Welcome.

When I’ve not been engaged in matters of covenant doing or mortal living, my thoughts lately have regularly been on Joseph Smith. I’ve written of him before here at Untoalltheworld.blog, and I want to write of him again today.

I can’t say for certain why he has been on my mind again, but he has.

I keep recalling Elder Ballard’s from the heart witness he gave at last General Conference about Joseph Smith. I was SO moved by it. It was this precious declaration from a true and tested aged servant of the Lord, and I was touched to my heart’s center as I listened to him.

In part, Elder Ballard said,

“…We thank the Lord for Joseph Smith and for his courage to go into that grove of trees in 1820, near his home in Palmyra, New York. I’ve been thinking about all of the marvelous things that we know and all of the things that we have. My beloved brothers and sisters, my testimony to you this morning is how abundantly blessed we are to know all that we know because we have Joseph Smith, the prophet of this last dispensation of time. We have an understanding of the purpose of life, of who we are. We know who God is; we know who the Savior is because we have Joseph, who went into a grove of trees as a boy, seeking forgiveness for his sins…We have the Book of Mormon…We have it because Joseph was worthy to go get the plates, was inspired by heaven to translate them by the gift and power of God and to give the book to the world…I also know that our Heavenly Father and the Lord Jesus Christ appeared and spoke to Joseph and prepared him to become the prophet…” (Praise to the Man: General Conference Address: President M. Russell Ballard, October 2023)

Elder Ballard called his witness “simple…deep, and…full of love for the Prophet Joseph Smith…” (Praise to the Man: General Conference Address: President M. Russell Ballard, October 2023)

I’ve been thinking, too, of John Taylor’s words about Joseph:

“Joseph Smith, the Prophet and Seer of the Lord, has done more, save Jesus only, for the salvation of men in this world, than any other man that ever lived in it. In the short space of twenty years, he has brought forth the Book of Mormon, which he translated by the gift and power of God, and has been the means of publishing it on two continents; has sent the fulness of the everlasting gospel, which it contained, to the four quarters of the earth; has brought forth the revelations and commandments which compose this book of Doctrine and Covenants, and many other wise documents and instructions for the benefit of the children of men; gathered many thousands of the Latter-day Saints, founded a great city, and left a fame and name that cannot be slain. He lived great, and he died great in the eyes of God and his people; and like most of the Lord’s anointed in ancient times, has sealed his mission and his works with his own blood; and so has his brother Hyrum. In life they were not divided, and in death they were not separated!” (Doctrine and Covenants 135:3)

Another “deep, full of love” testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith – he who, “save Jesus only,” did more for our salvation “than any other man.” Wow.

What a man! What a prophet!

I love him.

I want to share four stories about Joseph that showcase the greatness of this man as a man and as a prophet. All stories are directly quoted and contributed by Ivan J. Barrett in a remarkable talk he gave in 1975 during a BYU Devotional. You may read it in full here (it’s excellent):

Joseph Smith—the Chosen of God and the Friend of Man

Story #1:

One of the most touching scenes in the life of the Prophet Joseph (and one of the most thrilling, for it demonstrates the unbounded love of his followers for their beloved Prophet) was when, in the summer of 1843, the Prophet Joseph Smith rode triumphantly into Nauvoo after he had been kidnapped by a couple of sheriffs. His friends had come to the rescue, and he entered Nauvoo in triumph. The Saints had been notified the day before of his coming, and almost all the people came out meet him, with his wife, Emma, and his brother, Hyrum in the lead. After embracing his wife and his brother Hyrum, he mounted his favorite horse, Old Charlie. The band struck up “Hail, Columbia,” and the procession started into town. Besides a long line of carriages and persons on horseback, the streets were lined with people whose countenances were joyous and full of satisfaction to see their beloved Prophet once more safe. The Prophet was greeted with cheers from the people and the booming of gun and cannon.

At his home he was embraced by his mother, with tears of joy streaming down her cheeks, while his little children clung to him with feelings of enthusiastic and enraptured pleasure. His little son Fred exclaimed, “Pa, the Missourians won’t take you away again, will they?” His friends from out of town looked on with amazement and astonishment, but with unconcealed pleasure at the loving attachment of the Prophet’s family and his friends toward him. His friends were loath to depart. One can feel the Prophet’s love for his friends as he blessed them: “I thank you for your kindness and love for me. I bless you all, in the name of Jesus Christ.”

Story #2:

There came to Nauvoo a Baptist priest to determine the piety of the Prophet Joseph. When he saw Joseph, he folded his arms and, weighing his words, uttered, “Is it possible that I now flash my optics upon a prophet, upon a man who has conversed with my Savior?”

“Yes,” said the Prophet, “You’ve had that privilege. Now, how would you like to wrestle with me?” (Journal of Discourses, 3:67).

Story #3:

During the troublesome days at Far West, Missouri, there came to the home of the Prophet’s parents eight men from Daviess County, Missouri, who believed the lies circulated about Joseph Smith and the Mormons. They had come to kill the Mormon leader. Mother Smith greeted them at the door and invited them to come in. They refused to sit down; in fact, they informed the mother of the Prophet, “We have come to kill him.”

Mother Smith was to say, “If you were to see Joseph you would not want to kill him.” At that particular point the Prophet Joseph Smith entered the room, and Mother Smith introduced the eight men to him. They stared at him in mute silence. The Prophet smiled, extended his hand, and invited them to be seated. His friendly, cordial manner convinced them that he was guilty neither of murder nor of any other crime. A pleasant half hour was spent, during which time the Prophet explained his views, his feelings, his mission, the purpose of the Church, and the brutal treatment he and the Saints had so unjustly received. He then excused himself, stating that he must be on his way home. Immediately two of the men sprang to their feet and offered to escort him home as they considered it not safe for him to travel alone. He thanked them but did not accept their offer. As the eight men were leaving the house, Mother Smith overheard their departing words. One said, “Did you not feel strange when Smith took you by the hand?”

Another man replied, “I could not move. I would not harm a hair of that man’s head for all the world.”

The third one said, “I never saw a more harmless, innocent appearing man than the Mormon Prophet.”

“Yes, indeed,” said the fourth, “that story about him killing those men is a lie, but they’ll never fool me again.”

Story #4:

Josiah Quincy spent two days in Nauvoo. He followed the Prophet Joseph around. He noted the power and influence of the Prophet as he walked among the people. It was then that Quincy said, “General Smith, it seems to me that you have too much power to be safely trusted in one man.”

Joseph replied, “In your hands, or that of any other man, so much power would no doubt be dangerous. I am the only man in the world whom it would be safe to trust with it. Remember, I am a prophet.” 

Unto all the world: And so I, too, along with Elder Ballard, John Taylor, and Ivan Barrett, declare my witness, given me of the Holy Spirit of God, that I know Joseph Smith is a prophet of God. I love that man and cannot wait to grasp his hand and hug his chest and thank him for all he did for my salvation.