Your question about the Prophet Joseph Smith is a great question. I looked on the internet under his name and sure enough, there were many titles, some speaking good of him and some not so good. Most of them were total fabrications and complete lies. This itself is a fulfillment of a prophecy he made in the Doctrine and Covenants. It predicts that his name should be known for good and evil throughout the world.

To answer your question though, I don't know all of the prophecies made by Joseph Smith, but a few come to mind such as when he prophesied specifically that the Civil War would break out in South Carolina and that it would be over slavery among other things. In 1838 he prophesied of his own death, when he was arrested under false charges while being taken to the jail in Carthage, Ill., He said, "I am going like a lamb to the slaughter; but I am calm as a summer's morning;" Within a few days, he was shot and killed there by a mob. John Taylor who was in the jail with Joseph at the time of his death and who later became the prophet leader of the Church wrote, "Joseph Smith, the Prophet and Seer of the Lord, has done more, save Jesus only, for the salvation of men in this world, than any other man that ever lived in it. In the short space of twenty years, he has brought forth the Book of Mormon, which he translated by the gift and power of God, and has been the means of publishing it on two continents; has sent the fullness of the everlasting gospel, which it contained, to the four quarters of the earth; has brought forth the revelations and commandments which compose this book of Doctrine and Covenants, and many other wise documents and instructions for the benefit of the children of men; gathered many thousands of the Latter-day Saints, founded a great city, and left a fame and name that cannot be slain. He lived great, and he died great in the eyes of God and his people; and like most of the Lord's anointed in ancient times, has sealed his mission and his works with his own blood;" (Doctrine and Covenants | Section 135:3) John Taylor knew him very well as did the great western colonizer, Brigham Young as well as thousands of others who associated with him in Illinois and other places of early Church history. The company of these followers devoted as they were to Joseph and the restored gospel, risk their lives and many lost their lives as they trekked, some pulling hand-carts, 1200 miles across the great plains of this land to find religious freedom in the west.

In Matthew 7:15-16 the Lord warns, "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. (Matthew 7:15 - 16) The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was restored by divine revelation and heavenly messenger visitation to Joseph Smith and others who were witnesses of the heavenly communication with him. The very fact that this church is one of only five churches of any denomination to be found in over 200 countries (Most of the others are churches of ancient origin.) and is one of, if not the fastest growing churches on earth, building on average of one and a half chapels a day to accommodate the growth. This certainly represents the fruit the Lord referred to and a fulfillment of his prophecy, as he said in verse 14 of the 24th chapter of Matthew. It reads, "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. (Matthew 24:14)

The greatest witness that Joseph Smith was a true prophet is found in the testimonies of millions of members of the restored church today. A testimony is a conviction which comes from spiritual confirmations resulting from personal study of the scriptures, prayer and righteous living (seek, ask and knock as suggested by the Lord Matthew 7:7). I have my own person conviction that he was the prophet of the restoration, and furthermore that we have a prophet leading us today along with 12 apostles as there were in Christ's primitive church.

I hope this helps to answer your question.

Thanks again for the email.

Sincerely,

Donny Osmond


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