The Latter-Day Prophet: History of Joseph Smith Written for Young People

by George Q. Cannon

1836.

THE PROPHET'S GROWTH IN KNOWLEDGE—GLORIOUS VISIONS IN THE TEMPLE—DEDICATION—KEYS OF THIS DISPENSATION CONFERRED—ELDERS GO OUT TO PREACH.

Do you remember in one of the early chapters of this book it was said that when Joseph began translating the Book of Mormon he could not spell so well as an ordinary schoolboy of these days? His ignorance was not because he was dull or lazy. His energies were spent in the field and forest, and he did not live among people that wrote much or had much knowledge of books. Just as soon though as he began spending his time in the Lord's service, his learning grew very fast.

In translating the Book of Mormon Joseph was in the best school a man could attend. The Holy Ghost, which is the spirit of intelligence, inspired his mind, and he read and understood a strange language entirely different from our own. When he finished this work he probably had more knowledge of the Egyptian writing than any other man living. The work on the Book of Mormon gave him also a better grasp and understanding of English, and caused within him a thirst for learning that was never quenched. His work in rewriting the Bible helped him very much, and when he translated the books and writings of Abraham and Moses from the Egyptian found on the papyrus with the mummies, he was a well educated man. He understood much concerning the movement of stars and heavenly bodies, and more important, he knew that in the past many of them were worlds like ours and are now as ours will be. He understood how people should be governed. And the highest knowledge of all—he knew our Father in Heaven, better than did any one else on earth.

Think what a blessing this last is! If a bright boy works with an intelligent man whom he admires very much, it is not long until he begins to look at matters just as his older friend does. When that friend is the Lord and the boy is any righteous human being, this same thing happens, only when we look at matters as the Lord looks at them we are not led astray by the opinions of men, but we see the absolute, the whole truth.

The Prophet was now a man thirty years old, and yet with all the other duties he found time to go to school. He studied a number of subjects but was perhaps most interested in Hebrew. A fine Jewish scholar was employed to teach the brethren at Kirtland, and this man said he had never seen a class learn so quickly. The Prophet loved education and true knowledge, and even in the hardest troubles found time to study. He set the example, children, every one of you follow it through life. Study hard and learn all that is true and good and beautiful, and your lives will be far more happy and far more useful.

We have come now to one of the great reasons why God did not direct all of His Saints to go to Missouri but kept a part of them for a number of years in Kirtland. He permitted some to go to Jackson county and buy land there and begin to build up Zion. The Saints were not righteous enough to prevail against the persecutions of their enemies and were driven away from their land. But the feeling was left in their hearts and in the hearts of their children and in the hearts of all true Latter-day Saints that we have a claim on Jackson county, and it will be the greatest joy of our lives to go back and redeem Zion in the Lord's own time.

Now our Father in Heaven in His mercy kept some of the Saints in Kirtland where they could build a temple to Him and receive the holy endowments and blessings that had been given to few people on earth.

It was in July, 1833, that the corner stones of this first temple built in latter days were laid. March 27, 1836, was the day on which it was dedicated, so you see that less than three years were used in building it. The Salt Lake temple was forty years being built, but it is far larger and more costly than was the one at Kirtland.

Before the dedication many glorious things took place that prepared the leading Elders and the Prophet for the great event. One night in the latter part of January the First Presidency and some of the Elders from Missouri as well as from Kirtland came together for the purpose of anointing one another. Joseph and his counselors first poured oil on the head of Joseph Smith, Sen., the Patriarch of the Church, and he in turn blessed them.