Joseph Smith, the first prophet of the Mormon Church, was confident about his mission. He once said of himself:
“I calculate to be one of the instruments of setting up the kingdom of Daniel by the word of the Lord, and I intend to lay a foundation that will revolutionize the whole world.” (“Chapter 44: The Restoration of All Things: The Dispensation of the Fulness of Times,” Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, [2007], 507–16.)
That is quite an impressive statement, almost bordering on lunacy. How could someone so young, and so for away from the matrices of action—New York, Paris, London, Berlin—even dream about revolutionizing the whole world? He was not of noble birth. He was deprived of the benefits of education. He was just an obscure man born in the backwoods of Vermont. How could someone with the deck stacked against him revolutionize the world?
Being in the Twenty First Century, we have the benefit of twenty-twenty hindsight. We can look back on the courage of the early pioneers plowing their way across the Great Plains. We can see the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, referred to as the Mormons, membership grow incrementally over the decades, until it has reached a membership in the multi-millions. We can see the great humanitarian work that the Church does, with feeding the poor and teaching principles of self-reliance and provident living. We can also see what church membership does to individuals. Practicing Mormons do not smoke, drink, live healthier, and they get married and stay married.
So what is behind all of this?
Part of the answer, as I see it, comes from another statement that Joseph Smith made:
“Friendship is one of the grand fundamental principles of ‘Mormonism’; [it is designed] to revolutionize and civilize the world, and cause wars and contentions to cease and men to become friends and brothers.” (“Chapter 40: How Glorious Are Faithful, Just, and True Friends,” Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, [2007], 458–67)
If we want to not only make a difference, but also to revolutionize the world, Joseph Smith says simply, be a friend. Sometimes we forget the power of being a friend. The Greek philosopher Aristotle said, “For without friends no one would choose to live, though he had all other goods.” (Ethics, 1155a5) That is quite an impressive statement coming from such a deep thinker. But the point stands—simply being a friend is no simple thing.
For example, a kind word spoken at the right moment has worked wonders for me when I was down. And in the church, some of the most helpful members were not the bishops and stake presidents (congregational leaders), but my dutiful home teachers. Maybe this was what Joseph Smith was driving at. We look to President Thomas S. Monson with anticipation for his new calling as prophet, but we sometimes forget that the best way to be a leader is to be a friend. Leadership and office-holding are not synonymous.
I also see a second thing that makes Mormonism so revolutionary. It is founded in the Atonement of Jesus Christ. A successor to Joseph Smith, President Ezra Taft Benson taught about the power of Christ’s sacrifice in revolutionizing individuals:
“The Lord works from the inside out. The world works from the outside in. The world would take people out of the slums. Christ takes the slums out of people, and then they take themselves out of the slums. The world would mold men by changing their environment. Christ changes men, who then change their environment. The world would shape human behavior, but Christ can change human nature.” (Ezra Taft Benson, “Born of God,” Ensign, Jul 1989, 2)
So Mormonism is also revolutionary because Mormonism is a call back to Christ. He is the Son of God, and His life, example, teachings, and sacrifice can transform, and even revolutionize people. This is the essential miracle of Mormonism: a changed human soul.
Joseph Smith was a revolutionary in the best sense of the word. He had a mission of changing the whole world for the better. And, at least for me, he has accomplished his goal.
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