April 2015 General Conference Quotes

There were so many good quotes during General conference that I wish I could have written them down.  As I told Lisa that she informed me that I could find the quotes with pretty pictures online.  So I happened upon these as I was going through my e-mail -- there was a link on the LDS living.

So I chose a few that I like from those available and pasted them onto my blog.  My favorite quote from the entire conference was this first one I posted.



Another quote which I really liked but didn't see on the list was something to the effect of when physical wounds heal they always leave a scar but when spiritual wounds are healed through repentance-- There is no scar.  I can't remember who said it.  :-(










Elder Oaks had some other really great quotes but they don't have the transcripts posted yet.  :-(

If I had to give a summary I would say a lot of talks focused on Family -- I would say that was the number one topic.  Also, strengthening our testimonies and conversion -- trusting what we know to be true and not yielding to doubts. Emphasizing having to work daily on our own conversion to thwart the adversary's daily efforts to bring us down.  And of course, since it was Easter several talks focused on Our Savior.

I always look at general conference to understand what is most troubling in the Church at this time and what we all need to focus on.  Obviously, Satan's attacks on the family have increased or at least become more effective.  And his efforts to distract us from that which is most important appear to be working -- just look at how many people value social media over anything else.  And are, in fact, addicted.  As just one example.

It appears to me that the warning voice is sounding loud and clear that we need to step up our defenses against the evil one both personally and in our families.  To me this means getting our daily spiritual nourishment by way of Scripture study, prayer, uplifting music, LDS.org videos and talks, etc.

As Satan steps up his efforts, daily spiritual nourishment is becoming increasingly vital to our spiritual progression.  If we are not progressing by working at it every day, we are regressing.  There is no neutral ground.

That's my two cents.

On the Wings of Eagles: Quotes and Commentary

I came across a wonderful article by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf -- who happens to be my favorite. :-) Anyway, I put the link at the bottom and I would encourage everybody to read the entire article. But here are a few quotes that stuck out to me.

"It isn’t until you come to a spiritual understanding of who you are that you can begin to take control of yourself. As you learn to control yourself, you will get control of your life. If you want to move the world, you first have to move yourself.

"President Spencer W. Kimball (1895–1985) often quoted an unknown author: “The greatest battle of life is fought out within the silent chambers of the soul. A victory on the inside of a man’s heart is worth a hundred conquests on the battlefields of life. To be master of yourself is the best guarantee that you will be master of the situation. Know thyself. The crown of character is self-control.”

"This leads us to God’s great gift to His children: agency.

"Lehi taught this most important doctrine to his children. He said: “The Lord God gave unto man that he should act for himself. … And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself” (2 Ne. 2:16, 27).

"You have agency, and you are free to choose. But there is actually no free agency. Agency has its price. You have to pay the consequences of your choices.

"Human agency was purchased with the price of Christ’s suffering. The power of Christ’s Atonement overcomes the effect of sin on the condition of wholehearted repentance. Through and by the Savior’s universal and infinite Atonement, all have been redeemed from the Fall and have become free forever to act for themselves (see 2 Ne. 2:26).

"Agency is a spiritual matter. Without awareness of alternatives, you could not choose. Agency is so important in your lives that you not only can choose obedience or rebellion, but you must. 

During this life you cannot remain on neutral ground; you cannot abstain from either receiving or rejecting the light from God." (Emphasis added) -- President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, On the Wings of Eagles, 2003

Interestingly, this morning Lisa and I were discussing this very subject. I mentioned that if you're not continually working on living the Gospel, that you are rejecting it. There is no neutral ground. Those who think they are neutral, are actually rejecting the light from God, as President Uchtdorf puts it.

Living the Gospel requires daily continuous work.  If we are not moving forward, we are moving backward.

I was listening to "The Infinite Atonement" this morning. One thing Elder Callister mentioned that struck me was, speaking of the gifts of the Spirit, that we must continually fervently pray and ask to receive those gifts we've been blessed with or for anything that we sincerely desire or wish for.

Just keeping the commandments and trying to live righteously is not enough.  We have to ask the Lord for the desires of our hearts.

This makes total sense since work is an eternal principle and prayer is a form of work. I think it's something we often forget. The Lord requires effort on our part before he will bless us. He wants us to work to obtain those things which we desire. And he wants us to ask him for them. And if you think about it, things always mean more to us when we have worked hard to obtain them.

There are several scriptures which mention, "Ask and ye shall receive, knock and it shall be opened unto you".

Another quote from President Uchtdorf's talk, On the Wings of Eagles:

"Prayer, if given in faith, is acceptable to God at all times. If you ever feel you cannot pray, that is the time when you definitely need to pray. Nephi taught in plainness, “If ye would hearken unto the Spirit [of God] which teacheth a man to pray ye would know that ye must pray; for the evil spirit … teacheth him that he must not pray” (2 Ne. 32:8).

"President Harold B. Lee (1899–1973) taught, “The sincere prayer of the righteous heart opens to any individual the door to divine wisdom and strength in that for which he righteously seeks.”

"Obedience assures us an answer to our prayers. We read in the New Testament, “And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight” (1 Jn. 3:22).

"Daily, simple but sincere and mighty prayers will help you lift your lives to a higher spiritual altitude. In your prayers you praise God, give thanks to Him, confess weaknesses, petition needs, and express deep devotion to your Heavenly Father. As you do this in the name of Jesus Christ, the Redeemer, you perform a spiritual effort that leads to increased inspiration, revelation, and righteousness—not self-righteousness—and brings the brightness of heaven into your lives." -- President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, On the Wings of Eagles, 2003

Well I actually combined two blogs into one.  :-) But it seems to flow.  Anyway, if you feel like you are not receiving answers to your prayers, perhaps you are not working hard enough.  Or perhaps the Lord is delaying his answer for your own benefit, which He sometimes does.  Or perhaps the answer is no.  But one thing is certain, the Lord does hear and answer every sincere prayer offered to Him.

Remember that the Lord will not thwart the agency of mankind.  Everybody must exercise his or her own moral agency and face the consequences whether good or bad.  Therefore if your prayer pertains to someone else's lifestyle or choices, the Lord will not intervene, even when those poor choices detrimentally affect us directly.  

Satan would have us believe that obedience limits our freedoms and agency when in fact, the opposite is true.  As we learn and exercise self-control and practice obedience to the Lord, we are actually increasing the choices available to us and therefore expanding our freedoms.

Look at those who rebel against the Lord's laws, and are slaves to addiction.  Or those who give in to temptation every time they face it.  Are they more free than someone who actively chooses to obey the Lord?  I think not.

Choosing to exercise our moral agency by actively striving to follow the Lord by living His commandments not only gives us more freedom but also brings more happiness and blessings in our lives.

That's my two cents.

President Eyring Quote

"If the foundation of faith is not embedded in our hearts, the power to endure will crumble."

-- Henry B. Eyring, First Counselor in the First Presidency, April 2012 General Conference address "Mountains to Climb"

Patience

From this month's visiting teaching message:

“Patience is not passive resignation, nor is it failing to act because of our fears. Patience means active waiting and enduring. It means staying with something … even when the desires of our hearts are delayed. Patience is not simply enduring; it is enduring well!”

“Patience means accepting that which cannot be changed and facing it with courage, grace, and faith. It means being ‘willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon [us], even as a child doth submit to his father’ [Mosiah 3:19]. Ultimately, patience means being ‘firm and steadfast, and immovable in keeping the commandments of the Lord’ [1 Nephi 2:10] every hour of every day, even when it is hard to do so.”

-- President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Second Counselor in the First Presidency

X-rays 16 weeks

Another Friday the 13th and another set of x-rays.

These were taken yesterday.  Today marks the 16th week since the break.  And 13.5 weeks since diagnosis.

 These films were taken without the brace on so the view is more clear. obviously not much change on AP view.  This is consistent with the lack of stability upon physical examination.  :-(

This lateral view actually provides a glimmer of hope.

The posterior aspect of the femur shows some bone growth. Which is hopefully indicative of increasing stability along the sagittal plane.

Next step: check serum vitamin D levels, CT scan to get a better view of possible healing.

Surgical reduction/fixation is not ruled out yet but I'm hoping it doesn't come to that.  And the trauma surgeon was not optimistic that the benefits would outweigh the risks.  So that will go on the back burner for now.

He did mention amputation as a last resort possibility.  But obviously that would be end of the line option.

For now I remain hopeful that it is healing slowly but surely.  Thank you for all of your prayers and fasting in my behalf.  I truly appreciate it.

Mary Ann Powell

Which of these photos of Mary Ann Powell should I use for my family tree wall?

Put your answer in the comments section.

Mary Ann Powell is my great great great grandmother.  She married David Dorwart Sabin and they are the parents of Henry Sabin who married Nancy Jane Stone and they are the parents of Henry Elmer Sabin who married Lillie Devena Christensen and they are the parents of Marvin Elmer Sabin who is my maternal grandfather.

I have a 12 page autobiography by Mary Ann Powell which is very interesting.  I will just tell you a few highlights that I remember.

She was born in South Wales where her father John Powell was an expert stonemason.  Her father converted and was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints.  Her mother later converted.

I believe it was 1856 when they sailed across the "pond", as they say, and came to America.  She was 12 or 13 at the time.  Her mother was quite ill and Mary had to do a lot of the work.

Upon reaching America her family joined a handcart company and crossed the plains into the Salt Lake Valley. Mary walked the entire way.  Even helping to pull others' handcarts.

Her father John, being an expert stonemason, worked on the Salt Lake Temple.  Two weeks after reaching Salt Lake he died.  Her mother settled in Payson, Utah. Her brother William, also a stonemason, continued work on the Salt Lake Temple.

Here is a small snippet from her autobiography:

". On January 30, 1865, I married David Dorwart Sabin. He was born in Pennsylvania, and at the age of ten had come to Utah with his family. His parents settled in Salt Lake City and resided in the seventeenth ward until the spring of 1858 when there was a general move southward. I had known Brother Sabin several years before I began keeping company with him. He was an honorable upright man.

"We resided in Payson fourteen years. The first home we owned was a block north of the Payson flour mill. Brother Sabin built it. It was a blue adobe, two rooms, a little loft, and a nice cellar. There was a nice little orchard from which I used to gather and dry fruit. Those days there was a good price for dried fruit. 

"During our early married life, we were buying a molasses mill in Salem. My husband made the purchase for six hundred dollars. He repaired the machinery and set it to running at once. He made thousands of gallons of molasses. Our molasses was known throughout the state. The mill usually worked from September until November. For several years it ran day and night during the molasses making season. After the settlers quit raising cane, Brother Sabin changed the mill into a saw mill which he operated for several years. The wood for it was supplied from Loafer and Maple Canyons. 

"During the Black Hawk war, Brother Sabin held the position of home guard. Sometimes he would stand on duty for three or four nights in succession, but usually the turn came only one night a week. This lasted for two years. In 1879 we moved to Salem and hewed the lumber for our house from the Santaquin Canyon. He worked up the lumber in his own mill. Also made his own shingles and lathes. 

"We built a very nice home of seven rooms. In this home my three youngest children were born. Our family now numbered nine children. "1- Sarah Elizabeth 2- David 3- Henry 4- Mary Ann 5- John 6- Aretta 7- Margaret Amanda 8- Emma Eleanor 9- Ruth. 

"During the greater part of our married life, Brother Sabin held the office of Bishop´s counselor.He acted in this position during three different Bishops. He was superintendent of the Sunday school for a number of years also. 

"We were privileged to entertain many of the leaders of the church in our home. Among those who visited in our home was Joseph F. Smith, George I. Cannon, Dr. Hardy, Abraham Owen Smart, James E. Talmage, David John, and Brother Partridge. 

"Two years after Brother Sabin´s death, I sold our store and built a new home in the Central part of Salem where I am still residing. I am now in my eighty second year. The only living child of my father´s family. I am enjoying fairly good health for my season of life. My home is cozy and pleasant with all the convenience modern equipment can make. I am not burdened in any way. I take an active interest in the house keeping and work a little each day according to my strength. 

At this time in my life I recall the incidents of the past only for the pleasant memories they bring. I believe the todays are just as good as the yesterdays. My heart´s best message to my sons and daughters, grand children, and great grand children is Look Ahead. Don´t look behind." -- Mary Ann Powell, autobiography

 A remarkable lady!  There are many more stories about crossing the plains and life in jolly old England :-) in her autobiography.  I didn't know I was a direct descendent of some of the pioneers.  :-)

Paternal Grandfather Ancestor Photographs

William Merritt Shaw is my great great great grandfather.  He married Cornelia Margaret Sluyter.  They are the parents of Tryphosa Shaw who married Nelson Simmons.  They begat Millie Vieta Simmons who married Bert Nickolas Stone who are the parents of Newell Elbert Stone who is my paternal grandfather.

Something interesting about William Merritt Shaw is that, according to my great grandmother Millie, he was a graduate of Harvard University.

Apparently the Shaws were staunch Seventh-day Adventists and went west with the SDA movement.

According to my third cousin, She has letters written between my great great grandmother Tryphosa and Ellen White's people.  Ellen White being the founder or one of the bigwigs anyway of the Seventh-day Adventists.

William Merritt Shaw family

Tryphosa back left

Same family as above years later.

It gives me a much different vibe of that family.  They don't look like the same refined, proper people as above.  :-)

Something interesting about my great great grandfather Nelson Simmons -- according to his daughter Millie, He had a mean devil of a stepmother who kicked him out at age 8 and he was on his own since then.

Also according to Millie -- Nelson was very well versed in the Bible and read it often. He could also read the Hebrew Bible.

Another story Millie tells is that he accidentally stuck a knife in his brother's eye while skating a squirrel in Nebraska.

Here is a direct quote from the transcript of Millie from 1968

"Indians shooting at the wagon? Yes, there was a woman, they had to flee in the night to get away from the Indians, and there was a woman that had a frying pan up whenever she came to some brush she would hold the pan up like this. That was an Indian uprising. I don’t know what year it was. My other was among them. I don’t know how old she was."

"The Indians bothered in Nebraska awful bad. They stole our horses while the folks were in Nebraska. The folks were there awhile. I don’t know why they had to leave. Nebraska was where the Indians bothered my folks so bad. We had a big Newfoundland dog. She had pups every hear and the Indians came and stole them. They cooked and ate them (the pups)."

"The government paid the people for years afterward for the horses that the Indians stole. They paid the people for the horses."

Nelson and Tryphosa Shaw Simmons family

My great-grandmother Millie is in the back middle.  Her sister Marguerite on her left and in front next to Tryphosa is Irene.

According to my grandfather, The little boy in front between Nelson and Tryphosa was actually Millie's son and not brother. I hate to spread rumors and at this point that's merely speculation.  Although I did do the math and it is possible -- Millie would have been 17 when Carl was born.  

If it's true, it was kept hush-hush and never revealed.  Carl was raised as Millie's brother. 

One of the fun things about doing family history work is finding stories and learning more about my ancestors and their lives.

And digging up potential skeletons in the closet also makes it interesting.

Millie seems to have more than her share of skeletons, according to my grandfather -- her son.

Interestingly, for being staunch Seventh-day Adventists -- none of their current descendents that we know about still practice the religion.  Most of them fell away during my grandpa's generation.  My third cousin went to SDA church with her grandmother but left when she was 12.

As far as I know, neither my grandpa nor any of his siblings raised their children as Seventh-day Adventists. Apparently the Simmons children were too heavy-handed in raising their children as Seventh-day Adventists.  At least that's the story I hear. 

Or maybe they all just recognized that they didn't have the full truth.  :-)

Not likely.  :-)

Paternal Grandmother Ancestry Photos

My great great great grandmother.  Anna Elisa Burrell married Samuel Walker (below) and they are the parents of William Franklin Walker who was the father of Myron Day Walker who is the father of Lois Fern Walker who is the mother of my daddy :-).

My great great grandfather -- explained above.

Hannah Ada Davis is my great great great grandmother.  She married Richard Elsy Feris Moore.  They are the parents of Mary Ada Moore who married William Franklin Walker (above).  They begat Myron Day Walker who begat Lois Fern Walker, my paternal grandmother.  :-)

Mary Ada Moore bears a striking resemblance to my cousin Preston.  :-)

William Franklin Walker and Mary Ada Moore wedding photo

November 4, 1891

I have a bunch more to post but I'm out of time for now.  Look for more in the near future.  :-)

Elder Ballard Quote

"We cannot foresee what the Lord has in mind for us. Our only course of action is to be prepared and worthy for whatever he requires. We must govern our actions every day with our future in mind."

—M. Russell Ballard, "Purity Precedes Power"

RIP Aunt Evelyn

I just got news that my great aunt Evelyn died yesterday.  She is my maternal grandfather's sister.  Aunt Evelyn was the most wonderful kindhearted lady who was always genuinely concerned for others.  She called my mother (her niece) on a regular basis to see how everybody was doing.

I have fond memories of family get togethers with my grandpa's side of the family growing up.  She always wanted to be at family gatherings even though she lived far away in Idaho and the gatherings were always in Utah.  She and Uncle Ken would always make the trek from Idaho to Utah. She even came to my missionary farewell.

Aunt Evelyn was the sweetest, kindest lady I've ever known.  Just to let you know what kind of person she was -- she was on the way to the temple when she died.  If anyone is celestial bound, it's her.  I can only hope to try to be as good of a person as Aunt Evelyn.

 Aunt Evelyn, me, Uncle Ken -- January 12, 1992 at my missionary farewell.

And Evelyn in the back behind Grandpa-- I'm guessing sometime in the early 1940s.

RIP Aunt Evelyn

May 8, 1923 - February 21, 2015

I can imagine the wonderful reunion she had with her parents, sister, and my grandma Sylvia.  :-)

Her graduation (funeral) will be held this Saturday @ 11:00 AM in Idaho.

*For family history purposes, she died suddenly and unexpectedly of a AAA -- abdominal aortic aneurysm.

Elder Nelson Quote

"The wise use of your freedom to make your own decisions is crucial to your spiritual growth, now and for eternity. You are never too young to learn, never too old to change. Your yearnings to learn and change come from a divinely instilled striving for eternal progression. Each day brings opportunity for decisions for eternity."

—Russell M. Nelson, "Decisions for Eternity"

Not Too Good Al

I've never been superstitious but this Friday the 13th was very unlucky for me.  :-(

I got updated x-rays of my broken femur.  9.5 weeks s/p diagnosis and stabilization.  12 weeks s/p fracture.

X-rays showed no sign of healing.  :-(

My next appointment is also on Friday the 13th.  I'm not too hopeful.  :-(

Combatants in the Eternal Contest

Got this in my inbox just now. Kind of how I'm feeling lately.  Well said Elder Oaks!

"Even as we seek to be meek and to avoid contention, we must not compromise or dilute our commitment to the truths we understand. We must not surrender our positions or our values. The gospel of Jesus Christ and the covenants we have made inevitably cast us as combatants in the eternal contest between truth and error. There is no middle ground in that contest."

—Dallin H. Oaks, "Loving Others and Living with Differences"

Doctor Barbie

Lisa wanted me to document where "Doctor Barbie" came from for posterity's sake I guess.  Although technically I have no posterity.  :-)

Anyway, I'm going to tell the story as to how I got that nickname.

I was a third-year medical student doing my surgery rotation.  As part of the rotation, we met together once a week, I think, for special problems clinic.

During special problems clinic there would be one or two patients who had, of all things, a special problem that no one could figure out.  Therefore one of the attendings would work up the patient while we all watched and learned.  :-) Then the collaborative minds would discuss and try to figure out what was going on with the patient.

As I recall there were usually about 20 people in the room.  A handful of attendings who were our professors, and a mix of residents and students.

It was sort of set up like a classroom where the attendings and patients were at the front of the room and the residents and students were all sitting in chairs watching.  Because this was surgery rotation we were all in scrubs and white coats.Which I guess can seem pretty intimidating, especially to a child.

One time, the patient was a six-year-old little girl.  She must have had a biomechanical problem because the attending working the patient up was Dr. Shearer, who was the head of the biomechanics department at the school.

Anyway as Dr. Shearer was working up the patient, he asked her to walk down the aisle between all of the students and residents to watch her gait.  Well, needless to say she was a little scared to walk down the aisle between all of the "Doctors".

 So her mother, trying to encourage her to walk down the aisle said to the little girl, "Walk over to that doctor that looks like Barbie".  Of course she meant me :-).  For some reason I happened to be standing up in the back of the room. Presumably to have a better look at the gait.

Then Dr. Shearer said something like, "We just call her Dr. Barbie around here".  Everybody laughed and the little girl did walk towards me so we were able to watch and analyze her gait.

So the name stuck and I was, of course, highly flattered :-).

That's my story and I'm sticking to it :-).

These are the only pictures I have in captivity of me in scrubs and a white coat.

Coincidentally, this was during my surgery rotation as a third-year student at CCPM.

Proudly showing some flowers Mom and Dad sent me for my birthday.  They actually had them sent to the school.  I remember being in a small lecture with Doctor Chang --  one of our podiatric surgery attendings/professors-- during surgery rotation when I received them.:-)

Isn't it weird that I remember the lecture was on TAL (Tendo Achilles Lengthening) Surgery? 

This is me with my boyfriend Ken.  :-) Ha ha ha

This is when I was a resident in Texas.

Getting caught by the self timer.  :-)

Obviously the scrubs were way too big!

Family Home Evening Lesson -- Joseph Smith

Tammy’s Family Home Evening Lesson

February 1, 2015

Joseph Smith

Opening hymn: “Joseph Smith’s First Prayer” hymn number 26

Opening prayer: by invitation

The following is an excerpt from ”The Testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith” pamphlet published by the church which can be found on  LDS.org here: https://www.lds.org/topics/joseph-smith/testimony?lang=eng

Joseph Smith: A Prophet of God

“When Joseph Smith was 14 years old, he wanted to know which church he should join, so he asked God in sincere prayer. In response to this prayer, God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, appeared to Joseph and told him the true Church of Jesus Christ was not on the earth and They had chosen Joseph to restore it.

“From that day, Joseph labored in God’s service, working to establish The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and to build up God’s kingdom on earth in the latter days….

Which Church Is Right?

Joseph Smith was born in 1805 in Sharon, Vermont. At the time this narrative begins, he was 14 years old, living with his family in New York, and earnestly considering which church to join. The following is Joseph’s experience, written in his own words.

During this time of great excitement my mind was called up to serious reflection and great uneasiness. … I often said to myself: What is to be done? Who of all these parties are right; or, are they all wrong together? If any one of them be right, which is it, and how shall I know it?

While I was laboring under the extreme difficulties caused by the contests of these parties of religionists, I was one day reading the Epistle of James, first chapter and fifth verse, which reads: “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.”

Never did any passage of scripture come with more power to the heart of man than this did at this time to mine. It seemed to enter with great force into every feeling of my heart. I reflected on it again and again, knowing that if any person needed wisdom from God, I did; for how to act I did not know, and unless I could get more wisdom than I then had, I would never know; for the teachers of religion of the different sects understood the same passages of scripture so differently as to destroy all confidence in settling the question by an appeal to the Bible.

At length I came to the conclusion that I must either remain in darkness and confusion, or else I must do as James directs, that is, ask of God. I at length came to the determination to “ask of God,” concluding that if he gave wisdom to them that lacked wisdom, and would give liberally, and not upbraid, I might venture.

Joseph Smith’s First Vision

In accordance with this, my determination to ask of God, I retired to the woods to make the attempt. It was on the morning of a beautiful, clear day, early in the spring of eighteen hundred and twenty. It was the first time in my life that I had made such an attempt, for amidst all my anxieties I had never as yet made the attempt to pray vocally.

After I had retired to the place where I had previously designed to go, having looked around me, and finding myself alone, I kneeled down and began to offer up the desires of my heart to God. I had scarcely done so, when immediately I was seized upon by some power which entirely overcame me, and had such an astonishing influence over me as to bind my tongue so that I could not speak. Thick darkness gathered around me, and it seemed to me for a time as if I were doomed to sudden destruction.

But, exerting all my powers to call upon God to deliver me out of the power of this enemy which had seized upon me, and at the very moment when I was ready to sink into despair and abandon myself to destruction—not to an imaginary ruin, but to the power of some actual being from the unseen world, who had such marvelous power as I had never before felt in any being—just at this moment of great alarm, I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me.

It no sooner appeared than I found myself delivered from the enemy which held me bound. When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—“This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!”

My object in going to inquire of the Lord was to know which of all the sects was right, that I might know which to join. No sooner, therefore, did I get possession of myself, so as to be able to speak, than I asked the Personages who stood above me in the light, which of all the sects was right (for at this time it had never entered into my heart that all were wrong)—and which I should join.

I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong; and the Personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those professors were all corrupt; that: “they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof.”

He again forbade me to join with any of them; and many other things did he say unto me, which I cannot write at this time. When I came to myself again, I found myself lying on my back, looking up into heaven. When the light had departed, I had no strength; but soon recovering in some degree, I went home.

Persecution

Joseph obeyed God and did not join any existing church. As he told people what he had seen and heard, he began experiencing opposition and persecution.

I soon found … that my telling the story had excited a great deal of prejudice against me among professors of religion, and was the cause of great persecution, which continued to increase; and though I was an obscure boy, only between fourteen and fifteen years of age, and my circumstances in life such as to make a boy of no consequence in the world, yet men of high standing would take notice sufficient to excite the public mind against me, and create a bitter persecution; and this was common among all the sects—all united to persecute me.”…--End of excerpt from “The Testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith”

The following are quotes from Neil L. Andersen, of the quorum of the 12 apostles, October 2014 General Conference address, “Joseph Smith”  link: https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/10/joseph-smith?lang=eng

“On his first visit to the Prophet Joseph Smith at age 17, an angel called Joseph by name and told him that he, Moroni, was a messenger sent from the presence of God and that God had a work for him to do. Imagine what Joseph must have thought when the angel then told him that his name would “be had for good and evil among all nations, kindreds, and tongues.”¹ Perhaps the shock in Joseph’s eyes caused Moroni to repeat again that both good and evil would be spoken of him among all people.²

The good spoken of Joseph Smith came slowly; the evil speaking began immediately. Joseph wrote, “How very strange it was that an obscure boy … should be thought … of sufficient importance to attract … the most bitter persecution.”³

While love for Joseph grew, so also did hostility. At the age of 38, he was murdered by a mob of 150 men with painted faces.⁴ While the Prophet’s life abruptly ended, the good and evil spoken of Joseph was just beginning.

Should we be surprised with the evil spoken against him? The Apostle Paul was called mad and deranged.⁵ Our Beloved Savior, the Son of God, was labeled gluttonous, a winebibber, and possessed of a devil.⁶

The Lord told Joseph of his destiny:

“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, … the wise, … and the virtuous, shall seek … blessings constantly from under thy hand.”⁷

Why does the Lord allow the evil speaking to chase after the good? One reason is that opposition against the things of God sends seekers of truth to their knees for answers.⁸

…

Many of those who dismiss the work of the Restoration simply do not believe that heavenly beings speak to men on earth. Impossible, they say, that golden plates were delivered by an angel and translated by the power of God. From that disbelief, they quickly reject Joseph’s testimony, and a few unfortunately sink to discrediting the Prophet’s life and slandering his character.

We are especially saddened when someone who once revered Joseph retreats from his or her conviction and then maligns the Prophet.¹⁰

“Studying the Church … through the eyes of its defectors,” Elder Neal A. Maxwell once said, is “like interviewing Judas to understand Jesus. Defectors always tell us more about themselves than about that from which they have departed.”¹¹

Jesus said, “Bless them that curse you, … and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.”¹² Let us offer kindness to those who criticize Joseph Smith, knowing in our own hearts that he was a prophet of God and taking comfort that all this was long ago foretold by Moroni.

…
We might remind the sincere inquirer that Internet information does not have a “truth” filter. Some information, no matter how convincing, is simply not true.

Years ago I read a Time magazine article that reported the discovery of a letter, supposedly written by Martin Harris, that conflicted with Joseph Smith’s account of finding the Book of Mormon plates.¹⁴

A few members left the Church because of the document.¹⁵

Sadly, they left too quickly. Months later experts discovered (and the forger confessed) that the letter was a complete deception.¹⁶ You may understandably question what you hear on the news, but you need never doubt the testimony of God’s prophets.

We might remind the inquirer that some information about Joseph, while true, may be presented completely out of context to his own day and situation.

[relate story of Elder Russell M. Nelson from Elder Andersen’s talk]

There are now more than 29,000 congregations and 88,000 missionaries teaching the gospel across the world. Millions of Latter-day Saints are seeking to follow Jesus Christ, live honorable lives, care for the poor, and give of their time and talents in helping others.

Jesus said:

“A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. …

“… By their fruits ye shall know them.”²⁰

These explanations are convincing, but the sincere inquirer should not rely on them exclusively to settle his or her search for truth.

Each believer needs a spiritual confirmation of the divine mission and character of the Prophet Joseph Smith. This is true for every generation. Spiritual questions deserve spiritual answers from God.

…

The negative commentary about the Prophet Joseph Smith will increase as we move toward the Second Coming of the Savior. The half-truths and subtle deceptions will not diminish. There will be family members and friends who will need your help. Now is the time to adjust your own spiritual oxygen mask so that you are prepared to help others who are seeking the truth.²¹

A testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith can come differently to each of us. … With faith and real intent, your testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith will strengthen. The constant water balloon volleys from the sidelines may occasionally get you wet, but they need never, never extinguish your burning fire of faith.

To the youth listening today or reading these words in the days ahead, I give a specific challenge: Gain a personal witness of the Prophet Joseph Smith. Let your voice help fulfill Moroni’s prophetic words to speak good of the Prophet.

…

There are great and wonderful days ahead. President Thomas S. Monson has said: “This great cause … will continue to go forth, changing and blessing lives. … No force in the entire world can stop the work of God. Despite what comes, this great cause will go forward.”²³

…

In our society beyond the veil of death, we will clearly understand the sacred calling and divine mission of the Prophet Joseph Smith. In that not-too-distant day, you and I and “millions [more] shall know ‘Brother Joseph’ again.”—end of excerpt from Elder Andersen’s talk.

[close with my own testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith]

Closing hymn: “Praise to The Man” hymn number 27

closing prayer: by invitation

coloring pages for kids: