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Would You Have Believed Joseph?

Suppose you were one of the early converts to the church in the beginning. Would you have supported Joseph to the end? Or would you have been one who turned against him? It's easy for us to sit here almost 200 years later, with the History behind us and say we would have been faithful. But many strong members fell. One disaster after another, mobs, burned homes, financial ruin etc. I'm sure many members were asking why they were doing this, when will the blessings come. Then Joseph Smith starts some weird practices such as polygamy and you might say, it's time to get out of here.

Consider the Three Witnesses to the Book of Mormon. An angel came down from Heaven and appeared to them but they still left the church. Although none of the three ever denied their testimony of the Book of Mormon, they had plenty of bad things to say about the church Joseph was running. David Whitmer said that Joseph's calling was to bring the Book of Mormon to the world and that was it. Organizing the church and placing himsel as the Prophet, in power over everyone else was his own doing and he overstepped his calling. Oliver Cowdery was disgusted with polygamy and accused Joseph of adultery. I'm not sure why Martin Harris left.

I sometimes wonder if I would have become discouraged, re thinking my faith and maybe returning to family who saw the church as a cult.

Joseph Believed You Would

This is an excellent topic. I often wonder if I would have been a follower of Christ in his time as well. This is along those same lines. I would like to say I would have been faithful because I converted as an adult and my family can't understand why I am a member, yet it doesn't change that I am a member. Yet, I did have an extended period of inactivity so, who knows.

I think it would depend upon how strong my testimony was by the time the trials came. Was I just following the crowd, eager to be a part of something new, or, had I truly gained a testimony of the restored gospel? I know today, like I have never known before, how much the Lord loves me because he was with me through some very difficult times. So, at this point, my testimony is strong and I know the truthfulness of the restored gospel. Two years ago I had a testimony as well, and I considered it a strong one, yet it wasn't anywhere near as strong as it is today.

Would You Have Believed Joseph? Studies Doctrine Mormon

I think, like Tena said, my testimony would really determine how faithful I would have been. I would have really needed a strong testimony of the prophets, especially. I don't know if I could've followed Joseph Smith across the country... I don't think I could have survived as a pioneer, and I have a hard enough time with the persecution I face now, which isn't even close to as much as the early Saints faced. I'm glad I was chosen for this generation. I'm sure Heavenly Father knew what time on earth would be best for all of us.

Joseph Believed You Would

I do not know how I would have acted during Joseph's or Christ's time or any other time than my own. All I know is that I have received a testimony at this time and hope that I will improve on it as long as I remain here (and even after). I have been a member since 1968 and have looked very closely at Church History. I hope that I will continue to support the Gospel of Jesus Christ as restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith. If the question really is "Do I support the Prophet Joseph today?" then I would say an unequivocable "YES".

Joseph Believed You Would

This is a really hard quetsion to answer. I don't know. I think maybe yes but if he has asked me to be one of his wives then I would have probably run away and think he's nuts. Yep, that's my honest opinion. .

Would You Have Believed Joseph?

I think this is nearly an impossible question to answer considering that we didn't live during those times and most importantly that we didn't know Joseph.

Some years ago, I used to think there was no way that I would have been able to be a member in the the early years of the church concerning all of their funky beliefs. However, over the last few years, I have really done a lot of reading, studying and praying about Joseph and one thing that I have come to realize is that he was a very unique man. I don't mean that he translated the BOM, saw GOD, restored the Church, etc. But all that changed him, so that people were changed irrevocably simply by the process of meeting him and spending time around him. When you read books about him, it is the one feeling that I always come away with, the sense of wonder that people had about being around the Prophet.

With that means that tremendous forces of good surround him as does tremendous forces of the adversary. I would hope that I would have been one of those who would have been faithful to the prophet. But you never know, Judas Iscariot might have had a strong testimony at one time as well.