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December 2013 Ensign

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December 2013 Ensign THE Articlesand the Life of of Faith Joseph Smith The Articles of Faith can help us—and especially our children and grandchildren—see the Prophet Joseph Smith’s life in a meaningful framework. By John W. Welch Professor of Law at Brigham Young University and Editor in Chief of BYU Studies N PONDERING HOW I might make the history of Joseph Smith come to life for my grandchildren, the thirteen Articles of Faith came to mind as a helpful connector. It soon became exciting to see how well the Articles of IFaith brought to light the main stages in Joseph Smith’s prophetic mission and inspired life. Especially for children, who know these crystal clear declarations of belief, the Articles of Faith provide a familiar framework within which to understand Joseph Smith’s labors between 1820 and 1842, the year he wrote the Articles of Faith in his famous Wentworth Letter.1 In that letter, the Prophet looked back over his remarkable life and summa- rized the rise and progress of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In the Articles of Faith, which close the letter, he summarized some key doc- BY DAVID LINDSLEY © 1998 BY DAVID trines of the restored gospel—doctrines that we can associate with certain events in his history. Consider some ways in which the Articles of Faith and the life of Joseph Smith are aligned. BROTHER JOSEPH, 70 Ensign We believe in God, the We believe that men will We believe that through the Atonement of Eternal Father, and in His Son, be punished for their own sins, and Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to Jesus. Christ, and in the Holy Ghost. 2not .for Adam’s transgression. 3the. laws and ordinances of the Gospel. 1820 1829 1 Joseph’s mission as a prophet began In the next several years, Joseph in the spring of 1820 in a grove dealt with some ordinary follies of near his family’s log home, south youth; he also learned some extra- of Palmyra, New York, USA. There, ordinary lessons about account- filled with the Holy Ghost, he plainly ability, especially when Martin learned that the Father and the Son Harris lost the 116 pages of the are separate beings. It is no surprise Book of Mormon manuscript and, that the Articles of Faith also begin as a result, the power to translate where Joseph began. was taken from Joseph for a season. Through these experiences, he learned firsthand the founda- tional principles of agency, choice, and accountability. BY JEFFREY HEIN FIRST FRUITS, After obtaining the Lord’s forgiveness, Joseph was again blessed to translate the Book of Mormon. He learned BY GARY L. KAPP, MAY NOT BE COPIED MAY L. KAPP, BY GARY from its pages the plan of salvation and the true doc- trine of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Around the time when the printing of the Book of Mormon was getting THE FIRST VISION, under way in the summer of 1829, Joseph received a sublime revelation directed to Martin Harris and con- In translat- taining the words of Jesus Himself regarding His eternal ing the Book sacrifice, which opens the powers of the Atonement of Mormon, Joseph Smith to all: “For behold, I God, have suffered these things learned for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent” more about (D&C 19:16). Christ’s Atonement. With the First Vision, Joseph Smith learned the true nature of the Godhead. Martin Harris mortgaged his farm (right) to BY AL ROUNDS © 1984 print the Book of Mormon. During this time he also learned a lot about repentance. THE MARTIN HARRIS FARM, THE MARTIN We believe that the first prin- ciples and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; We believe in the same orga- second,. Repentance; third, Baptism by We believe that a man must be called of nization that existed in the Primitive 4immersion for the remission of sins; God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands Church, namely, apostles, prophets, fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift by those who are in authority, to preach the pastors,. teachers, evangelists, and of the Holy Ghost. 5Gospel. and administer in the ordinances thereof. 6so forth. 1829 1830 As he translated 3 Nephi 11:21–27, Joseph learned With power and authority, Joseph how Jesus gave his disciples the authority to Smith next organized the Church, baptize and taught them the words that needed to following the same pattern that be used in the baptismal prayer. Joseph Smith and existed in the ancient Church. This Oliver Cowdery, who was acting as scribe, imme- process began in Fayette, New York, diately realized that they had not been baptized at the Peter Whitmer home on April 6, in this manner or by such authority. They went out 1830, and it continued as the offices into the woods near Joseph and Emma’s home and quorums of the priesthood were BY GREG K. OLSEN in Harmony, Pennsylvania, where they had been organized, especially during the first THE BIBLE AND BOOK OF MORMON working. There, on May 15, 1829, John the Baptist five years of Joseph Smith’s time in appeared, laid his hands on them, and in the name Kirtland, Ohio, between 1831 and DETAIL FROM DETAIL TESTIFY OF CHRIST, of Christ conferred upon them the Priesthood of 1836. From the teachings of the Book of Aaron, giving them the authority to baptize. Soon Mormon, Joseph also came to know after, as they translated 3 Nephi 18:36–37, they the first principles and ordinances further learned that the Lord had given His disciples of the gospel. These elements are a second power, namely the power to bestow the consistently grouped together in the gift of the Holy Ghost. Peter, James, and John soon Book of Mormon. For example, to the came to ordain Joseph and Oliver to the higher people gathered in the land Bountiful Melchizedek Priesthood. the resurrected Lord testified: “I bear record that the Father commandeth all men, everywhere, to repent and believe in me. And whoso believeth in me, and is baptized, the same shall be saved. [And the Father] will visit him with fire and with the Holy Ghost” After the (3 Nephi 11:32–33, 35). priesthood was restored (left), Joseph could organize the Church (above). BY LIZ LEMON SWINDLE, MAY NOT BE COPIED BY LIZ LEMON SWINDLE, MAY 72 Ensign OF THE MELCHIZEDEK PRIESTHOOD, THE RESTORATION We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now We believe in the gift of We believe the Bible to be the word of reveal, and we believe that He will tongues, prophecy, revelation, God as far as it is translated correctly; we also yet. reveal many great and important visions, healing, interpretation believe the Book of Mormon to be the word 9things pertaining to the Kingdom 7of. tongues, and so forth. 8of God.. of God. 1835 In Kirtland, the Saints were Also in Kirtland and in nearby Hiram, Ohio blessed repeatedly with tremen- (mainly from 1831 to July 2, 1833), the Prophet dous outpourings of the gifts of worked on the Joseph Smith Translation of the the Spirit. All of those gifts that Bible, reinforcing his belief in the Bible as the are mentioned in the seventh word of God and deepening his understanding article of faith were seen in rich of the importance of having the Bible translated abundance in Kirtland, especially correctly. Going hand in hand with the Bible, the as the Saints prepared for and Book of Mormon experienced the dedication of the had also been Kirtland Temple in April 1836. accepted as the word of God, and Throughout the Kirtland experi- in 1832 the Saints ence, the heavens resounded with were commanded to BARRETT © 1982 BY ROBERT T. the outpouring of visions and remember the Book revelations, many of which were At the dedication of of Mormon, which published in the 1835 edition of the Kirtland Temple they were repri- BY JOSEPH the Doctrine and Covenants. The (below) there was a manded for treating great outpouring of the ninth article of faith reflects this gifts of the Spirit. lightly (see D&C JOSEPH TRANSLATING THE BIBLE, JOSEPH TRANSLATING experience of continuing revela- 84:54–58). Also at tion and looks forward as Joseph this time the administration of the Church con- received instruction from the Lord tinued to put into practice numerous teachings to leave Kirtland early in 1838. and instructions in the Book of Mormon,2 and in 1837 the second edition of the Book of Mormon was published. THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST IS ORGANIZED, 1830, NOT BE COPIED MAY BRICKEY, December 2013 73 We believe in the literal gath- ering of Israel and in the restoration of the We claim the privilege of Ten Tribes; that Zion (the New Jerusalem) worshiping Almighty God according will be built. upon the American continent; to the dictates of our own conscience, We believe in being that Christ will reign personally upon the and allow. all men the same privilege, subject to kings, presidents, rulers, 10earth; and, that the earth will be renewed let them worship how, where, or and magistrates, in obeying, honor- and receive its paradisiacal glory. 11what they may. 12ing, and sustaining. the law. 1838 1840 Next, Joseph Smith and his followers moved Even though their Missouri land rights west early in 1838 to Missouri. There the had been trampled upon and their civil Saints hoped to lay a foundation for the liberties flagrantly abridged, Joseph establishment of Zion.
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