Joseph Smith History, Temples and Consecration

 Thoughts from Institute

-Sister Traci Stefl feeling like the temple was boring. Words came to mind, "not about you". Interesting that her own sanctification comes from that very service. Power and protection. They need the physical body.

-Sister Sharon Duvall feeling like the temple had become a part of her. Thought came to mind of me thinking of anonymous family that donated a temple. What would it be like to be able to donate a temple? Comment, "Your body is a temple. That is a temple you can consecrate to Him."

Follow Him guy quoting Richard Bushman. "After all these years, I believe now more than ever." He testifies of the same thing.

Bentley Fisco's Talk -Story of WW Phelps and Joseph Smith

 My name is Bentley Fisco. I am the 2nd oldest of the Fisco Children but the first tallest of the whole family! I am a 7th grader at Bella Vista Middle School. I enjoy long walks on the beach and I am currently single.

Today I would like to share a story from our church history. It’s about WW Phelps. Brother Phelps was a good friend to the Prophet Joseph Smith. He helped print the first copies of the Doctrine and Covenants, he helped as a scribe to the Book of Abraham, and even wrote  35 of the original 90 songs that were in the first church hymn book. After being a member of the church for 8 years, WW Phelps was given the responsibility to purchase land for the building of a temple in Far West, Missouri. Instead of using all of the funds that were given for this purpose, he pocketed some of the money. Many families had sacrificed greatly to raise this money, and he had just stolen some of it! When it was discovered, he denied that he had done that and was subsequently excommunicated from the church. WW Phelps vowed revenge. He helped to bring charges against the church and against Joseph Smith, his former friend. This led to the extermination order, which led to the deaths of many church members, including children. Joseph Smith was taken into custody and spent the freezing winter months in jail. It was in this jail that Joseph Smith went through huge trials such as food poisoning, constant hunger, freezing temperatures, and at one point they even tried to feed him human flesh! It was a terrible time. A year after Joseph Smith was released from the Liberty Jail, WW Phelps asked for forgiveness for his actions. He apologized for stealing the money, for testifying against the prophet, and for all of the suffering that he had caused. Without holding a grudge, Joseph Smith replied back to WW Phelps “come now that the war has passed, for friends at first shall be friends at last.” WW Phelps went on to rejoin the church and write more songs, including the hymn “Praise to the Man” which honors the prophet.

I imagine that it took a lot of courage for brother Phelps to admit he was wrong, to recognize the suffering he’d caused, and to seek forgiveness. I can follow that example and seek forgiveness from people I have wronged. I can also follow the example of the prophet and quickly forgive those who have wronged me without seeking vengeance. I know that as I do this, Heavenly Father will bless me with His spirit. 

I am grateful for the example of friendship that I have seen in stories like I just shared and amongst the examples that I see around me here at church. At school I have seen some people be mean to each other and disrespectful of others who are different that they are. We are taught here at church to be kind to everyone. My favorite primary song says “Jesus said love everyone, treat them kindly, too.” I strive to do this wherever I am. At school there was a boy who was very different from me. He had a different background, spoke with a small accent, had a different religion and a different friends group. Sometimes he could be a bit of a trouble maker. But I always treated him with respect because I know that’s what the Saviour would want me to do. This youngman passed away unexpectedly about a week and a half ago. I feel sad that he has died, but I know God has a plan for him and his family. I am grateful to know that I always treated him with respect and kindness even though we were so different from each other. Although I will miss seeing him in class, I am certain he is at peace. 

I know that God loves each of us and that we can grow closer to Him by loving and serving His children here on earth. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Good Timber by Douglas Malloch

Good Timber

By Douglas Malloch 

The tree that never had to fight
     For sun and sky and air and light,
But stood out in the open plain
     And always got its share of rain,
Never became a forest king
     But lived and died a scrubby thing.

The man who never had to toil
     To gain and farm his patch of soil,
Who never had to win his share
     Of sun and sky and light and air,
Never became a manly man
     But lived and died as he began.

Good timber does not grow with ease,
     The stronger wind, the stronger trees,
The further sky, the greater length,
     The more the storm, the more the strength.
By sun and cold, by rain and snow,
     In trees and men good timbers grow.

Where thickest lies the forest growth
     We find the patriarchs of both.
And they hold counsel with the stars
     Whose broken branches show the scars
Of many winds and much of strife.
     This is the common law of life.

Source: https://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poem/good-timber-by-douglas-malloch 

Weakness becoming Strength through the Lord

 After watching a YouTube interviewing Steven Harper, I remind myself to repent relentlessly. 

D&C 124:1 Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you, my servant Joseph Smith, I am well pleased with your offering and acknowledgments, which you have made; for unto this end have I raised you up, that I might show forth my wisdom through the weak things of the earth." I love that the Lord tells him he is weak. Not meant to be a put down, simply something they both knew. As President Nelson says, "The Lord Uses the Unlikely to Accomplish the Impossible". Beautiful message.

Covenant Israel

 Powerful talk by President Nelson 

https://rsc.byu.edu/voice-my-servants/remnants-gathered-covenants-fulfilled

Joseph Smith in Liberty Jail

 

Dear Bro. Richards:

In the last number of the News, the history of Joseph Smith is brought down to Nov. 2nd, 1838.  It leaves him, myself, and others as prisoners in the hands of the enemy, encamped on crooked river, on the way to Independence, Jackson county, Mo., under a strong guard, commanded by Generals Lucas and Wilson.

Those scenes bring to my mind, a few incidents in the life of our illustrious Prophet and martyr, or which I was a personal witness, and which perhaps, have not yet found their way into the public history, or records of the Church.

As we arose and commenced our march on the morning of the 3rd Nov., Joseph Smith spoke to me and the other prisoners, in a low, but cheerful and confidential tone; said he, “be of good cheer, brethren; the word of the Lord came to me last night, that our lives should be given us; and that whatever we may suffer during this captivity, not one of our lives should be taken.  Of this prophesy I testify in the name of the Lord, and though spoken in secret, its public fulfillment, and the miraculous escape of each one of us, is too notorious to need my testimony.

After our removal from Independence to Richmond, Ray county, and our being delivered to Gen. Clark, we were placed by that General in charge of Col. Sterling Price, now Governor of the State of Missouri, if I mistake not.

This said Col. Price placed us in a room without beds, chairs, or any other convenience, and chained seven of us all together, with a kind of trace chain, extending from one man’s ankle to another, and fastened round one ankle of each with a padlock.  In this situation we were guarded night and day by about ten men at a time, who stood over us with loaded pistols in hand.  At night we were all stretched on the floor in a row upon our backs, and tried to sleep, but the hard floor, the cold, and the inability to change our position because of our chains, and the noise of the guards effectually prevented sleep.

In one of those tedious nights we had lain as if in sleep, till the hour of midnight has passed, and our ears and hearts had been pained, while we had listened for hours to the obscene jests, the horrid oaths, the dreadful blasphemies, and filthy language of our guards, Col. Price at their head, as they recounted to each other their deeds of rapine, murder, robbery, etc., which they had committed among the “Mormons,” while at Far West, and vicinity.  They even boasted of defiling by force, wives, daughters, and virgins, and of shooting or dashing out the brains of men, women, and children.

I had listened till I became so disgusted, shocked, horrified, and so filled with the spirit of indignant justice, that I could scarcely refrain from rising upon my feet and rebuking the guards, but had said nothing to Joseph, or any one else, although I lay next to him and knew he was awake.  On a sudden he arose to his feet, and spoke in a voice of thunder, or as the roaring lion, uttering, as near as I can recollect, the following words:

“SILENCE—Ye fiends of the infernal pit.  In the name of Jesus Christ I rebuke you, and command you to be still; I will not live another minute, and hear such language.  Cease such talk, or you or I die THIS MINUTE.”

He ceased to speak.  He stood erect in terrible majesty.  Chained, and without a weapon,–calm, unruffled and dignified as an angel, he looked down upon the quailing guards, whose weapons were lowed or dropped to the ground; whose knees smote together, and who, shrinking into a corner, or crouching at his feet, begged his pardon, and remained quiet till a change of guards.

I have seen the ministers of justice, clothed in magisterial robes, and criminals arraigned before them, while life was suspended upon a breath, in the courts of England; I have witnessed a Congress in solemn session to give laws to nations;  I have tried to conceive of kings, of royal courts, of thrones, and crowns; and of emperors assembled to decide the fate of kingdoms, but dignity and majesty have I seen but once, as it stood in chains at midnight, in a dungeon, in an obscure village of Missouri.

Your brother,
P.P. Pratt

[Deseret News, Nov. 12, 1853]
[Journal History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Nov. 7, 1853, 1]

Joseph Smith

 It is my meditation all the day, and more than my meat and drink, to know how I shall make the Saints of God comprehend the visions that roll like an overflowing surge before my mind.

Joseph Smith, Jr.

Joseph Smith

 Beautiful Testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith