The Dew From Heaven
Joseph Smith, Jr.
Introduction to the Prophet Joseph Smith
The Prophet Joseph Smith was born December 23, 1805 to a family of farmers. In his relatively short life of 39 years, he became arguably one of the most controversial figures in human history. He is the most prolific of any prophet, producing thousands of pages of scripture, sermons, letters, and sacred history. The Joseph Smith Papers project cataloged over 9000 separate documents related to Joseph Smith. His religious history starts with his first vision, which happened when he was 14. In his vision he saw God the Father, and Jesus Christ.
His second vision occurred when he was 17. A angel stood at the side of his bed.
Joseph Smith was selected by God to find and translate an ancient American record into English. The book was written on gold plates, and hid in a stone box around 400 AD. In it is the sacred history of the Nephite Nation. Today, we know this book as The Book of Mormon.
Joseph Smith started to receive revelations, instructing him on the restoration of the church of Jesus Christ to the earth. These are contained in a book known as The Doctrine and Covenants.
Testimony of Mary Alice Cannon
Mary Alice Cannon was born in Liverpool, where she and her parents first heard of the Prophet Joseph Smith, and were baptized. They decided to leave Liverpool and join the saints in Nauvoo. Mary's mother died during the voyage, along with her unborn child. Mary's father died a year later of disease, leaving Mary to care for the younger children. The following is her testimony.
"I first saw Joseph mith in the spring of 1843 when the boat in which we came up the Mississippi river reached the landing at Nauvoo. Several of the leading brethren were there to meet the company of saints that had come on it. Among those brethren was the Prophet Joseph Smith. I knew him the instant my eyes rested upon him. And at that moment I received my testimony that he was a prophet of God. For I had never had such a feeling for mortal man as thrilled my being when my eyes first rested upon Joseph Smith. He was not pointed out to me. I knew him from all other men, and child that I was, I was only 14, I knew that I saw a prophet of God." (Mary Alice Cannon Lambert)