Teachings of Joseph Smith

This is an article about the doctrinal teachings of Joseph Smith, Jr. For the 1938 book edited by Joseph Fielding Smith, see Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith (book).

The teachings of Joseph Smith, Jr., are the principles, doctrines, and ordinances taught by Joseph Smith, Jr. during his adult life - from the time he established the Church of Christ (the church's first name) in 1830 until his death in 1844. This includes a large amount of new religious teachings, including efforts to clarify many teachings found in the Bible. Many of these teachings are published in the Doctrine and Covenants. Other major teachings are included in a booklet called the Lectures on Faith and in transcriptions of a sermon called the King Follett Discourse.

Many of these doctrines (or aspects of them) have been considered heretical by mainstream Christians (see Mormonism and Christianity). They are the cause of much controversy regarding Smith. However, Smith and his followers maintain that these doctrines are truth given to them through divine revelation and/or inspiration, and do not contradict but rather amplify the teachings in the Bible.

Christianity

See also: Christian views of Jesus

Joseph Smith taught that Jesus was the Christ and the promised Messiah. He also taught that we must follow the example of Christ, and that mankind should pray and worship in his name.

He taught that Christ performed the Atonement to save all of humanity from damnation. He began the Atonement in Gethsemane, and went through agony so great that he bled from every pore.

Nature Of God

Main article: Godhead (Mormonism)

See also: Lectures on Faith

According to LDS interpretation, Joseph Smith taught that Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are all three separate personages, with Heavenly Father and Jesus having physical bodies of "flesh and bone", while the Holy Ghost has only a spiritual body. God is the Heavenly Father of all mankind and that mankind is made in His express image (simply put, that humans look like Heavenly Father). The Community of Christ have a standard trinitarian interpretation.

Smith taught that Jesus, God's only begotten son in the flesh, is our example to follow. God loves us and wants mankind to progress to become like him.

(See also Smith's teachings on the nature of God as well as the King Follett Discourse, delivered two months before his death.)

Plan of Salvation

Main article: Plan of Salvation

See also: Degrees of Glory and Exaltation (Mormonism)

According to Smith, all of mankind lived with Heavenly Father in the spirit before they were born, and that men continue to live in the spirit after their physical bodies die. He taught that the reason that mankind is on earth is to progress, and that this life is but a single step in our eternal progression, and part of the Plan of Salvation.

Smith taught that all mankind, good and bad alike, will be resurrected and become immortal, receiving back their bodies whole. It is a gift from God provided by Jesus' Atonement. He taught that after the resurrection, "all men will come from the grave as they lie down; whether old or young, there will not be added unto their stature one cubit, neither taken from it."

However, those who repent and are worthy will receive greater blessings, the greatest of which is Eternal Life, which is to live with God in the Celestial Kingdom. Those who were not as valiant, or did not receive ordinances necessary for entrance into the Celestial Kingdom, would enter the Terrestrial Kingdom. Those who were disobedient and unrepentant would enter the Telestial Kingdom.

Many of those who enter the Celestial Kingdom may be worthy for Deification (Exaltation), where mankind, as children of God, can eventually become co-inheritors with Christ and inherit all that the Father has — in simple terms, to become like God.

Priesthood

Main article: Priesthood (Mormonism)

Smith taught that Priesthood was the eternal power of God. Worthy male members of the Church may gain the authority of this power, by laying on of hands by those who hold the Priesthood which is being given.

Joseph Smith taught that the authority found in the Aaronic and Melchezidek priesthoods was necessary for the work of the Lord in preparing a people to receive Him at the Second Coming and that this authority could only be received by the "laying on of hands" by someone who held that authority. Since this authority had been taken from the earth after the murder and persecution of the early apostles these same men returned as glorified, resurrected beings or angels and restored this priesthood authority to the earth.

Smith's own prophetic calling

Smith taught that he was the prophet, seer, and revelator of the restored Church, and was given all the Priesthood keys necessary for the governance of the Church by various angelic messengers in the Kirtland Temple. He taught that he received revelations for the Church from God, and was visited occasionally by angelic messengers.

Families

Joseph taught that families are a central part of God's plan for mankind, and an important part of growth and progression. He taught that if people live worthily, that their family relationships can last beyond death so that families can be together forever. See also his teachings on family.

Because Smith taught the temple ordinance of sealing, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (beginning with Wilford Woodruff) teaches that it is the divine responsibility of every person to search out their ancestors and do their family history, so that parents can be sealed to children, and families united eternally; the LDS church operates the largest genealogical library in the world for this purpose.

The Book of Mormon

Reprint of the 1830 edition of The Book of Mormon

Main article: Book of Mormon

Smith taught that that "the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion Mormonism, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book." According to the title page of the Book of Mormon, it has a purpose, "Which is to show unto the remnant of the House of Israel what great things the Lord hath done for their fathers; and that they may know the covenants of the Lord, that they are not cast off forever— And also to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that JESUS is the CHRIST, the ETERNAL GOD, manifesting himself unto all nations." (See also Smith's teachings on The Book of Mormon.)

The Book of Mormon claims to be a record of former inhabitants of the American continent. It said that these people had a knowledge of Jesus Christ, that they had prophets that recorded their own scriptures that testified of Jesus Christ, that they built temples on the American continent similar to the temple in Jerusalem, that they practiced ordinances such as baptism, sacrament, and the laying on of hands for the conferring of the gift of the Holy Ghost (confirmation).

The Word Of Wisdom

Main article: Word of Wisdom

Joseph taught that the Lord revealed to him an adaptable code of health designed for Latter-day Saints, in which members of the Church were asked to abstain from tobacco, coffee, tea (except herbal tea), alcoholic beverages, and to eat meat, fruits and grains within moderation. In exchange for doing this, members were promised that the Lord would bless them that they "shall receive health in their navel and marrow to their bones; … [they] shall run and not be weary, and shall walk and not faint." In addition, people were promised that they "shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures." Compliance with this policy was not immediately considered mandatory though now it is a requirement for entering temples of the LDS Church. See the history of the word of wisdom.

Temples

Main article: Temple (Latter Day Saints)

The Kirtland Temple in Ohio

In 1832, Smith claimed to receive a revelation to build a building that could serve as a "house of God" - namely, a temple. He taught that within LDS temples, ordinances would be performed necessary for the exaltation of mankind. Further, performing these ordinances by proxy for every person that has ever lived ensures that salvation will be obtainable to everyone. For those who are living, it is highly important to receive these ordinances, which facilitate entering the Celestial Kingdom. Ordinances are to be performed for both the living and the dead (for example, see Baptism for the dead.

The ordinances performed in temples today are as follows:

• Baptism and confirmation for the dead
• Washing and anointing
• Endowment
• Sealing, Sealings are performed between husband and wife, as well as between parents and child(ren).

The Law of Consecration

Main article: Law of Consecration

Joseph taught a doctrine of voluntary religious egalitarianism known as the Law of Consecration designed to achieve income equality, eliminate poverty, increase group self-sufficiency, and create the ideal utopian society Mormons referred to as Zion. Members of the Church could deed their real estate to a Church body called the United Order, this property would be divided and allocated to incoming Saints as a "stewardship" or "inheritance". This doctrine was an attempt to recreate the religious communism/communalism practiced by 1st century Christians (Acts 2:44, 4:32). This practice developed after the influence of Sidney Rigdon, a Regular Baptist and Restorationist clergyman who converted, along with most of his congregation, to Mormonism.

Polygamy

Main article: Joseph Smith, Jr. and Polygamy

See also: Life of Joseph Smith, Jr. from 1831 to 1844

There is wide evidence that Smith practiced polygamy (referred to by Latter Day Saints as plural marriage), and may have begun to do so as early as 1833. Polygamy (marriage to multiple partners) was illegal in many U.S. States, and was widely perceived as an immoral and misguided practice. The practice of polygamy was denied by the Church of Christ and Joseph Smith. Many of those that practiced polygamy pointed to the theory that the patriarchs of the Bible might have had multiple wives, including Abraham and Jacob.

Although it has been alleged that Joseph Smith may have had children by his wives other than Emma (most historians believe he married at least thirty-three women, and probably as many as forty-eight) , DNA investigations in three cases have established that their biological father is in fact Smith's wives' other husbands. Additionally, the DNA research, so far, has failed to confirm Smith's paternity for any children other than those borne by his legal spouse, Emma.

Most historians accept "sealing" records (in many cases notarized) as evidence that Joseph Smith taught and practiced polygamy later called "plural marriage." The records are supported by personal journals and diaries maintained by Smith's followers. These sources indicate that, though the doctrine was not widely taught during Smith's life, marriages of this type were performed for select members of the Church in the early 1830s. Joseph was married (sealed) to several dozen women, both during his life and by proxy after his death, though the records are incomplete. Evidence suggests that he may have co-habitated only with his first wife, Emma, and she was the only one known with certainty to have borne his children. Historian Todd Compton notes that Smith's practices included elements of both polygyny and polyandry. In time, polygyny came to predominate. However, a very small minority of his followers believe the evidence is not legitimate, and that Joseph Smith did not advocate or practice plural marriage. There can be no dispute, however, that Brigham Young practiced polygamy and had sexual relations with his wives as did other early leaders of the church.

Despite this evidence to the contrary, Smith is on record as having spoken against polygamy and claiming his innocence of these charges. Smith continued to deny practicing polygamy until his death. Critics cite this as a deliberate deception by Joseph Smith. However, many followers of Joseph Smith insist that his denial of practicing polygamy was an attempt to protect the church from any further persecution from its enemies.

Today, polygamy is not allowed in the LDS Church — and it has been outlawed for a century. . Any Church members adopting the practice today would be excommunicated — the most severe penalty the Church can impose. Gordon B. Hinkley, the current prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints made the following statement regarding its practice:

"I wish to state categorically that this Church has nothing whatever to do with those practicing polygamy. They are not members of this Church. Most of them have never been members. They are in violation of the civil law. They know they are in violation of the law. They are subject to its penalties. The Church, of course, has no jurisdiction whatever in this matter.

"If any of our members are found to be practicing plural marriage, they are excommunicated, the most serious penalty the Church can impose. Not only are those so involved in direct violation of the civil law, they are in violation of the law of this Church. An article of our faith is binding upon us. It states, 'We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law' [Articles of Faith 1:12]. One cannot obey the law and disobey the law at the same time.

Although the fundamental origins of the church embraced polygamy, more recently the view is that "There is no such thing as a 'Mormon Fundamentalist.' It is a contradiction to use the two words together."

Great Apostasy

Main article: Great Apostasy § The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Smith taught that after Jesus died, the Apostles were killed, and eventually all authority from God (see Priesthood section above) to perform necessary ordinances, such as baptism, was taken from the Earth.

Further, Smith asserted, much of the pure doctrine of Christianity was lost and the simplicity of the ordinances was lost over the course of several centuries.

Important, plain and precious parts of the Bible were deliberately or unintentionally left out, skewed, changed, or lost in translation, over the centuries, and thus the Bible is not a highly reliable source as it stands.

Smith taught that the Church which he founded, known first as the "Church of Christ", and later as the "Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints", was the literal restoration of the doctrines and teachings of Jesus Christ as he walked upon the Earth.

Wentworth Letter

Main article: Wentworth Letter

In 1842, Smith summarized many of the basic beliefs of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in the Wentworth letter, which contained a series of short doctrinal statements that later became known as the Articles of Faith.

Major prophecies

Main article: Prophecies of Joseph Smith

Smith's claim to be a prophet of God has led to much controversy. Smith was a polarizing figure in his time, and he continues to be a focus of controversy between his millions of followers, most of whom revere him as a prophet with the same authority as prophets in the standard Christian canon, and opponents of Mormonism, who believe he was either delusional or fraudulent.

Many of Smith's prophecies have apparently come true (those on the American Civil War, his own death, and the reaction to his teachings are often cited examples.). Smith's supporters see this as evidence of his divine calling and prophetic ability. However, many also appear not to have come true, and his critics use it as justification that he was a charlatan and a fraud.