Lesson 13: “This Generation Shall Have My Word through You”
Articles, talks, and lessons about the life and mission of the Prophet Joseph Smith have been consistently published throughout the 20th century and are easily located at lds.org, so only a small taste of past lessons are offered here. My ward’s schedule for the next quarter’s lessons has not yet been set, so I don’t know whether I’ll be teaching this lesson or not – I so hope it will be my turn that week.
1890: Deseret Sunday School Union Leaflets
Lesson 50: The Ancestry and Birth of Joseph Smith
Time – December 23, 1805.
Place – Sharon, Windsor County, Vermont.
Text – II Nephi 3:14, 15.
And thus prophesied Joseph, saying: Behold that seer will the Lord bless; and they that seek to destroy him, shall be confounded; for this promise, which I have obtained of the Lord, of the fruit of my loins, shall be fulfilled. behold, I am sure of the fulfilling of this promise.
And his name shall be called after me; and it shall be after the name of his father. And he shall be like unto me; for the thing which the Lord shall bring forth by his hand, by the power of the Lord shall bring my people unto salvation.
Lesson Statement
For several generations, previous to the birth of the Prophet, his forefathers had been honest, industrious farmers in New England. The first of his ancestors to come to America, from England, was Robert Smith, who emigrated to this country about the middle of the seventeenth century. He settled in New England, and there his descendants lived for five generations. Joseph Smith, who was the fourth in descent from Robert, married Lucy Mack, January 24, 1796. Her ancestors had also been husbandmen, and therefore all of the sturdy qualities attaching to that class were inherited by the Prophet.
During the early part of their married life, Joseph and Lucy (who had settled in the town of Tunbridge, Vermont,) were prosperous in a worldly sense, but through the treachery of a friend they were deprived of all their property. Soon afterward they removed to Sharon, in the same State, where they lived under very unfavorable circumstances until after the birth of their son Joseph, which occurred at Sharon, Windsor County, Vermont, December 23, 1805.
The poverty, ill health and other chastenings of the parents of Joseph were effectual in teaching the family to be humble and dependent upon their Heavenly Father. Had it been otherwise – had Joseph and his parents been successful in obtaining wealth, the young man’s spirit might have been less perfectly moulded to suit the purposes of his Heavenly Father. Pride might have taken the place of humility, and self-conceit, of faith and trust.
It is a significant fact that Joseph’s grandfather, Asael Smith, possessed sufficient of the spirit of prophecy to declare that one of his descendants should exert a great influence on the religious belief of his associates. Said he, “It has been borne in upon my soul that one of my descendants will promulgate a work to revolutionize the world of religious faith.”
How literally has this been fulfilled! how completely is the faith established by our Heavenly Father through the Prophet Joseph revolutionizing the religious belief of this day!
And Asael Smith lived to witness the commencement of the fulfillment of his prediction, for a short time before his death he was permitted to behold a copy of the Book of Mormon; and as he was about to depart from this earth, he warned his descendants to take heed of this work and to accept the ministry of Joseph, for that which he was about to bring forth was of God.
The birth of Joseph Smith, marks an important era in the world’s history. Thousands can testify at the present time that he was one of the greatest prophets the world has ever known. To him were entrusted the keys of the Dispensation of the Fullness of Times. His work will yet be known and his praises sung in all nations under heaven. And yet the man destined to such high honor was born of humble parents, in poverty, in an obscure town among the backwoods of Vermont.
Truly the ways of God are past the comprehension of feeble, mortal man.
Notes.
Robert Smith. – Date of birth not known. Emigrated from England to America about the middle of the seventeenth century.
Samuel Smith. – Son of Robert Smith and his wife Mary. born Jan. 26, 1666. married to Rebecca Curtis Jan. 25, 1707.
Samuel Smith, Jun. – Born Jan. 26, 1714. Married Priscilla Gould.
Asael Smith. – Son of Samuel Smith, Jr., and Priscilla Gould, and grandfather of the Prophet. Born March 1, 16744. Married Mary Duty.
Joseph Smith, Sen. – Son of Asael Smith and father of the Prophet. Born July 12, 1771. Married Jan. 24, 1796, to Lucy Mack, at Tunbridge, Vermont.
Lucy Mack. – Mother of the Prophet. Daughter of Solomon and Lydia Mack and granddaughter of Ebenezer Mack. Born July 8, 1776. The Prophet was the fourth child of Joseph and Lucy, and they had six children after him.
Vermont. – One of the New England States. Bounded on the east by New Hampshire, on the west by New York, on the north by Canada and on the south by Massachusetts. Sharon was situated in the eastern part of the state, and was a small farming settlement.
What We May Learn from This Lesson
1. Though one of the greatest of prophets, Joseph Smith was born in the most humble circumstances. 2. That his parents though poor, were upright and God-fearing people. 3. That one of Joseph’s ancestors predicted the Prophet’s mission. 4. That this prediction was literally fulfilled. 5. That through ill-health and poverty, Joseph and his parents were taught lessons of humility and faithfulness. 6. That Joseph Smith was one of the greatest prophets of any dispensation. 7. That he holds the keys of the dispensation of the Fullness of Times. 8. That we cannot judge the ways of God by man’s standard.
Questions on the Lesson
1. Who was the first of Joseph’s ancestors to come to America? 2. What was the date of his emigration? 3. In what part of the United States did he live? 4. What occupation did he and his descendants follow? 5. What was his son’s name? 6. When was he born? 7. When did he marry? 8. Who was his son? 9. what do you know of this son’s birth and marriage? 10. Who was his son? 11. What relation did Asael bear to the Prophet? 12. What did he way concerning one of his descendants? 13. How did he see the fulfillment of his prediction? 14. When was the father of the Prophet born? 15. Whom did he marry? 16. how many children were born to them before the birth of Joseph? 17. How many children had they in all? 18. When and where was their son Joseph born? 19. How had they previously lost their property? 20. What great lesson did their trials teach them? 21. Where was Sharon? 22. What do you know of Vermont? 23. What can you say of the importance of Joseph’s mission? 24. What honor will yet be done him?
1899: Deseret Sunday School Union Leaflets
Lesson 49: Why the Boy Joseph Was Chosen
Text. - James 2:5
Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?
Lesson Statement
In attempting to prove that Joseph Smith was not a true prophet, his enemies point to the fact that he was a young, ignorant boy at the time he claimed to have received his first vision. They ask how it is that God would choose an unlearned boy for His work, when there were so many thousands of men who had spent their entire time from early youth in teaching the people, who were well versed in the scriptures, having given up the best part of their lives to their study. “Would it not have been better,” say these persons, “for God to choose one already educated to the ministry, rather than one whom He would have to instruct in the principles of the gospel?
In answer to this question and these objections, we can say that God showed His infinite wisdom in making choice of so humble an instrument as Joseph Smith to perform the great labor of restoring the gospel. In the first place, it was necessary that a person should be chosen who had not been taught in the sectarian doctrines of the day, which God Himself has declared to be false. What advantage would it have been, to select a man who had been engaged all his life in teaching false doctrine, to introduce the true gospel? You can see at once that the idea is absurd.
Joseph had not been taught in the religious notions of his time. His mind was a blank, so far as doctrine was concerned, prepared to receive such impressions as God should see fit to make upon it. He was humble, and would willingly receive and treasure up God’s word to him. Besides all this he was comparatively innocent of the sins so prevalent in the world, and God delights in innocence and purity. What wonder is it, then, that He should have chosen the humble boy Joseph, for the great latter-day work? Again, prophets in ancient times have foretold the work which Joseph has performed, and the instrument chosen to carry it out. One of these was Joseph, who was sold into Egypt. Lehi tells us (II Nephi 3:14, 15) that Joseph, in speaking of the latter times, said, “Behold, that seer will the Lord bless; and they that seek to destroy him, shall be confounded * * * * * AND HIS NAME SHALL BE CALLED AFTER ME: AND IT SHALL BE AFTER THE NAME OF HIS FATHER. And he shall be like unto me; for the thing which the Lord shall bring forth by his hand, by the power of the Lord shall bring my people to salvation.
Here Joseph not only points out the fact that a prophet should be raised up, but he even declares that the name of that prophet should be the same as his, and that he should be named after his father. All these predictions were fulfilled in Joseph Smith, the prophet.
Nor is it a new thing for God to select a boy for an important labor. the boy David, the youngest son of Jesse, was chosen to be king of Israel. The boy Samuel was called to succeed Eli in his important position, and in his more advanced age, he became one of the greatest prophets Israel had ever known.
All evidences point to the fact that God showed His supreme wisdom in the selection of the boy Joseph to be His latter-day prophet.
Notes.
The Gospel. – The Gospel is the revealed plan of salvation, given for men to follow, that they may obtain eternal life. It has been revealed to men in different periods of the world’s history, whenever God has had a dispensation upon the earth. It is everlasting and unchangeable. Whenever it has been entrusted to men, they have had power and authority to officiate in its ordinances, certain signs always following their administrations. Jesus speaks of these signs (Mark, 16:17, 18,) where He promises that many mighty works shall be performed by those who accept the gospel. The creeds taught in the various sectarian churches can not be properly called the gospel, for they are impure, being a mixture of Gospel truths with the false ideas of men. The divine plan of salvation has been revealed again to Joseph Smith in these days, and the Latter-day Saints can justly claim to possess the true gospel.
David. – The second king of the Israelites. He was the youngest son of Jesse, and was chosen while yet a boy to succeed Saul upon the throne, after that king had transgressed the law of God. David was a prophet, as well as a king and a warrior, and he did much to establish the power and glory of the Israelites in the land of Canaan. He reigned from 1055 to 1015 B.C. A full account of his life is given in the Book of Samuel.
Samuel. – A great prophet over Israel during the latter part of the reign of the judges, and the greater part of Saul’s reign. He was consecrated to the Lord by his mother, Hannah, when he was a little child, and was appointed to act in the duties of a deacon in the temple. When the family of Eli, the High Priest, fell into sin, Samuel, then a boy of about twelve years, was told of Eli’s impending fall. Samuel succeeded Eli as judge over Israel, and became the prophet to the Israelites. He proved himself faithful in all the positions he occupied, and died at the advanced age of 100 years.
What We May Learn from This Lesson
1. That God often chooses humble instruments to perform His work. 2. that He is pleased with the purity of His children. 3. That Joseph Smith’s mission was foretold by many ancient prophets. 4. That he was a prophet called of God. 5. That the gospel is the plan of salvation. 6. That it is believed in and observed by the Latter-day Saints.
Questions on the Lesson.
1.What great objection have Joseph Smith’s enemies raised to the divinity of his mission? 2. What kind of a person do they say could better have been chosen? 3. Why would such a choice as they suggest have been really unwise? 4. Why was it better to select an unlearned boy than a learned minister? 5. By whom was Joseph Smith’s work predicted? 6. What did Joseph of ancient times say about him? 7. Where do you find this passage? 8. Show evidence that this remark refers to Joseph Smith. 9. In what other cases have boys been chosen to perform God’s labor? 10. What do you know of David? 11. Of Samuel? 12. To what fact do all the above evidences point?
Illustrative Passages
Humble Instruments. – Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. – Matt. 18:4.
Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty; neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me. – Psalm 13:1.
1936: Gospel Restoration Themes: A Handbook for Missionaries and Other Students of the Gospel
Lesson 25: “The Divine Mission of Joseph Smith” by John A. Widtsoe
The life and the results of the labors of Joseph Smith are convincing evidences of his divine mission. In this little pamphlet some of these evidences are assembled. The extracts from the pamphlet published in this lesson may lead to a more careful study of the interesting life of the Prophet Joseph Smith.
Baffles the Wise
The achievements of Joseph Smith are must greater than those of ordinary men; they appear to transcend usual human powers, and cannot be explained in terms of common experience. Many men, not members of the Church, have made that very statement. They have stood baffled before the power of Joseph Smith. We quote frequently the statements of Josiah Quincy, famous mayor of Boston, of an illustrious family of Massachusetts, who visited Joseph Smith, in 1844, soon after young Quincy had graduated from Harvard college. In his old age, this highly educated man, who had learned to know the world, the nature of greatness and the ways of mortality, told the story of his meeting with Joseph Smith. he closed his story with these words:
“I have endeavored to give the details of my visit tot he ‘Mormon’ Prophet with absolute accuracy. If the reader does not know just what to make of Joseph Smith I cannot help him out of the difficulty. I myself stand helpless before the puzzle.”
Joseph came, untaught by man, into a world which lay in darkness, and did work which cannot be understood or interpreted by common means. Such a man commands the attention of honest, truth-seeking men.
The High Order of His Life
It will help establish the testimony of the divine mission of this great man, to know that Joseph Smith, viewed at any point, from every angle, in any position, always measures up to the demands of truth, as revealed in human experience. For example, his personal life was that of a prophet. He lived as the prophets of old have lived, honestly and sincerely, but misunderstood, hounded, persecuted, and at last his life was taken. his life story reads as do those of the prophets in holy writ. His experience was that of every teacher who attempts to turn men and women from easy walks of near truth into the paths of full truth,. Physically, he was a magnificent man; in intellect, lofty and commanding; in spirit, in spite of persecution, disaster and poverty, kindly and gentlemanly. he was courageous, and dared to battle for the right. All who knew him have testified to the kindly strength, mingled with undaunted courage, that made him a great soul. The honor of his character was ever above reproach, even among those who opposed him. As son, husband, father, friend, and neighbor, even as foeman, he was beloved. he tells how he lived:
“Sectarian priests cry out concerning me and ask, ‘Why is it that this babbler gets so many followers and retains them?’ I answer: ‘It is because I possess the principle of love. All that I offer the world is a good heart and a good hand’.”
Truth, His Weapon and Reward
No personal reward such as men usually seek was promised b his work. The fact that he went through life gladly, meeting difficulties without hesitation, and asking for no personal consideration, is evidence of his sincerity and unselfish devotion to that which he held to be the eternal truth. his life’s labor was to learn the truth and to teach it. to possess truth and to have others possess it, became his reward.
A traveler who visited Nauvoo, about 1843, wrote a book about the Prophet in which he said:
“If anything can tend to encourage the supposition that Joseph Smith was a sincere enthusiast, and that he had strong and invincible faith in his own high pretensions and divine mission, it is the probability that unless supported by such feelings, he would have renounced the unprofitable and ungrateful task, and sought refuge from persecution and misery in private life and honorable industry. * * * It cannot be denied that he was one of the most extraordinary persons of his time * * * whose name, whatever he may have been whilst living, will take its place among the notabilities of the world.”
His life was significant to all who met hm, because he spoke with authority a one who knew truth. he declared, over and over again, that his weapon was truth: and in words of splendor he said:
“I combat the errors of ages; I meet the violence of mobs; I cope with illegal proceedings from excessive authority; I cut the Gordian knot of powers, and meet the problems of universities, with truth – diamond truth.”
That is the high ideal which in every human activity is moving our civilization onward.
A Material Builder
Joseph Smith was an outstanding material leader. A tremendous labor was accomplished by the Prophet in and about the city of Kirtland, Ohio. The temple there, still standing, is mute evidence of the powerful material as well as spiritual leadership of the ‘Mormon” prophet. He founded Nauvoo, the largest city of its time in Illinois, with schools and university and the other factors of civilization. He built temples and laid out cities; he planned for the temporal welfare of his people, through agriculture and industrial development. He looked into the future and saw, as no other man of his generation, the possibilities of the Great West, and the importance of the country west of the Missouri as a necessary part in the building of our Republic. He asked the government to give him one hundred thousand men for western conquest, so that the way might be opened for the settlement of the country beyond the rocky Mountains. he laid before the people of that day the picture of Western development, which actually has occurred.
The Church that he organized, compact and serviceable to all, the manner of its growth and development, the firmness with which the members cling to it, all in the face of opposition, often furious, come as evidences of the power and sound leadership of the Prophet. Today, men of thought give consideration to the fruits of the Church and admit that its structure is well nigh perfect. More and more the inherent ability of the Church to help and direct its members in all righteous endeavors is being recognized and valued. Joseph Smith was an incomparable leader of men and builder for human welfare.
The Spiritual Teacher
However, other men have been of pure character; other men have done great material deeds; other men have built institutions that have lasted throughout the years. Not by such tests alone is built a testimony of the divine mission of the Prophet Joseph Smith. They only confirm the larger truths. The Prophet’s greatness lies in his mission as a spiritual leader. Four events of huge spiritual meaning form the cornerstones of evidence of the divine inspiration of the Prophet Joseph Smith.
First: The initial vision, when Joseph was fourteen years old, in which God in person declared to him, “This is my beloved son, hear Him.” At that time in the history of the world God had become in the minds of the people an attenuated spirit, spread throughout the universe, nowhere present, everywhere present, nothing in particular and everything in general. In such a theological age the Prophet Joseph Smith declared that he had seen God, a person, who had spoken to him. He taught that men may communicate with God, and that god does speak to his children. it was like a shaft of light in the dark cloud of error. it was a message, whether acknowledged or not, which has shaken civilization and mankind since that day in 1820. His testimony is with us:
“It is the first principle of the gospel to know for a certainty the character of God, and to know that we can converse with him as one man converses with another.” “I know God. I have gazed upon the glory of God and the visions of eternity.” “The Glory of God is Intelligence.” Such knowledge was then the dire need of the world; and is the greatest need of the world today. The simple story of that vision which lies at the foundation of the restoration of the gospel in our day, is one of the most convincing records of all time.
Second: the translation of the Book of Mormon. This Book sets forth that the love of the Lord covers the whole Earth; that all men are his children; that he speaks in many ways and to divers people, according to his own mind and will, and that there are scriptures besides those which have been revealed in the Bible. The Book of Mormon came as a new revelation to the world, in full harmony with the revelation of God himself in the First Vision. In the book of Mormon is the pure gospel of the Son of God, freed from the errors of translation and corruption that have attended other such books. The integrity of the Book; its doctrines; its historical data – all form an evidence of its divine origin. The years have strengthened the claims for the Book of Mormon.
Third: The establishment of the Church. it is an organization resting on divine authority, endowed with Priesthood, which declares that a great purpose runs through human life; that the Lord directs the working out of that great purpose, and in so doing has ordained men with power and authority to carry out his purposes. Thus, the “Mormon” prophet set up a church with divine authority, under direct instruction from the Almighty. Uncertainty was removed; certainty was established; priesthood traceable to god was restored, and the Church established was god-made, not man-made. such a message was needed by a world with a diversity of churches, representing the personal opinions of the founders.
Fourth: The body of doctrine contained in the revelations given through the Prophet Joseph Smith. These revelations are full of wonderful truths. They are particularly marvelous because each one says or implies: “Thus saith the Lord.” They are not the words of Joseph Smith; they are not his opinions; they are not the doctrines he thought would be good; but they are the words of the Almighty. In them the Lord directs, through the Prophet Joseph, that this is to be done, or that this is the truth.
These four cornerstones if properly built upon will enable ever honest soul who prays, then studies and practices the truths they contain, to secure an abiding knowledge of the truth of the mission of Joseph Smith. Each one reveals a power beyond that of man.
Questions from the Mission Field. Can You Answer Them?
1. does Indian tradition testify that Christ actually did appear in America?
2. How do we know that people anciently inhabited the American continent?
3. how do you explain the book of Mormon passage stating that Christ is the Father and the Son?
4. Justify Nephi’s murder of Laban?
5. How do you know that the Nephites were of Ephraim?
6. What are the evidences of the truth of the Book of Mormon?`
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