In his sermon
delivered at the April 1909 General Conference, J. Golden Kimball said the
following about the truth claims of Joseph Smith being “all-or-nothing”:
I have read about the Prophet Joseph Smith. I
have the story of the Prophet, and it is a wonderful story for a boy to tell.
About those two personages that came to him, also John the Baptist, Peter,
James and John. To me it is very wonderful. Do you believe it? If that is not
true, Joseph Smith was the biggest fraud that ever came to a people on earth.
There has never been a more sacrilegious thing uttered by man, if it is not true.
Now, I say, do you believe it? Do I believe it? I believe everything that has
been revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith. If any principle that has been
revealed to the Prophet is not true, then it is all wrong, as far as I am
concerned. There is no use of mincing over it. Every Latter-day Saint in the
Church should receive every truth, or else none of it. I believe it all. I
believe every word of it. I “believe all that God has revealed, all that He
does now reveal, and I believe the Lord will yet reveal many great and
important things pertaining to the kingdom of God.” I believe all that God has
revealed, as fast as I can understand and comprehend it: and I believe that God
will yet reveal many great and important things. I am not sure if we will be
prepared to receive all or not. Joseph Smith said the Lord had revealed things
to him which if he had repented to the people they would have taken his life.
It is a good thing he didn’t: we have more truths and doctrine than we now live
up to. (Bonnie Taylor, ed. J. Golden
Kimball: His Sermons [Latter-day Publishing, 2007], 102)