4 Prophets

First Vision

 So in accordance with my determination, to ask of God, I retired to the woods to make the attempt. It was on the morning of a beautiful clear day, early in the spring of eighteen hundred and twenty … I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head…. When the light rested upon me I saw two personages (whose brightness and glory defy all description) standing above me in the air. One of them spoke unto me, calling me by name, and said, (pointing to the other.) “This is my beloved Son, hear him.” … I asked the personages who stood above me in the light, which of all the sects was right, … I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong, and the personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those professors were all corrupt…. He again forbade me to join with any of them: and many other things did he say unto me which I cannot write at this time

(Times and Seasons, vol. 3, pp.728, 748).

First vision? (Transcript of the above)

History, 1832, Joseph Smith Letterbook 1, p.3 Handwriting of Joseph Smith.

marvilous even in the likeness of him who created him (them) and when I considered upon these things my heart exclaimed well hath thewise man said the (it is a) fool (that) saith in his heart there is no God my heart exclaimed all all these bear testimony and bespeak an omnipotant and omnipreasant power a being who makith Laws and decreeeth and bindeth all things in their bounds who filleth Eternity who was and is and will be from all Eternity to Eternity and when I considered all these things and that (that) being seeketh such to worship him as worship him in spirit and in truth therefore I cried unto the Lord for mercy for there was none else to whom I could go and to obtain mercy and the Lord heard my cry in the wilderness and while in (the) attitude of calling upon the Lord (in the 16th year of my age) a piller of fire light above the brightness of the sun at noon day come down from above and rested upon me and I was filled with the spirit of god and the (Lord) opened the heavens upon me and I saw the Lord and he spake unto me saying Joseph (my son) thy sins are forgiven thee. go thy (way) walk in my statutes and keep my commandments behold I am the Lord of glory I was crucifyed for the world that all those who believe on my name may have Eternal life (behold) the world lieth in sin and at this time and none doeth good no not one they have turned asside from the gospel and keep not (my) commandments they draw near to me with their lips while their hearts are far from me and mine anger is kindling against the inhabitants of the earth to visit them acording to th[e]ir ungodliness and to bring to pass that which (hath) been spoken by the mouth of the prophets and Ap[o]stles behold and lo I come quickly as it [is] written of me in the cloud (clothed) in the glory of my Father and my soul was filled with love and for many days I could reioice with great Joy and the Lord was with me but [I] could find none that would believe the hevnly vision nevertheless I pondered these things in my heart about that time my mother and but after many days

Second Vision

The story of Joseph Smith’s second vision — the appearance of the Angel Moroni who delivered the gold plates of the Book of Mormon to Joseph Smith  In his first handwritten history, Joseph Smith merely stated that it was “an angel of the Lord.”

In 1835, however, Smith identified the celestial visitor as “Moroni” and seemed to hold to this view until 1838. When Joseph Smith published his official version of Mormon Church history in 1842 in the Times and Seasons, vol. 3, p. 753, it became obvious that he had changed his mind — the angel was really “Nephi”: “He called me by name and said… that his name was Nephi…” A few months later the church’s Millennial Star, printed in England, also published Joseph Smith’s story stating that the angel’s name was “Nephi” (vol. 3, p. 53). On page 71 of the same volume, we read that the “message of the angel Nephi… opened a new dispensation to man…” The name was also published in the 1851 edition of the Pearl of Great Price as “Nephi.” By 1878, however, Apostle Orson Pratt published a new edition of the Pearl of Great Price that year, the name had been altered to read “Moroni.” This falsified reading still appears in modern editions of the Pearl of Great Price: “He called me by name, and said… that his name was Moroni…” Some Mormon apologists have tried to argue that Joseph Smith “corrected” the original manuscript from “Nephi” to “Moroni.”

 

Why did Joseph need the Book of Mormon?

I will now give you a description of the manner in which the Book of Mormon was translated. Joseph Smith would put the seer stone into a hat, and put his face in the hat drawing it closely around his face to exclude the light; and in the darkness the spiritual light would shine. A piece of something resembling parchment would appear, and on that appeared the writing. One character at a time would appear, and under it was the interpretation in English. Brother Joseph would read off the English to Oliver Cowdery, who was his principal scribe, and when it was written down and repeated to Brother Joseph to see if it was correct, then it would disappear, and another charac­ter with the interpretation would appear. Thus the Book of Mormon was translated by the gift and power of God, and not by any power of man.

True Today, But Not Tomorrow

Depending on who is leading the Mormon church as Prophet, Seer, and Revelator, that which is true today may lit­erally not be’ true tomorrow. In fact, Joseph Smith changed theology and doctrine within his own lifetime as president of the church.

For example, Smith went :from a clear teaching of only one God in the Book of Mormon to an unspecified number of gods in Doctrine and Covenants and “Gods” in the Book of Abraham. He went :from teaching that God is a personage of Spirit in the “Lectures on Faith” (lecture five) to teaching that God has a body of flesh and bones in Doctrine and Covenants 130:22-and soon thereafter, to the teaching that we can become gods ourselves in Doctrine and Covenants 132!

Moreover, Joseph Smith first said David and Solomon’s possession of many wives and concubines was abominable in the Book of Mormon. Later he said they were justified and it is in fact a command of God in Doctrine and Covenants.

How ironic that Joseph Smith himself said:

The only way of ascertaining a true prophet is to compare his prophecies with the ancient Word of God, and see if they agree …. When, therefore, any man, no matter who, or how high his standing may be, utters, or publishes, any­thing that afterwards proves to be untrue, he is a false prophet.

Did you know that Joseph Smith once prophesied that the United States government would be overthrown in the 1800s? (Doctrine and Covenants)

Did you know that Joseph Smith once prophesied that the New Jerusalem would be built in Missouri in his generation? (History of the Church)

Did you know that Brigham Young once prophesied that the Civil War would fail to end black slavery? (Journal of discourses)

Did you know that Brigham Young said that both the moon and the sun were inhabited?

(Journal of Discourses)

Did you know that Brigham Young taught Adam was literally God the father? A doctrine flatly denied by the church today. (Journal of discourses)

 

The need for a prophet

1 Corinthians 12:28   

Ephesians 2:20

            Apostles… eyewitness to the resurrected lord, 1 Cor 9:1

Luke 16:16, Matthew 11:13, Malachi 4:5-6 (the only promised prophet), Hebrews 1:1-2   

 

Are we helpless without a prophet?

            John 14:16-18, 26,    John 16:13-15,   1 John 2:27, 1 Tim 2:5,  

                        Do we need another? Jude:3… once for all delivered.

Who is our Prophet and high priest ?

Matt 13:57, Matt 14:5, 21:11, Luke 1:76, 7:16, 13:33, 24:19 John 6:14, Rev 3:14

Joh 14:20 “At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.

 Joh 15:4 “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.

 Joh 17:21 “that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.

If your prophet lives in you, do you need another?

Heb 2:17, 3:1, 4:14-15, 5:1, 5, 6:20

How many High priests were there at any given time?

(a high priest served for life… who is high priest now?) 

Factory or Tree?

Abraham, (Hagar & Ishmael)… Sarah and Isaac

Not human effort… but super natural fruit

Who is a Prophet? Who is not? How do I know?

Deut 13  the test of a prophet

Deut 18:15-19 the coming prophet (Jesus)

Deut 18:20-22 a prophet who presumes…how to know

Acts 20:28-31

Galatians 1:6-9

 

Watch out for… (just a taste)

Acts 20:28-31

2Peter 2:1

2Timothy 3:13-14

2Timothy 4:2-4

Luke 21:8

2Corinthians 11:3-4

Closing thoughts

According to Mormon doctrine there is only one prophet at a time. Lehi was a prophet in Jerusalem during the reign of Zedekiah. Jeremiah and Ezekiel were prophets during this time. According to LDS standards who of these was not a true prophet. What about Daniel and Jeremiah or John and Jesus?(same time)

(the bible allows several prophets at the same time… same message)

Dan 9:2 who did Daniel believe

Matt 2:17 who did Matthew believe (Matt 27:9)

Jeremiah’s message was to submit to the Chaldeans and go into captivity, repent and return to God.

Lehi’s message was to run to a new promised land and start all over through a new people and live under the law and the prophets again.

(Jesus never says anything about this other prophet and people in America)