission of the Prophet Joseph Smith.

“How great indeed is our debt to him. … It was he who brought us a true knowledge of God, the Eternal Father, and His Risen Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. During the short time of his great vision he learned more concerning the nature of Deity than all of those who through centuries had argued the matter in learned councils and scholarly forums. He brought us the marvelous Book of Mormon as another witness for the living reality of the Son of God. To him, from those who held it anciently, came the priesthood, the power, the gift, the authority, the keys to speak and act in the name of God. He gave us the organization of the Church and its great and sacred mission. Through him were restored the keys of the holy temples, that men and women might enter into eternal covenants with God and that the great work for the dead might be accomplished to open the way for eternal blessings. …
“He was the instrument in the hands of the Almighty. He was the servant acting under the direction of the Lord Jesus Christ in bringing to pass this great latter-day work.
“We stand in reverence before him. He is the great prophet of this dispensation. He stands at the head of this great and mighty work which is spreading across the earth. He is our prophet, our revelator, our seer, our friend. Let us not forget him.

Bibliography
Matthew B. Brown All Things Restored, Evidences and Witnesses of the Restoration (American Fork Utah: covenant Communication), 1999 34-39
Elder Neal A. Maxwell of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, The Richness of the Restoration, Ensign 1988 March
Elder Neal A. Maxwell of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, The Wondrous Restoration, Ensign, 2003 April.
Elder Neal A. Maxwell of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, The Richness of the Restoration, Ensign 1988 March
Words of Joseph Smith, 42
Elder Neal A. Maxwell of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, The Wondrous Restoration, Ensign, 2003 April.
Elder Gary J. Coleman of the Seventy, Jesus Christ is at the Center of the Restoration of the Gospel, Ensign: 1992 November