December 6, 2005

• "[Joseph Smith's] greatest contribution I think is defining the nature of deity. He saw the Father and the Son. He spoke with them. They were beings of substance. They were in form like a man. And they could express themselves and he could speak with them. Such an interpersonal relationship. And such a warm and reassuring thing to know the nature of God" (Gordon B. Hinkley, Newsweek October 17, 2005 page 58).

  
  

  
  

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  I can't describe how much it made my day when I opened up the Ensign and descovered on its cover the beautiful first vision painting by Walter Rane I described last winter. I remember seeing the two paintings Rane did of Joseph Smith and the way they effected me. I was delighted to see one of them on the cover of January's issue, and so to see it now on December's issue made the year come full circle. Walter Rane's painting of Christ in America was also the subject of last month's cover. In fact, the December issue is full of paintings by Walter Rane, including the most beautiful painting of Mary and the angel Gabriel I have ever seen. It is called "Blesses Art Thou Among Women."

  
  

  How fitting that this month we celebrate the birth of the Savior Jesus Christ and His prophet Joseph Smith. In so many ways I have gained such a greater witness that Joseph Smith is prophet these past few weeks. I am so excited for the commemoration of his birth on December 23. I encourage all to attend - details on www.lds.org. This is just a remarkable thing: Joseph Smith, while yet 14 years old, saw and talked with God. I know it happened.

  
  

   It happened before. As a youth, Samuel was called by the voiced of God to be a prophet. Stephen has a vision much like Joseph's where he saw God the Father and Jesus Christ on His right hand. (Acts 7). Paul likewise saw a pillar of light. Each of these prophets were persecuted for what they saw, and yet I know that these visions happened because in His own way God has revealed it to me.

  
  

  I would like to quote Joseph Smith in closing, with an invitation for you all to visit josephsmith.net where you can see his actual words in his actual handwriting as well as pictures like those Walter Rane has done.

  
  

  document.write(drawVerse(23,168627));  "23 It caused me serious reflection then, and often has since, how very strange it was that an obscure ^aboy^•, of a little over fourteen years of age, and one, too, who was doomed to the necessity of obtaining a scanty maintenance by his daily ^blabor, should be thought a character of sufficient importance to attract the attention of the great ones of the most popular sects of the day, and in a manner to create in them a spirit of the most bitter ^cpersecution^• and ^dreviling. But strange or not, so it was, and it was often the cause of great sorrow to myself.
  
  document.write(drawVerse(24,168628)); 24 However, it was nevertheless a fact that I had beheld a ^avision^•. 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 few who believed him; some said he was dishonest, others said he was ^bmad^•; 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 ^cpersecution^• under heaven could not make it otherwise; and though they should persecute him unto death, yet he knew, and would know to his latest breath, that he had both seen a light and heard a voice speaking unto him, and all the world could not make him think or believe otherwise.
  
  document.write(drawVerse(25,168629)); 25 So it was with me. I had actually seen a light, and in the midst of that light I saw two ^aPersonages^•, and they did in reality speak to me; and though I was ^bhated and ^cpersecuted 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 ^dfalsely 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 ^edeny it, neither dared I do it; at least I knew that by so doing I would offend God, and come under condemnation." (Joseph Smith History 1:23-25).

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