The Plates From Moroni

It is the year 1827- I am twenty-one years old.

I have some great news!

I am now a married man. I married the love of my life earlier this year. Her name is Emma Hale. I love her with all of my heart and I could not be happier. Emma supports me in all that I do and I am forever grateful for her love and acceptance of my visions and callings by God.

I have been meeting with Moroni for four years. After each yearly visit with Moroni, I have not been given the gold plates. Moroni finally gave me the plates. Emma was waiting at the bottom of the hill as I retrieved the plates. She makes me so happy.  Moroni has directed me to translate the plates. I am responsible for the plates and their translation. When I am called by Moroni,  I have to deliver the gold plates to him.

I have begun to translate the gold plates. I have noticed many people asking me about the gold plates. They want me to reveal them. It is so hard refuse. The privacy translations are getting more difficult because more people are discovering my calling.

I pray that I am able to do what God has asked of me. I pray that I fulfill all expectations and I pray that God is pleased with me. I cannot let my Lord down. I am a blessed man. I must repay The Lord, My Father, for all He has done for me.

Here are the gold plates:

http://prophetjosephsmith.org/files/2008/06/mormon-gold-plates.jpg

http://josephsmith.net/article/called-of-god

https://www.lds.org/scriptures/pgp/js-h/1.1-20?lang=eng

Hill Cumorah

It is the year 1823- I am seventeen years old. 

I just visited the Hill Cumorah. I searched up and down the hill for the plates. I eventually found it. The plates were under a rock in a stone box. A fourth of the box could be seen, but the rest was hidden within the ground. At first, it was hard to get the box out of the ground. Once I did, I opened it and saw exactly what Moroni told me that I would find. The Urim, Thummim, and the breastplate were in the stone box. 

I saw Moroni again. Moroni told me to annually visit the Hill Cumorah at the same time so that God's messenger could keep revealing my tasks given by God. 

Below is an image I have drawn of my visit to Hill Cumorah: 

https://www.lds.org/bc/content/shared/content/images/gospel-library/manual/31122/31122_all_005_16.jpg

https://www.lds.org/scriptures/pgp/js-h/1.1-20?lang=eng

http://josephsmith.net

My Second Vision

It is the year 1823- I am seventeen years old.

Lately, I have gotten more and more heat and persecution from religious men. They continue to bash me about my visions, but I will not abandon my faith in my revelations. I have not been able to join an religious denomination due to fear. I do not feel accepted my any. I know I am not perfect, but I yearn for people to understand my visions and to understand my place in the world. I pray every evening for God to forgive me and for God to watch over me as I go through each day, persecuted and alone. 

I just prayed to God. I asked him to further guide me into a man that I truly want to become. God not only listened to my prayer, but He sent someone to speak to me. Once again, I was called by my name, Joseph, and I realized that God had sent his messenger to speak to me. Moroni was the messenger's name. Moroni told me that God has a plan for me and that He has work for me that needs to be completed.

Moroni continued to talk to me. God's messenger told me that there is a book, "written upon gold plates," that talks about the former people of the earth and how they came to be. Moroni told me that the book contains the true Gospel and that God sent it to the former people of the earth. Moroni told me to go to that hill and to find the plates. I am not supposed to show anyone unless I am directed to do so by God.

Moroni has talked to me two more times tonight. Again, Moroni told me to find the plates and do what God has planned for me. I am astonished. It is my job to keep the Devil from obtaining the plates. I have to do what is my duty and find the gold plates. I cannot let God down. How am I going to sleep tonight?

Tomorrow I am going to the Hill Cumorah.

Below is an image that I sketched of Moroni speaking to me while I was in bed:

http://img.deseretnews.com/images/article/mcontentimage/1058182/1058182.jpg

https://www.lds.org/scriptures/pgp/js-h/1.1-20?lang=eng

http://josephsmith.net

Reflecting on My Vision

It is the year 1820- I am fourteen years old.

It has been three days since I encountered God and His Son. I have not been able to get the event off of my mind. I decided to talk to one of my family's Methodist preachers about the occurrence.

Before the conversation, I felt comfortable talking to the Methodist preacher about the vision because of his deep knowledge of religion. I then realized that he thought my vision was worthless. He told me that only the devil works with visions and that revelations do not happen anymore. The preacher continued telling me that God has already called all of his apostles and that it is too late for God to interact with humans.

I am worried. I have a feeling that the public will begin to hate me for my vision. I believe that they will ostracize me and ridicule me for my encounter with The Lord and The Lord's Son. 

I do find comfort in my father. God told me to tell my father about the visions, so I did. He quickly accepted and told me that if God truly told me to find complete tasks for him, then I must go and do what I am told. 

I do trust myself. I know that I had a vision and saw the light. But how can I convince others of my revelation? 

https://www.lds.org/scriptures/pgp/js-h/1.1-20?lang=eng

http://josephsmith.net

A Day to Remember

This is the year 1820- I am fourteen years old.

Today began like any other day.

 I helped my family out on the farm today, as I hauled rocks around and helped my father clear some land for new crops to be planted on the farm.

Suddenly, I felt very inflicted with deep thoughts that I am unable to explain. It was almost as if I was worried about where my soul was going to end up after my death. I could not decide which church that I should attend and it was causing me to lonliness and purposeless. My family was set on joining a Methodist church, but I did not feel comfortable about my parents' joint decision. I felt as if there was another denomination that would fit my needs.

I decided to walk over to the woods to pray and seek God's answers. Once I kneeled on the ground and began to pray, I knew something felt different about this prayer than the prayers I had said before. The sky started to become really dark and gloomy. Some force was taking over me. I could no longer form words. I was scared for my life. What was I about to endure? I loudly asked God to watch over me and to protect me. As soon as I thought I was going to die, a bright light started to shine directly over my head. I looked and it was not the rays of the sun, but a light that was coming from another source. Almost immediately, I felt safe, calm, and at peace.

What I am about to say next is something that had such a profound influence on me.

I saw two Personages. I cannot even being to describe their appearances. They were both standing in front of me, but they were in the air. One of them called me Joseph! The one who called me by name also told me to listen to the one standing next to him because that was "His Beloved Son!" I could not keep up with my thoughts; they were racing. What was happening?

After a few minutes, I was able to reform my thoughts. I figured I should talk to the two Personages, because this vision would probably never happen to me again. I asked them which church I should join and which denomination I should follow. God answered. He told me to not follow any of the churches and that they are all wrong in his mind. He told me that they are holy, but they are not denominations with enough power.

Soon after, my vision ended. I found myself lying on my back, surrounded by the woods, looking up at God and His Son in the sky. After a long contemplative silence, I finally walked back home to write this in my journal. I could not help but wonder, "Have I been called to become God's Prophet?"

Here is a picture that I sketched of my time in the woods:

https://www.lds.org/manual/our-heritage-a-brief-history-of-the-church-of-jesus-christ-of-latter-day-saints/chapter-two-establishing-the-foundations-of-the-church?lang=eng
https://www.lds.org/scriptures/pgp/js-h/1.1-20?lang=eng
http://josephsmith.net

My Beginnings

This is the year 1816- I am eleven years old. 

My name is Joseph Smith. I was born on December 23, 1805 in Sharon, Vermont, but my family and I have just recently relocated to New York where the Second Great Awakening is in full bloom. The Second Great Awakening has been able to establish new denominations and lead societies away from evil. Many people are converting to different religions. I am thankful for this. 

 My parents are Joseph Smith Sr. and Lucy Mack Smith. I have five brothers and three sisters. When I seven, I was very sickly and even had to walk with the help of crutches for a few years of my life. I contracted typhoid fever and required surgery on my leg. I am thankful to be alive because this disease has killed merely 3,000 people in the New England area. As a boy, my parents always encouraged me to develop a personal relationship with Christ and to seek peace from Jesus Christ. My parents have always been godlike people and have copious amounts of faith in the Lord. My mom has told me, "I therefore determined, to examine my Bible, and, taking Jesus and his disciples for my guide, to endeavor to obtain from God which man could neither give nor take away." My mother's statement always lifts my spirits. My parents have also taught me how to pray and we even meet daily to pray over one another, read scripture, and get into the Word of God. Sometimes, I often teach my parents a thing or two about the Bible. 

My parents' strong faith and willingness to teach me about God have truly impacted my life. Thus, I continue to seek God and follow his path to a divine life. 

Here is a picture of my family and me: 

http://josephsmith.net

https://www.lds.org/scriptures/pgp/js-h/1.1-20?lang=eng