Joseph Smith and the Mormon Religion!

The bible of Mormon religion is a book called the "Book of Mormon". In actuality it is very similar to the New Testament Bible with which we are all familiar. According to Mormon gospel, the book of Mormon was written by many ancient prophets, and their words were written on golden plates. The words of the prophets were supposed to be written down by a prophet historian whose name was "Mormon".

The book of Mormon gives an account of two great civilizations. One of these civilizations came from Jerusalem in 600 BC. and then split into two nations which came to be known as the Nephites and the Lananites. The other great civilization came much earlier and were known as the Jaredites.

After thousands of years all these civilizations were destroyed except for the Lananites, which the Mormon gospel says are the principal ancestors of the American Indians. The most important segment of the "Book of Mormon" is thought to be the ministry of Jesus Christ.

When the prophet, historian, Mormon, completed His writings, it is said that He gave them to his son, Moroni. Moroni was thought to have added some teachings of his own, and then hid the plates in the hill of Cumoran. The Mormon gospel states that on September 21, 1823, Moroni, as an Ascended Being, appeared to the prophet, Joseph Smith.

Joseph Smith, just moments before this occurrence had been praying in his room, when he says, a light appeared in his room. This light became what Joseph Smith called the resurrected being, Moroni. He said Moroni was just floating in the air with His feet not touching the ground. He had a white robe on of exceedingly bright white light. Moroni said that he was a messenger sent by God, and that Joseph Smith had a mission to perform in service of God.

Moroni proceeded to tell Joseph that there was a book written in gold plates giving an account of the inhabitants of this continent (America), and where they came from. He also said that the everlasting gospel was contained within it. There were also two stones in silver bowls with these books, that Joseph could use in translating the book. Joseph was told that when the time was right to receive these books that he couldn’t show them to anyone except those people he was guided to show them to. Joseph was then given a vision as to where the golden books were hidden. Moroni then disappeared.

A few minutes later the room lit up again and Moroni returned and repeated the same story and added to it the prophecy of great destruction by famine, sword, and pestilence that was destined to occur in this generation. Moroni then disappeared again. A few minutes later it is said that He returned a third time and told the exact same story again adding that Satan would tempt Joseph to use the golden tablets to get rich. He warned Joseph that he should have no other purpose with these books but to glorify God, and he disappeared again for the last time.

As Joseph got up to work that day he found himself to be incredibly weak and could not do his farm work. His father sent him back to the house to go to bed, however, on the way home he passed out. When he awoke, Moroni had appeared again and told him the whole story again.

He then guided Joseph to tell his father of his experience. Joseph did as he was guided to and told his father the whole story. His father said that it was of God and that Joseph should do as he was commanded.

Joseph went to the physical location he had seen in his vision, to find the golden tablets. Joseph said the tables were hidden on the west side of a hill near the village of Manchester, in Ontario County, New York. They were hidden under a very large stone. The plates were hidden in a stone box, underneath this large boulder.

Everything was there as had been described to him and he had seen in his vision. Joseph was about to remove the gold tablets from the box when Moroni told him that the time was not right for the golden tablets to be removed. He was told that he would have to wait four years. he was guided to come to this same spot once a year every year until the four years had passed.

Each year Joseph returned and was met by Moroni and given instruction. At the end of four rears the Mormon gospel says that he was given the golden tablets and stone for interpreting the tablets. He was guided to protect these golden tablets at all costs until that time that Moroni would return for them and take them back Himself.

Joseph kept the golden tablets for eleven years and then returned them to Moroni on May 2nd, 1838. Eleven people in the "Book of Mormon" have given testimony that they have seen these golden plates and wrote their testimonies to this fact in the beginning of the "Book of Mormon".

These books are seen by the Mormons to be an additional witness to the fact that Jesus Christ is the son of God, and that all who follow His commandments can be saved. Joseph Smith is seen to be a revelator and prophet in these last days.

Their church is referred to as "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints". Integral to their teachings is the belief in the second coming of the Messiah. The "Book of Mormon" is thought to be a sacred record of the peoples of ancient America.

In the year 421 AD Moroni, who was the last of the nephite prophet/historians, is believed to have sealed these sacred books and hid it up unto the Lord, to be brought forth in latter days. In 1823 was when Moroni was said to have brought them forth again as was prophesied.