On September 21, 1823, Joseph Smith prayed to God for forgiveness of his sins and to know his standing before God. In response, the prophet Moroni appeared to Joseph Smith to teach him about the Book of Mormon and ancient prophecies about the Restoration of the gospel. Moroni also prophesied about Joseph’s future. This lesson can help students feel the significance of Joseph Smith’s calling as a prophet of God.
Possible Learning Activities
Joseph Smith described his youth
To prepare students to learn about Joseph Smith’s experiences in his youth, consider inviting them to share words that describe teenagers. Another option is to display words and phrases on the board that describe Joseph Smith in his youth. For example, “I often felt condemned for my weakness and imperfections.” Students could put a check by the ones they relate to.
You may want to encourage students to look up definitions of words in the following scripture passage they do not understand. This feature is available in the Gospel Library app. Highlight a word and select the “define” option.
Read Joseph Smith—History 1:27–29, looking for how Joseph Smith described his feelings during the three years after the First Vision.
How might the youth in our day relate to Joseph Smith?
God had a work for Joseph Smith
The next set of verses is a larger block of text to read. Consider the needs and abilities of your students when selecting a reading method. You could read as a class (alternating student readers), have students read in pairs, or play the audio and invite students to follow along in their scriptures.
After the first question, you may want to pause and discuss what students found that can help them in their experiences as a teenager.
What did Joseph experience that may have given him hope?
What truths can we learn from these verses about Joseph Smith?
Students could identify a variety of truths, including God called Joseph Smith to do His work. You might point out to students that while Joseph Smith felt condemned by his mistakes and sins, he sincerely sought forgiveness, and God called him to His work.
During the night and early morning of September 21–22, 1823, Moroni appeared to Joseph three times. He shared the same message and quoted the same scriptures each time (see Joseph Smith—History 1:36–50).
To help students see examples of the work that God would accomplish through Joseph Smith, you could divide among the class members the following prophecies that Moroni quoted. Invite students to read the passages, looking for how they relate to the work Joseph was called to do.
Read these verses looking for why these prophecies would give Joseph additional understanding about the work he was to perform.
How do these verses relate to the work the Lord called Joseph to do?
How might these prophecies strengthen your witness of Joseph’s divine call?
While reading these verses, students might notice that the Lord called Joseph Smith to help prepare His people for His Second Coming through the Restoration of the gospel, which includes the restoration of the sealing power and temple ordinances, the gathering of Israel, and the outpouring of other spiritual blessings.
Draw students’ attention to Moroni’s prophecy about Joseph Smith’s name in Joseph Smith History—1:33. Discuss how Joseph may have felt about the prophecy and ways it is being fulfilled today. Help students see that the fulfillment of the prophecy is evidence of Joseph Smith’s calling as a prophet of God.
Why do you think there is so much opposition to the Prophet Joseph Smith?
Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:
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Elder Neil L. Andersen
Why does the Lord allow the evil speaking to chase after the good? One reason is that opposition against the things of God sends seekers of truth to their knees for answers. …
The negative commentary about the Prophet Joseph Smith will increase as we move toward the Second Coming of the Savior. The half-truths and subtle deceptions will not diminish. There will be family members and friends who will need your help. (Neil L. Andersen, “Joseph Smith,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2014, 28, 30)
How can it be helpful to know that Moroni prophesied that there would be critics who would speak “evil” of Joseph Smith?
What can we do to be ready to help those who may experience opposition to their belief in Joseph Smith?
Fulfilling the prophecy to speak good of Joseph Smith
Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles gave a specific invitation to the youth of the Church:
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Elder Neil L. Andersen
To the youth listening today or reading these words in the days ahead, I give a specific challenge: Gain a personal witness of the Prophet Joseph Smith. Let your voice help fulfill Moroni’s prophetic words to speak good of the Prophet. (Neil L. Andersen, “Joseph Smith,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2014, 30)
What are ways you can help fulfill Moroni’s prophecy to speak good of Joseph Smith?
To help students see examples of how the Savior spoke good of Joseph Smith, you could divide the following scripture references among students: Doctrine and Covenants 1:17; 35:17; 112:15; 136:37–38. Ask a few students to share what the Savior said about Joseph Smith.
Invite students to do something in class to help fulfill Moroni’s prophetic words to speak good of Joseph Smith. For example, they could share how Joseph has helped them know about Jesus Christ or other ways Joseph Smith has influenced their life for good. Students could also be invited to send a message through text or social media to someone outside of class.