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JOSPEH SMITH, PART III

8/30/2021

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​About three years after Joseph Smith’s vision of God the Father and Jesus Christ, He wanted to know his standing with God. So, one night he decided to pray vocally as he had before, but in his room at his home. Once again, I will let Joseph tell his story, since he does it so much better than I could.

I continued to pursue my common vocations in life until the twenty-first of September, one thousand eight hundred and twenty-three, all the time suffering severe persecution at the hands of all classes of men, both religious and irreligious, because I continued to affirm that I had seen a vision.

In consequence of these things, I often felt condemned for my weakness and imperfections; when, on the evening of the above-mentioned twenty-first of September, after I had retired to my bed for the night, I betook myself to prayer and supplication to Almighty God for forgiveness of all my sins and follies, and also for a manifestation to me, that I might know of my state and standing before him; for I had full confidence in obtaining a divine manifestation, as I previously had one.


While I was thus in the act of calling upon God, I discovered a light appearing in my room, which continued to increase until the room was lighter than at noonday, when immediately a personage appeared at my bedside, standing in the air, for his feet did not touch the floor.

He called me by name, and said unto me that he was a messenger sent from the presence of God to me, and that his name was Moroni; that God had a work for me to do; and that my name should be had for good and evil among all nations, kindreds, and tongues, or that it should be both good and evil spoken of among all people.

He said there was a book deposited, written upon gold plates, giving an account of the former inhabitants of this continent, and the source from whence they sprang. He also said that the fulness of the everlasting Gospel was contained in it, as delivered by the Savior to the ancient inhabitants; 
Also, that there were two stones in silver bows—and these stones, fastened to a breastplate, constituted what is called the Urim and Thummim—deposited with the plates; and the possession and use of these stones were what constituted “seers” in ancient or former times; and that God had prepared them for the purpose of translating the book.

After telling me these things, he commenced quoting the prophecies of the Old Testament. He first quoted part of the third chapter of Malachi; and he quoted also the fourth or last chapter of the same prophecy, though with a little variation from the way it reads in our Bibles


He quoted many other passages of scripture, and offered many explanations which cannot be mentioned here.


Again, he told me, that when I got those plates of which he had spoken—for the time that they should be obtained was not yet fulfilled—I should not show them to any person; neither the breastplate with the Urim and Thummim; only to those to whom I should be commanded to show them; if I did I should be destroyed. While he was conversing with me about the plates, the vision was opened to my mind that I could see the place where the plates were deposited, and that so clearly and distinctly that I knew the place again when I visited it.


After this communication, I saw the light in the room begin to gather immediately around the person of him who had been speaking to me, and it continued to do so until the room was again left dark, except just around him; when, instantly I saw, as it were, a conduit open right up into heaven, and he ascended till he entirely disappeared, and the room was left as it had been before this heavenly light had made its appearance.


I lay musing on the singularity of the scene, and marveling greatly at what had been told to me by this extraordinary messenger; when, in the midst of my meditation, I suddenly discovered that my room was again beginning to get lighted, and in an instant, as it were, the same heavenly messenger was again by my bedside.


He commenced, and again related the very same things which he had done at his first visit, without the least variation; which having done, he informed me of great judgments which were coming upon the earth, with great desolations by famine, sword, and pestilence; and that these grievous judgments would come on the earth in this generation. Having related these things, he again ascended as he had done before.


By this time, so deep were the impressions made on my mind, that sleep had fled from my eyes, and I lay overwhelmed in astonishment at what I had both seen and heard. But what was my surprise when again I beheld the same messenger at my bedside, and heard him rehearse or repeat over again to me the same things as before; and added a caution to me, telling me that Satan would try to tempt me (in consequence of the indigent circumstances of my father’s family), to get the plates for the purpose of getting rich. This he forbade me, saying that I must have no other object in view in getting the plates but to glorify God, and must not be influenced by any other motive than that of building his kingdom; otherwise I could not get them.


After this third visit, he again ascended into heaven as before, and I was again left to ponder on the strangeness of what I had just experienced; when almost immediately after the heavenly messenger had ascended from me for the third time, the cock crowed, and I found that day was approaching, so that our interviews must have occupied the whole of that night.


I shortly after arose from my bed, and, as usual, went to the necessary labors of the day; but, in attempting to work as at other times, I found my strength so exhausted as to render me entirely unable. My father, who was laboring along with me, discovered something to be wrong with me, and told me to go home. I started with the intention of going to the house; but, in attempting to cross the fence out of the field where we were, my strength entirely failed me, and I fell helpless on the ground, and for a time was quite unconscious of anything.


The first thing that I can recollect was a voice speaking unto me, calling me by name. I looked up, and beheld the same messenger standing over my head, surrounded by light as before. He then again related unto me all that he had related to me the previous night, and commanded me to go to my father and tell him of the vision and commandments which I had received.


I obeyed; I returned to my father in the field, and rehearsed the whole matter to him. He replied to me that it was of God, and told me to go and do as commanded by the messenger. I left the field, and went to the place where the messenger had told me the plates were deposited; and owing to the distinctness of the vision which I had had concerning it, I knew the place the instant that I arrived there.


Convenient to the village of Manchester, Ontario county, New York, stands a hill of considerable size, and the most elevated of any in the neighborhood. On the west side of this hill, not far from the top, under a stone of considerable size, lay the plates, deposited in a stone box. This stone was thick and rounding in the middle on the upper side, and thinner towards the edges, so that the middle part of it was visible above the ground, but the edge all around was covered with earth.


Having removed the earth, I obtained a lever, which I got fixed under the edge of the stone, and with a little exertion raised it up. I looked in, and there indeed did I behold the plates, the Urim and Thummim, and the breastplate, as stated by the messenger. The box in which they lay was formed by laying stones together in some kind of cement. In the bottom of the box were laid two stones crossways of the box, and on these stones lay the plates and the other things with them.


I made an attempt to take them out, but was forbidden by the messenger, and was again informed that the time for bringing them forth had not yet arrived, neither would it, until four years from that time; but he told me that I should come to that place precisely in one year from that time, and that he would there meet with me, and that I should continue to do so until the time should come for obtaining the plates.


Accordingly, as I had been commanded, I went at the end of each year, and at each time I found the same messenger there, and received instruction and intelligence from him at each of our interviews, respecting what the Lord was going to do, and how and in what manner his kingdom was to be conducted in the last days.


If you have not guessed it already, these plates were the source of The Book of Mormon, which members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints consider to be a companion scripture to the Holy Bible.
These experiences were not the only ones had by Joseph. For the remainder of his life, he continued to receive revelations from God, via angels, visions, and occasionally from Jesus Christ personally. Did they just pop in to shoot the breeze, so Joseph could proclaim himself a prophet to be followed and obeyed? Not quite. The things that Joseph learned over the years, and passed on to us, are what distinguish the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints from any other religion, particularly from other Christian faiths. And make no mistake about it – we are a Christian religion, regardless of what some may attempt to assert.
Unfortunately, some of the people who did not believe Joseph Smith’s teachings also became violently angry with him, and as a result, he and his brother Hyrum were murdered on June 27, 1844, in Carthage, Illinois. I have included here a 1-hour long Youtube movie about Joseph’s life and death, for anyone who would like to get a better idea of what this exceptional young man was actually like:

youtu.be/1xVw6PsSinI
 
For a description of what the Church teaches, and why those teachings are so important, watch for upcoming posts. The next one will be published on Monday, September 6, 2021.
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JOSEPH SMITH, PART II

8/23/2021

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So, back to Joseph Smith’s story. Even if you are a Latter-Day Saint, and know this story by heart, read on anyway. Maybe my perspective can add to what you already know.

One morning, we don't know for sure what day it was, but Joseph tells us that it was a sunny day early in the spring of 1820, he got up very early, left his house and began walking. He went to a grove of trees not far from his house where he could have some privacy. He wanted to kneel down by himself, in private, and ask God to give him the answers to his questions. He went to a nice quiet spot in the grove, where he could be alone. He looked around, and seeing that he was completely by himself, knelt to the ground and he began to pray. He later wrote that this was the first time that he had ever prayed vocally. I would imagine that means that he had prayed silently, in his heart, without actually verbalizing what he wanted to say. This was the first time that he actually opened his mouth and spoke in prayer. He described his experience much better than I can so I will defer to Joseph’s words at this point:

. . . I kneeled down and began to offer up the desires of my heart to God. I had scarcely done so, when immediately I was seized upon by some power which entirely overcame me, and had such an astonishing influence over me as to bind my tongue so that I could not speak. Thick darkness gathered around me, and it seemed to me for a time as if I were doomed to sudden destruction.

But, exerting all my powers to call upon God to deliver me out of the power of this enemy which had seized upon me, and at the very moment when I was ready to sink into despair and abandon myself to destruction—not to an imaginary ruin, but to the power of some actual being from the unseen world, who had such marvelous power as I had never before felt in any being—just at this moment of great alarm, I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me.

It no sooner appeared than I found myself delivered from the enemy which held me bound. 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 spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other--This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!

My object in going to inquire of the Lord was to know which of all the sects was right, that I might know which to join. No sooner, therefore, did I get possession of myself, so as to be able to speak, than I asked the Personages who stood above me in the light, which of all the sects was right (for at this time it had never entered into my heart that all were wrong)—and which I should join.

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; that: “they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof.”

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. When I came to myself again, I found myself lying on my back, looking up into heaven. When the light had departed, I had no strength; but soon recovering in some degree, I went home.
 
Wow! What an experience for a 14-year-old boy to have. And who was it exactly that appeared to him and spoke to him? “One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other--This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!” God the Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ appeared to this exceptional young man.

Now, as you might expect, this is the point where some people hearing this story for the first time say, “yeah. . ., I don’t think so”, and walk away. And that might very well be what you are thinking as well. But before you walk away, take just a moment to ask yourself, “If this story were true, what difference would it make to me? Would it be important, or would I just say, ‘that’s very interesting’, and then not give it much thought?” If you think it would be interesting, but still not very important to you, then it’s OK to stop reading here. I hope you know that the friendship and love that I have for you has nothing to do with whether we both believe in the same things. Neither friendship nor family ties should ever be based on something like that. I hope you feel the same way.

If you are interested, here is a short Youtube video about Joseph’s experience:

youtu.be/RBvk_6_dW6k

So, what is it about this story, the experience of Joseph Smith praying in the Grove, that is so important, or should be important, to me and to you? The importance lies in what Joseph Smith learned. He learned that:
  1. God the Father and Jesus Christ actually do exist.
  2. God does want to communicate with His children, in all times and places, not just the Jews and their descendants, and only in the times described in the Bible.
  3. God the Father and Jesus Christ are two separate personages, or beings, not simply different manifestations of the same being.
  4. The true nature of God the Father and Jesus Christ is that they are physical beings that look just like us, or rather, we look just like them. We truly were created in their image as taught in the Holy Bible.
  5. None of the churches that existed at that time on the earth were recognized by God as his church, or in other words, none of them represented Him in any way.

If these things seem important to you, it would be good to continue learning about them and to find out for yourself if Joseph Smith actually saw what he said he saw, or if it's just a fairy tale that he made up. I have learned for myself that it did actually happen.

After this experience, Joseph Smith continued with his normal daily routine. He continued to work to help support his family, and he continued to attend church from time to time, although he did not join any of those churches, just as he had been instructed.

Sometime later he recounted his experience to a minister that he respected, and who he thought could give him some good advice. The minister actually became angry with him and told him that what he had seen was of the devil, and that he should not tell other people about that experience. He went on to say that in that day and age God no longer spoke with people, that there was no such thing anymore as visitations of angels or revelation from God. He said that all of God's revelations were contained in the Bible, and that there would be no more communication from God to men. He ridiculed Joseph and treated the experience as something silly and unbelievable. He later passed on this information that Joseph gave him in private to others, and soon the entire community was aware of what Joseph had claimed to have experienced. From that point on, he was treated very badly by the community, and all kinds of strange stories were made up about him, none of which was true . He simply continued working for his family’s support as he had done before. He did not have any other spiritual experiences of this type for some time.

About three years later, Joseph decided to find out what God would like him to do, other than just remaining aloof from the various churches of the day. Be sure to read my next post when I will talk about Joseph’s next pivotal experience. And if you are still wondering about my comment that you can know for yourself if any of this is actually true, well, hang in there! That discussion is coming soon!

​See you back here on Monday, August 30, 2021.
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JOSEPH SMITH, PART 1

8/20/2021

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Well, here we are, back again, and I’m betting that my interested audience has diminished a bit, maybe considerably. That’s all right. Like I said before, I’m not out to convert the world. I just want to share what’s important to me with others who have the same interest in having their families forever.

So, let me tell you about something very important that happened in 1820, in the northeastern part of the United States. There was a family named Smith; a very common name, one of the most common names in the English language. The father’s name was Joseph and there was a Joseph, Junior. Joseph Smith. Joe Smith. You can’t get much more common than that!

This family, although they believed in God, did not have a lot of interest in organized religion. They worked very hard for a living, and in the evenings would sit around the fireplace or around candlelight and read from the family Bible. Not much different than many other rural families in the early 1800s.

It was in this period of time, that there began to be a religious revival in the northeastern United States. Preachers from many different Protestant religions were coming out to the less populated areas and holding meetings and revivals. These preachers came out to gain new followers and build up their churches. There were Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, and a few other denominations. There were groups that were dissatisfied with any of the prevalent Protestant sects and formed their own alternative churches. Members of the Smith family were interested in hearing what these various preachers had to say and attended their meetings as often as their time and work schedules would permit. Being laborers and having to work long hours to maintain a living for a large family, the Smiths had very limited time. And, as it would happen, there were meetings all through the week, not just on Sundays.

Although some members of the family (and it was a large family - nine children) began to lean toward one denomination or another, Joseph Smith, Sr. had no interest in any church. Nevertheless, he was a God-fearing man. Although the Smiths did not attend any specific church regularly, they prayed individually and together. They read the Bible together and tried to live by its teachings, according to their understanding of its precepts.

During the aforementioned revival, not everyone in that large family was converted to the same religion. Part of the Smith family was converted to the Methodist Church, some went to the Presbyterians. Joseph Sr. did not join any. Joseph Jr. was partial to the Methodist religion, but he wasn’t really sure about any of them. He went to meetings held by many different preachers. He believed in the teachings of Jesus. He believed that men and women should love each other and treat each other with kindness. The preachers from the different churches also taught these basic principles: that people should treat each other with love and respect, that they were all brothers and sisters, children of God. But it turns out they really didn’t practice very well what they preached. The followers of the different denominations, including their various preachers, pastors, etc., all argued with each other. Each one felt that he or she was right, and those who did not believe in his or her particular brand of religion was condemned to Hell. They were not very friendly towards one another, and there was a lot of rivalry.

Joseph Jr. was only 14 years old at the time, and he was perplexed. It’s very impressive to me that a 14-year-old boy would have any interest in religion anyway. That was, and is, the exception to the rule. I know that when I was 14 years old (and those of you who knew me when I was that age can attest to this) I had absolutely no interest in religion, especially the religion in which I had been raised. To me my family’s religion was a series of rules and restrictions that took away my freedom, kept me from doing the things that I liked to do. I didn’t spend a lot of time thinking about the principles or the precepts that were taught. I just didn’t like the restrictions. And I think there are a lot of people who don’t like organized religion for that same reason.

Although society and societal mores were somewhat different in the early 1800s, deep down I don’t think people were all that different from today. I don’t think you could have found very many 14-year-old boys that were excited about religion or going to church. Like I say, I was no different at that age.

But Joseph was different - he thought a lot about these things. He thought about the things that he read in the Holy Bible. He believed many of the things that were taught by the various ministers at the meetings and revivals that he attended. But because each one taught the scriptures so differently, and espoused differing opinions about what was important, he ended up just being very confused. He didn’t know who to believe. And he wanted to know. He really wanted to know. He wanted to know the truth. Who was God? And what did God have to do with him? What was he supposed to be doing with his life? What religion could teach him the right way to live and be happy? Who could show him the meaning of life and what happens after we die? These are questions that have intrigued and befuddled the most erudite thinkers of every age. Now imagine a 14-year-old boy with what amounted to a third-grade education wrestling with these kinds of deep philosophical quandaries.

He thought about these things as he worked each day. The Smiths were a farm family and had to labor long and hard for their living. They bought a tract of land in Western New York, in the Township of Palmyra. They had to clear the land in order to farm it. In other words, it was wooded land and they had to remove the trees, stumps, large rocks  - everything that would impede them from planting and harvesting. These were strong, hard-working people, including Joseph.
One day Joseph was reading in the New Testament, and came across the following verse in the Book of James:

“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” (James 1:5)

Joseph later wrote that no scripture ever had a greater effect on him than that one did. He said that as he read it, it entered into his soul in a powerful way, as no other verse of scripture ever had, and he couldn't stop thinking about it. It kept coming back to him over and over again It absorbed his thoughts, not for a few minutes or for a few hours, but for days. He thought and he pondered, “What did this mean? What is it that I need to do? How do I ask of God? Was James talking about prayer?”

He finally realized that to follow James’ counsel he needed to pray; to ask God to help him to understand the things that he could not understand. He had some simple questions, and he needed some simple answers. He wanted to know what his standing was with God (Did God know him? Did God love him? What should he be doing in this life to get closer to God? Which of all the churches was true; which was His church?)

​Have you ever asked these questions? Did you find the answers? How did you find the answers? Joseph believed what he read in the Bible, and fully expected to get an answer directly from God, by praying. To find out what happened when Joseph followed the counsel given by James, and prayed, come back for my next post on Monday, August 23, 2021.
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INTRODUCTION

8/17/2021

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I decided to write this blog to explain why I am a Latter-Day Saint (formerly known as Mormons). Not just what my religion teaches, but why it teaches it. Why do Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) believe what they believe?
It is possible that you are a friend or member of my family and have known me for a very long time. If you only knew me when I was a teenager, then you may be surprised to read the things that I will publish in this blog. I am not the Cary that you knew 45 or more years ago.

You can probably say that about any one of us. We all change as we age, not just physically, but mentally, emotionally, and spiritually as well. Things that were important to us when we were young, aren’t all that important anymore. Things that we never thought about when we were teenagers, often become the very thing around which our lives now revolve. Granted, some of us change more than others. I am amazed when I encounter someone that I haven’t seen in years, and although physically different, mentally they are still teenagers; in many ways they are emotionally stunted.

Well, I have changed in just about every way imaginable. If you haven’t seen me in 40 years, and saw me again for the first time today, it is quite likely that you would not recognize me. And if you were reading this without knowing who had written it, you would never know that Cary Martinez was the author.

Of all the changes I have seen in myself, the most striking one is in understanding what is important, and what is not. The thing of most importance to me as a teenager was, well, me! Yes I was interested in music, but only because I wanted to be a musician. I was very manipulative, and pretty much everything I did or said was based on a selfish motivation: what would make me happy right now. Today, the thing of most importance is my family; my wife and my children, my parents and siblings, and in fact, all of my extended family. My material possessions mean nothing to me compared to the people I love. I have recently lost an adult son to an untimely death, and I would give away everything I own, to have him back with me again.
What has held me together, mentally, and emotionally, is my faith, my belief, even my knowledge of our purpose in this mortal life, and my knowledge that I can have my family with me forever. And that is why I am a Latter Day Saint (formerly known as Mormons). I am a Christian, although not what most Christians would call a “traditional” one. Latter-Day Saints practice a different kind of Christianity, which is why we are rejected as “true Christians” by some. I am not writing this blog because I feel I need to convert the world to my beliefs. I am writing because I feel a responsibility to let my family and friends know why I believe what I believe; how I know what I know; why I am so completely different from that reckless and misguided young person I was some 45 years ago.

So, if you would like to continue reading, I would like you to do a couple of things for me. First, leave your own beliefs at the door. I’m not asking you to abandon your faith, but simply try not to  allow it to influence or color what you read here. Enter with an open mind. Easier said than done, right? But, just, for a few moments, try not to worry about whether you believe in the same things that Latter Day Saints believe. For a moment just strip yourself down mentally to the basic “you”. Without regards to religion or any other belief systems, answer these questions: What do you believe to be important in your life? What are the most important things to you?

If your life is all about success in your career or in business, then you should find a religion, or belief system that deals with that and that helps you to get ahead in those areas of your life. But the gospel of Jesus Christ is all about is helping you to be happy, and to have a happy family. It is about gaining an eternal perspective, one that extends beyond this mortal life. If personal relationships are important to you, if your spouse and your children are important to you, you probably would want them around you as much as they could be, even for eternity if such a thing were possible.

There are many things that I enjoy about my life. But if I could only keep one thing in my life, it would be my family. My wife is my closest and best friend. My children are my treasure. So, everything in my life revolves around my wife and my children. If this is the same for you, if you have these same feelings about your family, then it would be profitable for you to listen to what I have to say. I’m not selling anything. I don’t get brownie points for convincing someone of what I believe. It has just become the most important thing in my life, and when we have something important, we want to share it with the people that we care about. I want to share it with my extended family, and I want to share it with my friends.

Regardless of what some people may think, especially after reading this blog, I am not a religious fanatic. I do not want to convince the world that what I believe is true. That’s the nice thing about writing something in a blog. I can write what I want, I can tell everyone what I believe, and how it has completely changed the way I live, the way I view life and love, and you don't have to read it if you don't want to. If you think I’m just some nut trying to do a commercial for his religion, you can just close this page and go read something else. It’s that easy.

I feel a need to share what I know and what I believe with the people around me, because it has made me happy, and because I believe it to be true. And if it’s true, then it’s something everyone needs and everyone will benefit from having in their lives. But I don’t want to get in anyone’s face and bug you or bore you with things that don’t interest you. So, if you're interested in knowing how your family, your loved ones, can be with you forever, please continue reading. If you knew of some way that you could be with your family forever, would you be interested in it? For just a moment, don’t worry about what is or is not possible. If it were true, would it be important to you? Even if you think having your loved ones with you forever is just a fantasy or a dream, think about what it would be like. I’m telling you now that it's possible. That is what the true gospel of Jesus Christ is all about.

Before I start telling you how it’s possible, I want you to know that there is a way to find out for yourself if what I am telling you is true. That’s the cool thing about all of this. You don’t have to believe me. You don’t have to believe anyone else. You can go directly to the source and learn for yourself if what I say is true.
​
Interested? Come back for my next post on Friday, August 20.
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    Author

    My name is Cary Martinez, and I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (formerly known as Mormons). Although it can be found in 161 of the 195  countries in the world, as of the end of 2020, members of The Church accounted for only about .2% of the world's population. What is it about this church (formerly known as Mormon) that draws some people to it, and repels so many more? More to the point, why am I a Latter-Day Saint? This blog explores these questions, and many more.

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