Joseph Smith, the Prophet and Seer of the Lord, has done more, save Jesus only, for the salvation of men in this world, than any other man that ever lived in it. In the short space of twenty years, he has brought forth the Book of Mormon, which he translated by the gift and power of God, and has been the means of publishing it on two continents; has sent the fulness of the everlasting gospel, which it contained, to the four quarters of the earth; has brought forth the revelations and commandments which compose this book of Doctrine and Covenants, and many other wise documents and instructions for the benefit of the children of men; gathered many thousands of the Latter-day Saints, founded a great city, and left a fame and name that cannot be slain. He lived great, and he died great in the eyes of God and his people; and like most of the Lord's anointed in ancient time, has sealed his mission and his works with his own blood; and so has his brother Hyrum. In life they were not divided, and in death they were not separated! (D&C 135:3)
Today is the 172nd anniversary of the martyrdom of the Prophet Joseph Smith, and is a day that always causes me to think of important role Joseph Smith plays in Latter-day Saint theology, for his revelations forged the hermeneutic I and other Latter-day Saints use when reading the Scriptures, as well as the great truths the Lord restored through the prophet as well as the Scriptures revealed to and through him, such as the Book of Mormon, which truly is another testament of the Lord Jesus Christ.
As I wrote in a paper, “Joseph Smith Worship? Responding to Criticisms of the Role and Status of the Prophet Joseph Smith in Latter-day Saint Theology”:
Latter-day Saints have to realise how shocking our claims about Joseph Smith truly are—in fact, on the face of things, they are simply outrageous. Not only do we claim that Joseph Smith was and is a prophet of God who saw God and Jesus Christ, as well as numerous other heavenly beings; found ancient golden plates and translated them “by the gift and power of God” resulting in the Book of Mormon, as well as being the recipient of other authoritative scriptures, which alone is an affront to our modern secular society where metaphysical naturalism is the norm, but we would claim, to the horror of the so-called Christian world, that such events happened in space and time, and are not simply parables to instil in us a greater morality, and, furthermore, that they are part-and-parcel of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and that Joseph Smith is just as much of a prophet and apostle of God as Isaiah, David, Peter, James, etc, and that the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price are just as “God-breathed” (cf. 2 Tim 3:16) revelation as the Bible is. Of course, the message about Jesus is just as shocking (e.g., the idea that a bloodied, mutilated Jewish criminal’s death on a cross is somehow affecting salvation is preposterous on the face of things). In that respect, we have to understand and appreciate how truly difficult it is for many to accept our faith’s teachings about the person and work of Joseph Smith, though at the same time, not to shy away from them and to teach them forcefully and truthfully, though not to the detraction of the centrality of the Lord Jesus Christ.
I ended that paper with the following directed to the critic I was responding to, but I do mean it to everyone reading this paper, friend and foe alike--I truly hope and pray for the day when you can sing this hymn with me:
