The life and works of the Prophet Joseph Smith invoke in me thoughts and actions of humble gratitude. It is impossible for me to know what my life would be like in the absence of all the direction and meaning the restored gospel of Jesus Christ has and does provide to me. However, I can imagine some of the possible directions my life might have taken by looking about in this world at the range of existences most of our brothers and sisters are experiencing who remain outside of the gospel net either as a result of their conscious decisions or their lack of opportunity to hear and accept the gospel. In the face of what might have been, I thank my Father in Heaven regularly for the blessings of knowing the gospel and for my testimony of its truthfulness. Likewise, my prayers include a plea that I will have the strength to remain steadfast to his will and obedient to the teachings of his chosen servants.
Having studied the life of the Prophet Joseph Smith and having applied the lessons of some of his experiences to my own circumstances, I have come to possess a personal knowledge that our Father in Heaven is real and, that among other things, He hears and answers prayers. I knew this in an unsophisticated way while but a small boy. Through personal experiences so numerous that the vast majority of them have been long forgotten, I know that by means of His Spirit we may receive direction in the spiritual and secular matters that crowd our lives if we will but seek to obey his word and ask Him in faith. From a very early age and throughout my life, I have sought to have a close personal relationship with my Father in Heaven. To the extent that I have been successful, I have enjoyed his direction in my righteous endeavors and his comfort and solace in times of trial. Of both situations, there have been countless occurrences.
We learn from each of the Standard Works as well as the Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith that all we possess, even our very lives, we have received as gifts from God. A true understanding of this fact should deflate any propensity on our part to boast of our personal successes vis-à-vis our children’s accomplishments, our professional advancements, our accumulated wealth, or the recognitions and flatterings of men. Further, we are taught and should understand that we are stewards of all our gifts and possessions. As such, we will be judged on how well we have managed and enhanced that with which we have been blessed including the uses to which we have placed our resources for the benefit of not only ourselves and our families but very importantly of others.
I am very appreciative to the Prophet Joseph Smith for his translations of the Bible and of The Book of Mormon, the latter standing as an additional witness to the Bible’s truth. The companionship of these two books greatly facilitates our ability to teach the restored gospel to our families, friends, and the world at large. I personally revel in the revelations of this dispensation. In the books of Moses, Abraham, and most certainly the Doctrine and Covenants, the elements of the Plan of Salvation take on a significance, a level of detail, and a relevance the Bible and the Book of Mormon cannot provide. Also the Doctrine and Covenants contains revelations peculiar to our day. Of this book of scripture, President Joseph Fielding Smith wrote, “It is our book. It belongs to the Latter-day Saints. More precious than gold, the Prophet says we should treasure it more than the riches of the whole earth. I wonder if we do?” (Doctrines of Salvation 3:199)
I am grateful to the Prophet Joseph Smith for the line upon line restoration of the gospel, the Priesthood, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints which provide us not only with the knowledge of who we are in relationship to God but with the understanding and means to obtain eternal life and thus live with Him again and potentially become as He is. Integral to this process is the restoration of the instructions and ordinances of the temple endowment and the authority to seal eternally husbands and wives and their children, generation upon generation. The eternal family is a reality within our reach. Speaking personally, I cannot comprehend what the next life would be like if I did not have the possibility of the continued companionship of my very best friend, my dear wife.
On a very personal note, I am a great, great grandson of Hyrum Smith, the Prophet’s brother. So it is that these two martyrs are numbered among our family. During my growing years, the stories told concerning them were the same as those related by any Latter-day Saint parent to their children, but there is an additional emotional tie and relevance to their experiences when the subjects are your ancestors, not that far removed. During my life, I have felt an immediacy and a responsibility to live in accordance with their teachings and to be true to the work for which they gave their all.
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