The Bishop asked that I take a few minutes and outline how studying the life of our beloved Prophet Joseph Smith could help us become closer to the savior.

I suppose that one of the best ways to complete such an assignment is to use the life of Joseph Smith as a template or a pattern for us, and in so doing if we might emulate some of the important qualities that Joseph had and displayed in his life we might incorporate them in our own life and make them part of our own success bloodstream.

First a quick understanding of who Joseph was.

Recently, President Gordon B. Hinckley testified: “The story of Joseph’s life is the story of a miracle. He was born in poverty. He was reared in adversity. He was driven from place to place, falsely accused, and illegally imprisoned. He was murdered at the age of 38. Yet in the brief space of 20 years preceding his death, he accomplished what none other has accomplished in an entire life-time.”

He was of rather large statue standing over 6’ 2” in height, and weighting around 200 pounds, he was physically built, well tapered with broad shoulders. He enjoyed wrestling, jumping at the mark, and pulling up stakes. He was often found playing baseball, and creating games with the boy’s, which he seemed to enjoy very much he said “when I am with the boys I will make all the fun I can”

He was a man, an example, a prophet, he was not perfect like the savior, he was not a God, he was human and had to learn to control the passions of life just like we do. He once said “ I have a subtle devil to deal with, and I can only curb him by being humble. No braggadocio, no threats, no vain glorying, you do not have power over the adversary and his hosts except thru the power of Christ. And you do not have such power save you are humble and receptive.” Well he was humble and receptive and as a result we can use his life, his example as a model for us.

The mere fact that he was not perfect, provides us with a resource, a template, a pattern with which we might overlay the experiences of Joseph Smith onto our own lives and in doing so we can gain valuable insight into directions and actions that we might take in our own lives.

First Joseph showed Exceeding great faith - as was shown time and time again as he endured trail after trail and persevered. While a young man he possessed a simple and unwavering faith that inspired him that if he approached the Lord with a question as to which church to join - he would get an answer. As he read those verses in James
James 1:5-7 5 “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.
6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. “

We often stop after we read verse 5 - but one should quickly come to understand that it was not in merely asking, but Joseph possessed an un-canning amount of faith and trust that the Lord would answer his prayer.

He also believed in the testimony of others, while he studied the scriptures he incorporated those principles line upon line assimilating each one as a part of his own character.

The Gift of prophecy - the ability to anticipate future events. He had given prophecies well into the thousands if you include letters he wrote, blessings he gave, sermons and scriptures delivered. He was told by the Lord whenever he was waved down with trouble and could see no way out that he should prophecy, and that he would do so the Lord would bless me with the spirit of prophecy and with the power to see it come to pass . It was by and thru this spirit of prophecy that he further bound himself to the will of the Lord. You see when one prophecies he becomes a part of the plan for it’s fulfillment, we commit to do all that we can to bring it to pass.

Joseph was blessed with the gift of discernment - the ability to recognize that something is wrong or not right. He lived close enough to the Lord that he once said “the way I know in whom to confide, is that God tells me in whom I may place confidence.” On one occasion a man assigned as an undercover spy against the prophet tried to work himself into the good graces of the prophet. Just as he thought that he had done so the prophet invited him to go for a walk. As they approached the crest of a hill, the prophet stopped him, called him by name and said “I know your plan, do not make a move or I will demonstrate the power of God to you - go your way” It was true, as was later learned that this man had planned to kidnap the prophet and so he went away cursing.

Joseph was given the ability to understand - He was given to understand the whole plan of salvation, he saw and understood to plan from the beginning to the end. He said on one occasion “I have the whole plan of the kingdom before me”. He had received it from visions, dreams, first hand from messengers set from God on various occassions. He said of the 76th section of the D&C “I could reveal 100 times more if the saints were prepared, and if the Lord would permit”. 100 times more would be equivalent to the entire D&C today.

Joseph was an example of Charity and compassion - The Prophet’s own personal journal records a touching entry about his gravely ill father - to which he wrote: “Waited on my father again, who was very sick. In secret prayer in the morning, the Lord said, ‘My servant, thy father shall live.’ I waited on him all this day with my heart raised to God in the name of Jesus Christ, that He would restore him to health, that I might be blessed with his company and advice, esteeming it one of the greatest earthly blessings to be blessed with the society of parents, whose mature years and experience render them capable of administering the most wholesome advice.”

He lived, studied and prayed so that he may be Divinely taught - he taught us that “The way to get truth and wisdom is not to seek it from books, but to go to God in prayer and obtain divine teaching”. He was as familiar with the ancient prophets as were are with one another. He was taught by Paul, he knew Peter, he knew James and John, he knew Adam and Eve, he knew Abraham, he knew Enoch, he knew Nephi the son of Lehi as well as Nephi the son of Heleman, Moroni - and the list still continues on.

He was a great Healer - Just as the Savior headed the sick the prophet Joseph Smith taught worthy priesthood holders the proper way to administer to the sick. On one occasion Joseph pled with the brethren to “cease exercising the forms without the power” again he said to four men gathered to give a blessing “four of you should gather around this person taking turns blessing this person until one of you receives the spirit sufficiently to make divine promise”. They did as they were instructed and after three rounds of blessing Hyrmn the prophets brother, made a divine promise and the man was healed.

He like the savior was a master teacher, with little formal education, that was of no import. He was a prophet blessed with wisdom and intelligence from above he had knowledge and could teach it, he had wisdom the wisdom that comes from first hand experience and could teach it.

The Prophet Joseph Smith could hold the attention of thousands for hours while he preached the truths of the restored gospel. President Brigham Young (1801–77) described the Prophet’s inspired teaching ability: “He took heaven, figuratively speaking, and brought it down to earth; and he took the earth, brought it up, and opened up, in plainness and simplicity, the things of God. … Did not Joseph do the same to your understandings? Would he not take the Scriptures and make them so plain and simple that everybody could understand?”

He was given the power to be mighty in testimony, he had a testimony that was mighty enough that other’s would say that when he bore his testimony “it almost shook the whole earth”. He had knowledge and he taught it. He once said of wisdom “when God commands - do it”.

He lived his life as he knew he should - he was an example

He was well versed in trail - and He taught us the purpose of trail - while he was a prisoner in the jail at Liberty, Missouri, he penned the following: March 1839 D&C 122:7-9
7 And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good.
8 The son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than he?
9 Therefore, hold on thy way, and the priesthood shall remain with thee; for their bounds are set, they cannot pass. Thy days are known, and thy years shall not be numbered less; therefore, fear not what man can do, for God shall be with you forever and ever.

It has been said that the truest measure of a man comes when he is tried. Joseph suffered almost every kind of trial possible from health; having his bone removed a chip at a time without medication, physical beatings, being covered with hot tar and then subsequently feathered, having his most trusted friends turn on him. Yet he remained true and faithful.

Early on Joseph was given a revelation to "Be patient in thy afflictions for thou shall have many." he taught that “If you cannot endure persecution you cannot endure the celestial kingdom”. Joseph was an an example, a model of how to call on the savior in our times of trial. How we need to learn to lean on the Savior.

If Joseph can bear all that he bore because of his relationship with the Lord - then what more can we expect of our relationship with the Lord. We learn from him that if the Lord loved Joseph; and we know that he did, and yet he was permitted so many trials why should we expect less - we will, we must be tried too.

He taught us that we too can get a testimony for ourselves - While Joseph was isolated in a jail bearing the name of LIberty. He wrote a letter; part of which is found in our Doctrine and Covenants. The part that is not included is equally profound. He said ”The things of God are of deep import, and time, and experience, and careful, and ponderous, and solemn thoughts can only find them out. Thy mind oh man if thou will lead a soul unto salvation must stretch as high as the utmost heaven and search into and contemplate the darkest abyss. Thou must commune with God.”

We must get the answers for ourselves - In Moroni 10:2-5

2 And I seal up these records, after I have spoken a few words by way of exhortation unto you.
Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, [The first thing is not to pray but to what? Ponder the mercy of God. Where do we find the mercies of God to Adam? In the Bible. Interesting that the Book of Mormon ends with the same plead as it starts with. 1 Ne. 20 (Ponder the mercies of God)] from the creation of Adam [man or mankind – in the council in heaven we agreed using our agency to be bound by the consequences of any action of Adam who was to be our first parent – just as we are bound by any actions of any other of our parents – some are born into the church others are not…] even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.
4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.
5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.

He left us with this powerful testimony -
D&C 76: 22-24
22 And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives!
23 For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father—
24 That by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God.

To which I add mine...