That the moral character of a man who professes to be a divine
messenger is very important as an evidence of the truth of his message
is admitted on all hands. The following is the opinion of an eminent
writer: "The character of Christ is a wonderful proof of the divinity
of the Bible. The Hindoo cannot think of his Brahmin saint other
than possessing the abstemiousness and austerity which he admires
in his living models. The Socrates of Plato is composed of elements
practically {412} Greek, being a compound of the virtues deemed
necessary to adorn the sage. A model of the Jewish teacher might easily
be drawn from the writings of the Rabbis, and he would prove to be the
very deflection of these Scribes and Pharisees who are reproved in the
Gospel. But in the life of our Redeemer a character is represented
which departs in every way from the national type of the writers, from
the character of all ancient nations, and is at variance with all the
features which custom, education, religion and patriotism seem to have
consecrated as most beautiful. Four different authors have recorded
different facts, but they exhibit the same conception, a conception
differing from all they had ever witnessed or heard, and necessarily
copied from the same original. Moreover, this glorious character, while
borrowing nothing from the Greek, Indian or Jew, having nothing in
common with established laws of perfection, is yet to every believer a
type of excellence. He is followed by the Greek, though a founder of
none of his sects, revered by the Brahmin, though preached by one of
the fisherman caste, and worshiped by the red man of Canada, though
belonging to the hated paleface."
This very striking picture of our Savior is true in all its details.
In the Gospels we see Him described as holy (John vii, xlvi, li, 8,
46, 10, 32; Matt. xxvi, lix, 27, 23, 24; Luke xxiii, 13-45); full of
benevolence and compassion (John iv, Luke ix, 55; x, 30-37); kindness
and affection (Matt. xiv, 27-31; Luke xix, 5; xli, 22-61; John xi;
xix, 25-27); having meekness and humility (Matt. ix, 28, xviii, 22);
moral courage, firmness and resignation (Matt. xxvi, 39-46; Mark x, 32;
Luke iv, 23; John xi, 7; xviii, 4); abhorring hypocrisy and popularity
(Matt. vi, 1-18; x, 16-39; xxii, 18; Mark xii, 38, 40; Luke xi, 44;
John xvi, 1-16); being moderate and free from enthusiastic austerity
(Matt. viii, 19; xxiii, 23; Luke v, 29, 35; John ii, 1; Mark xii, 17.)
Looking at all these characteristics of our Savior, so eminently
"good," and hearing Him solemnly declare that He has a message from God
to man, we feel bound to admit that He is no deceiver. His words are
true. He is the Son of God. Thus His character becomes an evidence.
Now, concerning the subject under consideration, must we not also admit
that Joseph the Prophet was a man sent from God, when we find that his
character is in perfect harmony with those qualities that are peculiar
to a servant of God?
Those who want to investigate this are referred to works {413} extant,
which treat on the "Life of Joseph Smith," and I think any unprejudiced
reader will feel impressed with the fact that Joseph was a good man--a
"man of God."
How he urges holiness as the condition of happiness! In his benevolence
he seemed boundless, embracing every race of humanity, white, red
and black! His kindness and affection are touching. Of meekness and
humility he exhibits the most striking examples which shall ever be
worthy of imitation. The moral courage and firmness which prompted
him to face a hostile world and to die "calm as a summer morning,"
must be admired. His straightforwardness, for which hypocrisy ever
stood rebuked, is well-known to his friends and acquaintances. His
whole career and the doctrines he taught are indisputable proofs that,
although he was inspired by a noble enthusiasm, yet he was far from
being what is called an enthusiast.
Here, then, we find all the marks of a true disciple of Christ,
proving, if anything at all, that Joseph the Prophet, was a man of
God. His message must be therefore from God, too. We know that his
antagonists have done all in their power to prove the bad character
of the prophet. But we also know what credit must be attached to
slanderers inspired by bigotry and hatred.
Were we to draw our information from such sources concerning Christ
himself, we would have to reject even Him, the spotless Lamb of God.
For the enemies did not fail to stain the character of Christ. "He
casteth out devils through Beelzebub, the chief of the devils" (Luke
xi, 15.) "Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan (an infidel?) and
hast a devil?" (John viii, 48.) A special charge against Jesus was that
He was a drunkard (Matt. xi, 19), and generally he was accused of being
on intimate terms with "sinners" (Luke xv, 2), by which term the Jews
understood outcasts, reprobates, the company of which was contaminating
in its influences. Finally, as is well known, our Savior was tried and
condemned to death by the ecclesiastical authorities for blasphemy and
by the civil court for treason. Must all this be believed? Certainly
not. We know that those charges were dictated by hatred. Neither must
we believe what hatred has dictated against Joseph the Prophet.
After all, the most diligent slanderers have not been able to bring
anything against the Prophet worse than was brought as a charge against
the first Christians. When a great calamity befell the Roman empire,
or a part thereof, the Christians were the originators. Pests and
famines, it was thought, came {414} on account of the Christians, or
even that the Christians made them through secret exorcisms in their
private meetings. During the reign of Nero, Rome was consumed by a
conflagration that lasted for seven days. Five-sevenths of the city
were laid in ashes, including temples, palaces and other monumental
buildings. Although the embittered people had reason to believe that
the emperor himself had caused the fire, yet as soon as the report was
started that the Christians had done it, this was willingly believed
and a persecution broke out in which most of the apostles of our Lord
were cruelly put to death. That the Christians practiced bloody sins
in their meetings, that they killed and ate the children and that they
plotted against the state were common charges. But we know that these
and similar accusations had no foundation in reality.
A very strong proof (as anyone acquainted with human nature will
admit) that Joseph the Prophet was a man whose life corresponded with
his teachings is the fact that those who knew him best from private
intercourse with him were his most earnest admirers. His wife, his
brothers, his parents, are all found among the first who joined the
Church. How could this be if Joseph the Prophet had not in his daily
life been a living witness to the fact that he really communicated with
God? This is well worth consideration. A man who professes to have a
divine message-must live accordingly or else stand rebuked as a liar
before those who know him.
Not less remarkable is the fact that even apostates testify to the
truth of the claims of Joseph. Thus David Whitmer, although his
position towards the Church in later years was not exactly a friendly
one, yet on being asked if he believed that Joseph was a true prophet,
he invariably answered: "Do I still believe that Joseph Smith was
a divinely inspired prophet? I know he was; it is not a matter of
belief," and this testimony the old man has given to the world on his
very death-bed.
Considering all this, we must conclude that the life of the prophet
and the doctrines which he taught were in such harmony with each other
as to impress his surroundings and friends with the fact that he was a
man of God. If so, his message must be divine, for no evil power could
operate through a righteous person.
This kind of evidence, however, is more to be felt, as it were, than
described. Its force on the mind will depend on the moral character
of the investigator. Pure minds, practical in holiness, will feel its
force stronger than other less pure {415} minds. All will depend on
those "relationships of spirits" of which even poets have dreamed. The
Nathanael, the "Israelite, indeed, in whom is no guile," could feel in
the mere presence of Christ, through the Spirit, that emanated from
Him, that here was more than man, and he had to exclaim, "Rabbi, thou
art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel." So will men whose
hearts are pure, in following Joseph the Prophet through his short but
exceedingly eventful career, certainly feel in their hearts that here
is a messenger of God and perhaps sing with the poet:
"We thank thee, O God, for a Prophet,
To guide us in these latter days."