=1. The "Articles of Faith"= date from March 1, 1841. They
constitute a portion of a letter from the Prophet Joseph Smith to
a Mr. Wentworth, of Chicago. The "Articles" were published in the
History of Joseph Smith: (See _Millennial Star_, vol. XIX, p.
120; also _Times and Seasons_, vol. III, p. 709.) As stated
elsewhere, the Articles have been formally adopted by the Church
as an authorized summary of its principal doctrines.
=2. Joseph Smith's Early Persecution.=--The Prophet wrote as
follows concerning the persecution of his boyhood days, which
dated from the time of his first mention of his vision of the
Father and the Son:--"It has often caused me serious reflection,
both then and since, how very strange it was that an obscure boy,
a little over fourteen years of age, and one too who was doomed
to the necessity of obtaining a scanty maintenance by his daily
labor, should be thought a character of sufficient importance to
attract the attention of the great ones of the most popular sects
of the day, so as to create in them a spirit of the hottest
persecution and reviling. But strange or not, so it was, and was
often cause of great sorrow to myself. However, it was,
nevertheless, a fact that I had had a vision. I have thought
since that I felt much like Paul when he made his defense before
King Agrippa, and related the account of the vision he had when
he saw a light and heard a voice, but still there were but a few
who believed him; some said he was dishonest, others said he was
mad, and he was ridiculed and reviled; but all this did not
destroy the reality of his vision. He had seen a vision, he knew
he had, and all the persecution under heaven could not make it
otherwise; ... So it was with me; I had actually seen a light,
and in the midst of that light I saw two personages, and they did
in reality speak unto me, or one of them did; and though I was
hated and persecuted for saying that I had seen a vision, yet it
was true; and while they were persecuting me, reviling me, and
speaking all manner of evil against me, falsely, for so saying, I
was led to say in my heart, Why persecute for telling the truth?
I had actually seen a vision, and who am I that I can withstand
God?" _Pearl of Great Price_:--Extracts from the History of
Joseph Smith: 23-25.
=3. Tribute to Joseph Smith.=--While few people outside the
Church have had much to say in commendation of this modern
prophet, it is interesting to note that there are some honorable
exceptions to the rule. Josiah Quincy, a prominent American, made
the acquaintance of Joseph Smith a short time before the latter's
martyrdom; and after the tragic event he wrote: "It is by no
means improbable that some future text-book, for the use of
generations yet unborn, will contain a question something like
this: What historical American of the nineteenth century has
exerted the most powerful influence upon the destinies of his
countrymen? And it is by no means impossible that the answer to
that interrogatory may be thus written: _Joseph Smith, the Mormon
Prophet_. And the reply, absurd as it doubtless seems to most men
now, may be an obvious commonplace to their descendants. History
deals in surprises and paradoxes quite as startling as this. The
man who establishes a religion in this age of free debate, who
was and is today accepted by hundreds of thousands as a direct
emissary from the Most High,--such a rare human being is not to
be disposed of by pelting his memory with unsavory epithets....
The most vital questions Americans are asking each other today
have to do with this man and what he has left us.... Burning
questions they are, which must give a prominent place in the
history of the country to that sturdy self-asserter whom I
visited at Nauvoo, Joseph Smith, claiming to be an inspired
teacher, faced adversity, such as few men have been called to
meet, enjoyed a brief season of prosperity, such as few men have
ever attained, and, finally, forty-three days after I saw him,
went cheerfully to a martyr's death. When he surrendered his
person to Governor Ford, in order to prevent the shedding of
blood, the Prophet had a presentiment of what was before him. 'I
am going like a lamb to the slaughter,' he is reported to have
said, 'but I am as calm as a summer's morning. I have a
conscience void of offence, and shall die innocent.'" _Figures of
the Past_ by Josiah Quincy, p. 376.
=4. The Seal of Martyrdom.=--"The highest evidence of sincerity
that a man can give his fellow-men,--the highest proof that he
has spoken the truth in any given case--is that he perseveres in
it unto death, and seals his testimony with his blood.... So
important did such a testimony become in the estimation of Paul,
that he said 'Where a testament is there must also of necessity
be the death of the testator. For a testament is of force after
men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the
testator liveth.' (Heb. ix, 16-17.) In the light of this
principle, and when the importance of the great testimony which
he bore to the world is taken into account, it is not to be
wondered at that Joseph Smith was called upon to affix the broad
seal of martyrdom to his life's work. Something of
incompleteness in his work would likely have been complained of
had this been lacking; but now, not so; his character of prophet
was rounded out to complete fulness by his falling a martyr under
the murderous fire of a mob at Carthage in the State of
Illinois."--Elder B. H. Roberts, in "_A New Witness for God_,"
pp. 477-478.
=5. Joseph Smith; Further References.=--For biography, see "_The
Life of Joseph Smith, the Prophet_," by Pres. George Q. Cannon.
See also "_Divine Authority, or the question, Was Joseph Smith
Sent of God?_" a pamphlet by Apostle Orson Pratt; "_Joseph
Smith's Prophetic Calling_;" _Millennial Star_, Vol. XLII, pp.
164, 187, 195, 227. _Letters_, by Elder Orson Spencer to Rev. Wm.
Crowell; No. 1; "_A New Witness for God_," by Elder B. H.
Roberts.
=6. Joseph Smith's Descent.=--"Joseph Smith was of humble birth.
His parents and their progenitors were toilers, but their
characters were godly and their names unstained. Near the middle
of the seventeenth century Robert Smith, a sturdy yeoman of
England, emigrated to the New World, the land of promise. With
his wife, Mary, he settled in Essex, Massachusetts. The numerous
descendants of these worthy people intermarried with many of the
staunchest and most industrious families of New England. Samuel,
the son of Robert and Mary, born January 26th, 1666, wedded
Rebecca Curtis, January 25th, 1707. Their son, the second Samuel,
was born January 26th, 1714; he married Priscilla Gould, and was
the father of Asael, born March 1st, 1744. Asael Smith took to
wife Mary Duty, and their son Joseph was born July 12th, 1771. On
the 24th of January, 1796, Joseph married Lucy Mack at Tunbridge
in the State of Vermont. She was born July 8th, 1776, and was the
daughter of Solomon and Lydia Mack, and was the granddaughter of
Ebenezer Mack."--_The Life of Joseph Smith, the Prophet_, by
George Q. Cannon; Chapter I. Joseph the Prophet was the third son
and fourth child of Joseph and Lucy (Mack) Smith; he was born at
Sharon, Vermont, December 23d, 1805.
=7. The Standard Works of the Church.=--The Bible and the Book of
Mormon--the first two of the standard works of the Church--are to
receive attention in later lectures (see pp. 240-307). The
Doctrine and Covenants is a compilation of modern revelations as
given to the Church in the present dispensation. The _Pearl of
Great Price_ comprises the visions and writings of Moses as
revealed to Joseph Smith, the Book of Abraham--a translation by
Joseph Smith from certain ancient papyri--and some of the
writings of Joseph Smith.
=8. History of the Restored Church.=--Further information
regarding the life work of Joseph Smith, and the growth of the
Church of Jesus Christ as restored to earth through his
instrumentality, may be found in the "History of the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints," Salt Lake City, Utah. For a
brief synopsis of Church history see "The Story of Mormonism," by
James E. Talmage, Liverpool, 1907; Salt Lake City, 1910.
=9. Restoration of the Gospel.=--Plainly the vision-prophecy of
John (Rev. xiv, 6, 7), relating to the restoration of the gospel
to earth, could not refer to the gospel record preserved in the
Holy Bible, for that record has remained in the possession of
mankind. As stated in our text (page 14) a partial fulfilment is
found in the visitation of Moroni and the restoration of the Book
of Mormon, which is to us of modern times a new scripture, and
one containing a fuller record of "the everlasting gospel."
However, a record of the gospel is not the gospel itself.
Authority to administer in the saving ordinances of the gospel is
essential to the effective preaching and administration thereof;
this was restored through John the Baptist, who brought the
Aaronic Priesthood, and through Peter, James, and John who
brought again to earth the Melchizedek Priesthood (see pp. 193,
194 herein). For commentary on Rev. xiv, 6, 7, see "The Great
Apostasy," p. 168.