Elder Gary E. Stevenson - December 17, 2020
Elder Gary E. Stevenson: Well, welcome to this Worldwide Missionary Devotional. You just cannot imagine how grateful Lesa and I are for this assignment. It is truly one that we look forward to every year. Even more special than that is the fact that we get to speak to all of you today.
Now first of all, we bring you the warm greetings of the First Presidency. I’ll be able to report to them of this broadcast to you in the next few days. They love you and pray for you, as do the Quorum of the Twelve, who together comprise the Missionary Committee of the Church. Second of all, may Lesa and I express our love to each of you as well.
Many years ago, the central line of a song of a popular movie soundtrack was “I need a hero.” Well, I don’t need one, because I have them, and today I’m blessed to speak to them and about them. You see, you are our heroes. And many of those we will be speaking about today are our heroes as well—heroes of the Restoration.
Sister Lesa Stevenson: It is true. Missionaries are our heroes, but especially in 2020. 2020 missionaries, you will never be forgotten. And you will be incredible for all the things that you have done. The pictures here represent just a portion of your amazing contributions in the midst of a worldwide pandemic. Through home MTC reassignments, traveling home, travel to new missionary assignments, and any other number of unexpected conditions, you have continued to work.
Elder Stevenson: And it continues even today, doesn’t it? You really are our modern-day heroes like Nephi and Lehi, Alma and Amulek, Paul and Silas. You have adapted and adopted. You’ve taught and proselyted virtually, and you’ve done all of this with honor and dignity. Now for this you’ll be eternally blessed. Elders and sisters, please, now hear my words. The Lord is mindful of all that you have endured. He knows you, and He loves you—each one of you. And each of you are exactly where the Lord wants you to be at this point in your mission. He will not let you go someplace where He will not prepare the way for you and bless you while you’re there. Of this, I offer my sincere testimony.
Sister Stevenson: So you, 2020 missionaries, we wish you a Merry Christmas and recognize that Christmas as full-time missionaries is very, very special. Even though you are separated from family, you will remember throughout your whole life your Christmas in the mission field.
We are certain that there will be upcoming missionary meetings and devotionals which will focus on the birth of the Savior. So today, we would like to focus on another prominent December birthday—Joseph Smith Jr. Joseph Smith Jr. was born December 23, 1805, in Sharon, Vermont.
Elder Stevenson: So to begin with, we want to invite you to travel back in time, almost 190 years ago, to a small group of heroes of the Restoration—mostly what we would call millennials today. Joseph Smith, age 23; Emma Smith, age 24; Oliver Cowdery, only 22; David Whitmer, age 24; E. B. Grandin (the printer of the Book of Mormon), age 23. Then the two older men, Martin Harris, age 45, and Peter Whitmer, age 55. Now, I find it remarkable that the Lord chose this age group to introduce the dispensation of the fulness of times.
The Lord trusted them and relied on them. And He trusts you and relies on you as well. Think about it. He could have used thirty- or fortysomethings, but He instead primarily used individuals like most of you, in their early 20s.
Now to help you adjust to your travel back in time to 1829, why don’t we create some context for you so that you can understand what was taking place leading up to this point.
Sister Stevenson: OK, just nine years earlier, Joseph Smith experienced the First Vision, with the appearance of God the Father and Jesus Christ.
Elder Stevenson: And only six years earlier, Moroni—a Book of Mormon prophet—appeared to Joseph for the first time and, among other things, described a record that Joseph would translate and over which he would become a steward.
Sister Stevenson: Joseph was then directed to the Hill Cumorah, and from 1823 until 1827, every September he was taught and prepared by Moroni for the day that he would receive an ancient record, engraved upon plates with the appearance of gold.1
Elder Stevenson: Indeed in 1828, after Joseph Smith had taken possession of the plates, he began translation of this record with Martin Harris as his primary scribe. Their work continued long enough to create a manuscript that was 116 pages in length.
Sister Stevenson: Through a series of events, of which we remember, Martin Harris persuaded Joseph—against instructions previously given by the Lord—to allow him temporary possession of the 116-page manuscript. It was subsequently lost. This caused much anguish for Joseph Smith and his family, and as a result Joseph lost his gift of translation and the possession of the plates for a time.
Elder Stevenson: This now brings us back to where we began, April 7, 1829, with this small group, as well as others. All instruments in the hand of the Lord. So it was on this day, April 7, 1829, that Oliver Cowdery knocked on the door of Joseph and Emma’s home in Harmony, Pennsylvania, with an inspired offer to assist him in the translation of the ancient record and act as his scribe. Here’s a depiction of that event.
[Start video]
Samuel Smith: Joseph!
Joseph Smith: Samuel! I’m so happy you’re here. And who’s your friend?
Samuel: Joseph, this is Mr. Oliver Cowdery. The man is half white-tailed deer. Practically ran the whole way here just to see you.
Joseph: Joseph Smith.
Oliver Cowdery: Mr. Smith, I’ve come to inquire about the work which you are endeavoring to accomplish.
Joseph: Oliver, I’ve been expecting you. Please call me Joseph.
Oliver narration: We talked late into the night. Joseph recounted the tribulations and miracles he had experienced and how he obtained the record from an angel of God.
Oliver: What it must be like to experience the things you have. Where are the plates now?
Joseph: They’re safe.
Oliver: May I see them?
Joseph: For now, you cannot. I’ve made a covenant with the Lord to show them to no one.
Oliver: But if I cannot see them, how will we work?
Joseph: By the gift and power of God. You will soon learn that with the Lord, all things are possible.
[music playing]
Joseph: Shall we commence? Father, I thank Thee for sending such a fine fellow to assist in this, Thy work. We pray for Thy spirit to attend us. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Oliver: Amen.
Joseph: I shall speak a dozen or so words at a time and pause so you have a moment to write. And He shall be called Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of Heaven and Earth.
Oliver: And He shall be called Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of Heaven and Earth.
Joseph: The Creator of all things from the beginning, and His mother shall be called Mary.
Oliver: The Creator of all things. And His mother shall be called Mary.
Joseph: Oh, no, that isn’t right. It needs to be exact. The Creator of all things from the beginning.
Oliver: From the beginning.
Joseph: And His mother shall be called Mary.
[End video]
Sister Stevenson: We are now going to walk through 85 stunning and miraculous days following the day Joseph, Emma, and Oliver met for the first time. It seems that the heavens were opened, and a waterfall of revelation and manifestation commenced in a special and unusual way. Together, Joseph and Oliver, through the months of April, May, and June, recommenced the work of translation. By June 30, they completed the translation and the recording of the Book of Mormon—an estimated 491 manuscript pages, comprised of 269,510 words. Some years later, Oliver would reflect that these “days were days never to be forgotten.”2
Elder Stevenson: So in discussing the translation, President Nelson has said, quote:
“How the translation was accomplished is not fully known, because the Prophet deliberately said little about that sacred [book]. Yet we do have a few precious insights. God prepared sacred objects to assist Joseph with the translation. Interpreters were buried with the golden plates. Joseph used the interpreters, and other seer stones that the Lord provided, in the translation process. Such instruments were used by prophets throughout scriptural history to translate texts and receive divine communications.” Close quote.3
What we do know is what was done is an absolute miracle. Even in today’s standard, with modern tools of electronic dictionaries, word processing, machine learning and translation, the pace and subsequent work product are almost unthinkable. President Nelson fondly refers to it as a “miraculous miracle.”4
Sister Stevenson: Yet there is more. The 85 days of spring in 1829 brought much more than translation and recording duties. Remarkably monumental events of the Restoration took place in this time as well. These, too, required the time and attention of Joseph and Oliver, drawing them away from their translation efforts. Each of these activities have been carefully analyzed, and scholars believe that, in reality, the actual time available for translation was probably only 60 to 65 days. When one considers what other events occurred in April, May, and June, the translation is even more impressive.
Elder Stevenson: I really think so. Let’s just look at a few of these activities that Lesa just described: John the Baptist restored the Aaronic Priesthood; Peter, James, and John restored the Melchizedek Priesthood most likely during this period; 13 sections of the Doctrine and Covenants were revealed and recorded.
Now each one of these events are a story and a miracle in and of itself. Here in film, we view a depiction of the miracle associated with just one of these—the Lord’s hand in setting up the relocation of Joseph and Emma to Fayette, New York, from Harmony. This is where David Whitmer lived with his parents, the Peter Whitmer family. Now this demonstrates how temporal—even these seemingly mundane—events occurred through miracles.
[Start video]
David’s sister: David, a letter came for you today.
[music playing]
David’s sister: What does it say?
David Whitmer: It’s from Oliver Cowdery and Joseph Smith. They want to bring their work here.
Mary Whitmer: Why here? Why our home?
David: “We are continually threatened. The Lord has directed us to ask if you would bring us into your home, where we might complete translating the plates without interruption.”
Mary: The days are so full, Peter.
Peter Whitmer: David, with so many mouths to feed, we cannot afford to lose any time.
David: But Father, Oliver is convinced that this is the work of God
Peter: Then the good Lord will see that it is completed. Now is the time for plowing, not for bringing guests into our home.
[music playing]
David Narration: Father later told me if I finished plowing, he would reconsider allowing Joseph and Oliver to come to our home. I threw myself into the work, but it progressed very slowly.
[music playing]
David: Lord, if this is truly Thy work, prepare a way for us to be a part of it.
[music playing]
Peter: We should finish plowing by Thursday. I want to sow the field by the end of—
[music playing]
David: I prayed, Father. I prayed that the Lord’s will might be made known.
Peter: Take the wagon; bring them here. Tell them our home is theirs.
[End video]
Sister Stevenson: What an amazing film clip that was. I love watching that and seeing that.
Here are additional events taking place in this 85-day window: application for a copyright for the Book of Mormon was made and received; Joseph began and ended the tedious process of finding a printer for the Book of Mormon; Joseph secured the financing of the Book of Mormon through another hero, Martin Harris, who pledged his farm for collateral; finally, the long-awaited day for the Three Witnesses to view the plates with the angel, followed by the viewing of the plates by the Eight Witnesses.
Elder Stevenson: One of those Eight Witnesses that Lesa just described was Hiram Page. He was a son-in-law of Peter Whitmer, who was the father in the video we just watched. Later in life, Hiram Page reaffirmed his testimony of the Book of Mormon and of Joseph Smith as its divine translator. Here’s what he said:
“To say that a man of Joseph’s ability, who at the time did not know how to pronounce the word Nephi, could write a book of 600 pages, as corrective as the Book of Mormon, without supernatural power, [it] would be treating the God of heaven with contempt, to deny those testimonies.”5
Elders and sisters, just consider what we have learned. Sixty-five miraculous days—imagine accomplishing the complete translation of the Book of Mormon and all the additional events just described in what is about two transfer periods of your mission. That is what Joseph Smith did.
Over many years, I’ve deeply studied the events surrounding the coming forth of the Book of Mormon. We could spend another hour on the concurrent miraculous preparation for its printing to take place. My conclusion following my deep dive in the events surrounding the coming forth of the Book of Mormon is that it is truly a heavenly directed miracle. Its origins are irrefutable.
But there is more, isn’t there?
Sister Stevenson: There is. President Nelson says:
“The value of the Book of Mormon lies not in the miracle of its translation, miraculous as it was. The great worth of the Book of Mormon is that it is another testament of Jesus Christ. Its four major authors—Nephi, Jacob, Mormon, and Moroni—were all eyewitnesses of the Lord, as was Joseph, the inspired translator of that book.”6
We have discussed the miracles associated with the translation and publication of the Book of Mormon. But miracles do not cease there. Each and every day, miracles surrounding the Book of Mormon continue.
Elder Stevenson: Imagine within our grasp is another testament of Jesus Christ. Joseph Smith described its significance in its introduction page.
Here we read from the title page: “I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.”7
Sister Stevenson: The Book of Mormon is a miracle, and it brings forth miracles, which leads to happiness and joy. I am not aware of any other book of which the Lord, Jesus Christ Himself, testifies of its truth. In the form of an oath, the Lord, describing the Prophet Joseph Smith’s work, said, “He has translated the book, even that part which I have commanded him, and as your Lord and your God liveth it is true.”8
Elder Stevenson: It is no wonder that we have that full chapter of Preach My Gospel dedicated to the Book of Mormon. As I have talked to missionaries around the world, I have found that chapter 5, rather, the Book of Mormon, is one of the favorite chapters in Preach My Gospel for them.
Sister Stevenson: I love a quote from that chapter, written directly to you.
“Please do not take the Book of Mormon for granted. Pray for a vision of how the Book of Mormon can be used more effectively in your mission. I promise that as you do so, your mind will be enlightened with the direction that you should take.”9
Elder Stevenson: Well, it’s getting time to bring this devotional to a close, talking to all of the missionaries around the world.
But before we close, let me ask you a question. What are you going to do? How do you make the Book of Mormon your keystone to your testimony and the keystone to the testimony of all those people that you’re teaching?
Well, we start by becoming personally familiar with it, by continuing to read, ponder, and pray about it. You might think about just the devotion of the Prophet Joseph Smith to get the book to us.
I would like to share my testimony with you by sharing the testimony of another missionary hero of mine. This is Edward Stevenson, who is my fifth great-grandfather. When he was just a 13-year-old boy in 1833, he listened to and then recorded the testimony of Joseph Smith, who came to his community in Pontiac, Michigan, and spoke in the old log schoolhouse in that small township. It changed his life.
He was a prolific journal writer, and here is an excerpt from his journal talking about this experience with Joseph Smith. These are his words from his journal.
“I can [still] very well remember many of the words of the boy Prophet as they were uttered in simplicity, but with a power which was irresistible to all present.
“Here are some of the Prophet’s words.
“With uplifted hand he said: ‘I am a witness that there is a God, for I saw Him in open day, while praying in a silent grove, in the spring of 1820.’
“He further testified that God, the Eternal Father, pointing to a separate personage, in the likeness of Himself, said: ‘This is my Beloved Son hear ye Him.’”
In his journal now he writes,
“O how these words thrilled my entire system and filled me with joy unspeakable to behold one who, like Paul the Apostle of olden time, could with boldness testify that he had been in the presence of Jesus Christ.”10
Well, elders and sisters, we would like to conclude our devotional tonight with our testimonies. With the testimonies that we have of Joseph Smith, of the Book of Mormon, and of these remarkable events which took place in those early infant days of the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Lesa, would you like to share your testimony?
Sister Stevenson: Sure. I first would like to tell you how proud we are of you. How you are our modern-day heroes. You are heroes all over the world, preaching and teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ to a world that is much in need.
When my husband presided over the Japan Nagoya Mission, we had two young boys with us at the time, our two younger sons. And the missionaries there, they were their heroes. They looked up to them in every way and would listen to all the things that they had to teach them. Even more than us as parents could teach them, the missionaries would teach our boys.
So you are heroes. You are heroes to your families, to your friends, to all of those that you associate with. We are so grateful, and I am so grateful, for the gospel of Jesus Christ in my life.
I want to testify to you that I know that this Church is true, that Jesus is the Christ, our Lord and our Savior, whose birth we celebrate. I’m also grateful—I want to testify of a Prophet Joseph Smith and his sacrifice to bring, and be willing to bring, the gospel to the world in the latter days. I want to testify and express my gratitude for a loving Prophet, President Nelson, to a loving Heavenly Father, and especially to our older brother, Jesus Christ. Again, we wish you a very Merry Christmas, and I hope you all have a white Christmas. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Elder Stevenson: Amen. Thank you so much, Lesa.
Well it is really the most wonderful time of the year, isn’t it? This is the time when we’re able to celebrate the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. And I bear testimony of Him. I bear testimony of His birth, of His life and ministry, of His suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane, of His Crucifixion, and of His Resurrection—all of these elements in some way bringing together the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
Now, elders and sisters, you have the unique privilege of bearing witness and testimony as representatives of Jesus Christ in the place where you are assigned. This is really a wonderful privilege and a very unique and great—one of the most memorable times of your life. And I would encourage you to cherish and relish the opportunity that you have to be doing this as a full-time servant of the Lord in this wonderful time of your life.
We’ve talked a lot about these early days of the Restoration today. We’ve talked about Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon, and that leads once again to my testimony to you of it.
I bear witness, elders and sisters, that God the Father and Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith, just exactly the way that Joseph Smith said that They did. I bear witness of this glorious vision from Heaven. It leads me to my testimony of God the Father, our advocate with the Father of Jesus Christ, and of Joseph Smith as the first Prophet in this, the dispensation of the fulness of times. I bear testimony that he was a living prophet, and he will always stand at the head of this dispensation.
I bear testimonies of prophets since his time: of Brigham Young and John Taylor and Wilford Woodruff and all those who followed them—of Gordon B. Hinckley and Thomas S. Monson, and of our living Prophet today of President Russell M. Nelson.
And I, too, would finally close with my testimony of Jesus Christ. And of His sacred role as our Savior and Redeemer. And we do this with joy and love and gratitude for you, in His name, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.