He was wrought upon by the Spirit
of God, and felt the necessity of repenting of his sins and serving God. He
retired from his father's house a little way, and bowed himself down in the
wilderness, and called upon the name of the Lord. He was inexperienced, and in
great anxiety and trouble of mind in regard to what church he should join. He
had been solicited by many churches to join with them, and he was in great
anxiety to know which was right. He pleaded with the Lord to give him wisdom on
the subject; and while he was thus praying, he beheld a vision, and saw a light
approaching him from the heavens; and as it came down and rested on the tops of
the trees, it became more glorious; and as it surrounded him, his mind was
immediately caught away from beholding surrounding objects. In this cloud of
light he saw two glorious personages; and one, pointing to
the other, said, "Behold my beloved son! hear ye him." Then he was instructed and
informed in regard to many things pertaining to his own welfare, and commanded
not to unite himself to any of those churches. He was also informed that at
some future time the fulness of the Gospel should be made manifest to him, and
he Should be an instrument in the hands of God of laying the foundation of the
kingdom of God. (Orson Pratt, “Theocracy,” August 14, 1859, JOD
7:220-21)
This was the condition of mankind
before this Church arose, forty years ago. By and by an obscure individual, a
young man, rose up, and, in the midst of all Christendom, proclaimed the
startling news that God had sent an angel to him; that through his faith,
prayers, and sincere repentance he had beheld a supernatural vision, that he
had seen a pillar of fire descend from Heaven, and saw two glorious
personages clothed upon with this pillar of fire, whose countenance
shone like the sun at noonday; that he heard one of these personages say,
pointing to the other, "This is my beloved Son, hear ye him." This
occurred before this young man was fifteen years of age; and it was a startling
announcement to make in the midst of a generation so completely given up to the
traditions of their fathers; and when this was proclaimed by this young,
unlettered boy to the priests and the religious societies in the State of New
York, they laughed him to scorn. "What!" said they, "visions and
revelations in our day! God speaking to men in our day!" They looked upon
him as deluded; they pointed the finger of scorn at him and warned their
congregations against him. "The canon of Scripture is closed up; no more
communications are to be expected from Heaven. The ancients saw heavenly
visions and personages; they heard the voice of the Lord; they were inspired by
the Holy Ghost to receive revelations, but behold no such thing is to be given
to man in our day, neither has there been for many generations past." This
was the style of the remarks made by religionists forty years ago. (Orson
Pratt, “Revelations and Manifestations of God and of Wicked Spirits,” December
19, 1869, JOD 13:65-66)
You have read in the revelation'
given on the 22d day of September, 1832, that without the Priesthood and the
ordinances thereof, the power of godliness is not manifested unto men in the
flesh. You have also read in that same revelation, that without the ordinances
of that Priesthood and the power thereof to administer to the children of men
no man could see the face of God the Father and live. When you read this plain
saying your minds may have reverted back to the days when there was no
Priesthood so far as ordination was concerned, on this earth, I mean the
ordination that took place here. You find a little boy, Joseph Smith, calling
upon the name of the Lord, in the spring of the year 1820, before he was not
yet fifteen years of age; and the result of his calling upon the name of the
Lord was that a pillar of fire appeared in the heavens above him, and it
continued to descend and grow brighter and brighter, until it reached the top
of the trees that were growing around about where he was praying; and so great
was the glory of this light that this lad, this youth, this boy, seemed to feel
almost fearful lest the trees themselves would be consumed by it. But it
continued to descend until it rested upon this lad and immediately his mind was
caught away from the surrounding objects, was swallowed up in a heavenly
vision, in which he saw two glorious personages, one was
the Father, the other was the Son. (Orson Pratt, “The Divine Authority of the
Holy Priesthood, Etc.,” October 10, 1880, JOD 22:29)
