The Latter-Day Prophet: History of Joseph Smith Written for Young PeopleCannon, George Q. (George Quayle)
History
The Latter-Day Prophet: History of Joseph Smith Written for Young People
Cannon, George Q. (George Quayle)
Smith, Joseph, Jr., 1805-1844 -- Juvenile literature
In translating the Book of Mormon Joseph was in the best school a man
could attend. The Holy Ghost, which is the spirit of intelligence,
inspired his mind, and he read and understood a strange language
entirely different from our own. When he finished this work he probably
had more knowledge of the Egyptian writing than any other man living.
The work on the Book of Mormon gave him also a better grasp and
understanding of English, and caused within him a thirst for learning
that was never quenched. His work in rewriting the Bible helped him
very much, and when he translated the books and writings of Abraham
and Moses from the Egyptian found on the papyrus with the mummies, he
was a well educated man. He understood much concerning the movement
of stars and heavenly bodies, and more important, he knew that in the
past many of them were worlds like ours and are now as ours will be.
He understood how people should be governed. And the highest knowledge
of all--he knew our Father in Heaven, better than did any one else on
earth.
Think what a blessing this last is! If a bright boy works with an
intelligent man whom he admires very much, it is not long until he
begins to look at matters just as his older friend does. When that
friend is the Lord and the boy is any righteous human being, this same
thing happens, only when we look at matters as the Lord looks at them
we are not led astray by the opinions of men, but we see the absolute,
the whole truth.
The Prophet was now a man thirty years old, and yet with all the other
duties he found time to go to school. He studied a number of subjects
but was perhaps most interested in Hebrew. A fine Jewish scholar was
employed to teach the brethren at Kirtland, and this man said he had
never seen a class learn so quickly. The Prophet loved education and
true knowledge, and even in the hardest troubles found time to study.
He set the example, children, every one of you follow it through life.
Study hard and learn all that is true and good and beautiful, and your
lives will be far more happy and far more useful.
We have come now to one of the great reasons why God did not direct all
of His Saints to go to Missouri but kept a part of them for a number of
years in Kirtland. He permitted some to go to Jackson county and buy
land there and begin to build up Zion. The Saints were not righteous
enough to prevail against the persecutions of their enemies and were
driven away from their land. But the feeling was left in their hearts
and in the hearts of their children and in the hearts of all true
Latter-day Saints that we have a claim on Jackson county, and it will
be the greatest joy of our lives to go back and redeem Zion in the
Lord's own time.
Now our Father in Heaven in His mercy kept some of the Saints in
Kirtland where they could build a temple to Him and receive the holy
endowments and blessings that had been given to few people on earth.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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