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Today I offer my testimony to all who seek to better understand the sacred mission of Joseph Smith Jr., the prophet of the Restoration. In preparing for this great work, Joseph Smith was born into a loving family who experienced many of the everyday burdens and trials of life. Being one of the only members in my school, it's sometimes hard to think about. I would wonder, like, if what I'm doing is right, because everyone around me was doing the exact opposite. And so it was just kind of confusing for me, like Joseph Smith was confused. I've had a few moments in my life where I've had trials attack me. A lot of my friends actually are a little confused by the fact that God appeared to a 14-year-old kid, but that was God's plan for him. For a long time, I built my testimony off of the testimonies of my parents. I never considered that there was anything else. There is great power in Joseph's description of what happened: "I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me."
Joseph, this is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!
Thy sins are forgiven thee.
I was crucified for the world, that whosoever believe on my name may have eternal life.
And They told him that They would use him as an instrument in Their hands to restore Their true Church. I tell my friends, when they're wondering, that if God could appear to people in the olden days--in the Old Testament, New Testament--why would He hold back now? In the First Vision, Joseph Smith learned that Heavenly Father is a man that has a body and that loves us and that we are made in the image of God. Joseph's life stands as a testimony that if any of us lack wisdom, we can ask God in faith and receive answers--sometimes from heavenly beings, but more often by the power of the Holy Ghost, who speaks to us through inspired thoughts and feelings. You do not need to walk through the Sacred Grove or visit any of the sites to gain a testimony of Joseph Smith and the Restoration. You can do this by reading the accounts of Joseph Smith in the Doctrine and Covenants and Joseph Smith--History and praying and asking God if it's true. And He always will answer your prayers with the sweet spirit that you can feel in the grove or by reading the scriptures. It really all comes back to one 14-year-old boy's question that he had, that because of that, I knew that I needed to ask. I knew that I needed to find out, is this true? And I read the Book of Mormon and I prayed about it, and I know it was true. And if anybody else ever had any questions, I hope that they can read that book and find the joy. And I know that if they pray about it, they will. To any who may be questioning their testimony of Joseph Smith, who are struggling with erroneous, misleading, or superficial information about his life and ministry, I invite you to consider the fruits, the many blessings that have come to us from the miraculous mission of Joseph Smith, the prophet of the Restoration. I can't imagine being without the gospel and just being lost and not knowing what I'm supposed to do. This gospel has taught me that I am a daughter of God, that I have a purpose, and that I am an individual that is known of God and that He has a plan for me and that I'm going somewhere. I love this gospel with all my heart. This gospel is what brings me happiness, and I don't know what I would do without it. Because Joseph was a prophet, we have more than a window into heaven. The very doorway to the eternities is open to us. We can know "the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom [He has] sent." Eternal life can be ours. [MUSIC PLAYING]