David John of Pembrokeshire, Wales, became acquainted with the Mormon elders in 1847. He was enrolled at a Baptist College in South Wales and was preparing for the ministry. His father forbade him to join the Mormon Church and urged him to continue his preparation for the ministry. In January 1856, John saw a vision that persuaded him to make a drastic change in his life. John recounted the vision as follows: I saw an angel of the Lord. After he had talked a little with me, he placed his right hand on my left shoulder. His eyes were of a dark brown color, but full of glory. His voice was clear, but full of power and authority. While in his presence I beheld very high mountains. He told me that they were the everlasting hills, over or by which the Latter-day Saints were going to their gathering place.

Lucy Mack Smith visited relatives in Michigan in 1832. While there she encountered a Presbyterian minister. Here is an interesting account of a prophecy she gave: In a few days subsequent to this, we all set out to visit Mrs. Stanly, who was also my brother's daughter. Here Mr. Whitermore gave me an introduction to one Mr. Ruggles, the pastor of the Presbyterian Church to which this Mr. Whitermore belonged.

“And you,” said Mr. Ruggles, upon shaking hands with me, "are the mother of that poor, foolish, silly boy, Joe Smith, who pretended to translate the Book of Mormon." I looked him steadily in the face, and replied, "I am, sir, the mother of Joseph Smith; but why do you apply to him such epithets as those?"

While Joseph Smith was getting the plates, another group was being prepared for the work in an amazingly different way:

Long before joining the church, Heber C. Kimball, future apostle in the Church and counselor in the First Presidency, along with a Methodist preacher, John P. Greene, John Young Sr., and others, saw a vision while living in Mendon, New York, on the night of September 22, 1827. I had retired to bed, when John P. Greene, who was living within a hundred steps of my house, came and waked me up, calling upon me to come out and behold the scenery in the heavens. I woke up and called my wife and Sister Fanny Young (sister to Brigham Young), who was living with us, and we went out-of-doors. It was one of the most beautiful starlight nights, so clear that we could see to pick up a pin. We looked to the eastern horizon, and beheld a white smoke arise toward the heavens; as it ascended it formed itself into a belt, and made a noise like the sound of a mighty wind, and continued southwest, forming a regular bow dipping in the western horizon. After the bow had formed, it began to widen out and grow clear and transparent, of a bluish cast; it grew wide enough to contain twelve men abreast.

David Whitmer was one of the three witnesses, and the only one of the three witnesses never to return to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. What’s interesting, is how he was also the most interviewed witness of the plates - and maintained his testimony to his dying day. In fact, David Whitmer ensured that his testimony would be left beyond his dying day - as Moroni’s - a voice from the dust. Whitmer’s role as a witness was so important to him that he had it carved into his headstone. This is one of David Whitmer’s interviews. It was given to Orson Pratt and Joseph F. Smith on September 7, 1878:

Joseph, Oliver and myself were together when I saw them. We not only saw the plates of the Book of Mormon, but also the brass plates, la jewish record carried by Lehi's colony from Jerusalem and frequently referred to in the Book of Mormon the plates of the Book of Ether, the plates containing the record of the wickedness and secret combinations of the people of the world down to the time of their being engraved, and many other plates.

The fact is, it was just as though Joseph, Oliver and I were sitting just here on a log, when we were overshadowed by a light. It was not like the light of the sun nor like that of a fire, but more glorious and beautiful. It extended away round us, I cannot tell how far, but in the midst of this light about as far off as he sits (pointing to John C. Whitmer, sitting a few feet from him), there appeared, as it were, a table with many records or plates upon it, besides the plates of the Book of Mormon, also the sword of Laban, the directors, [i.e., the ball with spindles which Lehi had, and the interpreters].

I saw them just as plain as I see this bed (striking the bed beside him with his hand), and I heard the voice of the Lord, as distinctly as I ever heard anything in my life, declaring that the records of the plates of the Book of Mormon were translated by the gift and power of God.

Zebedee Coltrin, future president in the Council of the Seventy, recorded a vision that he, along with the Prophet and Oliver Cowdery, saw of Adam and Eve. This vision took place on April 18, 1834 in Kirt-land, Ohio. Coltrin related: After returning from a mission to Kirtland, I met Brother Joseph, who asked me if I did not wish to go with him to a conference at New Portage, Ohio. The party consisted of Presidents Joseph Smith, Sidney Rigdon, Oliver Cowdery and me. Next morning at New Portage, I noticed that Joseph seemed to have a far off look in his eyes, or was looking at a distance. Presently he stepped between Brother Cowdery and me, and taking us by the arm said, "Let's take a walk."

Allen Stout... used to come to live with us while he worked in the temple.... He was in Nauvoo a bodyguard to the Prophet, and when asked to tell something about the days of Nauvoo he would tell it, but he was not much of a talker unless asked to do so. He gave me much information about the early history of the Church because I asked him many questions. One day he said in answer to a statement I made that I thought it could not be possible for one to see a heavenly being, that I might see one without recognizing it as such—as happened once with him. I immediately became anxious to know all about it.

He told me was once walking with the Prophet on the west side of the Mississippi River on the road to Montrose, I think. They saw a man walking along a road leading in from the south and coming towards them.

The Prophet told Allen to remain where he was while he stepped over to speak with this pedestrian. Allen turned his back towards them and for a time forgot the Prophet and became engaged with his own thought, while he stood whipping a low bush with the cane he carried.

I’ve posted before on the significance of the dates of Moroni’s visits. I’m going to share a little more detail on the significance of those dates here. This is an excerpt from “When the Lights Came On,” by Trevan G. Hatch. When Joseph prayed to receive further revelation on September 21, 1823, Moroni appeared and taught him concerning the ancient prophecies and instructed him on the last days. But why did Moroni appear on this particular night? What was so special about this day?

The following thread on Moroni is taken from “Visions, Manifestations and Miracles of the Restoration” by @TrevanHatch.

Latter-day Saint historians are aware of approximately twenty occasions when the Prophet Joseph conversed with Moroni, and another ten occasions when Moroni appeared to other individuals. All but one of the known visits of Moroni to Joseph occurred sometime between September 21, 1823 and June 25, 1829. Joseph was tutored, trained, and even reprimanded many times by Moroni before the Church was organized in April 1830. Moroni was present each time the plates were given to or taken from the Prophet Joseph, or each time the plates were shown to any individual other than the Eight Witnesses. It appears as if God had given Moroni a charge to be the guardian of the ancient artifacts (Laban's sword, the breastplate, the Urim and Thummim, and the plates). I have often asked myself the question, why of all people was Moroni called to prepare Joseph Smith for the Restoration and serve as the guardian of the Nephite artifacts? Elder Orson Hyde answered this question in a discourse delivered on Independence Day in 1854. He stated that Moroni was, and is, the guardian angel of America:

The Healing of William Huntington:

About the month of August, 1856, William D. Huntington and I went into Hobble Creek Canyon to get a tree or log suitable for making drums. After we had finished our labor and started for home, both of us riding on the log, our conversation naturally turned upon the doctrines of the Church and experiences of the past, when the life and labors of the Prophet Joseph were touched upon. This subject aroused into more than usual earnestness the mind and conversation of my associate.

He said that in Nauvoo he lived in the family of and worked for Joseph Smith at the time the Prophet had such a wonderful time with the sick, when nearly everybody was stricken down and he himself was among the afflicted, and was one of those who were healed by Joseph. He said he had been sick some weeks and kept getting weaker, until he became so helpless that he could not move. Finally he got so low he could not speak, but had perfect consciousness of all that was passing in the room. He saw friends come to the bedside, look at him a moment and commence weeping, then turn away. He further stated that he presently felt easy, and observing his situation found that he was in the upper part of the room near the ceiling, and could see the body he had occupied lying on the bed, with weeping friends, standing around as he had witnessed in many cases where people had died under his own observation.

About this time he saw Joseph Smith and two other brethren come into the room. Joseph turned to his wife Emma and asked her to get him a dish of clean water. This she did; and the Prophet with the two brethren accompanying him washed their hands and carefully wiped them. Then they stepped to the bed and laid their hands upon the head of his body, which at that time looked loathsome to him, and as the three stretched out their hands to place them upon the head, he by some means became aware that he must go back into that body, and started to do so. The process of getting in he could not remember; but when Joseph said “amen,” he heard and could see and feel with his body. The feeling for a moment was most excruciating, as though his body was pierced in every part with some sharp instruments.

Solomon Chamberlain, a Reformed Methodist from Old Canaan, Connecticut, recorded a remarkable vision. In the vision, Chamberlain was told by an angel that no true church presently existed on earth and that the Lord would soon "raise up a church" with the "apostolic order." In 1830, years following his vision, Chamberlain met the Smith family and subsequently recorded his interaction with them. As Chamberlain related his vision to the Smith family, those present including Hyrum, became speechless and overcome with emotion.

Chamberlain recorded: The Lord showed me in a vision that there were no people on the earth that were right, and that faith was gone from the earth, excepting a few, and that all churches were corrupt. I further saw in the vision that he would soon raise up a church that would be after the apostolic order, that there would be in it the same powers and gifts that were in the days of Christ, and that I should live to see the day, and that there would [be a book come forth, like unto the Bible, and the people would be guided by it, as well as the Bible....

Illustrated Scriptures: A Defense of the Book of Abraham 🧵

Who hasn’t been fascinated by these scriptures that have hieroglyphic drawings? Is it a slam dunk, proving that Joseph Smith was a con man? Let’s take a brief look. When you’re grappling with a complex situation it’s helpful to have a working model. The best working models account for as much of the data as possible. That doesn’t mean you might not have mistakes in your model - but you try to find a model with explanatory power.

Here are three great questions, and since they’ve been asked, as a Latter-day Saint I will give an answer.

https://twitter.com/seth_troutt/status/1785287349670379934

In answering, I’m going to cite both Latter-day Saint scripture as well as the Bible and other Christian writers to compare and contrast our beliefs - and also to compare and contrast what are often represented to be our beliefs.

This is a friend of mine who left the Latter-day Saint church and became a more mainstream Christian. It’s a good listen. Too often I see comments to the effect of “people only leave the church so they can sin.” It’s not true.

genesis-marks-the-spot.castos.com/episodes/too-m… We shouldn’t feel threatened to hear from people who leave. There’s often a lot that we can learn.

In addition, rather than shutting down conversation between members and those who leave, and other Christians as well. When doing so we need to leave room for respect.

If I esteem mankind to be in error, shall I bear them down? No. I will lift them up, and in their own way too, if I cannot persuade them my way is better; and I will not seek to compel any man to believe as I do… for truth will cut its own way.
~Joseph Smith Joseph Smith was a great example of someone who interacted with charity towards all. I think part of what allowed him to do so was that he had the faith in God to understand that truth prevails. Christ is the way and truth, and Christ will prevail.

There are a few passages in the Old Testament that really stand out for scenes they depict. One of the most notable is Ezekiel 37. What does the chapter about the dry bones have to teach us that’s relevant to today? A 🧵: Verses 1-10 set the scene. Ezekiel is standing in a valley covered with dry bones. The Lord commands him to prophesy to the bones, and before his eyes they are physically and then spiritually restored before his eyes.

Companionship of the spirit: a 🧵

As a missionary almost exactly 20 years ago I was stationed on the Grand Cayman island. At least at that time they had very strict controls over work visas, and missionaries could only get approval to stay in the country 3 months at a time. As a result, every 6 weeks a new missionary would come, and the missionary who had been on the longest would leave. This way there was overlap, and the missionary who had been there longer could show the new one around.

It’s been 5 days now since my son’s spinal MRI indicated cancer. We’ve since learned that it’s an extremely aggressive and heavily malignant cancer that forms in the lining of the blood vessels. I can’t begin to describe the emotional roller coaster. We’ve been told that he likely has months, not years left barring a miracle.

I believe in miracles, and I know without a doubt that Lyly son could be healed if that’s what the Lord intended. Maybe he will be.