The reason for it all, a bicentennial talk on the First Vision

I had the opportunity to speak today, and here is my talk, with the bonus notes of what I didn't get to cover.  

When Brother Reynolds asked me to speak and gave me the topic, I was more than thrilled to speak.  After all, how often does one get to take about 3 minutes of a talk and stretch it into the remainder of the meeting?  So, let’s begin, shall we?

I wanted to begin by reading out of the Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ, 1^st Nephi, chapter 13. Starting in verse 12

12 And I looked and beheld a man among the Gentiles, who was separated from the seed of my brethren by the many waters; and I beheld the Spirit of God, that it came down and wrought upon the man; and he went forth upon the many waters, even unto the seed of my brethren, who were in the promised land.

13 And it came to pass that I beheld the Spirit of God, that it wrought upon other Gentiles; and they went forth out of captivity, upon the many waters.

Of course, this is referring to Columbus and other explorers, as well as the colonizing of the North American continent.  The pilgrims came, not seeking riches, but seeking freedom to worship as they wanted.  Others followed.  The colonies grew, and prospered, becoming more independent.  Finally, they were ready to throw off the shackles of the Old World, to become an independent and free nation in this promised land.  Continuing in chapter 13 verse 16

16 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld that the Gentiles who had gone forth out of captivity did humble themselves before the Lord; and the power of the Lord was with them.

17 And I beheld that their mother Gentiles were gathered together upon the waters, and upon the land also, to battle against them.

18 And I beheld that the power of God was with them, and also that the wrath of God was upon all those that were gathered together against them to battle.

19 And I, Nephi, beheld that the Gentiles that had gone out of captivity were delivered by the power of God out of the hands of all other nations.

This nation was founded on certain principles.  The ideals of life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness were enshrined in the Declaration of Independence, granted to men by their creator not man.  While those principles are works in progress, they were essential to God’s Plan.  They were also unique, historically, to any form of government.  They were necessary for what was to come.

I wonder if Brother Reynolds may be getting a little nervous as to whether I am actually going to speak on the topic assigned.  Yes, I am.

Ratification of the US Constitution by many states was contingent on a Bill of Rights being put forward as Amendments.  When the Bill or Rights was ratified, we should note that the first enumerated right of the first amendment was not Freedom of the Press, or Freedom of Speech, or the Right to Bear Arms, it was, and I quote:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or the free exercise thereof.

Those that were around in 1976 for the Bicentennial of the nation likely remember the gala that the whole year was.  It was a celebration of the Declaration of Independence from England, and it was a patriotic boost at a time when things were not so good.  I was 12, so remember it clearly. Or something.

The foundation of the nation is important, and it was important to celebrate this beacon to the world.  But it pales in comparison to the bicentennial of the single most important event to occur since its founding.  Make no mistake.  Everything I have mentioned, Nephi’s vision of Columbus, the coming of the Gentiles, and their winning their freedom from the Old World, were all prelude for what was to come. 

They all were preparation for the restoration of the Gospel, and for the appearance of God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ to the young man Joseph.

We have been asked to study the First Vision, to experience it for ourselves, and I have been doing some reflections on my experiences.

When I served as a missionary in Spain, we were blessed in most of my Districts to have a film strip projector, and we each had a tape recorder.  How did it begin?

 “La iglesia de Jesucristo de los Santos de los Ultimos Dias, bajo la direccion de la primera presidencia y el consejo de los doce, presenta  beep  La primera vision, la aperacion de Dios el Padre, y su Hijo Jesucristo al joven profeta, Jose Smith.  Beep.

 Then came VCRs, and DVDs.  Now, if you have a smart phone, you can access the video relating the story, along with hundreds of other videos pertaining to the Gospel. 

Joseph was simply following the guidance he received in James, 1:5 We can also follow that guidance. How does it go? 

5 Y si alguno de vosotros tiene falta de sabiduría, pídala a Dios, quien da a todos abundantemente y sin reproche, y le será dada. 

Oops

5 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.

This is a promise given to all men and women.  Every person can go to the Lord and seek those answers that elude them.  Indeed, we know that the promise is to know the truth of far more than spiritual matters.  In Moroni 10:5 we are taught

5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.

This is what I envision when President Nelson spoke of making this year a Bicentennial Celebration.  Two hundred years ago, the young man Joseph Smith was confused by so many interpretations of the gospel of Jesus Christ as found in the Bible, and all the branches of Christianity that had sprung up over the centuries.  The only thing they had in common was that they had not achieved a unity of Faith.  Who wouldn’t be confused without having the confirmation of the Spirit of the truth?  Seeking in blindness, Joseph sought answers from the only pure source, from the Lord Himself.  He lacked wisdom, as did so many.  However, unlike the others, he had a divine appointment with Deity.

He didn’t go seeking to be a prophet, he sought to know truth.  He didn’t go seeking to start a church, only seeking to know which one to join.  It was for this moment that Columbus was moved upon by the Holy Ghost, that the Continental Army defeated the British.  It was for this moment that the founders, gentleman farmers and lawyers, each very well read in the classics, met together to craft a document protecting the very rights necessary for the restoration to take root and thrive.  Is it any wonder that President Nelson has called for this year to be unlike any other?  For us to prepare as we have never prepared before.

 

How has he counseled us to prepare?

He asked the Sisters, and the rest of us, to study Sections 25, 84, and 107, which detail the Lord’s instructions to Emma, and the administration of the priesthood.

He has asked us to prayerfully study and read the account of the First Vision, and to ask ourselves a couple of questions.

1.    How would my life be different if my knowledge of the Book of Mormon were suddenly taken away?   My elaboration on this was to use the movie Yesterday, which theme was a world wide power outage took away the Beatles from everyone except three people, and a musician's attempt to bring all of  those songs back by memory.  Taking away the Book of Mormon, the keystone of our faith, would be significant. 

2.    How have the events that followed the First Vision made a difference for me and my loved ones?  What followed was of course monumental.  First the knowledge that God the Father and Jesus Christ were two distinct beings, and that they had physical bodies.  Besides the First Vision, the Book of Mormon, the Restoration of Priesthood Keys, including temple ordinances, missionary work spread throughout the world, and so on.

With all this spiritual preparation, I would offer a word of caution.  Satan is not going to take this movement lying down.  He is not going to just throw in the towel and say, “oh well, I guess I lost”.  He can’t admit defeat, and just like when Joseph sought answers to his questions, we can expect adversity and trials in our lives.  As we push forward, as we seek to make ourselves more worthy, to more truly be converted, and to truly walk the covenant path, snares will be placed along the way.  It will require us, like Joseph, to strive in faith for the Father to help us, to rescue us.

Along those lines, the questions for the Temple recommend interview have been modified, to enhance our reflections and to help us increase our spirituality.  We are being asked to increase our knowledge, our faith, our desire to be converted more fully to this great work. 

           

We have seen so many changes in policy in the church over the last two years. (reorganization of stake and ward priesthood quorums, home teaching and visiting teaching replaced by ministering, restructuring of the youth programs, two hour church, and on and on.) It seems that the work is rolling forward faster and faster.  The leadership provided by a 95-year-old prophet of the Lord inspires us.  At the dedication of the Rome Italy Temple, we were told that that dedication was a hinge point in the history of the church.  Does this mean that the acceleration in revelation that we have seen over the past two years, over the last few decades when looking back on the scale of things, is going to continue? Probably not just continue but accelerate in ways we can’t imagine.

 

Get plenty of rest and take your vitamins was the council given by the prophet.

We have 40 days until General Conference.  Are you prepared?  It is a rhetorical question, but seriously, are you?  If no, well, the clock is ticking.  If yes, let me ask this.  Can you be too prepared?  Our stake is holding a special commemoration of this bicentennial.  March 8th, 6:30.  You are invited as well as any you care to invite.  What a way to do a self-check.  Remember the words of the prophet who told us that if we are prepared, the conference will not only be memorable, it will be unforgettable.