Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, known as the Mormons, believe that Joseph Smith was a prophet. That is, they see him filling the same role as Moses or Isaiah. He was called of God to teach and lead people, and to be a witness of Jesus Christ and His sacrifice.

In discussing this, sometimes we are tempted to say, “Well, that is just a matter of faith,” and then change the subject. The implication being that talking about God is like talking about breeds of unicorns—both God and unicorns are just fantastic creatures, so any discussion of either is merely academic. Or worse—nonsensical.

I disagree. I think these types of discussions about God can have merit, especially if done between close friends and in a relaxed setting.

Near the beginning of World War Two, Hugh B. Brown, a member of the Church who later became an apostle, had a theological discussion with a friend of his in England. They began by talking about the looming war-clouds, and then his friend, who happened to be a Member of Parliament and a lawyer, asked Hugh B. Brown to prepare a brief on his faith.

Following the advice of Peter (“Be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you.”), Brown said that he could give him the information right then and there

The discussion (which Brown said was like the process of discovery in legal proceedings) was an intellectual rough-and-tumble. They began with discussing the MP’s personal beliefs, and then they debated a version of the Epicurean Paradox. Next they established God’s modus operandi, which led to a discussion of prophets. The two men finally formulated what Brown later called a profile of a prophet.

Here is what they came up with:

1. He will boldly claim that God had spoken to him.

2. Any man so claiming would be a dignified man with a dignified message—no table jumping, no whisperings from the dead, no clairvoyance, but an intelligent statement of truth.

3. Any man claiming to be a prophet of God would declare his message without any fear and without making any weak concessions to public opinion.

4. If he were speaking for God he could not make concessions, although what he taught would be new and contrary to the accepted teachings of the day. A prophet bears witness to what he has seen and heard and seldom tries to make a case by argument. His message and not himself is important.

5. Such a man would speak in the name of the Lord, saying, “Thus said the Lord,” as did Moses, Joshua, and others.

6. Such a man would predict future events in the name of the Lord, and they would come to pass, as did those predicted by Isaiah and Ezekiel.

7. He would have not only an important message for his time but often a message for all future time, such as Daniel, Jeremiah, and others had.

8. He would have courage and faith enough to endure persecution and to give his life, if need be, for the cause he espoused, such as Peter, James, Paul, and others did.

9. Such a man would denounce wickedness fearlessly. He would generally be rejected or persecuted by the people of his time, but later generations and descendants of his persecutors would build monuments in his honor.

10. He would be able to do superhuman things—things that no man could do without God’s help. The consequence or result of his message and work would be convincing evidence of his prophetic calling: “By their fruits ye shall know them” (Matthew 7:20).

11. His teachings would be in strict conformity with scripture, and his words and his writings would become scripture. “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (2 Peter 1:21).

That is an impressive list, to which many other things could be added. But the point stands that Joseph Smith meets every one of these criteria. He is on equal footing with any other biblical prophets. And that is one of the reasons why I am so attracted to him.

And it goes beyond simple attraction. It is a burning and abiding faith in his mission as prophet.

On the 200th anniversary of Joseph Smith’s birth, Thomas S. Monson, now the sixteenth president of the Church, said:

“I know he was God’s prophet, chosen to restore the gospel of Jesus Christ in these latter days. I pray that as we celebrate the 200th anniversary of his birth, we may learn from his life. May we incorporate into our own lives the divine principles which he so beautifully taught—by example—that we, ourselves, might live more completely the gospel of Jesus Christ. May our lives reflect the knowledge we have that God lives, that Jesus Christ is His Son, that Joseph Smith was a prophet. (Thomas S. Monson, “The Prophet Joseph Smith: Teacher by Example,” Ensign, Nov 2005, 67)

I add my faith to his. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet. The things that he said happened to him really did happen to him. I have come to this conclusion because I have read his words, his teachings, and his journals many times over. Moreover, I have also felt God whispering to my heart, affirming what I have studied and read.

Of course this is in the realm of faith, but we can all make that leap of faith and know that Joseph Smith was a prophet. That is what motivates me and that is why I blog.

We hear much in the church about the importance of leadership, but less about what Roger Merrill calls followership. There is no point in having leaders if there is no one to follow, and followership is an excellent place for new members to provide service in the church. When we learn to effectively and humbly follow our leaders, we show respect for the Lord’s choices for leadership. Since we are all asked to follow the Savior, learning to follow righteous earthly leaders is good training for this.

Brother Merrill advises:

“A good follower asks what to do and is willing to receive and listen to counsel and advice from his leaders. The brother of Jared was advised by Jared and the Lord, and the sons of Mosiah were advised by their father, and by Alma, and they followed this advice.

A good follower must be willing to accept responsibility and to make recommendations that will be accepted by the leader. This means that a follower must try to learn about his leader’s ways. He should try to anticipate the leader’s needs in a creative way and seek constantly to do the things that the leader needs to have done. A follower needs to act on his own and to bring to pass much righteousness of his own free will. This implies that the follower must understand true principles so that the things he does will bring to pass righteousness and not wickedness. Many young people in the Church have great leadership potential, but in many cases, it will not be realized because they will not first learn to follow. A great leader is first a great follower. Become a great follower. Do what you are told. Ask what to do and listen to counsel. Accept responsibility; make recommendations, carry them out, and bring to pass righteousness because of your own free will. There are no shortcuts to confidence or righteousness. We must be willing to take them a step at a time and walk before we run. We must follow before we lead.”

Although this quote refers to people in callings, it is also good advice for those of us who don’t have callings, but are active members in a ward. Nearly every week our leaders give us counsel and advice, and we can accept responsibility for carrying them out. Has a leader asked that members sign up for building cleanup or participate in a community service project? Has he asked us to work harder on reverence in a meeting? Whenever a leader makes a righteous request, we’re expected to act on those requests. This allows us to learn to follow righteous counsel, and prepares us for future leadership opportunities.

When we remember that each leader is called of God, it becomes easier to follow our leaders and to show them respect. This builds our testimony, our humility, and our ability to live the gospel.

Go on, admit it. Every mother’s been there. It’s what we do every single day of our lives. We are faced with this huge task of taking a totally dependent little bundle of joy from point A to point B (where they are a happy, productive adult member of society). Subconsciously, we just know we are failing. Subliminally, we recognize that we’re just making things more difficult for ourselves. Yet, we can’t seem to force ourselves to do things differently. We cling to the silliest things, and let go of some of the most practical. We secretly idolize our own mothers (whether we hate them or not) because they did manage to make it to point B, but we have no real idea how they did it. We openly fear exposure of our inadequacies and keep on going as if we know exactly where we are headed and what we are doing.

There is so much information available to us as mothers. Information that tells us: just what to expect, when to expect it, where to take our children on vacation, why we shouldn’t feed them red dyes, reasons to co-sleep and reasons not to co-sleep. We are completely informed, and completely helpless. Surely, we can’t be considered good mothers if we aren’t reading to our children for at least 30 minutes every day, or let our 1-year-old watch television while we take a shower. Shall I continue?

For my own part, I think I have figured out at least one thing. It’s all about love. I love my children so much that I’m almost desperate to make sure I don’t inadvertently mess up their entire lives. The key is that love. I need to remember that love, stuff, activities and bedtime stories are different. Maybe all I really need to get to point B is simply love. Love the way my child understands it, rather than the way I think they should understand it.

Perhaps the places we need to look are really simplistic in nature.

James E. Faust gives some beautiful advice for mothers. His advice?

“May I suggest that you take your challenges one day at a time. Do the best you can. Look at everything through the lens of eternity. If you will do this, life will take on a different perspective.”

James E. Faust, “Instruments in the Hands of God,” Ensign, Nov 2005, 114

Then, we can get a little more specific.

“It is my prayer that the Spirit will burn within you, that you will have a greater desire to strengthen your family now and prepare for your future family. The scriptures are filled with ways to teach us how to strengthen our families. There is no greater teacher than the Savior. As you study His teachings and follow His example, you can make your family life better. Let’s talk about three principles that will help you strengthen your home and family:

• Nurturing
• Sacrifice
• Prayer

To nurture means to support each other, to encourage each other, to nourish and love each other. Are we doing this in our families?

The Savior Himself taught us to nurture. Many times He said, “How oft have I gathered you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and have nourished you” (3 Ne. 10:4).

The Savior is so proud of you. He knows what you’re going through. He understands how hard it is for you to make sacrifices. The Savior taught us to sacrifice. He sacrificed His life for all mankind.

As you help strengthen your family, prayer must be a consistent, daily part of your life. Prayer will protect you from the adversary, give you peace, and help your families love each other more.

How can you use prayer to strengthen your family? Because Heavenly Father loves you so, He wants you to talk to Him. Whatever struggles you may have, you can pray about anything. . .

Pray over problems that worry you! Don’t give up. Heavenly Father can and will answer your prayers. I have had many prayers that have been answered. I also have prayers that have not been answered yet. Our prayers will be answered in the Lord’s time when we are ready.”

Carol B. Thomas, “Strengthen Home and Family,” Ensign, May 2002, 94

A mother’s love is desperate and eternal. We face such a great challenge trying to raise our children up to their full potential. It’s often overwhelming and sometimes discouraging, but you are not left alone. Look to the simplest part of your love, the core at the very center of your heart that mirror’s God’s own love for you. Draw from the strength that can give and focus on the basics.

Take it one day at a time, with:
Faith
Nurturing
Sacrifice, and
Prayer

Do you dread going to a large shopping mall because you can't quite get your bearings in that monster of a maze - the parking lot? Have you ever gone to visit someone in a large hospital and felt embarrassed about not knowing which hallway takes you back to the elevator? Have you ever felt a sense of panic after making one wrong turn after another? Have you ever called your husband to guide you home?

If you answered yes, then you know exactly how frightening, frustrating, and terribly embarrassing these situations can be. According to one estimate, about 25-50 million Americans consider themselves "directionally-challenged." I didn't realize there were that many but I'm relieved to know that I'm not so strange. You see, I'm one of those 25-50 million Americans. I get hopelessly lost when I'm in an unfamiliar territory! If you hate feeling helpless and dependent as much as I do then you see what a predicament this can be.

Another directionally-challenged writer began a humorous article on her condition with this sentence; "There are some people who are so bad with directions, they couldn't find their way out of a paper bag." (Peggy J. Parks) A slight exaggeration perhaps but I completely understand where she's coming from.

So why am I writing about this today? Well, new technology has made the lives of people like me a lot easier, and we acquired this technology recently. I'm talking of course about a GPS (Global Positioning System) car navigation system. I can almost draw a line and say this was my life before GPS, and here is my life after GPS.

Before GPS, I'd gotten to the point where I'd trained my children to help me remember turns, landmarks, and street names so that we can find our way back home. When MapQuest came out, I made sure that I printed out directions both there and back, and assigned one of the kids to read the directions as we went. Before GPS, I hated to drive anywhere new or unfamiliar without my husband. Before GPS, I was a nervous wreck when I had to drive anywhere outside of my comfort zone. In fact, I avoided these kinds of trips and assignments as much as possible.

Today, I no longer feel this fear. Thanks to advanced technology like the GPS car navigation system, I no longer avoid tasks that requires me to drive to an unfamiliar neighborhood or town. Now, I just have to wait for a mobile system that can help me navigate shopping malls and hospital floors, but I can always ask a kind-looking person or even wake up a resting patient. I'd much rather have something that can help me get home.

I have another guide that helps me to get Home. This guide, a "spiritual GPS" if you will, is the Holy Ghost. Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints receive the gift of the Holy Ghost after we are baptized. The gift of the Holy Ghost is a constant and sure guide unlike any other. It is with us always as long as we keep God's commandments.

What or who is the Holy Ghost? We believe that the Holy Ghost is the third member of the Godhead, and that He is a personage of Spirit. We believe that the Godhead consists of three separate beings that are one in purpose; God, the Eternal Father, His son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost has many roles. He comforts, testifies, instructs, witness, and guides.

President James E. Faust, who served as the Second Counselor in the First Presidency of the Church until his death in 2007, referred to the gift of the Holy Ghost as a "sure compass."

The gift of the Holy Ghost is available as a sure guide, as the voice of conscience, and as a moral compass. This guiding compass is personal to each of us. It is unerring. It is unfailing. However, we must listen to it in order to steer clear of the shoals which will cause our lives to sink into unhappiness and self-doubt.

We need a sure compass because many of the standards, values, vows, and obligations which have helped us preserve our spirituality, our honor, our integrity, our worth, and our decency have little by little been assaulted and discarded.

This sure compass, the gift of the Holy Ghost is a very real force in my life. I've felt the burning witness of the Holy Ghost at various times in my life during my studies of the Scriptures and of the Church. I've felt the comforting warmth of this gift in times of sorrow. I've felt the insistent prompting of the Holy Ghost telling me that I should leave a certain place at once. And yes, there were many times when this precious gift guided me to a decision that I needed to make or a place that I needed to be. It has guided me in the direction that I've taken with my life.

Today, I am thankful for guides and compasses that help us get to where we need to go. I'm grateful for guides and tools that help us to get home. I'm eternally grateful for the gift of the Holy Ghost, the sure compass and guide to help us get back Home to our Heavenly Father.

Home! Isn't that a beautiful word? Isn't it wonderful that we can all go back Home? Isn't it amazing that we have a guide that can helps us get back Home?

Since joining the church, you’ve probably become aware that we have a great need for leaders. There are many positions which require leadership, and most people get a chance to be a leader sooner or later. When I joined the church, I was certain I would not be one of them. I was most definitely a follower. It didn’t work out that way, of course. I was eventually called into leadership positions and had to learn to become a leader.

You can begin this process now, even though you’re new to the church and probably don’t have a leadership position yet. Even if you have no leadership experience anywhere, you can be prepared when the time comes.

Watch the leaders in your ward (congregation.) Notice how they lead a meeting, so you’ll understand how it’s done. When you attend an event, try to figure out what the leaders might have had to do to prepare.

President Spencer W. Kimball, a former president of the church, had this advice for women on leadership: “Do you think of leadership as telling others what to do, or as making all the decisions? Not so. Leadership is the ability to encourage the best efforts of others in working toward a desirable goal. Who has more significant opportunities to lead than a mother who guides her children toward perfection, or the wife who daily counsels with her husband that they may grow together? The tremendous contribution in leadership made by women in the auxiliaries of the Church and in their communities is likewise beyond measure.” Spencer W. Kimball, “Relief Society—Its Promise and Potential,” Ensign, Mar 1976, 2

Anyone, male or female, can practice this type of leadership. We all know people who need encouragement. We all know people who need help managing a complicated project, or even a complicated life, and who would welcome a helping hand.

We can practice organizing our own lives as well. When you have a large project, take time to think it through and to decide what steps must be done in order to complete it. Be sure to spend time in evaluation later. This practice will help you later when you’re put in charge of something important.

Become a good listener. Leaders often spend much of their time listening to others, and being compassionate. Get to know people who are different from you, so you can understand other lives and cultures, making you a more effective leader of others.

Study how the Savior led and begin using those skills in your daily life. For more on this, read “Lesson 29: Developing Leadership,” The Latter-day Saint Woman: Basic Manual for Women, Part B, 247. This lesson includes an analysis of the Savior’s leadership style, with suggestions on how we can apply it to our own leadership.

Don’t expect perfection the first time you lead. Leadership takes time to develop, but over time, you will find many opportunities in the church to develop this skill.