Jesus is the Christ

Some not very familiar with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) may wonder why I started this blog with a testimony of the prophet Joseph Smith. It's a simple principle: if you gain a testimony of Joseph Smith and know that he was a true prophet of God, the truth of the gospel follows. In other words, if you know Joseph Smith was a prophet of God, you know the Book of Mormon is the word of God, you know the LDS Church is true, you know that God and Jesus Christ are real, loving personages... the list goes on and on. Without a testimony of Joseph Smith as a true prophet, you simply cannot have a testimony of the LDS Church in its entirety.


This post is dedicated to my most sacred and personal testimony, that of my Savior, Jesus Christ. I know that Jesus Christ is the literal Son of God. I know He was born of Mary in Bethlehem and lived his perfect mortal life blessing others. I know Jesus Christ suffered and died for my sins, and rose again in a perfected physical body three days after His . He truly overcame and hell; he broke the bands of , so every human being who has ever lived on this earth will be resurrected. He broke the chains of hell, so every faithful follower of Him can be cleansed of their sins through His infinite power.

Jesus Christ truly is my Savior. I have had so many times in my life when everything seemed dark and hopeless, whether it was self-inflicted through sin or simply the trials of life. Every time-- honestly, EVERY time-- as I have turned to my Savior, praying for His strength and guidance, learning from His example-- I have found the light that I need. All my problems don't magically go away when I turn to Christ; rather, He strengthens me and comforts me so I can endure what I must endure.

I truly love Jesus Christ and I know that He loves each and every one of us and wants us to come to Him. His love truly is the power that overcomes all things.

For more information on the LDS Church's understanding of Jesus Christ as the Creator, Master, Savior, and Son of God, visit http://jesuschrist.lds.org/

Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God

Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. I know this to be true. I know it because I have prayed about it many times since I was a child, and I have received a peaceful, happy feeling -- the feeling of the Spirit of God -- confirm its truth to me.

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Who was Joseph Smith and what did he do? Joseph Smith was an American boy, simple and poor. But he was set apart by God to bring about a great work, even the full Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ that had been lost on the earth, now called The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the LDS Church).

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He had good parents, a good family, and happened to live in upper state New York, where a huge religious fury and debate was going on. Joseph was lucky to have parents who taught him to believe in God, but let him find out the truth of religion for himself. And so Joseph sought to know which of the many contending churches he should join. I can't put it better than Joseph (Joseph Smith History 1:10-20):

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10 In the midst of this war of words and tumult of opinions, I often said to myself: What is to be done? Who of all these parties are right; or, are they all wrong together? If any one of them be right, which is it, and how shall I know it?

11 While I was laboring under the extreme difficulties caused by the contests of these parties of religionists, I was one day reading the Epistle of James, first chapter and fifth verse, which reads: 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.

12 Never did any passage of scripture come with more power to the heart of man than this did at this time to mine. It seemed to enter with great force into every feeling of my heart. I reflected on it again and again, knowing that if any person needed wisdom from God, I did; for how to act I did not know, and unless I could get more wisdom than I then had, I would never know; for the teachers of religion of the different sects understood the same passages of scripture so differently as to destroy all confidence in settling the question by an appeal to the Bible.

13 At length I came to the conclusion that I must either remain in darkness and confusion, or else I must do as James directs, that is, ask of God. I at length came to the determination to “ask of God,” concluding that if he gave wisdom to them that lacked wisdom, and would give liberally, and not upbraid, I might venture.

14 So, in accordance with this, 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. It was the first time in my life that I had made such an attempt, for amidst all my anxieties I had never as yet made the attempt to pray vocally.

15 After I had retired to the place where I had previously designed to go, having looked around me, and finding myself alone, 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.

16 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.

17 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!

18 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.

19 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.”

20 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. And as I leaned up to the fireplace, mother inquired what the matter was. I replied, “Never mind, all is well—I am well enough off.” I then said to my mother, “I have learned for myself that Presbyterianism is not true.” It seems as though the adversary was aware, at a very early period of my life, that I was destined to prove a disturber and an annoyer of his kingdom; else why should the powers of darkness combine against me? Why the opposition and persecution that arose against me, almost in my infancy?

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I know that this account is true. Joseph Smith, a fourteen-year-old boy, prayed to God and received the most magnificent answer: he saw God Himself and His Son Jesus Christ. I worship God and Jesus Christ; but I am eternally grateful for Joseph Smith, who was able to be God's instrument in bringing forth God's truth.
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Want to read more about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, about Joseph Smith, or want to have missionaries visit with and teach you? Visit http://www.mormon.org/