Joseph Smith

At the age of 14 Joseph Smith Jr. began an endeavor that would change not only his life, but the lives of millions of people that would live after him.

It started with a simple question "Which church should I join?"--and an equally simple Biblical 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." James 1:5

So Joseph Smith decided to pray about it and on a fine spring day he walked into the forest beyond his families homestead and knelt down to ask God.

God's answer was far beyond what a 14 year old Joseph Smith had expected:

"I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me... When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!"

After recovering his ability to speak, Joseph Smith Jr. asked the question that he had been praying about. "Which church should I join?"

I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong; and the Personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those professors were all corrupt; that: “they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof.

So began the journey of one man to do as the Lord had commanded of him.

Joseph Smith is credited with the Restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ and the translation of the Book of Mormon.

In June of 1844 Joseph and his brother Hyrum were shot and killed by a mob. He was 38.

Joseph Smith never once recanted his vision of God the Father and Jesus Christ.

"I had actually seen a light, and in the midst of that light I saw two Personages, and they did in reality speak to me; 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 me for telling the truth? I have actually seen a vision; and who am I that I can withstand God, or why does the world think to make me deny what I have actually seen? For I had seen a vision; I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I could not deny it, neither dared I do it; at least I knew that by so doing I would offend God, and come under condemnation."