I've been a member of this faith my entire life, and I KNOW that the gospel is true.
But I never really got into the different parts of the restoration; I just accepted it as a whole, and went on my merry way.
Recently, I've felt impressed to learn more about the early days of the Church, and the more I read, the more amazed I am at the strength of the early saints, and the solidity of their testimonies.
In Teachings of the Presidents: Joseph Smith, there is an entire chapter (43) dedicated to the testimonies of Joseph Smith.
"I feel like shouting, hallelujah, all the time, when I think that I ever knew Joseph Smith, the Prophet whom the Lord raised up and ordained, and to whom he gave keys and power to build up the kingdom of God on earth and sustain it." - Brigham Young
"...if I ever did know anything on this earth I surely knew that he was a Prophet." - Daniel D. McArthur
I have found that as I learn more about Joseph Smith, my love and respect for him increases, and my testimony of the restored gospel grows.
READER CHALLENGE: Get to know Joseph Smith better this week. Read some of his history, get to know his wife Emma. Try to find something about his life that you connect with personally.
FHE IDEA: Play pioneer games! This link has a great collection of pioneer games, and the Stick Pull was one of Joseph Smith's favorites!
SCRIPTURE STUDY: D&C 135:3
PRINTABLE HANDOUT: D&C 135:3 8x10 Printable
1 comments :
Loved this. I think many of us, myself included, have never bothered to put a lot of effort into a sure testimony of Joseph Smith. I occasionally have the feeling that as we watched those early church leaders while we were waiting in the pre existence, we occasionally wanted to jump down here and spring to their defense -- full of righteous indignation over someone degrading their names, but, then here, having forgotten all puff that, we sometimes just stay quiet or, worse, doubt our religion when we hear negative things about them. This post was a good reminder to me to get to know them, especially J. Smith, on a more personal level.
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