Joseph Smith: the Great Restorer

In the early nineteenth century, the people of the United States were in the midst of a period of religious excitement, known as the Second Great Awakening. People would gather together for large "Revivals" where churches would seek new converts by holding several services over a few days time. In 1820, a young boy of fourteen from Palmyra, New York named Joseph Smith Jr. attended several of these revivals. Confused by the many conflicting speakers, each claiming to have the truth, he turned to his copy of the Holy Bible for answers. During his study, he came across James 1:5, which says, "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."
Deeply inspired by this verse, Smith wandered into a grove of trees near his home, looking for solitude and privacy. When he found the right spot, Joseph got down on his knees and offered up a prayer to his Heavenly Father, asking which church, if any of them, was true, and which he should join. Smith wrote this description for what happened next: "I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually untill 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."
Smith was then told to join none of the churches, for they were all false.

Three years later (1823), after being mocked to scorn for recounting his experience in the grove, Smith's life had been relatively normal for a boy his age, setting aside the persecution he faced. However, one night while saying his prayers, Joseph was visited by another being. This time he was visited by an angel named Moroni. Moroni told Joseph of an ancient record of God's people on this continent (The Americas), similar to the Holy Bible which is the record of God's people in the Old World. Moroni explained that this text, along with a tool for translating it, was buried in a hillside nearby, and that soon the Lord needed him to retrieve it. When Moroni left, Joseph was dumbfounded, and sat thinking over the experience for some time, when to his amazement, Moroni returned, giving Joseph the exact speech he had just heard. As he disappeared a second time, Joseph was again astonished to find Moroni before him a third time, rehearsing the speech again. The next day, Joseph went to the hill where the record was buried. After moving a boulder aside, he found, nestled in the earth, the very plates which of which he was told. When he reached to touch them, however, he was told that it was not yet time.

Finally, in 1827, Smith was told to retrieve the record. He was told to keep it safe and use a device called a "Urim and Thummim" to translate the plates. Through the divine help of the Urim and Thummim, Joseph dictated the English translation of the plates with the help of Joseph Knight, Martin Harris, David Whitmer, and Emma Smith (Joseph's wife) as scribes. It was in the year 1830 that this manuscript was at last published as the Book of Mormon.

Joseph Smith went on to found The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 6, 1830, as a prophet, seer, and revelator. Smith remained president of the church until his martyrdom in Carthage, Illinois in 1844. To this day, the name Joseph Smith is held in both honor and infamy. Though the mob who murdered him believed his death would also spell the end of the church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is still strong today, with over 14 million members.

As a member of the church myself, I firmly believe that Joseph Smith saw what he said he saw, that the Book of Mormon is the most true text ever published. I owe this church everything and love my Heavenly Father with all my heart. I believe that families can be together forever and can't wait to spend an eternity with mine.
And now i would like to close this essay in the name of my dear sweet Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.