Gospel Doctrine: Selections from the Sermons and Writings of Joseph F. Smith

by Joseph F. Smith

Now this is not the testimony of John. This is the testimony of Luke, another of the disciples of Christ.

"And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight. And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures? And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them, saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon. And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread. And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit bath not flesh and bones as ye see me have. And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet. And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat? And they gave him a piece of broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. And he took it, and did eat before them. And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me." (Luke 24:30-44)

Now, shall we accept the scriptural definition of the resurrection of the body? Shall we accept Christ's manifestation in his own person resurrected from the dead? Or shall we take the Rev. Mr. Phillip's opinion of it, that the death of the body and the separation of the spirit from it is the resurrection of the dead? Which do you choose?

Joseph the Prophet declared in the Book of Doctrine and Covenants (Sec. 130:22) that the Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man's, and the Son of God has a body of flesh and bones as he himself has declared that he has, and is not a mere spirit, but is a risen being, a resurrected soul. And the Holy Ghost is a personage of spirit, but not a personage of bones and flesh, as are the Father and the Son. Consequently, the Holy Spirit, or the Holy Ghost, may be conferred upon men, and he may dwell with them for a while, or he may continue to dwell with them in accordance with their worthiness, and he may depart from them at his will.

Now I am going to read a little from the Book of Mormon, a book of scripture that was translated by the gift and power of God, for the voice of God declared to the three witnesses that it had been translated by the gift and power of God and that it was true. The three witnesses declared and testified to its truth, and eight other witnesses, besides the Prophet Joseph, declared that they beheld the plates and handled them, and saw the engravings on them, and that they do know that Joseph Smith did have the plates from which the Book of Mormon was translated. And it is one of the greatest puzzles to scientists that they are discovering in the path of ancient civilization of this continent evidences and proofs of the divinity of the Book of Mormon, that they cannot dispute or gainsay. And their wonder is, how Joseph Smith, a man unlearned in history, in theology, in science, a man without book learning, practically, could ever so closely hit upon facts that are now being discovered by explorers and scientists throughout this historical country, that the Book of Mormon covers, and they say it is perplexing to them. It is astonishing to them that three men could testify, as the three witnesses to the Book of Mormon have testified, and that the eight other witnesses could testify as they have done, and yet not one of them ever repudiate his testimony. They cannot understand and they cannot account for it upon any scientific principle. If it was a fraud, and these men were deceived or led into a trap, and did it by sophistry or with a purpose of deceiving the world, surely some one or more of them would have risen to the truth before they died and have divulged the fraud. But no, not one of them did. They apostatized from Joseph, but they did not deny the divinity of the Book of Mormon. They remained faithful and true to their testimony to that. True, they declared that Joseph Smith had gone astray, that the Church had gone astray, just like all other apostates have declared. You never saw apostates anywhere who would admit that they were wrong; but they always claim that they are right, and the Church is wrong. So it was with Oliver Cowdery until he repented and returned to the Church.

So it was with David Whitmer until the day of his death. He believed that Joseph had been led astray, first, into receiving the Melchizedek Priesthood as well as the Aaronic priesthood. That he received the Aaronic priesthood and was ordained under the band of John the Baptist he admitted and believed, but he denied any ordination under the hands of Peter, James, and John to the Melchizedek priesthood, and consequently he went to work and organized a church and a presidency after the order of the Aaronic priesthood. But never, up to the time of his death, did he deny his testimony as one of the three witnesses, and in his dying words he declared that his testimony contained in this book is true.

So did Oliver Cowdery. He came back into the Church after saying many bad things and after wandering about for a while, and confessed his follies and his wrong, and claimed that if he could only be permitted to come back a lay member in the Church it would be all that he could ask, or would ask for. He felt that he was unworthy of anything better or greater, and he was permitted to come back and be baptized.

Martin Harris also came back and was baptized into the Church, and died with his testimony on his lips, for not one of them ever repudiated his testimony.

Furthermore, not one of the eight witnesses ever did either. Neither did the Prophet Joseph. So, here you have a record, the witnesses of which remain unimpeached and whose integrity no power beneath the kingdom of God can impeach, for they told the truth, and they abode in the truth which they told until they died in the flesh.

Now, one of the ancient disciples or prophets who lived upon this continent, who was inspired of God and who delivered this message to the world afterwards that was engraven upon plates of gold, and preserved and handed down and revealed in this dispensation of the world, has something precious to say upon this subject. This is not from Jerusalem. This is not a message that was delivered to the disciples of Christ in Jerusalem; but this is a message that was delivered by a prophet who lived upon this continent;—and here are his words: