Come Follow me with Sam: D&C 2 and Joseph Smith history

Welcome to Come follow Me with Sam! we get a chance at some deeper insight into Joseph Smiths first days with the gospel. We also get a flash of some of the things Moroni Directly told Joseph Smith that explains events in the last days. These are the first strings in the tapestry of the destiny of the modern world, seen through the eyes of heaven.

Another tie to asking forgiveness

During Joseph's first vision, he mentioned he was looking for forgiveness of his sins, and mentions specifically in his vision that his sins were forgiven him.

When Moroni appeared to him, IT WAS FOR THE SAME REASON! He 'betook myself to prayer and supplication to Almighty God for forgiveness of all my sins and follies' and also for a manifestation that he might now what his standing was.

This is similar to Lehi and Moroni in the Book of Mormon, Lehi, when he prayed to God before the tree of life vision, Moroni when he asked us to remember all the mercies that God has given us.

Some more on Moroni

As the last prophet of the Nephi Civilization, I wrote a lot about Moroni during the last few weeks of 2020. Moroni (and Mormon to an extent) stands as the strange and fascinating bridge between our two civilizations so I thought I'd share some interesting records and witnesses about him. Thanks to my high counselor for compiling many of these sources.

• - Moroni visited Joseph at least 22 times, as well as numerous other people in our dispensation.
• - The first witness to the plates besides Joseph himself was actually a woman, Mary Whitmer, and Moroni was the man (angel) who revealed it to her. you can find this in Saints I
• - Moroni abridged the book of Ether and gave his last testimony and farewell on three separate occasions in the Book of Mormon - once in the Book of Mormon chapter 9, once in Ether 12, finally in Moroni 10
• - Moroni seems consumed with the desire to tell us things that would help us navigate the last days, but he either feels unable and/or God reminds him that He needs to try the faith of His people. It glorious and it feels so appropriate that Moroni would be the one to reveal this treasure in the last days.
• - According to Orson Hyde, Moroni is the guardian angel of the Americas. Not sure if we believe in guardian angels as traditionally espoused, but Moroni certainly has played a major role in American history, both past and present.
• -Moroni may also be the fifth angel to sound the trump as recorded in revelations. Don't have source on that, but that would be cool.

In 3 simple verses, the world is changed

Why did Joseph or God choose, out of all the things Moroni spoke that night, these 3 verses that mostly come from Malachi's prophecy? Keep in mind that these words show up in the Old Testament, Book of Mormon, and also the Doctrine and Covenants. They are possibly the most pivotal words of our temple work, and the last words before the Israelites fell into another 400 year state of apostasy.

I am not prepared to go into depth on these verses, neither is a blog the best format to explain a deep doctrine that spans from time to time and from life through death. Here are some general take-aways from these 3 verses.

1. the priesthood will be again restored, and it will be restored to do a specific work

2. the peoples of the earth, from ancient days to the end of times, from all living to all dead, will be united as one in a work greater than I think we yet comprehend

3. The meaning of the existence of the planet and the human race is tied to this work which will be done by this priesthood.

A Note on Charles Anthon

In Joseph Smith History 1:64-65, he recounts the experience of Martin Harris going to Charles Anthon to present the characters which had been translated to him. According to Martin Harris, He said the characters were true and that the translation was true, but upon learning that a heavenly messenger had revealed it, he took back his words, and ripped up the certification that he had made. He then proceeded to unwittingly fulfill prophecies in Isaiah 29, to the letter in some cases.

In B.H. Roberts' comprehensive history, there are a lot beautiful tidbits around this story. The one that stands out the most is that Anthon later wrote to various people about the experience where he contradicted his own accounts of what happened, namely that in one he said that he did indeed issue the certification but later destroyed it, in the other he denied doing any such thing. You can judge for yourself if you want to believe his account or Martin Harris's but as for me, I think all the angels breathed a collective sigh of relief when that cert was torn up, because more than likely, Charles Anthon was the academic charlatan gas-lighting the truth Martin Harris showed him.

An End Note

The Book of Mormon is the keystone of our religion, Christ being the cornerstone and foundation. Just as it ties past covenants to present dispensations, it is a miraculous and spiritually guided book that can help us anchor our testimonies as a key part that holds many aspects of the gospel together. Of all the things written of the translation and coming forth of the book of Mormon, I think Oliver Cowdery's testimony says it most truly: 'These were the days never to be forgotten-to sit under the sound of a voice dictated by the inspiration of heaven...'

As you study the early days, where Joseph was just beginning to comprehend the intimations of the opened heavens, I hope you can find that beautiful sense of wonder as Heavenly Beings reveal the effects of the last days that will echo for eternities to ordinary men with an extraordinary destiny, line upon line, precept on precept.