Joseph Smith

This is one post in an A-Z series of 26 where I am writing about living as a Mormon in the wilderness of Kuantan

Joseph Smith. 

A name both loved and hated by many the world over. 

Perhaps the greatest person to promote religious liberty in the United States and one who has contributed the most to Christian theology in the Western world.

As a 14-year-old teenager, he showed remarkable maturity in earnestly seeking for a church to attend and which represented his ideals gained from carefully studying the Holy Bible. He attended various church meetings and studied passages of scripture both individually and with his family. He had no formal education that is virtually guaranteed as a norm for a lot of us today.

Following a passage of scripture in James 1:5 which urges us to pray for answers to our questions, Joseph Smith did just that and took his query regarding a church to join, to God in prayer.

As a result of considering other viewpoints, studying the word of God in the Holy Bible, and making a petition to Deity in prayer, he claimed to have been visited by three beings - Satan who tried to prevent him from praying, followed by God and Jesus Christ.

Mormons typically refer to this visitation as "The First Vision."

An artistic depiction of The First Vision experienced by Joseph Smith

Either Joseph Smith was lying about it all and is an imposter, in which case, the Mormon church has no foundation, is built on a false premise, and I have been wasting away my life in a lie; or it is true, God and Christ visited Joseph Smith on earth in 1820, and They began the process of restoring the New Testament church which Jesus arranged in his lifetime.

I certainly don't feel that my life has been wasted in this cause. I have learned more about Deity through the life, experience, and revelations given through Joseph Smith. I belong to the church that he formed under the direction of the resurrected Jesus Christ. The doctrine fosters hope, peace, love, knowledge, spirituality and personal responsibility. We try to emulate the supreme example of Jesus Christ.

As a young missionary I personally experienced the hatred towards this man when I was confronted by an Australian in Kuala Lumpur who proceeded to rant and rave with spittle reaching my face, in opposition to Joseph Smith. I waited patiently, a little afraid but decidedly certain, until he had finished before replying that I believed Joseph Smith genuinely saw what he said he saw. I have never understood the anger towards Joseph Smith, who at least, has contributed significant amounts of information concerning God, Christ and the doctrines of Christianity.

After all is said and done, I have no reason to doubt the simple testimony Joseph Smith died for at the tender age of 38, which he stated thus:

"I had actually seen a light, and in the midst of that light I saw two Personages, and they did in reality speak to me; and though I was hated and persecuted for saying that I had seen a vision, yet it was true; and while they were persecuting me, reviling me, and speaking all manner of evil against me falsely for so saying, I was led to say in my heart: Why persecute me for telling the truth? I have actually seen a vision; and who am I that I can withstand God, or why does the world think to make me deny what I have actually seen? For I had seen a vision; I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I could not deny it, neither dared I do it; at least I knew that by so doing I would offend God, and come under condemnation."

(Joseph Smith - History 1:25)

Isolation

This is one post in an A-Z series of 26 where I am writing about living as a Mormon in the wilderness of Kuantan

I live in the beautiful town of Kuantan, Malaysia. For everything it gives us, it doesn't give us our church. In this respect, we live in isolation. Isolation from a meetinghouse. Isolation from fellowship. Isolation from religious responsibilities.

I have often spent time in deep thought comparing being in isolation to living near the church, being in close contact with other members, and having specific and frequent duties in the church. I'm not entirely sure which I prefer.

In November 2015 we went back to England for a family holiday where I surprisingly enjoyed the 3-hour block of church services (In Kuantan we meet for around 30 minutes. At our home. Just our family). I miss being in Sunday School classes in regular church and sharing my thoughts and opinions with others. On the flip-side, it was depressing to hear public prayers filled with the same robotic phrases that rendered the plea meaningless. It was however, beautifully refreshing to hear an old friend offer extraordinarily meaningful and personalised prayers in clear, easily-understandable language. This was a man who valued prayer not as a robotic exercise of cramming in as many cliches as possible, but who thoughtfully spoke from his heart and mind.

I fondly refer to our isolation as "living in the wilderness."

We have learned some valuable lessons while practising our faith in isolation. Two of the more drastic ones I'll share here.

1. RELIANCE ON GOD AND OURSELVES

In a normal congregation, one can rely on teachers to lead lessons, the bishop/branch president to plan the meeting, youth leaders to take care of the teenagers, primary teachers to nourish the children, and friends to provide fellowship. we can rely on study guides and manuals for convenient reading. Living in the wilderness we get none to very little of these things so instead we develop a strong reliance first on God, and second on ourselves.

For the first 23 years of my life I lived in ward boundaries and went to church with over 100 other people. For the next ten years, we have been living in the wilderness. The trek to the wilderness was a kind of shock horror moment. I had previously gained the impression that my spiritual convictions, standing before God, and ability to keep my covenants was dependent on being in church, having callings, being present in all Sunday lessons and participating in extra-curricular church activities. 

The instructor of one of those extra-curricular church activities at the time I was around had made it a habit to continue urging me to attend despite it being against my wishes. I had informed him on a number of occasions that I thought I couldn't make it but the pestering continued. It wasn't until I told him face-to-face of my intention to exercise my freedom to choose not to attend this particular activity and to request a halt to the persuasions, that the message finally hit home. Looking back on this episode now, I can see how my spiritual standing is not at all connected to schemes, no matter how honourable their intentions.

Being away from all of this eased the initial burden, and over the years I have come to see that my spirituality and standing before God is not at all dependent on the church - it is actually dependent on me.

In the process of discovering a new-found reliance on God, our gratitude and requests in prayer have become more specific and heartfelt. In difficult times when there is no-one remotely close to rely on, we rely on God, and then ourselves. On occasion, the order switches. We do everything we can of our own ability, and then rely on God's grace to do the rest. What we have also learned is that there are lots of people who are not Mormons who have extended invaluable assistance to us, without such service, we would not have been able to accomplish many things. God places people in our paths whether they may be Mormons, Christians, Muslims, Atheists or whomever. The same praise then, ultimately goes to God.

2. DESIRE TO LIVE OUR FAITH

We practise our faith because we really want to. Not because we live amongst other members and easily follow the crowd. We are in all reality entirely responsible for our own spirituality and the depth and strength of our spiritual convictions

It is extremely rare to receive visits from anyone in our church (the distance explains that). We don't get nourished weekly by the church but we do try to follow along with the church's yearly study themes. For the most part, we don't have rigid plans for our spiritual nourishment. I study the gospel because I choose to do so. Because I want to. It enlightens my mind, provides stimulating thinking, and gives a sense of fulfillment. Out here in isolation, no-one tells us to stay strong in faith, no-one checks on us, no-one pays us monthly visits as is the norm as part of a regular church congregation.

SCRIPTURAL SIMILARITIES

Our isolation in Kuantan may be likened to a few scriptural similarities.

Moses headed his people away from their Israel home and wandered in the wilderness for forty years. At least they still had each other for support and fellowship. It wasn't easy though, as they frequently struggled through tests of perseverance, but God continued to guide them.

In the Book of Mormon, Lehi and Ishmael and their families became isolated from their Jerusalem home as they travelled through the hostile Arabian Desert wilderness for eight years. It wasn't easy though, as they frequently struggled through tests of perseverance, but God continued to guide them.

Perhaps most comparable to our episode in Kuantan would be the ordeal faced by Moroni, the last remaining Nephite of his civilization. He recorded a very poignant excerpt describing his loneliness as he wandered the land, disconnected from all other people. What little we know of his last mortal days is that he wandered alone, perhaps to great distances to avoid capture by the Lamanites, with the scenes of the death of his people fresh in his mind. We can only assume that it wasn't easy, that he frequently struggled through tests of perseverance, but that God continued to guide him to the right spot to hide the 1,000-year record of his fallen people. And because of his very isolation, we have that record in our hands today.

Not to say that our modern life in 2016 in Kuantan is as epic or life-changing as those examples. We do however similarly feel that it's not always easy, that we do frequently struggle through tests of perseverance, but that God continues to guide us while in isolation, while living in the wilderness of Kuantan.

We need this wilderness experience. We need to learn the lessons it provides. I have embraced this journey.

God, gods and godliness

This is one post in an A-Z series of 26 where I am writing about living as a Mormon in the wilderness of Kuantan

A key part of Mormon doctrine revolves around God, gods and godliness. We are the spirit children of God. We may one day become gods, like God. Despite this, we know but little regarding godliness.

I understand that such a claim goes against conventional Christianity whereby God is typically portrayed as a spirit who has no form or feelings and cannot be understood. He is untouchable, the only Deity under heaven. None can be compared to Him without a raturous shout of 'blasphemy!' Jesus, the Holy Spirit and God are three parts of the same Being.

For me, God is an immortal, perfected Being. He is the one and only supreme Father figure. He created us, knows us personally, and feels as we feel. We can never attain the fulness of His knowledge and intelligence whilst here on earth.

The Mormon preposition that we can become gods in a future existence provides a small glimpse into godliness and our divine potential.

Things that are not fully explained in scripture or are hard to comprehend, or that have just not been revealed to us, are often referred to as 'mysteries.' The mysteries of godliness is one of the great quests that will consume our mortal existence and carry through to our future immortal sphere.

The human mind and imagination is frequently lifted to a sense of godliness, as represented through modern superheroes possessing god-like powers, such as Superman, Batman, Spiderman, Thor, and a whole host of others. There is glory waiting to be achieved in all of us.

I must admit though, it is quite an unnerving experience to cast our mortal minds upon the mystery of godliness, of the possibility of residing with God in a new epoch, and of receiving higher intelligence beyond what we are currently capable. This mystery also involves how the human race will be arranged in the life to come, what our work will be, who would be qualified to progress to godhood and how those qualifications can be met, both here as we are now, and as immortal beings at a future time and place.

This diagram represents Mormon understanding of the soul's journey through space and time including pre- and post-existences with God

As a Mormon, we have scriptures which mention such things, some in great detail like the assigning of people to their estate of glory in the future existence (Doctrine & Covenants 76), while some other aspects of godliness are of minimal detail or not mentioned at all.

Addressed to 'those who fear me' and 'those who serve me,' a fascinating piece of scripture says:

"And to them will I reveal all mysteries, yea, all the hidden mysteries of my kingdom from days of old, and for ages to come, will I make known unto them the good pleasure of my will concerning all things pertaining to my kingdom.

Yea, even the wonders of eternity shall they know, and things to come will I show them, even the things of many generations.

And their wisdom shall be great, and their understanding reach to heaven; and before them the wisdom of the wise shall perish, and the understanding of the prudent shall come to naught.

For by my Spirit will I enlighten them, and by my power will I make known unto them the secrets of my will - yea, even those things which eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor yet entered into the heart of man."

(Doctrine & Covenants 76:7-10)

I am of the personal belief that anything is possible. I certainly do not limit God in His intelligence, power, wisdom, works or future plans for His children.

What is your God like? Who are your favourite superheroes and what god-like powers do they possess? How do you imagine the eternal existence after this earth life?

The Perfect Prayer

I have been exposed to the set prayers of Catholicism and heard the beautiful call to prayer from mosque speakers. I have seen Buddhists kneel down in temples before statues of their enlightened founder and pray with heads bowed to the floor.

I try to pray multiple times each day. There are days where I don't. I'm very conscious of repeating tedious words and phrases.

Prayer is a great struggle for me, yet at the same time, a grand spiritual experience.

As a Mormon, I have learned a lot about how to pray. My mission president had us read and re-read repeatedly an article named "The Proper Pattern of Prayer" which went into detail on how to pray properly to God. We also have before us examples of the sacred language of prayer given by Jesus, for instance, in John 17 - the use of 'thee', 'thy', 'thine' and 'thou', along with the most basic concepts that investigators are taught - to address our Father, give thanks, ask questions, and close in the name of Christ.

But does God not hear the untidy, illiterate prayer just as clearly as the eloquent, well-prepared prayer? If I just go through a methodical introduction each time I pray, what does that actually mean?

Sometimes I think we can over complicate things, and sometimes we can be too repetitive with things, like prayer. Here, I'm not thinking of the language or structure of a perfect prayer, but rather the content.

It's important for me to be myself but sometimes it feels like I'm straining to be something else. There are times when this conflict is so great that I find myself entirely lost for words during prayer or lost for thoughts while preparing to pray.

Hilary Weeks' song "The Perfect Prayer" sums up my exact feelings. I've been listening to this song since 2004 when I was a young missionary. Here are the lyrics:

"I may not know just what to say

Or how to put it into words sometimes.

My tongue gets tied.

All the words of other men

Seem to sound so eloquent

Compared to mine.

When my brokenness is all I have to share

I may stumble and stutter, but to You

It's the perfect prayer.

I want to speak words from my heart

But I just don't know where to start sometimes.

What are my lines?

I may not please the ear of man

But somehow You still understand

And it's all right.

If I'm honest You will meet me anywhere

And anything I whisper in Your name

Is the perfect prayer.

If I stood and paid You tribute

With a long impassioned speech

It still wouldn't mean as much

As when I fall to my knees.

When my silences are all I have to share

My quiet time I spend in thoughts of You

Is the perfect prayer."

I feel that my contemplative thoughts are just as much a prayer as my quietly uttered words. I also feel like I need to un-learn or forget everything I have been taught about prayer so that I can actually 'speak words from my heart' and for it to sound meaningful and my own. When preparing to pray either publicly or privately, I just take a deep breath and press the reset button so that there is no programming left in me as to what to say, allowing me to bin the robotic and exercise the natural.

I think, of all the scriptural accounts of people talking with God, Enos had the right idea. I wish there was more in the record about Enos! He described his prayer as a 'wrestle' and he was 'struggling' to speak to God. His 'soul hungered' for communication with the Divine and he did it by 'pour[ing] out [his] whole soul.' He further remarked that he prayed for others 'with many long strugglings.' (Enos 1) He didn't seem to be burdened by a checklist of things to say or a specific approved method to follow.

This is the guy whom I can identify with about prayer. I'm sure there were many silent moments while he prayed 'all the day long' in addition to the 'long strugglings' he encountered.

Prayer doesn't have to be dictated with precision or flowery language. There is no set method or standard for content to be strictly followed. It is the personal and deeply meaningful yearnings of the heart, the long silences where one strives with great effort to spiritually connect with divinity and seek real meaningful conversation that makes a perfect prayer.

Is it really necessary to sophisticate our spoken sentences with the Supreme Being, or should we solely simplify our soliloquies to the Most High?

We are taught in the words of the beautiful hymn, "Prayer Is the Soul's Sincere Desire" that:

'Prayer is the simplest form of speech

That infant lips can try;

Prayer, the sublimest strains that reach

The Majesty on high.'

The truth is the perfect prayer is always an imperfect sincere sieve of thoughts that slip from our minds as we slowly and silently struggle to systematize solemn correspondence with Deity.

The Apostle Paul stated:

'for when I am weak, then am I strong.'

(2 Corinthians 12:10)

That sounds true for me in prayer.

Mary, the Mother of Jesus - A Christmas Message

Worshipped, summoned in prayer, and enshrined by millions, Mary, the Mother of Jesus may well have been the most famous of all women. Yet of her life, we know startlingly little. Except that hers was the womb that carried the Son of God.

Mary, the Mother of Jesus, has this month been named 'The Most Powerful Woman in the World' by the National Geographic Society.

So powerful is she, that Mary has become the figure of a strong faction of Christians the world over. She has been 'seen' in many places ranging from the clouds to mugs of hot chocolate.

In Mormonism and growing up in the church, not much is or was said about Mary. Probably due to the dearth of scriptural records about her. She is pretty much swallowed up by the words and deeds of her divine son. That baby Jesus, who came forth from her womb became the Almighty Lord, the Mediator between God and mankind, the Redeemer of all women and men from the Fall.

So what is it that made Mary such a powerful lady?

In speaking of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, of Jesus' parentage and how he was conceived, I tread carefully, but don't hesitate to share my opinion which has been formed after many hours, days, weeks and months of earnest thought and study on the topic.

Mary is powerful because she was a virgin yet somehow not a virgin; pure and untainted yet somehow overshadowed and touched; relate-able yet entirely incomprehensible. This power all revolves around the conception of Jesus Christ.

We know that Mary was a virgin in that she had yet to enter into a sexual relationship with any man. She was planning on marrying Joseph at the time of perhaps the most hallowed event in human history - the conception of the Lord Jesus Christ in the womb of Mary.

Of that sacred event, we have the following record:

"Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?

And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God." (Luke 1:34-35)

The angelic message was concluded with the phrase:

"For with God nothing shall be impossible." (Luke 1:37)


Mormon author James E. Talmage explained the power of Mary and the conception of Jesus this way:

"Mary's promised Son was to be 'The Only Begotten' of the Father in the flesh...the event was unprecedented...also it has never been paralleled...That Child to be born of Mary was begotten of...the Eternal Father, not in violation of natural law but in accordance with a higher manifestation thereof...In his nature would be combined the powers of Godhood with the capacity and possibilities of mortality; and this through the ordinary operation of the fundamental law of heredity, declared of God, demonstrated by science, and admitted by philosophy, that living beings shall propagate - after their kind. The Child Jesus was to inherit the physical, mental, and spiritual traits, tendencies, and powers that characterized His parents - one immortal and glorified - God, the other human - woman."

(Jesus the Christ, from Chapter 7)

What a thrilling statement! This is the passage that produced flurries of thoughts in my mind on the conception of the Saviour.

I do not here make any conclusions as my limited mind has not wrapped itself around this miraculous event of the Virgin Mary becoming the carrier in the womb of Jesus the Christ in partnership with the God of the heavens.

That's where being a virgin yet being pregnant doesn't quite add up to the finite mind.

However, since God is not mortal, Mary was able to retain her virgin status in the whole story of Jesus' conception and birth. Whether that conception was a result of mortal sexual relations between God and Mary through the familiar action of penile penetration, or by some other divine method of reproduction which we know not of (except Mary, which only further adds to her power), I dare not definitively say.

All we do know is that however that sacred event unfolded, it is destined to remain for some a sacred silence; for others a riveting mystery; and yet for a few a flagrant conspiracy.

Yet something happened between the God of the universe, and Mary the Mother of Jesus. We do not know if it was physical or spiritual, maybe both, maybe neither. But there was a union; the Child Jesus grew up with a half-mortal, half-immortal genetic structure, allowing him to carry out the anguish of his suffering in the garden, the inescapable pains of mortal death on the cross, and the miraculous feat of his resurrection.

Two mortal parents just wouldn't have done the job.


At Christmas we celebrate the birth of the Saviour Jesus Christ. Just 9 months earlier, the seeds that set His birth in motion were divinely planted within Mary the Mother of Jesus.


This is what makes Mary the most powerful woman in the world.