Smith, Joseph,
Jr., Book of Mormon prophecies of From
the days of Joseph of Egypt it was known that a prophet bearing his name would
come forth in the last days to restore the covenants God made with Abraham. This
prophecy, restored to the Old Testament in the Joseph Smith Translation (JST
Gen. 50:24-38), was brought to the New World by Lehi1 and his family
on the brass plates. Father Lehi quoted much of it in a blessing given to his
youngest son Joseph2, recorded in 2 Nephi 3. In this prophecy, which
likens the latter-day Joseph to his ancient namesake, it is made known that the
Lord appeared to Joseph of Egypt and gave him the promise of a righteous posterity
in the last days. Before that day came he was told that his father’s family
would be taken into bondage in Egypt, but that they would be delivered by a
prophet bearing the name Moses. Thereafter he was told that they would be
scattered throughout the nations of the earth and that a branch of his own
family would be “carried into a far country” (JST Gen. 50;25). Nevertheless, he
was assured that the Messiah would manifest himself to his seed in great power
in the last days to bring them out of darkness into light and out of captivity
unto freedom. This great latter-day fathering was to be accomplished under the
direction of one of Joseph’s descendants, who was to bear his name and, like him,
be “a choice seer” (2 Ne. 3:7).
This prophecy also foreshadows the
coming forth of the Book of Mormon at the hands of Joseph Smith. The Lord told
Joseph of Egypt that “a seer still I raise up out of the fruit of thy loins;
and unto him will I give power to bring forth my word unto the seed of thy
loins” (2 Ne. 3:11-12). It is a companion prophecy to that of Isaiah who
foretold the coming forth of a book at the hands of an unlearned man, which
book was to be sealed to the learned (Isa. 29//2 Ne. 28). A more complete
account of Isaiah’s prophecy was found on the brass plates, foreshadowing the
role of the Three Witnesses and the Eight Witnesses to the Book of Mormon (2
Ne. 27;12-13). And, as with Isaiah 29, the account on the brass plates contained
some of the words that would yet be spoken to Joseph Smith by the Savior in the
first vision (2 Ne. 27:25 // Isa. 29:13; JS-H 1:19).
Second Nephi 21 also includes a
prophetic reference to Joseph Smith. In this prophecy Isaiah described the
Messiah as both the “stem of Jesse” (mortal Messiah; 2 Ne. 21:1) and the righteous
judge (millennial Messiah; 2 Ne. 21:4). He further spoke of a rod and root of
Jesse (Joseph Smith), “a servant in the hands of Christ, who is partly a
descendant of Jesse as well as of Ephraim, or of the house of Joseph, on whom
there is laid much power,” a man “unto whom rightly belongs to the priesthood,
and the keys of the kingdom, for an ensign, and for the gathering of [the Lord’s]
people in the last days” (D&C 113:1-2, 4-6; cf. 86:8-10). Paradoxically,
Joseph Smith is also identified as a Gentile. It is clear that the Book of Mormon
was to come forth “by the way of the Gentile” (Title Page). Nephi1
wrote, “They [the Gentiles] shall carry them [the words of the book] forth unto
the remnant of our seed” (2 Ne. 30:3; Morm. 5:12-15). The Book of Mormon came
forth at the hand of the Gentiles in that Joseph Smith and those who labored
with him were citizens of a Gentile nation, as is the army of missionaries who
are destined to go forth to testify of it. Thus, in a cultural/political context,
Joseph Smith could be considered a Gentile, even though he was of Israelite ancestry
(cf. 2 Ne. 33:8; D&C 109:60).
In his visit to the Nephites, the
Savior also foreshadowed Joseph Smith’s ministry. Isaiah had spoken of a
servant of the Lord who would be exalted and extolled, yet whose “visage” would
be more marred than that of any man. This prophecy, which applied to Christ and
the manner in which he would be sustained and exalted by his Father, and the
one hand, and maligned and disparaged, “marred, more than any man,” on the
other, was applied anew by the Savior to Joseph Smith (3 Ne. 20:43-55 // Isa. 5:2:13-15).
Similarly, Moroni2 told the youthful Joseph that his name would be
had for good and evil among every nation, kindred, tongue, and people (JS-H
1:33). And again, while a captive in the Liberty Jail, the Lord told him, “The ends
of the earth shall inquire after thy name, and fools shall have thee in derision,
and hell shall rage against thee; while the pure in heart, and the wise, and
the noble, and the virtuous, shall seek counsel, and authority, and blessings
constantly from under thy hand” (D&C 122:1-2). The Savior also quoted some
text from the book of Habakkuk that speaks of Israel scattered among the
heathen and of a servant of the Lord who would “work a work, which shall be a
great and marvelous work among them; and there shall be among them those who
will not believe it, although a man shall dealer it unto them” (3 ne. 21:9;
Hab. 1:5). The man, or servant of the Lord, as he is called, is to enjoy the protection
of heaven and though he would be “marred,” the Lord said he would “heal him.”
The Lord further said, “Whosoever will not believe in my words, who am Jesus
Christ, which the Father shall cause him to bring forth unto the Gentiles . . .
shall be cut off from among my people who are of the covenant” (3 Ne. 21:9-11).
In addition to these prophecies, the
Book of Mormon contains Moroni2’s testimony of Joseph Smith and his
work. Moroni wrote that the coming forth of the Book of Mormon could only be “done
by the power of God” and, he declared, “blessed be that that shall bring this
thing to light” (Morm. 8:14-16). Moroni also explained that the prayers of the
faithful saints among Book of Mormon peoples “were also in behalf of him that
the Lord should suffer to bring these things forth” (Morm. 8:23-25). Further,
he gave instructions directly to Joseph Smith regarding the sealed portion of
the record and the three special witnesses to whom he would be permitted to
show the plates (Ether 5).
Clearly, Joseph Smith and his work as
the prophet of the Restoration was known, prophesied of, and prayed for by
prophets and faithful Saints in Book of Mormon times. (Joseph Fielding McConkie,
“Smith, Joseph, Jr., Book of Mormon prophecies of,” in Book of Mormon Reference
Companion, ed. Dennis L. Largey [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2003], 731-32)
Further Reading:
