ARTICLE FOUR.
The Choice Seer.
A Prenatal Naming.—Let us now take a closer view of this marvelous man, Joseph Smith, the most extraordinary character that has appeared upon our planet in the past two thousand years. His coming into the world fulfilled a prophecy uttered many centuries before his birth—a prophecy concerning "a choice seer," to be raised up "out of the loins" of Joseph who was sold into Egypt. The seer's name was likewise to be Joseph, and this also was to be the name of his father.[[1]] That prophecy was fulfilled in Joseph Smith, Jr., the founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. "Joseph the Seer"—so is he designated by divine revelation.[[2]]
Like great Cyrus, who liberated the Jews from their captivity in Babylon,[[3]] the Lord's anointed in modern times, raised up to begin the work of Israel's final and complete redemption, was named and his mission outlined long before he had tabernacled in the flesh. Why he came gifted with the power of seership, was made manifest at the very beginning of his career.
Birth and Parentage.—Joseph the Seer was born at Sharon, Vermont, two days before Christmas, in the year 1805. When only a lad, living with his parents, Joseph and Lucy Smith, honest farm folk in the backwoods of Western New York, his career as a prophet began.
In Quest of Wisdom.—Partly from the effects of a religious revival held in his neighborhood, he became much concerned upon the subject of his soul's salvation, but was bewildered and unable to make choice of a church or creed, owing to the diverse and conflicting claims of the various Christian sects. While in this mood, he chanced upon the following passage of scripture: "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."[[4]] Deeply impressed with the sacred words, he forthwith resolved to ask from God the wisdom of which he stood in need.
The First Vision.—Retiring to a grove near his father's home, he knelt in prayer to the Most High; but had scarcely begun his humble and earnest petition, when he was seized upon by a power that filled his soul with horror and paralyzed his tongue so that he could no longer speak. So terrible was the visitation, that he almost gave way to despair. Yet he continued to pray—in thought, with "the soul's sincere desire"—and just at the moment when he feared he must abandon himself to destruction, he saw, directly over his head, a light more brilliant than the noonday sun. In the midst of a pillar of glory he beheld two beings in human form, one of whom, pointing to the other, said: "This is my beloved Son, hear Him."[[5]]
All Churches Astray.—With the appearance of the Light, the boy found himself delivered from the fettering power of the Evil One. As soon as he could again command utterance, he inquired of his heavenly visitants which of all the religious denominations was right—which one was the true Church of Christ? To his astonishment, he was told that none of them was right; that they had all gone out of the way. Their creeds were an abomination, and their professors corrupt. "They draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; they teach for doctrine the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof." So spake the Son of God concerning the churches.[[6]] He declared that he did not recognize any of them; but was about to restore the Everlasting Gospel, with the powers of the Eternal Priesthood, and establish his Church once more in the midst of mankind.
Such was Joseph Smith's first vision and revelation. It came in the spring of 1820, when he was but a few months over fourteen years of age.
The Divine Personality.—The greater part of this wonderful manifestation was the part that did not speak—the silent revealing of the personality of God; a truth plainly taught in the Scriptures, but ignored or denied by modern Christianity. The object worshiped by the sects was defined in their theology as a being "without body, parts or passions."[[7]] That was the popular concept of Deity throughout Christendom when Joseph Smith and "Mormonism" came forth. In line with this tenet and teaching, an English poet of the eighteenth century had represented God as a "Mind" or "Soul" that