My Persuasive essay part one:

Joseph Smith:
The Man Who Talked To God

“I feel like the apostle Paul.  Some said he was dishonest.  Others said he was mad.  And he was ridiculed and reviled, but he knew he had seen a vision, and all the persecution under Heaven could not make it otherwise.  So it had been with me.  I had actually seen a light, and in the midst of that light I saw two personages, and they did in reality speak to me.  I had seen a vision.  I knew it, and I knew God knew it, and I could not deny it.”(Joseph Smith Jr.)  In regards to whether Joseph Smith, the first prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day saints saw the eternal God and his son, Jesus Christ in Sacred Grove or not, my standing belief and knowledge is that I know he did, because it was revealed to me by the Holy Ghost in the sacred town of Nauvoo, Illinois.  But how do I know that it’s real, that Joseph Smith wasn’t insane?  I know for many reasons, and there is plenty of evidence that denotes there was something special about Joseph Smith.  His greatest enemy’s hearts were softened towards him, claiming to the world that he was indeed a humble man in tune to the wishes of God.  The first reason I know that he saw God is that he was willing to withstand all manner of persecution willingly, and without malice, for so great was his faith in the Lord that he knew somehow he would be delivered, and he was.  He even suffered death humbly and willingly, that the work of the Lord might proceed.  Second, he had to have had divine right, help, and authority to do the miraculous and marvelous things he did. Some of these were translating the Book of Mormon (which was written on the Gold plates in Ancient Egyptian), curing the sick and wounded through the sacred power of the Priesthood, and receiving revelation that would lead and govern all the functions of the modern church today. The third and last main reason that I know that it’s true is because it specifically talks about it in the bible in Ezekiel 37:16.

            Joseph Smith was willing to withstand all manner of persecution willingly, and without malice, for so great was his faith in the Lord that he knew somehow he would be delivered, and he was.  Joseph Smith showed his devotion to God in many different ways.  One of them was that he was persecuted and mocked from the day that he saw God and his son, and he was but a boy of 14 when he had his vision.  In his short and difficult life, Joseph Smith was tarred and feathered at least ten times.  His enemies, driven by the lust and desires of the devil, wanted nothing more than to discontinue the work that Joseph Smith had been chosen to do.  One time, the angry mob broke into his house, woke him up, dragged him out in the street, and smeared boiling tar all over him, and then threw feathers on top.  Moreover, the mob had broken the door down, and their little baby, who had had Pneumonia, died later that night from the freezing wind blowing through the open cavity in the wall. Despite the agonizing pain he felt, and the sadness that lingered in his heart for the lost boy, the great man attended his church meetings early in the morning the very next day, undaunted by the abuse of his visitors the night before.  Secondly, he was thrown into Liberty Jail, which was a jail that was specifically designed to be impenetrable.  The worst criminals were sent there, and here Joseph Smith and his men were sent, having done nothing wrong.  These men were in the jail for 6 months, 6 horrible, horrible months.  They were fed poison food, and poison water, and had nothing but filthy straw to lie on.  They were taken from their families, and despite these many tribulations they faced, Joseph prayed and worried continuously for his family, and the families of the other suffering saints.  Many of the Prophet’s prayers went unanswered, causing him to make this one final plea: “Oh God, where art thou? And where is the pavilion that covereth up thy hiding place?”

“My son, peace be unto thy soul. Thine adversity and thine affliction shall be but a small moment, and if thou endure it well, God will exhort thee on high.”

Joseph learned that the reason he had been sent to Liberty Jail was to be perfected and learn patience through the adversities he faced. He came out of the jail better man, so much better.  Another example of the trials Joseph withstood was that of the Martyrdom of Joseph Smith.  As that great man hugged his wife, and kissed his children goodbye in that spring of 1844, he knew as did his other comrades that he would not be coming back.  He mounted his horse and rode to Carthage jail from Nauvoo, Illinois.  I have been to Carthage jail twice, and I have seen the door with the bullet hole in it that took Hyrum Smith, Joseph’s brother’s life, and in that small room, I received witness of the event.  My bosom burned, and I was weak.  I began to cry.  I knew, right then and there that Joseph Smith truly was a man of God, and he died for his God, his father in Heaven.  Joseph Smith had a special relationship and communication pathway with God as the Prophet of the church.  Through, the Lord, he was able to do all things; things he never ever would have been able to do without him.

To Be Continued,

Dingbat out!