Joesph Smith's First Vision, of the Father and the Son

NOTE to my English Visitors...  I posted this entry in several languages.  

Joseph Smith's First Vision of the Father and the Son

We Latter Day Saints, or I should say we members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, know that we lived before we came to Earth.  We lived in a pre-mortal life with our Heavenly Parents and our older brother Jesus Christ.  Jesus volunteered and was chosen to be our Savior there.  Satan or Lucifer was one of our spirit brothers too.  He was not chosen because he did not want us to have our freedom to choose right from wrong.  Satan got one third of the hosts of heaven to follow his plan.  So Lucifer and his followers were cast out onto the Earth.  They did not go through the veil of forgetfulness that WE went through when we came to Earth.  

Many great spirits were foreordained to do great things on this Earth.  Personally, I believe that includes many of the great ones who have lived or now live on Earth.  I would include on that list: Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Mikhail Gorbachev, Pope John Paul II, Mother Theresa, Dwight Eisenhower, Albert and Mileva Einstein, Pierre and Marie Curie, Antoine and Marie-Anne

Lavoisier, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr. Florence Nightingale, Sir Isaac Newton, Mark Twain, Jane Austin, George Lucas, and Gene Roddenberry... to name just a few.  I also think that the leaders of many many churches and religious movements were foreordained to do the good that they did or are now doing.   

Back in 1820 Joseph Smith was a 14 year old boy who was interested in religion.  He lived in rural New York, USA.  He read in the Holy Bible that God would answer the prayers of those who lacked wisdom, if they asked God.  (James 1:5)  Joseph took that advice.  He went to a small grove of trees near his father's farm and kneeled down to pray.  He was surprised by an unseen enemy force trying to destroy him.  It was Satan, who did NOT want Joseph to do the work he was foreordained to do.  So Satan tried to stop Joseph from praying and starting the work for which Joseph Smith had been chosen.  

Then a great thing happened.  Both God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith.  Satan immediately departed.  Then Joseph asked Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ which church he should join.  They instructed him to join none of the churches that then existed on the Earth.  Joseph went on to have more visions and visitations by angels as the years went by.  He eventually received ancient golden plates from an angel and translated them into the Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ.  This was an ancient record about God's dealings with some of the early inhabitants of the Americas.  The book tells of a resurrected Jesus visinting them.

While translating the book, Joseph was visited by John the Baptist and the Apostles Peter, James, and John.  They restored the priesthood authority to Joseph and his friend Oliver Cowdery.  Under the direction of angels and Jesus Christ, Joseph Smith restored the complete and true Church of Jesus Christ.  This church has apostles and prophets and the divine authority of the Priesthood of God.   

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints also has the sealing power to seal a couple and their children together for time and all eternity.  That means that we know that our marrige and our family will be eternal if we have faith in Jesus Christ as our Saviour and we live worthily.... or as worthily as we can.  Heavenly Father and Jesus knew that we would make lots of mistakes and we all are sinners.  So for that reason Jesus came to Earth to suffer and die for our sins so that we can return to live with our Heavenly Parents and our elder brother Jesus.  We will also be living with our family we had on Earth as well.   

All this restoration of the complete Gospel of Jesus Christ, including the knowledge that we lived before we lived on Earth, started with Joseph Smith's first vision.

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