Teachings
of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Fielding Smith, (2013), 35–47
“It is my
desire to remind you of the nature and kind of being that God is, so that you
may worship him in spirit and in truth and thereby gain all of the blessings of
his gospel.”
From
the Life of Joseph Fielding Smith
President
Joseph Fielding Smith marveled at the technological advances of his day. “Great
progress has been made in mechanics, chemistry, physics, surgery, and other
things,” he said. “Men have built great telescopes that have brought the hidden
galaxies to view. They have, by the aid of the microscope, discovered vast
worlds of microorganisms. … They have discovered means to control disease. …
They have invented machines more sensitive than the human touch, more
far-seeing than the human eye. They have controlled elements and made machinery
that can move mountains, and many other things have they done too numerous to
mention. Yes, this is a wonderful age.” However, he was concerned about another
trend he saw in the world. He lamented: “All of these discoveries and
inventions have not drawn men nearer to God! Nor created in their hearts
humility and the spirit of repentance, but to the contrary, to their
condemnation. … Faith has not increased in the world, nor has righteousness,
nor obedience to God.”1
In contrast
to the world’s growing indifference toward God, President Smith demonstrated a
closeness to his Father in Heaven. One of his grandsons recalled: “My mother
was an excellent cook, and my grandfather ate frequently at our house. Quite
often he would be invited by my father to ask a blessing on the food. His
prayers were always very personal—as if talking to a friend.”2
Teachings
of Joseph Fielding Smith
1
Beginning
with Joseph Smith’s First
Vision, the true knowledge of God has been restored in our day.
I am very
grateful for the first vision, in which the Father and the Son appeared to the
youthful prophet and again restored to man the true knowledge of God.3
Through Joseph Smith’s First Vision, “the true knowledge of God” was restored.
It should be
remembered that the entire Christian world
in 1820 had lost the true doctrine concerning God. The simple truth which was
understood so clearly by the apostles and saints of old had been lost in the
mysteries of an apostate world. All the ancient prophets, and the apostles of Jesus Christ had a clear
understanding that the Father and the Son were separate personages, as our
scriptures so clearly teach. Through apostasy this knowledge was lost. … God
had become a mystery, and both Father and Son were considered to be one
unknowable effusion of spirit, without body, parts, or passions. The coming of
the Father and the Son placed on the earth a divine witness who was able by
knowledge to restore to the world the true nature of God.4
The [first]
vision of Joseph Smith made it clear that the Father and the Son are separate
personages, having bodies as tangible as the body of man. It was further
revealed to him that the Holy Ghost is a
personage of Spirit, distinct and separate from the personalities of the Father
and the Son [seeD&C
130:22]. This all-important truth staggered the world; yet, when we
consider the clear expressions of holy writ, it is a most astounding and
wonderful fact that man could have gone so far astray. The Savior said, “My
Father is greater than I;” [John 14:28]
and he invited his disciples, after his resurrection, to
handle him and see that it was he, for, said he, “A spirit hath not flesh and
bones, as ye see me have.” [Luke 24:39.]
The apostles clearly understood the distinct entities of the Father, Son, and
Holy Ghost, to which they constantly refer in their epistles; and Paul informed
the Corinthians of the fact that when all things are subjected to the Father,
“then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under
him, that God may be all in all.” [1 Corinthians
15:28.]
Joseph Smith
beheld the Father and the Son; therefore he could testify with personal
knowledge that the scriptures were true wherein we read: “So God created man in
his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he
them.” [Genesis
1:27.] This was to be understood literally, and not in some mystical or
figurative sense.5
2
To exercise
faith in God and worship Him, we must have an understanding of His
characteristics.
One of our
revelations tells us that if we are to be glorified in Christ, as he is in the
Father, we must understand and know both how to worship and what we worship.
(See D&C
93:19–20.)
It is my
desire to remind you of the nature and kind of being that God is, so that you
may worship him in spirit and in truth and thereby gain all of the blessings of
his gospel.
We know that
God is known only by revelation, that he stands revealed or remains forever
unknown. We must go to the scriptures—not to the scientists or philosophers—if
we are to learn the truth about Deity. Indeed, John’s great prophecy about the
restoration of the gospel by an angel who should fly in the midst of heaven
says that it was to occur so that men could come to a knowledge of the true God
and be taught: “Fear God, and give glory to him … and worship him that made
heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” (Rev. 14:7.) In
other words, beginning with the restoration of the gospel in this dispensation,
men once again would be called upon to worship and serve their Creator rather
than the false concepts of Deity that prevail in the world.
In every age
the Lord’s prophets have been called upon to combat false worship and proclaim
the truth about God. In ancient Israel there were those who worshiped images
and pagan gods, and Isaiah asked: “To whom then will ye liken God? or what
likeness will ye compare unto him?
“Hast thou
not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator
of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no
searching of his understanding.” (Isa. 40:18,
28.)
Much of the
world today does not have this knowledge of God, and even in [the Church] there
are those who have not perfected their understanding of that glorious being who
is our Eternal Father. To those without this knowledge we might well say: “Why
dost thou limit the glory of God? Or why should ye suppose that he is less than
he is? Hast thou not known? Hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the
Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, is infinite and eternal; that he
has all power, all might, and all dominion; that he knows all things, and that
all things are present before his face?”
In section 20
of the Doctrine and
Covenants, which directed the Prophet Joseph Smith to organize the Church
again in this dispensation, we have a revealed summary of some of the basic
doctrines of salvation. As to Deity the revelation says: “… there is a God
in heaven, who is infinite and eternal, from everlasting to everlasting the
same unchangeable God, the framer of heaven and earth, and all things which are
in them.” (D&C
20:17.) …
God is our
Father; he is the being in whose image man is created. He has a body of flesh
and bones as tangible as man’s (D&C
130:22), and he is the literal and personal father of the spirits of all
men. He is omnipotent and omniscient; he has all power and all wisdom; and his
perfections consist in the possession of all knowledge, all faith or power, all
justice, all judgment, all mercy, all truth, and the fullness of all godly
attributes. … If we are to have that perfect faith by which we can lay hold
upon eternal life, we must believe in God as the possessor of the fullness of
all these characteristics and attributes. I say also that he is an infinite and
eternal being, and as an unchangeable being, he possesses these perfected
powers and attributes from everlasting to everlasting, which means from
eternity to eternity.6
We know that
our Heavenly Father is a glorified, exalted personage who has all power, all
might, and all dominion, and that he knows all things. We testify that he,
through his Only Begotten Son, is the Creator of this earth and of worlds
without number.7
3
God is a
personal being and the Father of our spirits.
We are the
spirit children of God our Heavenly Father. … We are members of his family. … We dwelt with him for long ages
in our premortal life. … He ordained a plan of progression and salvation which
would enable us, if faithful and true in all things, to advance and progress
until we become like him.8
We are taught
in the Scriptures that God is literally, and not in a figurative sense, our
very eternal Father. The words of our Redeemer spoken to Mary near the tomb
from which he had risen and gained the victory over death, are most sublime and
filled with glorious meaning: “Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my
Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and
your Father; and to my God, and your God.” [John 20:17.]
In these words the truth of the Fatherhood of God is emphatically pronounced by
his only begotten Son, who declares that he is our Brother and that we have the
same eternal Father.9
I am grateful
that the knowledge of God and his laws has been restored in our day and that we
who are members of the Church know he is a personal being and not, as some
sectarians have said, “a congeries [a disorderly collection] of laws floating
like a fog in the universe.” I am grateful that we know he is our Father in
heaven, the Father of our spirits, and that he ordained the laws whereby we can
advance and progress until we become like him. And I am grateful that we know
he is an infinite and eternal being who knows all things and has all power and
whose progression consists not in gaining more knowledge or power, not in
further perfecting his godly attributes, but in the increase and multiplying of
his kingdoms.10
4
Heavenly
Father loves us and is interested in each of us.
There comes
to my mind an expression in the Pearl of Great Price, in the vision of Moses,
which was given at a time when Moses was caught up into an exceeding high
mountain and saw God face to face and talked with him. The Lord showed unto
Moses the “workmanship of his hands,” and Moses beheld the world, and all
the children of men to the latest generations. [See Moses
1:1–8, 27–29.]
And the Lord
said to Moses:
“For behold
there are many worlds that have passed away by the word of my power. And there
are many that now stand, and innumerable are they unto man, but all things are
numbered unto me, for they are mine and I know them.
“And it came
to pass that Moses spake unto the Lord, saying: Be merciful unto thy servant, O
God, and tell me concerning this earth and the inhabitants thereof, and also
the heavens, and then thy servant will be content.
“And the Lord
God spake unto Moses, saying: The heavens, they are many, and they cannot be
numbered unto man; but they are numbered unto me, for they are mine.” [Moses
1:35–37.]
… The
thought comes to mind that notwithstanding the countless number of worlds and
the great magnitude of many of them, they are a means to an end, and not the
end itself. The Father is creating worlds for the purpose of peopling
them—placing upon them his sons and his daughters. We are informed in section 76
of the Doctrine and Covenants, that by and through the Son of God, the “worlds
are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and
daughters unto God.” [D&C
76:24.]
We learn from
these scriptures from which I have read and from other revelations from the
Lord, that man is the most important of all our Father’s creations. In the same
vision given to Moses, the Father said: “And as one earth shall pass away, and
the heavens thereof, even so shall another come; and there is no end to my
works, neither to my words. For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring
to pass the immortalityand
eternal life of man.” [Moses
1:38–39.]
From this,
and other scripture, I say, we learn that the great work of the Father is to
bring to pass the salvation of his children giving unto each that reward which
each merits according to his works. I feel most assuredly that our Father in
heaven is far more interested in a soul—one of his children—than it is possible
for an earthly father to be in one of his children. His love for us is greater
than can be the love of an earthly parent for his offspring.11
5
Heavenly
Father weeps over His disobedient children.
We are
informed that when the Lord spoke to Enoch and showed to him the nations of the
earth and explained to him the nature of the punishment that should befall them
for their transgressions ofhis commandments, that the Lord wept and showed his
sorrow in tears for their disobedience. Because of this, Enoch marvelled and
thought it strange that the Lord could weep.
Here is the
passage:
“And it came
to pass that the God of heaven looked upon the residue of the people, and he
wept; and Enoch bore record of it, saying: How is it that the heavens weep, and
shed forth their tears as the rain upon the mountains?
“And
Enoch said unto the Lord: How is it that thou canst weep, seeing thou art holy
and from all eternity to all eternity?
“And were it
possible that man could number the particles of the earth, yea millions of
earths like this, it would not be a beginning to the number of thy creations;
and thy curtains are stretched out still; and yet thou art there, and thy bosom
is there and also thou art merciful and kind forever.” [See Moses
7:28–30.]
And the Lord
answered: “… Behold these thy brethren; they are the workmanship of mine
own hands, and I gave unto them their knowledge, in the day I created them; and
in the Garden of Eden, gave I unto man his agency;
“And unto thy
brethren have I said, and also given commandment, that they should choose me,
their Father; but behold they are without affection, and they hate their own
blood.” [Moses
7:32–33.]
These are
reasons why the Lord wept and why the heavens wept.
I was asked
by a brother one time if a man could be perfectly happy in the celestial
kingdom if one of his children was not permitted to enter there. I told him
that I supposed that any man who was so unfortunate as to have one of his
children barred from the celestial kingdom would, of course, have feelings of
sorrow because of that condition; and that is just the position our Father in
heaven is in. Not all of his children are worthy of celestial glory, and many
are forced to suffer his wrath because of their transgressions, and this causes
the Father and the whole heavens to have sorrow and to weep. The Lord works in
accordance with natural law. Man must be redeemed according to law and his
reward must be based on the law of justice. Because of this the Lord will not
give unto men that which they do not merit, but shall reward all men
according to their works.
… I am
satisfied that our Father in heaven would, if it were possible, save all men
and give unto them celestial glory, even the fulness of exaltation. But, he has
given unto man his agency and man is under the necessity of obeying the truth
according to that which is revealed in order to obtain the exaltation of the
righteous.12
6
Heavenly
Father has provided the way of redemption so we can be brought back to His
presence.
When Adam was
in the Garden of Eden he was in the presence of God, our Father. … After he was
driven out of the Garden of Eden the scene changed. Adam was banished because
of his transgression from the presence of the Father. The scriptures say he
became spiritually dead—that is, he was shut out from the presence of God.13
I know that
Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that he received from his Father the power
to ransom men from the spiritual and temporal death brought into the world by
the fall of Adam.14
There was
only one way of redemption, one way in which reparation could be made and the
body restored again to the spirit; that was by an infinite atonement, and it
had to be made by an infinite being, someone not subject to death and yet
someone who had the power to die and who also had power over death. And so, our
Father in heaven sent us his Son, Jesus Christ, into the world with life in
himself. And because he [Jesus Christ] had a mother who had blood in her veins,
he had the power to die. He could yield up his body to death and then take it
again. Let me read his own words: “Therefore doth my Father love me, because I
lay down my life, that I might take it again.
“No man
taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down,
and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my
Father.” (John
10:17–18.)15
It was never
the intention of our Father in heaven to leave men to grope and feel their way
in darkness and that without any light to guide them, and expect them
under such conditions to find their way back into his kingdom and into his holy
presence. That is not the way of the Lord. All down the ages from the beginning
our Father in heaven has shown his kindness for his children and has been
willing to give them direction. From the earliest times the heavens have been
opened, the Lord has sent messengers from his presence to divinely appointed
servants, men holding the authority of the priesthood who have been
commissioned to teach the principles of the Gospel, to warn the people and
teach them righteousness; and these men have received this knowledge, this
inspiration and guidance from these messengers from the presence of God. This
is true of our own dispensation. There is no need for men to shut their eyes
and feel that there is no light only as they may depend upon their reason, for
the Lord has always been willing to lead and direct and show the way. He has
sent, as I say, messengers from his presence. He has sent revelation. He has
commanded that his word be written, that it be published, so that all the
people might know it.16
I say to you,
and to the whole Church, and, for that matter, to the whole world, that a
gracious and loving Father has in these last days spoken again from heaven to
his servants the prophets.
His voice has
been one inviting all men to come to his Beloved Son, to learn of him, to
partake of his goodness, to take his yoke upon them, and to work out their
salvation by obedience to the laws of his gospel. His voice has been one of
glory and honor, of peace in this life, and of eternal life in the world to come.17
Suggestions
for Study and Teaching
Questions
- What do you think leads a person
to be able to pray to God “as if talking to a friend”? (“From the Life of
Joseph Fielding Smith”). Consider ways you can strengthen your
relationship with your Heavenly Father.
- President Smith expressed his gratitude for Joseph
Smith’s First Vision, which restored “the true knowledge of God” (section
1). What are some truths you know about God the Father and
Jesus Christ because of the First Vision?
- Of the characteristics of God
that President Smith mentions in section 2, which are most meaningful to
you? Why? As you exercise faith in your Heavenly Father, how does it help
you to know of His characteristics?
- President Smith testified: “We
are the spirit children of God our Heavenly Father. … We are members of
his family” (section 3). How has this truth influenced you?
- In sections 4 and 5, what
expressions help you feel your Heavenly Father’s love for you? Why is it
important to understand that God loves us and is interested in us
individually? How can we help family members and friends feel His love?
- Think about what Heavenly Father
has done to help you return to His presence (see section 6). What are your
feelings as you think about Heavenly Father sending His Beloved Son? In
what ways has Heavenly Father sent “light to guide [you]”?
Related Scriptures
Notes
- In Conference Report, Apr. 1943,
15–16.
- Unpublished manuscript by
Hoyt W. Brewster Jr.
- In Conference Report, Apr. 1930,
90.
- Answers to Gospel Questions, comp. Joseph Fielding
Smith Jr., 5 vols. (1957–66), 3:117.
- “Origin of the First Vision,” Improvement
Era, Apr. 1920, 496–97; see also Doctrines of Salvation, ed.
Bruce R. McConkie, 3 vols. (1954–56), 1:2–3.
- “The Most Important Knowledge,” Ensign, May
1971, 2–3.
- “Out of the Darkness,” Ensign, June
1971, 2.
- Sealing Power and Salvation, Brigham Young University
Speeches of the Year (Jan. 12, 1971), 2.
- “Purpose and Value of Mortal
Probation,” Deseret News, Church section, June 12, 1949,
21; see also Doctrines of Salvation, 1:1.
- “The Most Important Knowledge,”
3.
- In Conference Report, Apr. 1923,
135–36. Note that Moses’s vision recorded in Moses 1 is
an example of the Savior speaking the words of the Father by divine
investiture of authority (see “The Father and the Son: A Doctrinal
Exposition by the First Presidency and the Twelve,”Improvement Era, Aug.
1916, 939; reprinted in Ensign, Apr. 2002, 17). The
scriptural text and the commentary by Joseph Fielding Smith in this
chapter show that the words in Moses 1 represent
the mind and will of God the Father.
- In Conference Report, Apr. 1923,
136–37, 139. See also note 11 in this chapter, which applies also to
Enoch’s vision recorded in Moses 7.
- In Conference Report, Oct. 1953,
58.
- “A Witness and a Blessing,” Ensign, June
1971, 109.
- In Conference Report, Apr. 1967,
122.
- In Conference Report, Oct. 1931,
15.
- “A Witness and a Blessing,” 109.
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