Is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints True?
A Preface to Our Study of Doctrine and Covenants 10-11
This week we are studying Doctrine and Covenants sections 10 and 11.
The background for these sections includes the tragic loss of the 116 pages, foreseen and foreknown by God, and the Lord’s instructions on how to proceed with the translation of the Book of Mormon.
The glorious foundations of the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, including Joseph Smith’s First Vision, the ministering of the angel Moroni, and the translation of the Book of Mormon brought a burst of Heavenly light into the world. God’s pure light and love flowed through the angel Moroni, the Prophet Joseph Smith, and the pages of the Book of Mormon. As we learn in sections 10 and 11, evil and darkness continued to prowl around and plot against the goodness and light of the Restoration.
Do you remember Joseph Smith’s description of his first theophany and the aftermath?
At about the age of twelve years, my mind become seriously impressed with regard to the all-important concerns for the welfare of my immortal soul, which led me to searching the scriptures—believing, as I was taught, that they contained the word of God and thus applying myself to them. My intimate acquaintance with those of different denominations led me to marvel exceedingly, for I discovered that they did not adorn their profession by a holy walk and godly conversation agreeable to what I found contained in that sacred depository. This was a grief to my soul.
Thus, from the age of twelve years to fifteen I pondered many things in my heart concerning the situation of the world of mankind, the contentions and divisions, the wickedness and abominations, and the darkness which pervaded the minds of mankind. My mind became exceedingly distressed, for I became convicted of my sins, and by searching the scriptures I found that mankind did not come unto the Lord but that they had apostatized from the true and living faith, and there was no society or denomination that was built upon the gospel of Jesus Christ as recorded in the New Testament. I felt to mourn for my own sins and for the sins of the world, for I learned in the scriptures that God was the same yesterday, today, and forever, that he was no respecter of persons, for he was God.
For I looked upon the sun, the glorious luminary of the earth, and also the moon, rolling in their majesty through the heavens, and also the stars shining in their courses, and the earth also upon which I stood, and the beasts of the field, and the fowls of heaven, and the fish of the waters, and also man walking forth upon the face of the earth in majesty and in the strength of beauty, whose power and intelligence in governing the things which are so exceedingly great and marvelous, even in the likeness of him who created them. And when I considered upon these things, my heart exclaimed, “Well hath the wise man said, ‘It is a fool that saith in his heart, there is no God.’” My heart exclaimed, “All, all these bear testimony and bespeak an omnipotent and omnipresent power, a being who maketh laws and decreeth and bindeth all things in their bounds, who filleth eternity, who was and is and will be from all eternity to eternity.” And I considered all these things and that that being seeketh such to worship him as worship him in spirit and in truth.
Therefore, I cried unto the Lord for mercy, for there was none else to whom I could go and obtain mercy. And the Lord heard my cry in the wilderness, and while in the attitude of calling upon the Lord, in the sixteenth year of my age, a pillar of light above the brightness of the sun at noonday came down from above and rested upon me. I was filled with the spirit of God, and the Lord opened the heavens upon me and I saw the Lord.
And he spake unto me, saying, “Joseph, my son, thy sins are forgiven thee. Go thy way, walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments. Behold, I am the Lord of glory. I was crucified for the world, that all those who believe on my name may have eternal life. Behold, the world lieth in sin at this time, and none doeth good, no, not one. They have turned aside from the gospel and keep not my commandments. They draw near to me with their lips while their hearts are far from me. And mine anger is kindling against the inhabitants of the earth, to visit them according to their ungodliness and to bring to pass that which hath been spoken by the mouth of the prophets and apostles. Behold and lo, I come quickly, as it is written of me, in the cloud, clothed in the glory of my Father.”
My soul was filled with love, and for many days I could rejoice with great joy. The Lord was with me, but I could find none that would believe the heavenly vision. Nevertheless, I pondered these things in my heart.
Joseph’s record of this miraculous event resonates with me for many reasons. In my youth I always believed in God, in Jesus Christ, in the Gospel, in the Prophet Joseph Smith’s First Vision, and in the Book of Mormon. In my youth, I dedicated most of my attention to things like family, school, my paper route, Nintendo, and especially basketball, but Joseph Smith’s aforementioned testimony well describes my own budding faith and testimony of truth. I knew that everything good, including everything in the natural world and in the cosmos testified of a Divine Creator, or “an omnipotent and omnipresent power.” The situation of the world of mankind - the contentions and divisions, the wickedness and abominations, and the darkness which pervaded the minds of mankind - did not distress me so much until later in my life.
Nevertheless, Joseph’s description of the way that his mind became exceedingly distressed, and how he became convicted of his sins resonates with me now. In fact, even now, in my own searching of the scriptures, it is clear that what Joseph discerned in his youth is even more true today, namely, that mankind does not come unto the Lord. The contentions and divisions, the wickedness and abominations, the darkness which pervades the minds of men are much thicker now than they were in Joseph Smith’s time.
It is customary for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to complacently assume that because the foundations of the Church are so glorious and beautiful and true, and because we belong to the only true and living Church on the earth, that all must be well in Zion, and that Zion prospers. However, I now feel more like young Joseph Smith when I consider conditions in both the world and in the Church. My mind has often been exceedingly distressed. I have felt convicted of my sins. By searching the scriptures I have found that mankind, including members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, does not come unto the Lord but that we have apostatized from the true and living faith.
Please don’t mistake my meaning. I believe that the vast majority of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are good and even great people. The vast majority of “Mormons” are, along with other Christians of other denominations and myriad other peoples of faith and good will, the salt of the earth. But my searching of the scriptures and especially my searching of the great prophet Isaiah leads me ineluctably to consider that the Lord spoke poignantly, pointedly, and directly to us from the very first chapter of the Book of Isaiah, and specifically in the 29th chapter of Isaiah:
Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:
Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid. (Isaiah 29:13-14)
How do these observations pertain to our study of Doctrine and Covenants sections 10 and 11? Thank you for your patience as I attempt to articulate the connection between Joseph Smith’s experiences as a very young man, my own observations, and these sections of modern scripture.
Even before Celestial light burst forth in the First Vision and the early events of the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ the devil opposed Joseph Smith. Joseph Smith described the opposition that he experienced in these memorable words:
It seems as though the adversary was aware, at a very early period of my life, that I was destined to prove a disturber and an annoyer of his kingdom; else why should the powers of darkness combine against me? Why the opposition and persecution that arose against me, almost in my infancy? (JS-History 1:20)
As we learn in D&C 10-11, the adversary, the devil, continued to oppose the work of the Lord, not just by provoking the mischief that led to the loss of the 116 pages, but also by stirring up conspiracies against Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery during their work of translation and transcription.
I employ the term “conspiracies” deliberately. In his heading for D&C 10, Bruce R. McConkie describes the conspiracy to alter the manuscript and discredit the translator by showing discrepancies created by the alterations as an “evil design” and a “wicked purpose” of the “evil one” and of “wicked men.” The evil design and wicked purpose of the evil one and wicked men was a conspiracy against the Lord, His work, and His servants. As we also learn in these sections of the Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord was well aware of this conspiracy many centuries (in our mortal measurement of time) before it was hatched.
The contrast between young Joseph’s soul that was filled with love, light, and joy for many days after his first theophany and the wickedness and darkness of his environment was put into greater relief when the 116 pages were lost and the devil stirred up conspirators to alter the manuscript pages from the translation of the Book of Lehi. Thankfully the Lord confounded the conspiracy. But did such conspiracies, evil designs, and wicked purposes end after this episode in early Church history?
The Restoration of the Gospel and the Church of Jesus Christ arose from Joseph’s quest for at least two things: 1. forgiveness of his sins, and 2. a society or denomination that was built upon the gospel of Jesus Christ as recorded in the New Testament.
The Lord responded to Joseph Smith’s inquiry by forgiving his sins and by revealing to him that, in essence, there was no society or denomination that was built upon the gospel of Jesus Christ as recorded in the New Testament:
My object in going to inquire of the Lord was to know which of all the sects was right, that I might know which to join. No sooner, therefore, did I get possession of myself, so as to be able to speak, than I asked the Personages who stood above me in the light, which of all the sects was right (for at this time it had never entered into my heart that all were wrong)—and which I should join.
I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong; and the Personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those professors were all corrupt; that: “they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof.”
He again forbade me to join with any of them; and many other things did he say unto me, which I cannot write at this time. When I came to myself again, I found myself lying on my back, looking up into heaven. When the light had departed, I had no strength; but soon recovering in some degree, I went home. And as I leaned up to the fireplace, mother inquired what the matter was. I replied, “Never mind, all is well—I am well enough off.” I then said to my mother, “I have learned for myself that Presbyterianism is not true.” (JS-History 1:18-20) (My emphasis)
As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints we often take it for granted that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the society or denomination that is built upon the Gospel of Jesus Christ as recorded in the New Testament. We often take it for granted that the thing that the Lord brought forth out of the wilderness through the instrumentality of the Prophet Joseph Smith is the same thing that we now call the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Is it?
Obviously most Protestants, Catholics, and Christians of various stripes don’t consider the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to be the Lord’s New Testament Church restored. Moreover, there may be as many as four hundred other denominations of “Mormonism” that sprang from Joseph Smith’s foundations that don’t consider what we now call the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to be the Lord’s one true and living Church.
We don’t take our bearings from what others think, of course, but it seems to me that most members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (what other Mormon offshoots call the “Brighamite Church”) take it for granted that a testimony of the Restoration of the Gospel and the foundations of the Church automatically grants us a testimony of the entity (and its leaders) that we now call the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I confess that I was one of the “lazy learners and lax disciples” who followed this line of reasoning for most of my life, a line of reasoning that is featured prominently in the introduction to the Book of Mormon:
We invite all men everywhere to read the Book of Mormon, to ponder in their hearts the message it contains, and then to ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ if the book is true. Those who pursue this course and ask in faith will gain a testimony of its truth and divinity by the power of the Holy Ghost. (See Moroni 10:3–5.)
Those who gain this divine witness from the Holy Spirit will also come to know by the same power that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, that Joseph Smith is His revelator and prophet in these last days, and that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord’s kingdom once again established on the earth, preparatory to the Second Coming of the Messiah. (My emphasis)
For most of my life, my testimony of the truth of the Book of Mormon was bound up with my testimony of Jesus Christ, of Joseph Smith as His revelator and prophet in these last days, and of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as the Lord’s kingdom once again established on the earth, preparatory to the Second Coming of the Messiah. My testimony of the truth of the Book of Mormon (as well as the rest of the Standard Works) is still bound up with my testimony of Jesus Christ and of Joseph Smith the Prophet, but recent events and eye-opening experiences have led me to more carefully consider how and to what extent the entity that we now call the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the same thing or a direct outgrowth of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that was restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith on April 6, 1830.
How do we discern the differences between what the Lord originally intended and established, and whatever this thing is that we now call the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?
Many members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are understandably very confused about what we often refer to as “keys,” while other members of the same Church believe (not without good reason) that perhaps latter-day saints are “the drunkards of Ephraim.” As we continue our study of the Doctrine and Covenants in 2025, and as events unfold, I believe that the necessary answers to questions regarding the differences between the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as the Lord originally intended and established on the one hand, and the modern corporate entity that has appropriated the same name on the other hand, will be revealed.
At this early stage in the revelations contained in the Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord’s true Church had not yet been restored. Joseph Smith had sought and received forgiveness of his sins, but in response to his inquiry about which church to join, he was instructed to join none of them. The Lord did not reveal everything to Joseph Smith at once. For example, Moroni repeatedly tutored Joseph Smith over a period of four years before he could receive the plates and begin the work of translation. The work of translation inspired further revelations that led to the establishment of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is significant that the First Vision, Moroni’s tutoring, the translation of the Book of Mormon, and the receipt of several revelations, including those that we are studying this week, occurred prior to the restoration and organization of the Church.
One reason why this is significant is because Joseph Smith, Oliver Cowdery, and others who received revelations from the Lord had not yet been baptized or confirmed as members of the Church. Those with libertarian ideological leanings are often inclined to view this fact as support for their theory that a personal relationship with the Lord trumps any need for a church. While personal revelation and direct communion with the Lord are of paramount importance, there is a reason why Joseph Smith sought for a society or a denomination that was built upon the Gospel of Jesus Christ as recorded in the New Testament. Joseph Smith’s own seeking and the order of events in the Restoration suggest that individual personal revelation and communion with the Lord are primary, but that the Lord intends for His Church to work as a catalyst in this process.
Is there now a society or denomination that is built upon the Gospel of Jesus Christ as recorded in the New Testament that works as a catalyst for leading souls into communion with the Lord and salvation? As we study the Doctrine and Covenants in 2025 we will learn about the restoration and establishment of such a society and denomination through the instrumentality of the Prophet Joseph Smith and his associates. As the sections that we are studying this week demonstrate, we will also learn how the Lord’s wisdom is greater than the cunning of the devil and how the Lord confounds conspiracies against His work.
In a previous section we learned that it is the work of men, and not the work of God that is frustrated. In section 10 we learn that the Lord will not suffer conspirators or anyone else to destroy His work.
Let us proceed with our study of D&C 10-11 in the next post…