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How Did the Angel Moroni Prepare Joseph Smith to Be a Prophet? #707 · Scripture Central

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  Accordingly, as I had been commanded, I went at the end of
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  each year and at each time I found the same messenger there
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  and received instruction and intelligence from him at each of
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  our interviews, respecting what the Lord was going to do and how
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  and in what manner His Kingdom was to be conducted in the last
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  days. Hey listeners, this is Nick from
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  Scripture Central and today's podcast addresses the question
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  How did the Angel Moroni prepare Joseph Smith to be a prophet?
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  In September 1823, the 17 year old Joseph Smith was visited by
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  an Angel named Moroni who informed the young Joseph that
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  there was a book deposited written upon gold plates giving
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  an account of the former inhabitants of this continent
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  and the source from whence they sprang.
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  He also said that the fullness of the everlasting gospel was
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  contained in it as delivered by the Savior to the ancient
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  inhabitants. Throughout the course of the
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  night, Moroni continued to instruct Joseph Smith regarding
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  this record, now known as the Book of Mormon.
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  Moroni also told Joseph many things that prepared him for his
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  future work as a prophet of God. Moroni's instructions did not
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  end that first night. After Joseph arrived at the hill
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  where the plates were buried, He was informed that the time for
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  bringing them forth had not yet arrived.
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  Neither would it until four years from that time.
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  But he told me that I should come to that place precisely in
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  one year from that time, and that he would there meet with
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  me, and that I should continue to do so until the time should
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  come for obtaining the plates. Thus Joseph went to this hill on
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  September 21st, 182418251826 and 1827.
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  On each of those annual occasions.
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  Joseph received instruction and intelligence from Moroni at each
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  of our interviews, not only about the Book of Mormon, but
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  also respecting what the Lord was going to do and how and in
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  what manner His Kingdom was to be conducted in the last days.
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  While we do not know the full details of the instruction and
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  intelligence Moroni shared with Joseph, it is clear that
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  whatever Joseph learned, it shaped his prophetic career in
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  many ways. During his 15 year ministry from
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  1829 to 1844. After examining many of the
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  existing accounts of the coming 4th of the Book of Mormon,
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  Legrand L Baker has observed that several principles appear
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  to have been taught to Joseph by Moroni during these annual
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  visits. Consider the following three One
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  principle impressed upon the young prophet's mind was that
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  one does not speak too openly about sacred things.
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  While this principle had previously been taught to Joseph
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  through his first vision, Moroni would reinforce that principle
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  when he explained that Joseph must show the plates to no one
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  until he had permission to do so.
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  This had clearly been a lesson that caused Joseph to be
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  hesitant to share his experience with his father, despite
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  Moroni's instructions to tell your father of this, for he will
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  believe every word you say. Between this time and the time
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  the Book of Mormon was published, Joseph was careful
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  not to show anyone the plates intent on keeping this sacred
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  principle. Another principle Joseph Smith
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  learned during this time was how to recognize the promptings of
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  the Holy Spirit in contrast to the temptations of the devil.
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  On Maroni's third visit to Joseph on the first night, he
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  added a caution to me, telling me that Satan would try to tempt
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  me in consequence of the indigent circumstances of my
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  father's family to get the plates for the purpose of
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  getting rich. The only way Joseph could
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  receive the record, however, was if he were to overcome this
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  temptation and have no other object in view in getting the
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  plates, but to glorify God and not be influenced by any other
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  motive than that of building his Kingdom.
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  When Joseph arrived at the hill, as Oliver Cowdrey would later
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  report, he began to wonder about the worth of the plates and the
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  possibility of possessing enough treasure to finally free his
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  family from poverty. Because of this, Joseph was
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  prevented from touching the gold plates.
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  The Angel Moroni again appeared and showed Joseph a vision.
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  Joseph beheld the Prince of darkness, surrounded by his
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  innumerable train of associates. All this passed before him, and
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  the heavenly messenger said, All this is shown the good and the
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  evil, the holy and impure, the glory of God, and the power of
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  darkness that you may know hereafter the 2 powers and never
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  be influenced or overcome by that wicked one.
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  Although aspects of this account may have been embellished by
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  Oliver Cowdrey, this event would have undoubtedly been formative
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  for the young prophet. Even though Joseph desired a
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  good thing that is helping his struggling family, Joseph
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  learned just how subtle Satan can be.
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  Because Joseph learned this, he also learned how to recognize
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  the opposite. The Holy Ghost can be trusted
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  all the time, whereas one's emotions cannot.
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  A third key principle was taught the following year, namely that
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  integrity is found in keeping one's covenants with the Lord.
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  During one of his visits, Moroni told Joseph Smith that he was
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  allowed to take the plates to his house.
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  Moroni instructed Joseph you must take them into your hands
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  and go straight to the house without delay and immediately
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  lock them in a secure place. After promising to do so, Joseph
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  was about to leave with the plates in his hands when he
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  thought of the other items in the box.
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  Wanting to take care of these other sacred items, Joseph laid
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  the record down in order to cover up the box, lest someone
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  should come along and take away whatever else might be deposited
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  there. However, when Joseph turned to
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  pick the plates up a second time, he realized they had
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  vanished. After praying, Moro and I
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  appeared and informed Joseph that he had taken the record.
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  Because Joseph had not done as he was commanded.
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  In that he laid down the record. Even though Joseph again had
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  good intentions, he learned that it is always best to obey the
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  Lord and be true to one's covenants with him.
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  Just as the Lord secured the plates in this instance, He
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  could have secured the other items without causing Joseph to
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  break his promise. As Joseph met with Moro and I
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  over the next four years, he learned many important lessons.
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  Legrand Baker has specifically outlined 7 principles Joseph
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  learned during these meetings. Knowing the importance of the
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  work Joseph was called to do, both the Lord and the Angel
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  Moroni worked hard to ensure that Joseph learned all the
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  lessons he needed in order to translate the Book of Mormon.
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  Joseph was obedient and diligent as he received these annual
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  tutorials. He succeeded because he took
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  these instructions seriously. While many readers of Latter Day
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  St. History may focus on the initial
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  visit of Moroni in 1823 and Joseph's retrieval of the plates
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  in 1827, it is clear that all of Moroni's visits were formative
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  for Joseph Smith. In this process, Joseph learned
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  the principle of continuing revelation that God reveals line
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  upon line, precept upon precept. Blessed with God's abundance,
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  Joseph learned to seek to receive the fullness of the
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  everlasting gospel of Jesus Christ.
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  This allowed him to learn additional principles.
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  All of the events Joseph experienced between 1823 and the
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  coming 4th of the Book of Mormon in 1830 were given to him in the
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  wisdom of the Lord in order to train and nurture him as a
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  growing and maturing prophet of the Lord.
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  As Baker observed, Joseph had learned from Moroni how to obey
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  and how to know what to obey. He had learned the meaning and
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  triumph of sacrifice. Then the Holy Ghost opened to
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  his understanding the true meaning of the mysteries of the
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  fullness of the gospel as recorded in the Book of Mormon.
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  As a result, Joseph now had the power to commit all that he had
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  and all that he was to the establishment and growth of the
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  Kingdom of God. Through these experiences,
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  Moroni not only taught Joseph how to be a prophet of God, but
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  also gave every faithful person a master class on how to receive
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  personal revelation and magnify the callings that our loving
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  Heavenly Father extends to all His faithful children here in
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  this mortal existence. Thank you for listening to this
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  presentation from Scripture Central.
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  For more information, please visit scripturecentral.org.