1820.
JOSEPH INCLINED TO THINK SERIOUSLY UPON RELIGION--UNDECIDED AS TO WHICH
CHURCH TO JOIN--GETS LIGHT FROM THE BIBLE--HIS FIRST PRAYER--ANSWERED
BY A GLORIOUS VISION.
Joseph was fourteen years old at the time of the revival. He was large
for his age and inclined to be serious in his thoughts. With the other
members of his family he took great interest in religion and felt it
his duty to join some church and thereby be saved. But which church
should he join? That was very hard for the boy to answer. The other
members of the family decided that the Presbyterians were right, and
the mother, with Hyrum, Samuel and Sophronia joined their church. This
made Joseph very uneasy, because he was inclined to believe with the
Methodists, and the feeling between these two sects was very bitter.
His mind became greatly excited sometimes, for he felt that he ought to
do something to gain salvation, and yet he could not decide what was
right to do. He felt sure that all the churches could not be true, for
if they were they would unite to help each other instead of trying to
do each other harm. He thought that he should not join any church until
he knew the right one, and so he waited.
Joseph was only fourteen years old and did not have a good education,
but he could read the Bible and could understand many of the truths
written there. He made a practice of comparing the teachings of the
ministers that were seeking to convert him with the teachings of Jesus
and His Apostles. This made him all the more doubtful, for he saw that
they did not entirely agree.
He was certainly in great difficulty, but he persevered and at last
found a way out. In his Bible he came upon a passage that was written
for him and for all who need light. It is in the first chapter of the
Apostle James' epistle to the Saints, the fifth verse: "If any of you
lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally,
and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." Those words sank deep
into his heart. He thought them over again and again, and at length
made up his mind to obey them and pray for wisdom. In the sixth and
seventh verses James tells that we must not waver if we wish to receive
anything from the Lord. Joseph probably read these verses too, for when
he made up his mind to seek wisdom he was full of hope that the Lord
would hear him.
It was morning, early in the spring of 1820. The sky was clear, the air
cool and refreshing, and all was beautiful. Green woods surrounded the
home of Joseph, and to them he took his way alone. He found a suitable
spot and looked around to make sure that no one was near. Then he
kneeled down, and for the first time in his life sought the Lord in
vocal prayer.
He had barely begun when an unseen power seized him and made him
speechless. All grew frightfully dark, and he felt as though he were
about to be destroyed. He realized that it was the awful power of the
evil one, and he called on God to save him. But his strength was fast
giving way and sickening despair was taking possession of him, when a
pillar of divine light appeared above him and the prince of darkness
fled.
The light descended, and within it Joseph beheld two radiant beings,
too glorious and beautiful to be described. They looked just alike to
him and appeared to have equal splendor and authority, until one of
them, pointing to the other, said, "JOSEPH, THIS IS MY BELOVED SON,
HEAR HIM."
The humble boy was almost overcome by the glory of the vision before
him, and he could not at once continue his prayer for light. But the
kindliness and love of the Father and of the Lord Jesus gave him
assurance and he was at length able to speak. He asked which church was
right that he might join it, and even in the glory of the vision he was
surprised, for the divine instruction came that all were wrong.
Jesus said that all their creeds were an abomination in His sight;
that those professors were all corrupt; they drew near Him with their
lips, but their hearts were far from Him; they taught for doctrine the
commandments of men, having a form of godliness but they denied the
power thereof. He told Joseph that he should join none of them, but at
some future time the true Gospel would be revealed to him. Other words
of comfort and wisdom were spoken, and then the vision withdrew.
When Joseph came to himself he was lying on the ground looking up into
heaven. He was filled with a spirit of peace and joy, for now he knew
that he would yet be taught how he might save his soul. He knew that
God and Jesus were living beings with bodies which his own resembled.
He knew that they sympathized with him, and loved him, and oh, how
intensely did he love them! He rose and returned home feeling that he
had a glad message for mankind, which they would rejoice to hear.