Why Don't You Drink Coffee? - Share the 1st vision

 

Three Reasons We Teach Others about the First Vision

By Mark A. Mathews

Seminaries and Institutes

1. The First Vision lays the foundation of all that we believe.

One reason we teach the First Vision early in our missionary lessons is that it quickly introduces our unique belief that God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, speak today through modern revelation to living prophets. So much of what we believe grows out of that basic doctrine. Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles shared an experience he had that beautifully illustrates this point:

“My wife and I once visited a university in Athens, Greece. As part of that visit, we were taken on a sightseeing tour. While we were actually inside the Parthenon, our hostess, a graduate student in archaeology, said, ‘Next, I would like to take you to my favorite coffee house in all of Athens.’

“My wife said that we would love to go with her, but she said, ‘Please don’t be offended if we don’t drink the coffee.’

“Our hostess asked, ‘You don’t drink coffee?’

“‘No,’ we answered.

“‘Why not?’ she asked.

“As I was formulating a response, my wife said, ‘The short answer is this: In 1820, a young man by the name of Joseph Smith went into a grove in upstate New York to pray. He wanted to know which church he should join. There he saw God, our Heavenly Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ. Joseph was told he should join none of the churches. But he was told that through him, the Church Jesus had established while He was on the earth would be restored. The restoration would be through a process of revelation. And it is through revelation that we know that we shouldn’t drink coffee. My husband will now explain it to you further.’

“How do we really explain ourselves? How do we explain anything that we do or believe if we do not go back to the Sacred Grove and establish the principle of revelation, that God reveals His will to prophets in this day and age? We obey because we have understood through the Holy Ghost something of eternal import. The reason you and I observe the Word of Wisdom, obey the law of chastity, and keep other commandments is because of revelation.”

This story shows why sharing the First Vision with others lays a foundation to help them understand all of our other beliefs and teachings. So much of what we believe that is unique and interesting to others comes from modern revelation, beginning with the First Vision....

The story of my wife’s friend reminds us of another reason we should strive to share the First Vision at every opportunity—it brings the Spirit.

1836 Temple Dedication to 1837 Trials

 

The Blessings of 1836 and the Difficulties of 1837

By Matthew J. Grow

Church History Department

The Lessons of 1836–37

Why remember the tragedy of 1837 and not just the triumph of 1836? Because, of course, the two can never be separated. It is such in our own lives. God grants all of us periods of spiritual blessings, times when He speaks to our souls and leads us by the hand along the covenant path. He grants us periods of stability, times in which we have enough and to spare, times in which our families are healthy and happy, times in which our friends are close at hand and commune with us. We all live through times that are like 1836.

But God never promised that we would only experience 1836. For each of us, 1837 comes. It comes with economic instability, when we worry about where money will come from. It comes with personal instability, when our families suffer from sudden illnesses, chronic diseases, depression, or anxiety. It comes with social instability, when our friends drift away or betray us.

If we don’t remember our own 1836 experiences—our own times in which we have felt the Lord’s hands in our lives—1837 might bring spiritual instability. It can tempt us to say, “This isn’t worth it.” It can tempt us to say, “God doesn’t love me.” It can tempt us to say, “Joseph Smith wasn’t a prophet” or “President Nelson isn’t a prophet of God.” It can tempt us to say, “The covenant path is not for me.”

But if we do the spiritual work of remembering and dwelling spiritually in 1836 even as we experience the trials of 1837, we can still be grounded in our faith in Jesus Christ, we can still know that God loves us, and we can still know that the Restoration of the gospel and Church of Jesus Christ is real and that the Lord leads His Church through His chosen servants.

Recognizing our Fallen Nature

 

Embrace the Lord’s Gift of Repentance

By Elder Jorge M. Alvarado

Of the Seventy

Joseph’s sincere desire to repent and seek the salvation of his soul helped him come to Jesus Christ and receive forgiveness of his sins. This continuous effort opened the door to the continuing Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

This remarkable experience of the Prophet Joseph Smith illustrates how feelings of weakness and inadequacy can help us recognize our fallen nature. If we are humble, this will help us come to recognize our dependence upon Jesus Christ and stir within our hearts a sincere desire to turn to the Savior and repent of our sins....

He can fulfill any righteous desire or longing and can heal any wound in our lives.

Be a Diligent Minister and Do Temple Work as much as I am able

Shall We Not Go On in So Great a Cause?

By President M. Russell Ballard

Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

As we celebrate this joyous occasion, the 200th anniversary of the First Vision, we should always remember the price Joseph and Hyrum Smith paid, along with so many other faithful men, women, and children, to establish the Church so you and I could enjoy the many blessings and all of these revealed truths we have today. Their faithfulness should never be forgotten!

I have often wondered why Joseph and Hyrum and their families had to suffer so much. It may be that they came to know God through their suffering in ways that could not have happened without it. Through it, they reflected on Gethsemane and the cross of the Savior. As Paul said, “For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake.”...

As we listen to the Spirit during this 200th anniversary celebration this weekend, consider what offering you will present to the Lord in righteousness in the coming days. Be courageous—share it with someone you trust, and most important, please take the time to do it!

Ingratitude

"One of the greatest sins for which the Latter-day saints would be guilt of would be the sin of ingratitude!"

Joseph Smith

Joseph Smith Translation

How Do We “Judge Righteous Judgment”?

By Tyler J. Griffin

Associate Professor of Ancient Scripture, Brigham Young University

In the Joseph Smith Translation of Matthew 7, we read, “Judge not unrighteously, that ye be not judged; but judge righteous judgment” (Joseph Smith Translation, Matthew 7:2 [in Matthew 7:1, footnote a]). Joseph Smith made some of his changes to the biblical text not to reflect what was originally said or written but to give prophetic interpretation and help clarify the meaning of certain passages. That seems to be the case with the changes here, based on what other scriptures (3 Nephi 14:1, for example) and modern prophets have said about judging. According to Joseph Smith’s addition to this passage in Matthew, Jesus is not telling us never to judge. He is commanding us to make sure the judgments we make are righteous.

Bless the Whole Human Race

 “A man filled with the love of God, is not content with blessing his family alone, but ranges through the whole world, anxious to bless the whole human race” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith [2007], 426).

What We Learn From the First Vision

It is an amazing and enlightening experience to analyze what we learn from this sacred, awe-inspiring experience. I would like to share a sampling of truths we learn from Joseph Smith’s First Vision regarding the eternal nature of our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ; the reality of Satan; the struggle between good and evil; and other important aspects of the great plan of salvation.

We learn that the scriptures are true and can be taken literally and applied in our lives.

We learn that pondering the scriptures brings power and insight.

We learn that knowledge alone isn’t enough; acting on what we know results in God’s blessings.

We learn to put our trust in God and look to Him for answers to life’s most important questions and not to put our trust in man.

We learn that prayers are answered according to our unwavering faith and according to Heavenly Father’s will.

We learn the reality of Satan’s existence and that he has actual power to influence the physical world, including us.

We learn that Satan’s power is limited and superseded by God’s power.

We learn that Satan will stop at nothing to destroy the work of God and that Satan must have known the importance of Joseph Smith in his role as the prophet of the Restoration.

We learn that we can overcome Satan by calling upon God and putting our complete faith and trust in Him.

We learn that where there is light, darkness must depart.

We learn that God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, are two separate and distinct beings, resembling each other in features and likeness.

We learn that we are created in God’s image.

We learn that Christ is risen.

We learn that God knows us personally and is aware of our needs and concerns. He called Joseph by name.

We learn of the relationship between the Father and the Son. Jesus defers to His Father, and the Father communicates with mortals here upon the earth through His Son.

We learn that Jesus Christ is beloved of His Father by the Father’s designating Jesus as His Beloved Son.

We learn that the true Church of Jesus Christ as He originally organized it was not found upon the earth at the time of Joseph Smith, confirming the reality of the Great Apostasy foretold by Paul the Apostle.

We learn that when we care enough to desire God’s input in our life, He will reveal a refining course for us. At Joseph’s time all the denominations and sects were wrong.

We learn that every dispensation of time receives the visions, blessings, and glories of God.

We learn insight into how God chooses His prophets.

We learn that God chooses the pure in heart who are righteous and have righteous desires to do His work, confirming the teaching from the Bible that God looks upon the heart and does not choose based on outward appearance or social status or standing (see 1 Samuel 16:7).

The First Vision: Key to Truth

By Elder Richard J. Maynes

Of the Presidency of the Seventy

Four Accounts of the First Vision

• The First Vision: Key to Truth

By Elder Richard J. Maynes

Of the Presidency of the Seventy

From a worldwide devotional for young adults, “The Truth Restored,” delivered at the Salt Lake Tabernacle on May 1, 2016; for the full text and video, go to lds.org/broadcasts. The full text of the four accounts of the First Vision can be found at history.lds.org/firstvision.

The Prophet Joseph Smith wrote or dictated four known accounts of his First Vision. Additionally, his contemporaries recorded their memories of what they heard Joseph say about the vision; five such accounts are known. It is a blessing to have these records. They make Joseph’s First Vision the best-documented vision in history. I encourage you to visit history.lds.org to learn more about the accounts and see how they work together to paint a more complete picture.

The Gospel Topics essay “First Vision Accounts” states: “The various accounts of the First Vision tell a consistent story, though naturally they differ in emphasis and detail. Historians expect that when an individual retells an experience in multiple settings to different audiences over many years, each account will emphasize various aspects of the experience and contain unique details. Indeed, differences similar to those in the First Vision accounts exist in the multiple scriptural accounts of Paul’s vision on the road to Damascus and the Apostles’ experience on the Mount of Transfiguration. Yet despite the differences, a basic consistency remains across all the accounts of the First Vision. Some have mistakenly argued that any variation in the retelling of the story is evidence of fabrication. To the contrary, the rich historical record enables us to learn more about this remarkable event than we could if it were less well documented.”

Save Souls

At a June 9, 1842, meeting of the Relief Society, the Prophet Joseph Smith taught the sisters that their society was “not only to relieve the poor, but to save souls.”

Joseph Smith, History of the Church, 5:25.

It Has Been Done

“It is no small thing, in the blaze of the nineteenth century, to give to men a new revelation, found a new religion, establish new forms of worship, to build a city with new laws, institutions, and orders of architecture, to establish ecclesiastical, civil and military jurisdiction, found colleges, send out missionaries, and make proselytes on two hemispheres. Yet all this has been done by [Joseph] Smith, and that against every sort of opposition, ridicule, and persecution.”

Elder Joseph F. Merrill

• pg 71DECEMBER 2015
• JOSEPH SMITH DID SEE GOD

Testimony of Jesus Christ

“The fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets, concerning Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it.”

Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith(2007), 49; emphasis added.

Don't Shrink From Your Duty

After the tar and feathering...

"I cannot begin to imagine the pain and discomfort the Prophet Joseph must have endured. He had ample excuse not to preach the following morning, but this and many other experiences of similar or worse consequence did not cause him to shrink from his responsibility. How, then, can we feel justified if we shrink from our duty because of a minor discomfort or inconvenience?"

Elder Michael John U. Teh, "Confidence in the Presence of God," Ensign, Jan 2009, 30. 

God's Love and the Book of Moses

"One of the most beautiful of all the apostolic lessons that came to Joseph Smith in this revelation [Book of Moses] was the confirmation of God’s love. It was so different from the harsh, unforgiving, and judgmental personage so many believed God to be..."

Elder Dennis B. Neuenschwander, "Joseph Smith: An Apostle of Jesus Christ," Ensign, Jan 2009, 21. 

The Foundation for Every Important Decision

“The foundation for every important decision and choice you will make is your testimony of Jesus Christ and the restoration of His gospel through the Prophet Joseph Smith."

Quentin L. Cook, “Strengthen Faith as You Seek Knowledge,” New Era, Sept. 2008, 2, 4.

Union and Friendship

 “Joseph Smith observed in 1843, less than a year before his death: “If I esteem mankind to be in error, shall I bear them down? No. I will lift them up. And in their own way too, if I cannot persuade them my way is better; and I will not seek to compel any man to believe as I do, only by the force of reasoning, for truth will cut its own way. Do you believe in Jesus Christ and the Gospel of salvation which He revealed? So do I. Christians should cease wrangling and contending with each other, and cultivate the principles of union and friendship in their midst; and they will do it before the millennium can be ushered in and Christ takes possession of His kingdom.”

Joseph Smith, in History of the Church, 5:499. 

Relief Society Saves Souls

Eliza R. Snow, second Relief Society general president, gratefully acknowledged the efforts of sisters in Ogden, Utah, USA, to strengthen one another. “I am well aware that a great deal is donated [in terms of service] that never reaches the [record] books,” she said.  But recognizing that a heavenly record is kept of the sisters’ work as they reach out to those whose hearts have grown cold, she said: “President Joseph Smith said this society was organized to save souls. . . . Another book is kept of your faith, your kindness, your good works, and words. . . . Nothing is lost.”

Ensign, Mar 2013, 7. 

The Angels Cannot Be Restrained

On April 28, 1842, the Prophet Joseph Smith said to the sisters in Relief Society: “You are now placed in a situation in which you can act according to those sympathies which God has planted in [you]. . . . If you live up to your privileges, the angels cannot be restrained from being your associates.”

Joseph Smith, in History of the Church, 4:605.

A Calling to Minister

The Prophet Joseph Smith said, "Every man who has a calling to minister to the inhabitants of the world was ordained to that very purposed in the Grand Council of heaven before this world was."

(Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith [1976], 365.)

The Bible in the Hands in the Common People

“William Tyndale desired to put the Bile in the hands of the common people. Speaking to the clergy of his day, he said, “If God spare my life, ere many years I will cause a boy that driveth the plough, shall know more of the Scripture than thou dost!” Tyndale achieved his goal, but in 1536 he was strangled, then burned at the stake as a heretic.

Nevertheless, much of Tyndale’s translation survived in the King James Bible, and his hope that the common people could study the Bible in English come to pass, as seen in the life of Joseph Smith, a young farm boy.”

Richard N. W. Lambert and Kenneth R. Mays, “400 Years of the King James Bible,” Ensign, August 2011, 45.