Did False Spirits In the First Vision Approach Joseph Smith?

Detractors of the LDS faith have always attacked the first vision of Joseph Smith. One such question asked is "How can Latter-day Saints accept Joseph Smith as a prophet when he received the Book of Mormon from an unknown and possibly false spirit?

2 Corinthians 11:13-15 states: "For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works." Some have asked if Satan can appear as an angel of light, couldn't hehave cecieved Joseph Smith by claiming to be Moroni or any of the other messengers who appeared to him?

This is cerainly a possibility that should be considered seriously, since the Book of Mormon describes two instances where this occurred. [2 Nephi 9:9; Alma 30:53] Joseph Smith also briefly described several incidents of this nature associated with the restoration. [D&C 128:20; Teachings p. 214] Nevertheless, it appears that Joseph Smith was well aware of this tactic and taught the Saints how to recognize this ruse. [Teachings pp. 202, 204, 214, 227; See also Bruce R McConkie's Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, vol 2, pp 440-41]

The Bible also contains a test to enable us to judge, or as John says to "try spirits whether they are of God." [1 John 4:1-3] If Moroni or any of the other messengers who appeared to Joseph Smith failed this test we would know he was a minister of Satan.

John states: "Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God. Joseph Smith likewise taught, If I profess to be a witness or teacher, and have not the spirit of prophecy, which is the testimony of Jesus, I must be a false witness....any man who says he is a teacher or preacher of righteousness and denies the spirit of prophecy, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; and by this key false teachers and impostors may be detected. [Teachings p. 269]

Moroni not only confirmed that Jesus Christ was "come in the flesh," but quoted Old and New Testament scriptures which were fulfilled with his coming. [JS-H 1:40] Moroni also stated that his purpose was to reveal a book "giving an account of the former inhabitants of this continent" and containing the "everlasting Gospel...as delivered by the Savior" [JS-H 1:34] following his mortal ministry. That stated purpose of the Book of Mormon is in fact to convince both "Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ." As such, it is subtittled "Another Testament of Jesus Christ." We believe it to be a second witness, after the Bible, of Jesus Christ's devine mission. If Moroni were Satan or one of Satan's ministers acting as an instrument of evil, he surely would not have done so much to convince mankind to believe in Christ - it goes counter to Satans's purpose. [Matt 12:25]

The Book of Mormon was written to bring us to Christ as was staed in 2 Nephi 33:10-11: "and now, my beloved brethren, and also Jew, and ye ends of the earth, hearken unto these words and believe in Christ; and if ye believe not in these words believe in Christ. And if ye shall believe in Christ ye will believe in these words, for they are the words of Christ, and he hath given them unto me; and they teach all men that they should do good. And if they are not the words of Christ, judge ye - for Christ will show unto you with power and great glory, that they are his words, as the last day; and you and I sahll stand face to face before his bar; and ye shall know that I ave been commanded of him to write these things, notwithstanding my weakness"

The Book of Mormon contains an account of Christ's visit to those upon the continent wherein he allows them to "feel the prints of the nails" in his flesh [3 Nephi 11:14] that they might understand that he died for them also. Thus Moroni and the book which he brought both testify that Jesus Christ is the Messiah and was come in the flesh "manifesting himself unto all nations." [Book of Mormon title page; 1 Nephi 104-11; 11:18-21, 27-33; 15:13; Mosiah 7:27;
15:1-2; Ether 3:6, 9, 16-17; Moroni 9:25]

None of the messengers which appeared to Joseph Smith ever denied that Jesus Christ was the Messiah come in the flesh [D & C 13:1; 18:11-12, 19:16; 20:1; 110:4]; to the contrary, they all testified of him and his divinity. 2 Corinthians 11:15 contains a final key to detection of false messengers. It states that their "end shall be according to their works" If their works be evil or unrighteous we will know they are not from God. "By their fruits ye shall know them" [Matt 7:20]

Did Joseph Believe the Moon was Inhabited?

No original sources verifying this have been found of which I am aware. There however is an 1881 jounal entry, published in 1892 by Oliver B Huntington who claimed Joseph Smith said there were moonmen. Oliver Huntington would have been about 10 or 11 years old at that time if he had heard it from Joseph Smith directly. Indications are that Oliver Huntington heard this claim secondhand at best.


Reverend J.R. Dummelow described the authors of the Bible and I believe it to be the same with Joseph Smith:

Tough purified and ennobled by the influence of His Holy Spirit, these men each had his own peculiarities of manner and dispostion - each with his own education or want of education - each with his won way of looking at things - each influenced differently from one another by the different experiences and disciplines of his life. Their inspiration did not involve a suspension of natural faculties; it did not even make them free from eathly passion; it did not make them into machines - it left them men.

Therefore we find their knowledge sometimes no higher than that of their contemporaries. [1]

Dummelow's description of the authors of Genesis is equally applicable:

His scientific knowledge may be bounded by the horizon of the age in which he lived, but the religious truths he teaches are irrefutable and eternal. [2]

Dummelow, who is not LDS is considered one of the foremost commentators on the Bible. Biblical prophets sometimes made errors but that does not mean they were not men of God.

Van Hale answered the detractors criticism in his pamphlet "How Could a Prophet Believe in Moonmen? One excerpt:

Did Joseph Smith believe in an inhabited moon? From the historical evidence now available the answer must be: Not Proven. But, all things considered, the possibility or probability, that he did cannot reasonably be denied For all others of that era the question seems quite insignificant, especially given contemporary beliefs. But in the case of Joseph Smith, he claimed to be a prophet. Some extremists contend that his claim demands that his knowledge in every area be superior to that of others in his era. If he believed any false notion of his day, so these critics say his credibility must be doubted. Others, not so demanding of infallible insight in a prophet, would be more comfortable with a description of God's revelation which allowed for the human and the divine.

The conclusion is that there is no direct proof that Joseph Smith said or believed that Moonmen inhabited the Moon but if he did so what. A prophet is only a prophet when acting as such. This is supported by Dummelow a highly respected traditional Christian commentator concerning the Bible.

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Footnotes:
[1] J.R. Dummerlow, One Volume Bible Commentary, pg. cxxxv
[2] J.R. Dummerlow, One Volume Bible Commentary, pg. xxx

The LDS Worship Joesph Smith - Oh Really?

by Wer62

It has been posed by detrators of the LDS faith that the LDS membership worships Joesph Smith. One such detractor asked made the following statement and asked a question:

The year 2005 is the 200th anniversary of the LDS Prophet Joseph Smith's birth. Latter-day Saints are using this anniversary year to honor their Prophet in special ways; but, according to the Chicago Tribune, this admiration is being "downplayed for fear that outsiders would mistake their reverence for the prophet as if they were worshipping him as a God."

In practical terms, how does LDS reverence for the Prophet Joseph Smith differ from LDS worship of Jesus Christ?

The article stated it plainly. We reverence Joseph Smith and we worship Jesus Christ. The difference is in the terminology and as such we need to define the terms of reverence and worship: [1]

rev-er-ence ( P ) Pronunciation Key (rvr-ns) n.
1. A feeling of profound awe and respect and often love; veneration. See Synonyms at honor.

2. Reverence Used as a form of address for certain members of the Christian clergy: Your Reverence

wor-ship ( P ) Pronunciation Key (wurshp)n.
1. The reverent love and devotion accorded a deity, an idol, or a sacred object.

2. The ceremonies, prayers, or other religious forms by which this love is expressed.

We honor Joseph Smith and his accomplishments no different that those who reverence Moses in his day, but we worship Jesus Christ as our deity. Immense difference!

We do not pray to Joesph Smith to save us, we do not expect Joesph Smith to save us. We pray through Jesus Christ and believe He is our mediator with the Father. We are taught to close our prayers "in the name of Jesus Christ". Does this sound like a religion that prays to Joesph Smith?

We admire all the Joseph Smith accomplished. He under the direction of Christ restored Christ's words, orginized a Church, built entire cities that were so nice they were taken away sometimes by threats of exterminiation orders by those who were jelious of those accomplishments. It is true that Joseph Smith accomplished a lot in his lifetime, more than most. That stated we do not pray to him and therefore by defintion do not "worship" him.

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Footnotes:

[1] Meriam Websters Online Dictionary