The Character of Joseph Smith

Tonight for Family Home Evening, Corey talked to us about Joseph Smith. He started off by saying "There is one thing about Joseph Smith that his supporters and detractors can all agree about, something that is absolutely true, whether you believe he is a prophet or not. Does anybody know what that is?" I raised my hand. :) And I got it right. It was this statement made to him by an angelic visitor:

"...that my name should be had for good and evil among all nations, kindreds, and tongues, or that it should be both good and evil spoken of among all people."
Joseph Smith History 1:33

What an amazing statement! For anyone to say that - can you image saying that about yourself today? Even celebrities who perhaps are a bit famous - does everyone in every nation have an opinion about them? Elder John Groberg served a mission to a tiny island in Tonga where only 80 people lived. One time during a conversation, he asked one of the men on this island about all the latest movie stars in America ...and he'd never heard of them. He asked him about sport figures, musicians, world leaders, the President of the United States ~ all with the same blank stare and shrug of the shoulders. Then he asked him about Joseph Smith, and he said "Oh! I know about Joseph Smith! He's an impostor! If you are going to try and each me about him, I will not let you stay!" Yes, good and evil has continued to be spoken of Joseph Smith among all nations and all people for the past 175 years.

So, who is right? Is Joseph Smith good or evil? Corey told the kids that throughout their lives, they will hear different things about Joseph Smith. They are going to need to know for themselves what is the truth. So, he wanted to give them a sense of his character by sharing the story of Joseph Smith's leg operation when he was a young 7 year old boy, as recorded by his mother.

Each of the kids, because of their small sufferings, could relate to his story of pain. Hyrum might have an ingrown toenail that he was weeping and wailing about over the weekend (it looks a little pink, but no sure if it's ingrown... might be something else, but he won't let us touch it) - since that was the most recent pain of our children, we compared how Hyrum behaved vs. how Joseph Smith behaved. I won't go into details, but Hyrum did not say "Oh, father! the pain is so severe, how can I bear it!" Neither did he consent to let us touch it or poke it, vs. Joseph's answer when they were going to cut into the bone in his leg with pincers and knives ""No, doctor, I will not be bound, for I can bear the operation much better if I have my liberty."

Corey asked the kids "Do you get some sense into this guys character"

When the doctors insisted that Joseph take some liquor to bear the pain of the operation, he replied "No, I will not touch one particle of liquor, neither will I be tied down; but I will tell you what I will do--I will have my father sit on the bed and hold me in his arms, and then I will do whatever is necessary in order to have the bone taken out."

image source

(For more on Joseph's boyhood leg operation, see this June 2013 Ensign article by Vivian Adams.)

It was great to share this story with our children. Joseph was just a 7 year old boy at this time, what a great story of his faith and strength. I'm grateful to know for myself of the character of Joseph Smith, to have seen his fruit by way of the Book of Mormon, and to know for myself that it is a true book of scripture, and that Joseph is a true prophet of God.