Elder Carlos H. Amado: Some Basic Teaching from the History of Joseph Smith

Elder Carlos H. Amado, Some Basic Teachings from the History of Joseph Smith

Conversion is a personal and spiritual process. Every individual must examine these principles for himself.

The history of Joseph Smith was written to share the story of the Restoration of the Church in these latter days. The essence of the story is a demonstration of trust in the promises of the Lord, and a source of joy and certainty for all those who believe.

I have been able to read it many times and in different circumstances. It impressed me as a child; it was a guide and source of strength when I was a teenager; I shared it with courage and enthusiasm as a young missionary; and even now it continues to fill me with astonishment and a deep sense of gratitude. Since Joseph Smith first recorded it, it remains as a blessing and a gift of faith, a legacy, for the sincere believer; it is an open invitation for those who look for the truth, and a permanent challenge to the unbeliever.

For those who are not yet members of the Church, I suggest you read the testimony of Joseph Smith with an open mind and real intent. You will feel his sincerity, and you will discover the establishment of the Church, restored in a miraculous way!

Although there is ample spiritual content to this fascinating story, I will limit my remarks to sharing five principles which, just as they did for the Prophet, will help you to come to know God.

Principle 1: Have a sincere desire to know the truth.

Joseph Smith had an intense desire to know God and to do His will. You can develop that same desire, and God Himself can lead you to the truth. When you recognize that truth, do all that you can to live your life in accordance with it.

Principle 2: Learn the importance of reading the scriptures.

Joseph Smith knew them because he studied them. He said: "I was one day reading the Epistle of James, first chapter and fifth verse, which reads: If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him" (JS—H 1:11).

During his short ministry, Joseph Smith also received many other important revelations which were the result of reading the scriptures. You need to study them in order to come to know God, who is the source of all truth.

Principle 3: Learn the value of prayer.

The young Joseph said:

"At length I came to the conclusion that I must either remain in darkness and confusion, or else I must do as James directs, that is, ask of God. . . . 

" . . . It was the first time in my life that I had made such an attempt, for amidst all my anxieties I had never as yet made the attempt to pray vocally.

" . . . I kneeled down and began to offer up the desires of my heart to God. . . . 

" . . . I had found the testimony of James to be true—that a man who lacked wisdom might ask of God, and obtain, and not be upbraided" (JS—H 1:13–15, 26).

Our Heavenly Father, as a perfect father, knows all your spiritual and material needs and wants to bless you, which is why He has given you the commandment to seek Him and ask Him.

Joseph came to know the truth because he prayed. In our time, millions of members of this Church also testify of the reality of the Restoration because, following that counsel, they asked the Lord with faith. You have the same right to receive an answer to your prayers, because a testimony is a gift that God gives only to those who ask with real intent. Try it, and the promise will be fulfilled.

Principle 4: Discover the blessing of meditation.

Joseph Smith meditated often; he thought, analyzed, compared; he tried to find answers to what he read in the scriptures. He said:

"During this time of great excitement my mind was called up to serious reflection and great uneasiness. . . . 

" . . . I often said to myself: . . . Who of all these parties are right; or, are they all wrong together? If any one of them be right, which is it, and how shall I know it? . . . 

"Never did any passage of scripture come with more power to the heart of man than this did at this time to mine. It seemed to enter with great force into every feeling of my heart. I reflected on it again and again" (JS—H 1:8, 10, 12).

To meditate about eternal truths is to think and to ask ourselves, over and over: "How can I know?" "How have others come to know?"

How can you come to a knowledge of these things? Please meditate about it seriously.

Principle 5: Experience the joy of going to church.

In his desire to know the truth, Joseph Smith went to various denominations in his community. About his experience with God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ, he described clearly the instructions he received about other churches:

"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. . . . 

" . . . It was not my duty to join with any of them, but to continue as I was until further directed" (JS—H 1:18, 26).

All of us need to come to know the kingdom of God on earth and to receive a testimony of its truth. We go to church to feel the Spirit, learn His doctrine, renew our covenants, and receive the ordinances of salvation and exaltation to return to the presence of God with our families. You are cordially invited to come to church and see for yourself all these things.

Conversion is a personal and spiritual process. Every individual must examine these principles for himself. It is not enough to make a halfhearted attempt, accompanied by doubts, fear, or lack of trust. God promises us, because of His mercy, that He will answer our petitions in accordance with our sincerity. Only those who seek with real intent will receive their answer, as a gift from God, through the Holy Ghost.

The Holy Ghost is also called the Comforter and the Witness. To Him we owe our knowledge and our testimony that Christ is the Son of God.

After you are baptized, if you remain worthy and faithful to your covenants, you will have the constant guidance of the Holy Ghost, through whisperings, impressions, feelings, dreams, and warnings.

History and the scriptures tell us of people who heard, talked with, or in some other way had concrete evidence of the existence of God and His plan for our salvation. Nevertheless, many of them did not remain true to their convictions.

We learn from this that it is not what we learn through our physical senses but that which comes under the influence of the Holy Ghost which allows us to understand God's purposes and to follow Him.

When someone has learned these basic principles and ceases to practice them, he loses the light and guide which helps him to understand God and His prophets. The outward sign we see is that they separate themselves, become less active, or even contend against the Church. The inward sign is that they have ceased to practice one or more of these five things:

They no longer have a sincere desire to know all the truth.

They no longer read the scriptures.

They no longer pray.

They no longer meditate about eternal truths.

They no longer go to church.

It is wonderful that in a time of great religious confusion, while not yet 15 years old, in the midst of opposition and even persecution, Joseph Smith patiently and diligently demonstrated obedience and showed us the simple but effective way to draw closer to God.

This process requires that we learn, precept upon precept, a little here and a little there, until we develop faith and clear understanding of our divine potential (see 2 Ne. 28:30).

It is our responsibility to strengthen, day by day, the impressions that we feel through the Spirit, by applying these five principles.

It is my prayer that we may do this, constantly, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

A Sketch of the Life of Alexander Frazier Edward

Alexander Frazier Edward was born June 4, 1841, at Aberdeen, Scotland...

Alexander's father, John, was a prosperous baker in Aberdeen and life was going on pleasantly until Alexander was 14 years old. At that time he heard some Mormon missionaries preach. He believed their message and joined the LDS Church. He was baptized on April 6, 1856, when he was 14 years old (nearly 15). When his father heard of his joining "that" unpopular church, he gave Alexander a choice: "Either give up that awful religion or leave my home!" It didn't take Alexander long to make his choice: he left his home.

As there seemed to be nothing for which to stay in his country anymore, and as "gathering to Zion" was preached very much in those days, he left for the USA. He landed either in New York or Boston (most likely it was Boston). He stayed in or around Iowa and worked. One summer he worked for a farmer somewhere in Iowa and was given a straw hat as pay.

He corresponded with his family in Aberdeen and his father must have softened somewhat, as he asked Alexander to come back on a visit, which the boy did. His father then offered him his bakery business and his home if Alexander would only stay; he didn't even have to give up the Church. But Alexander had the spirit of the gospel and of "gathering" and nothing could induce him to stay in "Babylon".
So in 1860 he went back to the USA, joining the Saints in Iowa. A handcart company was making preparations to leave, so he joined them with his cart and supplies for the journey to Salt Lake.

In the same handcart company was a family from England by the name of Taylor. They had a daughter, Mary Ann, a little younger than Alexander. She was born September 17, 1843 in Gloucester, England. Alexander and Mary Ann became engaged and later married.

One of Alexander's early jobs after arriving in Salt Lake City was as a Pony Express rider delivering mail between Laramie, Wyoming and Salt Lake City. He held this job between April 1860 and October 1861 when this kind of mail service was abandoned.
Alexander married Mary Ann Taylor on May 14, 1864, in the Endowment House, and settled in the 19th Ward. He was for many years counselor to Bishop Watson in the 19th Ward.

In about 1868 Alexander was called by Brigham Young to go to the Bear Lake country and settle it. He and Mary Ann had one baby there, who died at birth (1869). They evidently didn't stay there more than two or three years, as the next baby was born in Salt Lake City in 1872. They had eleven children in all, four of whom died in infancy. What heartaches these two must have had, besides their many hardships!

As polygamy was practiced in the Mormon Church at this time, Alexander took a second wife, Rebekah Smith. He married her on May 6, 1880, in the Endowment House. Rebekah was born in Salt Lake City on April 15, 1861. Her parents had emigrated from England in 1853.
Alexander built a home for Rebekah in the 28th Ward. They had nine children but two of them died, one in infancy and the other at the age of seven. This left seven children: one boy, Joseph, and six girls.

During the crusade against polygamy and polygamists (from about 1883 to 1890), he, with other polygamists, had a great deal of trouble (not to mention the trouble the plural wives had). Rebekah, with her babies, had to hide in the bushes when the deputies came around, and Alexander didn't even dare to visit her. In 1887 he was "caught", and on April 30th of that year he entered the penetentiary (at what is now SugarHouse Park in Salt Lake City). Rebekah then had two small children: Bessie, who was five; Joseph, who was two; and Alice was expected within a few months. Alexander spent six months in the penetentiary. He even wore a striped suit, and spent his time there "school teaching" some of the other prisoners.

In 1894 Alexander was chopping wood, and a splinter (most likely dirty) flew up in his face and pierced it. The sore didn't heal, and grew gradually worse and bigger, and he suspected and feared cancer. He tried different remedies, but none helped. After using a certain salve for awhile, a big chunk of flesh fell out from where the sore was in his right cheek. This hole grew larger and larger.
Once, when it had reached and damaged his right eye, the doctor recommended an operation to take out the bad eye in order to save the other eye.
For some reason this had to be done without anesthetic. Alexander had to be tied down, and his screams of pain could be heard a long way off. He suffered terribly with this disease, but he evidently never complained. He would say, "I hope I will learn the lesson God intends for me to learn from this misfortune."
He kept his face bandaged and kept on working as long as he could, both at his daily job and in the Church.

Two of Alexander's sons, John and Joseph, went on missions to Scotland where they visited Alexander's sister, Elizabeth. Alexander had been writing to her faithfully all this time. She was kind to her nephews, but since she was "saved", she was not interested in their message. She would talk about her brother and refer to the time he was "deluded".

Alexander's first wife, Mary Ann, died in September 1906. His malignancy finally reached his brain and caused his death on February 19, 1910. His second wife, Rebekah, died January 22, 1920.
Alexander F. Edward was a kind father who took an interest in all of his children. He was a good, gentle man. He was a lover of beauty who collected choice poems and sayings. He also loved flowers and pressed some in his old Bible. He began his diary almost every day by saying, "THIS IS A SPLENDID DAY".


[This story was written by Alexander's daughter-in-law, Mrs. Joseph S. (Gunda) Edward and was taken from his personal diaries.]

Faith of a Soldier

This account was related by Don B. Colton, who served as the president of the Uintah Stake in Utah before representing the state as a congressman in the 1920's (when this account was written). He later served as a mission president in the Eastern States:

"There came into my office a few weeks ago in the city of Washington, a middle-aged man whom I could tell at a glance was more than ordinarily well educated and cultured. Introducing himself, he asked me if he could talk to me a little while and I told him he could. Said he: "I was educated for the ministry. I graduated from a college of theology and was ordained, and for ten years I was pastor of a church. Then the war broke out. I went as a chaplain with the regiment from my city to a foreign land. One night, as there was a good deal of sickness in that camp, I was out among the boys, giving them what comfort I could. My attention was called to a tent where an unusually sick boy was lying. Said the doctor to me: 'Go in there; you had better prepare that young man for the worst.'
"And I went in and said to the young man: 'Buddy, you are very sick?'

"'Yes,' said the boy with conviction, 'I am sick, but I am going to get well.'

"Something in his tone struck me with peculiar force. I went up and took him by the hand and said, 'Buddy, I am glad to hear you say that.'

"'Well,' said he, 'I say it and I know it is true.'

"I left that tent," said the major, "and went to others, but I could not get the words of the boy out of my mind; and before I could go to sleep, I went back again, and opening softly the tent door, I said to him: 'Buddy, are you asleep?'

"And he said, 'No, major, come in.'

"I went in and I said: 'Who are you? Where did you get that assurance with which you told me a short time ago that you were going to get well?'

"Then, he replied: 'You probably would not believe me, but I am from Utah and I am a Latter-day Saint and I have obeyed the revelation of God given to man upon which the blessing of health is predicated; and I had a promise given to me by those who had a right to give it that I would return to my home; and the other night, when stricken with my illness, there came to me a witness that I knew that I was going to get well. And so, with that conviction I am facing this ordeal.'

"Do you mean it?" said his chaplain. "Do you mean that you know whereof you speak?"

And the boy, with earnestness, replied: "Yes, I do."

Said this man to me, in relating this, "I left his tent; I wanted more knowledge concerning that faith. I asked the boy for books. He game me them -- the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and others. I read them. All my religious life I have been seeking for a vitalizing force such as I felt that night in that tent in the camp in a foreign land. And when I returned to my home I sought out your elders. I have listened to them: I have read more of your books; I cannot stay away from it. I want more of that spirit; I want to feel what I felt and what I know that boy felt that night in France."
He came to our meeting the next day. I haven't time to relate all the conversation. I received a letter from him the other day, in which he said: "I must join you people; I must come out where you are. My soul cannot find rest elsewhere. I know you have the gift of the Holy Ghost for which I have been seeking."


(Don B. Colton, _Liahona_, 22:77; see also Nibley, _Faith Promoting Stories_, pp. 60-62)

Compiled and written by David Kenison

Heber C. Kimball's Conversion and History

Heber C. Kimball was born in 1801, baptized in 1832, and ordained an apostle in 1835. He was a simple and unassuming man, but had a great gift - Brigham Young said once, "I am not a visionary man, neither am I given much to prophesying. When I want any of that done I call on brother Heber -- he is my Prophet, he loves to prophesy, and I love to hear him." (JD 1:132-3). This address by Elder Kimball was given on April 12, 1868, just a few months before his death, at a conference in Bountiful:


"I will now refer you to a little of my history. I was born in Vermont, and brought up very poor, and when nine years old I laid in my bed and in a vision saw those things that I have since passed through. Soon after I was baptized, brother Orson Pratt came to my house. I was standing in the door yard when he came in, and at the time I felt much of the holy Spirit upon me. I was then a potter at my wheel. While brother Pratt was talking with me a voice spake to him and said "Orson, my son, that man will one day become one of my apostles." I did not know this till afterwards. A voice also spoke to me and told me my lineage, and I told my wife Vilate that she was of the same lineage, and she believed it. I told her also that we would never be separated.

"I could tell you a thousand things that happened in that early day. I have been, as I have already told you, to where Adam offered sacrifices and blessed his sons, and I felt as though there were hundreds of angels there, and there were angels there like unto the three Nephites. I have also been over the hill Cumorah, and I understand all about it.

"I remember the time when I was baptized into the church, and how after I was baptized, Alpheus Gifford said he felt impressed to ordain me an elder. I was on my knees and jumped up and told him to hold on that I was not a learned man, and I thought that my ordination would injure the work. But presently the Holy Ghost came upon me till I thought that I should be burnt up. I could speak in tongues and prophecy, and I understood the scriptures.

"And now let me tell you that I was never made to die, that is spiritually; but that I am an inhabitant of this earth and will never destroy my right to it. It is my Father's and I know it, and His angels administer to men. This you can read in the Book of Mormon.

"Cleave now to the truth, and remember that a limb separated from a tree is not much, and so we are not much when separated from the truth. Therefore honor God and honor those you know; for if you do not honor those you know you will not honor God. If my children will not subject themselves to me they will not subject themselves to God; and so with our wives, they cannot honor God unless they honor us."


(_Journal of Discourses_, 12:191)
Compiled and written by David Kenison

An Incredible Conversion in Penzance, Engalnd (Elders Halliday and Chislett)

George Halliday and John Chislett served as early missionaries in England. On one occasion they were laboring in a city called Penzance, in Cornwall (the extreme southwest corner of England). They had almost no success, and were existing on very meager rations of soup and bread. They prayed earnestly for a way to awaken interest among the people.
In a last effort, Elder Halliday pawned a watch to get money. They rented a hall and printed some flyers announcing a series of public lectures. A few people came to hear them the first night, and they were encouraged.

As the meeting proceeded, they noticed a well-dressed couple paying close attention; the woman was weeping through the entire meeting. At the end of the service, she came forward and invited the missionaries to come to visit them at a town called St. Just, about six miles away, and set an appointment for the following Wednesday.

The missionaries were thrilled to finally get an invitation, but disappointed to have to wait; they endured several more days in Penzance, "hungry and penniless," and with no other response to their message.

The appointed day finally came, and the Elders awoke to "a drenching rain storm." But they were not to be dissuaded from the opportunity, and proceeded to walk the six miles. Nearing St. Just, they crossed a muddy field, their boots growing so heavy they could barely walk. At the point when their discouragement could have been greatest, Elder Halliday was inspired to know that the woman they were about to visit had been given a vision in which she had seen the Elders, that she would allow them to hold meetings in one of several houses she owned, and most surprising, that she would be baptized that same night.

They arrived at their destination, soaked to the skin. The woman was eagerly awaiting them, and helped them dry off and dress in warm clothes, and fed them their first good meal in weeks. She grew impatient, though, saying she was very eager to talk with the Elders.
At this point, Elder Halliday told her not to worry - that he knew all about her; and he shared with her that she had received a vision of the missionaries, and was eager to learn their message and to assist them.

She responded to her husband in surprise:
"'There, now, is that not just as it occurred? How could he have learned that? for you know I have not talked with anyone but you about it!' She then admitted that the week previous, while lying awake in bed, she saw a bright light in the room and awoke her husband and pointed it out to him. He also saw it, and it passed around the room in the direction of Penzance, to which place it led her in her mind, and there she saw two men trying to raise a standard, in which labor the people who looked on seemed unwilling to lend a helping hand. She reproached them for their lack of interest, and took hold herself to assist. This vision was so plain that she afterwards related the whole of it to her husband and even described the appearance of the men. Then she could not rest until she had, in company with her husband, visited Penzance and attended the lecture she there saw announced. As soon as she entered the hall and saw the two Elders she recognized them and could not refrain from crying. As to the other part of what had been revealed to him, she said it was true that she was the owner of a row of houses, which she pointed out to the Elders, and that the last one was a school-house in which her husband taught school, and which they were welcome to use as a meeting house as long as they wanted to free of charge."

At that point, Elder Halliday shared the rest of his inspiration, but with some apprehension - that she would be baptized that same evening. He was relieved to hear her accept the invitation with eagerness. Her husband, however, said there was no pond or stream in the area that would be deep enough for a baptism. The Elders insisted that he go out and look for a place; he soon returned with the news that the heavy rains had filled all the ditches and left many pools in depressions that would be satisfactory.


Within two hours of the time the missionaries arrived, the good woman had been baptized. For years, the missionaries were blessed to hold meetings in her schoolhouse, and she remained a faithful and committed Saint. Her husband, unfortunately, never accepted the message of the restoration, though he was friendly and supportive.