Transcript

Sister Bingham, there are so many things that you can see in your life, how the Lord's prepared you for your calling. And I've seen it in mine. Think of what He did to the Prophet Joseph. He was born in Sharon, Vermont. He developed osteomyelitis that required a surgical procedure, at age seven for Joseph. The only man in medical history who had had experience taking care of osteomyelitis secondary to typhus was in the nearby Harvard--or Dartmouth Medical School, Dr. Nathan Smith. And you know about how Joseph, then, at age seven, was forced to undergo a major operation, an eight-inch incision over his tibia without any anesthetic. Then the family didn't prosper in Vermont, so they had to move. And they moved, oddly enough, to a little place called Palmyra, New York, where the Hill Cumorah just happened to be, so that when Moroni came and Joseph was to receive those plates and translate the book, it was within walking distance, or a short wagon ride.

And then circumstances in New York were not favorable, so they came to the only place they knew where they could get relief, and that was because Emma was here, and her parents were here. Joseph didn't know Emma then, of course. But he met her when they came here. And they fell in love, and they got married. And then that work of the translation began when Joseph got those plates in 1827. So that's a miracle in itself, that Joseph was nearby. Well, through the circumstances that we know as we read Church history, they had to move to this location. And here, when they read about the need for baptism, there just happens to be the Susquehanna River right next door. So they were able to walk down to the river from the Hale home and Joseph and Emma's own home. So these amazing things that may have appeared to be coincidental are all evidence of the hand of the Lord in helping to get His holy work done. And you see that over and over and over, even to the point of Oliver being inspired to come. He had just the right skills. And he came at just the right time to be a scribe. Emma had started scribing for Joseph here. But she had work to do, and he still needed to learn how to receive that revelation on the translation. By the time he was ready for a scribe, the Lord provided that scribe through a miraculous way. And you see that over and over. Well, and I think we can safely say that the Lord is willing to do that for other people too. And if you'll consult with Him in prayer, He'll guide you, through the Holy Ghost and inspiration and revelation, in what His plan may be for you and for me, even though we don't know step by step the whole picture. But He can tell. He knows. He knows the end from the beginning.

The Lord Is Willing to Assist Others like Joseph Smith

Description
President Russell M. Nelson and Jean B. Bingham, Relief Society General President, affirm that miraculous events in Joseph Smith’s life were not coincidental but were evidence of the hand of the Lord.
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