What the Prophet Joseph Teaches Us About How to Deal with the Devil, Part 2

In part 1 of this series, we talked about some of the lessons we can learn from the young Prophet Joseph as he dealt with the adversary. In this article, we explore some of the more complex interactions Joseph or others had with the dark side and how he handled this as a more seasoned prophet. There are many more stories from Church history that could be called upon as examples. I have only chosen a few.

Heber C. Kimball[1] once spoke over the pulpit in the Tabernacle: “What contests [Joseph Smith] had had with the devil; [Joseph] told me that he had contests with the devil, face to face. He also told me how he was handled and afflicted by the devil.”[2] This statement about the Prophet Joseph has motivated me to learn more from him, how he dealt with Satan and to see if there are lessons for each of us in this part of the dispensation. There are. Let’s study them together.

Let’s look now at the spiritually mature, adult Joseph Smith and see if we can learn more about how he (and we) can deal with the temptations and battering of Satan.

Joseph Smith and the devil in Far West

From Heber C. Kimball we learn a great lesson that Joseph taught to him.

“Joseph … said the nearer a person approached to the Lord, the greater power would be manifest by the devil to prevent the accomplishment of the purposes of God.”

Pay attention to that in your own spiritual lives and notice the truthfulness of that statement. There is no need to fear the pursuit of deep spirituality, just know that Satan is tenacious and persistent and has plenty of helpers. But we have more.[3]

Heber continued: “He also gave me a relation of many contests that he [Joseph] had had with Satan, and his power that had been manifested from time to time since the commencement of bringing forth the Book of Mormon.

“I will relate one circumstance that took place in Far West, in a house which Joseph had purchased, which had been formerly occupied as a public house by some wicked people. A short time after he had moved into it, one of the children was taken very sick. He laid his hands upon the child, when it got better. As soon as he went outside, the child was taken sick again. He again laid his hands upon it, so that it again recovered. This transpired several times, and Joseph inquired of the Lord what it all meant, when he had an open vision, and saw it, the devil in person, who contended with Joseph face to face for some time. He said it was his house, it belonged to him, and Joseph had no right there. Then Joseph rebuked Satan in the name of the Lord, and he departed and troubled the child no more.”[4]

Lessons we can learn from Joseph’s admonition above and this horrible experience in Far West?

One. Satan will spurn us, thwart us, tempt us and keep us away from great spiritual experiences as much as he possibly can. “Pray always, that you may come off conqueror; yea, that you may conquer Satan, and that you may escape the hands of the servants of Satan that do uphold his work.”[5]

Two. Inquire of the Lord when you cannot figure out why something is not going the way it should go. Keep inquiring. Pray until you receive an answer.

Three. Be in a position, with righteous priesthood power and, as women, with pure faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and the use of His Holy Name, to rebuke Satan, and cast him out of your home, individual family members and whomever needs to have him cast out. That is so critically important when there are so many lying spirits in the world today who attach themselves to individuals, even to those we love.

Joseph Teaches Heber C. Kimball about the devils in Preston, England

A seven-elder contingency went to England in July 1837 to open the gospel to that nation, led by Apostles Heber C. Kimball and Orson Hyde, and Elder Willard Richards (who would later become an apostle) and four Canadians, Joseph Fielding, Isaac Russell, John Goodson and John Snyder. On the morning of the very first baptisms that were to be performed in that great nation, Sunday, July 30, 1837, the brethren were attacked by legions of devils who tried to destroy them. Heber C. Kimball talked about this experience.

““While thus engaged, I was struck with great force by some invisible power, and fell senseless on the floor. The first thing I recollected was being supported by Elders Hyde and Richards who were praying for me, Elder Richards having followed Russell up to my room. Elders Hyde and Richards then assisted me to get on the bed, but my agony was so great I could not endure it, and I arose, bowed my knees and prayed.

““I then arose and sat up on the bed, when a vision was opened to our minds, and we could distinctly see the evil spirits, who foamed and gnashed their teeth at us. We gazed upon them about an hour and a half (by Willard’s watch). We were not looking towards the window, but towards the wall. Space appeared before us, and we saw the devils coming in legions, with their leaders, who came within a few feet of us. They came towards us like armies rushing to battle. They appeared to be men of full stature, possessing every form and feature of men in the flesh, who were angry and desperate; and I shall never forget the vindictive malignity depicted on their countenances as they looked me in the eye; and any attempt to paint the scene which then presented itself or portray their malice and enmity, would be vain.

“I perspired exceedingly, my clothes becoming as wet as if I had been taken out of the river. I felt excessive pain, and was in the greatest distress for some time. I cannot even look back on the scene without feelings of horror; yet by it I learned the power of the adversary, his enmity against the servants of God, and got some understanding of the invisible world.  We distinctly heard these spirits talk and express their wrath and hellish designs against us. However, the Lord delivered us from them, and blessed us exceedingly that day.”

Elder Orson Hyde described that terrible morning in a letter to Heber:

“”Every circumstance that occurred at that scene of devils is just as fresh in my recollection at this moment as it was at the moment of its occurrence, and will ever remain so. After you were overcome by them and had fallen, their awful rush upon me with knives, threats, imprecations and hellish grins, amply convinced me that they were no friends of mine. While you were apparently senseless and lifeless on the floor and upon the bed (after we had laid you there), I stood between you and the devils and fought them and contended with them face to face, until they began to diminish in number and to retreat from the room. The last imp that left turned round to me as he was going out and said, as if to apologize, and appease my determined opposition to them, ‘I never said anything against you!’ I replied to him thus: ‘It matters not to me whether you have or have not; you are a liar from the beginning! In the name of Jesus Christ, depart!’ He immediately left, and the room was clear. That closed the scene of devils for that time.”

Now, here’s the lesson from Joseph which is so powerful (and this puts his teaching in context):

“When he returned home, Heber C. Kimball asked the Prophet Joseph Smith, ‘What was the matter of us? What had we done that we had to be submitted to such an experience?’

“Joseph responded, ‘Brother Heber, at that time you were nigh unto the Lord; there was only a veil between you and him, but you could not see him. When I [Joseph] heard, it gave me great joy, for I then knew that the work of God had taken root in that land. It was this that caused the devil to make a struggle to kill you. The nearer a person approaches the Lord, a greater power will be manifested by the adversary to prevent the accomplishment of his purposes.”[6]

Some takeaways from this almost overwhelming brush with the evil ones:

One.  In the midst of such darkness, as in the Sacred Grove, as in the small digs in Preston, England, the Lord is always near. This is a lesson we need to remember when all we seem to feel is darkness. Hold on. Exercise great faith. Keep in your mind that Jesus is just beyond us through a veil.

Two. Again, on that morning when the very first baptisms in this dispensation in England were to be performed, Satan attacked those who would, by priesthood authority, do those ordinances. Whenever great light is about to be poured out (like, for example, the First Vision or the Vision of the Three Degrees of Glory), darkness or an onslaught of temptation or challenge will likely be just around the corner. You can take this as a sign that the great spiritual experiences that you are richly given from the Lord are true and verified by the presence of opposition.

Three. Those on the other side of the veil who uphold the work of Satan are committed to our destruction. They are not to be trusted. They will use every means possible to lead us away from the light and teachings and ordinances of Christ.

Joseph Smith and the first Miracle of the Church with the Knight Family

Joseph was very close to the Joseph and Polly Knight family of Colesville, New York. He and Newel Knight, one of the Knight’s 13 children, were especially close and often had “serious conversations on the important subject of man’s eternal salvation.” Joseph and the Knights would employ much prayer in the course of their meetings together and Newel had been called upon to pray vocally in the group. Joseph reported:

“[Newel] deferred praying until next morning, when he retired into the woods; where, according to his own account afterwards, he made several attempts to pray, but could scarcely do so, feeling that he had not done his duty, in refusing to pray in the presence of others. He began to feel uneasy, and continued to feel worse both in mind and body, until, upon reaching his own house, his appearance was such as to alarm his wife very much. He requested her to go and bring me to him. I went and found him suffering very much in his mind, and his body acted upon in a very strange manner; his visage and limbs distorted and twisted in every shape and appearance possible to imagine; and finally, he was caught up off the floor of the apartment, and tossed about most fearfully.

“His situation was soon made known to his neighbors and relatives and in a short time as many as eight or nine grown persons had got together to witness the scene. After he had thus suffered for a time, I succeeded in getting hold of him by the hand, when almost immediately he spoke to me, and with great earnestness requested me to cast the devil out of him, saying that he knew he was in him, and that he also knew that I could cast him out.

“I replied, “If you know that I can, it shall be done,” and then almost unconsciously I rebuked the devil, and commanded him in the name of Jesus Christ to depart from him; when immediately Newel spoke out and said that he saw the devil leave him and vanish from his sight. This was the first miracle which was done in the Church, or by any member of it; and it was done, not by man, nor by the power of man, but it was done by God, and by the power of godliness; therefore, let the honor and the praise, the dominion and the glory, be ascribed to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, for ever and ever. Amen.

“This scene was now entirely changed, for as soon as the devil had departed from our friend, his countenance became natural, his distortions of body ceased, and almost immediately the Spirit of the Lord descended upon him, and the visions of eternity were opened to his view. So soon as consciousness returned, his bodily weakness was such that we were obliged to lay him upon his bed, and wait upon him for some time. He afterwards related his experience as follows:

“I now began to feel a most pleasing sensation resting on me, and immediately the visions of heaven were opened to my view. I felt myself attracted upward, and remained for some time enwrapt in contemplation, insomuch that I knew not what was going on in the room. By and by, I felt some weight pressing upon my shoulder and the side of my head, which served to recall me to a sense of my situation, and I found that the Spirit of the Lord had actually caught me up off the floor, and that my shoulder and head were pressing against the beams.

“All this was witnessed by many, to their great astonishment and satisfaction, when they saw the devil thus cast out, and the power of God, and His Holy Spirit thus made manifest. As may be expected, such a scene as this contributed much to make believers of those who witnessed it, and finally the greater part of them became members of the Church.”[7]

This account was taken directly out of the History of the Church and there is much to be learned from it.

One. Just as we witnessed in the Sacred Grove with the young Prophet Joseph, Satan does not want us to pray vocally or to pray at all for that matter. Satan will employ the tactics of making us feel worse and worse in both body and mind to keep us from praying. When we around those that we know and love, we can even detect the presence of an evil spirit because the very countenance of the person can change.

Two. Satan can actually intervene in someone’s spirit and toss them about physically (and mentally). In this situation, as with the Prophet Joseph, it’s important to take the afflicted person by the hand to bring them to consciousness of the presence of an evil spirit.

Three. Faith in Jesus Christ is a key component in casting out Satan and his followers.

Four. Often after evil is cast out, the person is filled with light, joy, happiness and other fruits of the Spirit.[8]

Joseph Smith and the Devils in Kirtland

We learn from Lucy Diantha Morley Allen, daughter of Isaac and Lucy Morley in Kirtland, of an experience many witnessed on her parents’ farm.

“When the Prophet returned [from the Johnson’s in Hiram, Ohio] and learned the condition he called a meeting in a little schoolhouse on Isaac Morley’s farm, and those who desired attended.

“When a crowd was gathered, Joseph arose and said in a powerful voice:

‘Let the spirits be made manifest.’

“Immediately, some began to sing, some to shout, some to cry, etc. When Joseph rebuked them, all became quiet except two, whom he rebuked separately.”[9]

From Parley P. Pratt we learn of the effect evil spirits can have, even upon the most faithful (including Parley himself):

“About this time, after I had returned from Canada, there were jarrings and discords in the Church at Kirtland, and many fell away and became enemies and apostates. There were also envyings, lyings, strifes and divisions, which caused much trouble and sorrow. By such spirits I was also accused, misrepresented and abused. And at one time, I also was overcome by the same spirit in a great measure, and it seemed as if the very powers of darkness which war against the Saints were let loose upon me.”

John Taylor, who was one of Parley’s converts during his mission to Toronto, Canada just a year earlier, came to Parley at this time, and said:

“I am surprised to hear you speak so, Brother Parley. Before you left Canada you bore a strong testimony to Joseph Smith being a Prophet of God, and to the truth of the work he has inaugurated; and you said you knew these things by revelation, and the gift of the Holy Ghost. You gave to me a strict charge to the effect that though you or an angel from heaven was to declare anything else I was not to believe it. Now Brother Parley, it is not man that I am following, but the Lord. The principles you taught me led me to Him, and I now have the same testimony that you then rejoiced in. If the work was true six months ago, it is true today; if Joseph Smith was then a prophet, he is now a prophet.”[10]

“I went to brother Joseph Smith in tears, and, with a broken heart and contrite spirit, confessed wherein I had erred in spirit, murmured, or done or said amiss. He frankly forgave me, prayed for me and blessed me. Thus, by experience, I learned more fully to discern and to contrast the two spirits, and to resist the one and cleave to the other. And, being tempted in all points, even as others, I learned how to bear with, and excuse, and succor those who are tempted.”[11]

What can we learn from these two situations in Kirtland?

One. Evil spirits can be tenacious and can manifest themselves in different ways through multiple people. We should pray for the spirit of discernment so that can prevent ourselves from being deceived.

Two. The fruits of the spirit of Satan (in great contrast to the fruits of the Spirit) are: jarrings, discords, envyings, lyings, strifes, divisions, trouble, sorrow, darkness. It is good to pay strict attention when we notice any of these “fruits” in our relationships with others or with the Lord.

Three. If you begin to doubt the things you have known in the past, remember, that “if the work was true six months ago, it is true today.” As with John Taylor’s admonition to Parley, so with the Lord’s admonition to Oliver Cowdery:

22 Verily, verily, I say unto you, if you desire a further witness, cast your mind upon the night that you cried unto me in your heart, that you might know concerning the truth of these things.

23 Did I not speak peace to your mind concerning the matter? What greater witness can you have than from God?

The witnesses that have built our testimonies of the truth are from God. They are sure: the reality of a living, loving Heavenly Father and the Divinity of His Only Begotten Son. The truthfulness of the calling and mission of the Prophet Joseph Smith. The fact that the Book of Mormon is holy scripture and is the word of God for our day. And the witness of the Spirit that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint is indeed the Kingdom of God on the earth today—these are all witnessed to us by the Holy Spirit and are warred upon by the spirit of Satan.

Let us learn the tactics and deceits of the evil one and be firm, steadfast and immovable in our witness of the truths that God has given us.

Notes:

[1] Heber C. Kimball was one of Joseph Smith’s most loyal followers. Born in Sheldon, Vermont, June 14, 1801, Heber was called as one of the original members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. His loyalty  to Joseph, along with that of Brigham Young’s, was legendary and unwavering.

[2] From a Discourse of Heber C. Kimball delivered in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, March 2, 1856, Journal of Discourses, 3:230.

[3] See 2 Kings 6:15-17.

[4] Journal of Heber C. Kimball, p.80. Emphasis added.

[5] Doctrine and Covenants 10:5.

[6] Whitney, Orson F., The Life of Heber C. Kimball, Deseret Book Company, Salt Lake City, 1888, pp. 131-32.

[7] Smith, Joseph Jr. and B.H. Roberts, History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Deseret Book Company, Salt Lake City, 1902, pp. 82-84.

[8] Galatians 5: 22-23.

[9] Lucy Diantha Morley Allen, “Joseph Smith, the Prophet,” Young Woman’s Journal 17, no. 12 (December 1906): 537.

[10] Roberts, B.H., Life of John Taylor, Bookcraft, Salt Lake City, 1953, pp 39-40.

[11] Pratt, Parley P. The Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt, Deseret Book Company, Salt Lake City, 1874, p. 144.

What the Prophet Joseph Teaches Us About How to Deal with the Devil, Part 1

This is not meant to be an exhaustive commentary on this sometimes-touchy topic. Joseph the Prophet can teach us much about how to deal with the temptations and influence of Satan in our lives. This first article draws a few lessons from some of the experiences Joseph had while in his teens.

Joseph Smith the Prophet of God had many experiences, while yet in his teens, with the prince of darkness, the father of all lies. His accounts are many and instructive for us to learn how to recognize, discern and deal with the powers of darkness. We now live in a time when the battle with evil is pitched as never before. President Nelson has taught, “The battle with sin is real. The adversary is quadrupling his efforts to disrupt testimonies and impede the work of the Lord. He is arming his minions with potent weapons to keep us from partaking of the joy and love of the Lord.”[i]

The 1838 Account of the First Vision

Whenever there is a great outpouring of light in our lives, or a wonderful, powerful or marvelous spiritual experience, it seems like “old Scratch,” as C.S. Lewis once called him, wants to jump in and make our lives miserable or try to influence us to discount what we have just felt or experienced. Yes, Lehi’s teachings to Jacob are true, “For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things.”[ii]

When young Joseph went into the Grove to seek for an answer from God about the state and standing of his life, how he could obtain forgiveness from his sins (at age 14!) and to inquire about which of all the churches was true, he had no idea what was about to happen—both from the dark side and from the heavens. Let’s explore, from the various accounts of the First Vision, Joseph’s descriptions of his interactions with darkness. Some of these are lengthy, but let’s read them together so we can learn of the reality of the opposition that we face.

Here’s the most-often-quoted passage from the first vision in the 1838 account (I have left it just as it is in the hand-written account):

“After I had retired into the place where I had previously designed to go, having looked around me and finding myself alone, I kneeled down and began to offer up the desires of my heart to God, I had scarcely done so, when immediately I was < siezed > upon by some power which entirely overcame me and < had > such astonishing influence over me as to bind my tongue so that I could not speak. Thick darkness gathered around me and it seemed to me for a time as if I were doomed to sudden destruction. But exerting all my powers to call upon God to deliver me out of the power of this enemy which had siezed upon me, and at the very moment when I was ready to sink into despair and abandon myself to destruction, not to an imaginary ruin but to the power of some actual being from the unseen world who had such a marvelous power as I had never before felt in any being. Just at this moment of great alarm I saw a pillar < of > light exactly over my head above the brightness of the sun, which descended gracefully gradually untill it fell upon me. It no sooner appeared than I found myself delivered from the enemy which held me bound.”[iii]

Okay, let’s do some discerning together. Here are some lessons I take from this account.

First. Satan knew who Joseph was from the pre-mortal world: the mighty, foreordained head of the dispensation of the fulness of times. Satan has no veil and so he clearly saw beyond the 14-year-old-farmboy-disguise—and he was there to make every effort to not only stop Joseph from communicating with God, he was there to destroy him. And Satan also knows us. This isn’t to scare us. We just need all the intel we can have spiritually not to be influenced or detracted from our own pre-mortal missions. When Satan showed his hand so clearly in the Sacred Grove, he also made a big blunder by exposing so clearly his own tactics to the rest of the dispensation! Ha! Gotcha.

Second. Satan worked first on Joseph’s tongue so that he could not speak. What an obvious tactic. He does the same thing with us and it comes in different ways. Fatigue. “I am just too tired to pray tonight.” Same thing—you are not going to use your tongue. Rush-rush world. “I am late for my class or my job or my meeting or church. I don’t have time to pray.” Same tactic. Tiny prayers. “This prayer is going to have to be quick because we need to go to bed or we need to get going.” Same thing (with some exceptions). Listen to what Nephi taught: “For if ye would hearken unto the Spirit which teacheth a man to pray, ye would know that ye must pray; for the evil spirit teacheth not a man to pray, but teacheth him that he must not pray.”[iv]

Third. Satan uses “thick darkness” that gathers around us and can even make us feel like we are “doomed to sudden destruction.” I think we have all felt that darkness from time to time or even more often. Our vision of reality becomes obscured by lies (that is darkness). Our understanding or stress concerning a certain challenge or obstacle becomes “more than we can take.” This is darkness. We have financial challenges that just engulf us. This can also be darkness. We will see how to disperse this in a minute.

Fourth. Satan is an actual being from the unseen world. He is real. He exists. He is not a metaphor or a sectarian notion or a long-time false tradition. We have to know this. We learn from our great friend, Nephi, that Satan uses another lie to deceive us in this category:

“And behold, others he flattereth away, and telleth them there is no hell; and he saith unto them: I am no devil, for there is none—and thus he whispereth in their ears, until he grasps them with his awful chains, from whence there is no deliverance.”[v]

What a slippery, tricky character. He is real.

Fifth. Here is the key from this account: “exerting all my powers to call upon God to deliver me out of the power of this enemy which had seized upon me…” Now, sometimes the powers of darkness are greater than just being released by prayer. The “all my powers” part, to me, means to access everything you have available to you. A trusted priesthood holder can and should be called upon to cast Satan out. This has to be done using the power and authority of the priesthood and in the name of Jesus Christ. Jesus Himself cast out numerous evil spirits during His ministry. Follow His example.

Sixth. I do find it so refreshing that when the light came, that pillar of light which descended “gracefully,” and then he changes the word to “gradually,” he was “delivered from the enemy which held me bound.” There is deliverance and it comes from God as noted in the fifth point above.

The 1835 Account of the First Vision

I bring this account into this because there are at least two things I draw from this description of the First Vision. I have left this in the original as well. Look closely.

“…information was what I most desired at this time, and with a fixed determination I to obtain it, I called upon the Lord for the first time, in the place above stated or in other words I made a fruitless attempt to pray, my toung seemed to be swolen in my mouth, so that I could not utter, I heard a noise behind me like some person walking towards me, < I > strove again to pray, but could not, the noise of walking seemed to draw nearer, I sprung up on my feet, and and looked around, but saw no person or thing that was calculated to produce the noise of walking, I kneeled again my mouth was opened and my toung liberated, and I called on the Lord in mighty prayer…”[vi] was

Please notice carefully these two things (and there are more).

One. Satan used fear and shame. Fear because Joseph could not see a person or thing that was producing the noise of walking, and shame because Joseph had desired to be alone so that he could make his first attempt to pray out loud. Fear truly is a first-line tactic of Satan’s in so many situations and instances. If he can strike fear in our hearts, well, he has partially won already.

Two. Distraction. The very act of interrupting Joseph’s attempt to pray by pounding footsteps through the woods in a secluded place where Joseph knew that he could be alone and “having looked around me, and finding myself alone”—this distraction was unexpected and jarring. We often face distraction in our busy, social media-saturated, Facebook-fraught, Instagram-ignited world. Let’s watch for it and don’t be taken by it.

Orson Hyde’s Contemporary Account of the First Vision

We have four primary source accounts of the First Vision either written personally by the Prophet Joseph or dictated by him to a scribe. We also have five contemporary accounts, given by others whom Joseph told the vision to or they heard him talk about it and they wrote down what they remember during Joseph’s lifetime. These include Orson Pratt (1840) and Orson Hyde (1842), both apostles; Levi Richards (1843), David Nye White Interview (1843) and Alexander Neibaur (1844). There is much to be learned from each account, but let’s just look at Orson Hyde’s writings.

“On one occasion, he went to a small grove of trees near his father’s home and knelt down before God in solemn prayer. The adversary then made several strenuous efforts to cool his ardent soul. He filled his mind with doubts and brought to mind all manner of inappropriate images to prevent him from obtaining the object of his endeavors; but the overflowing mercy of God came to buoy him up and gave new impetus to his failing strength. However, the dark cloud soon parted and light and peace filled his frightened heart. Once again he called upon the Lord with faith and fervency of spirit.”[vii]

Here are some takeaways.

One. Satan tried to “cool his ardent soul.” What a great description of how the adversary can take our best intentions and our most righteous desires and just cool our enthusiasm, stop the momentum, slow us down, make the ideas seem not so great after all, keep us from the goal we set out to do. Cool our ardent souls. That’s really a good one to pay attention to in our own lives.

Two. Satan filled Joseph’s young mind with doubts. That is a bullseye for Satan’s most fiery darts. The whole use of doubt is so effective. We doubt our gifts. We doubt our abilities. We doubt our talents. We doubt our good intentions. We doubt our own identity. Doubt is a very powerful tool of the adversary and we must constantly be vigilant and pay attention to its entry into our hearts.

Three. Satan brought to Joseph’s mind all manner of inappropriate images to prevent him from obtaining the object of his endeavors. Those inappropriate images today might translate into an incorrect view of who we really are eternally. It might be a diminished enthusiasm and the vision that what we really desired to do was probably too lofty or too stupid or “I wouldn’t deserve an answer or a gift from God anyway” type thought. It might be pornography. It might be already forgiven past sins or weaknesses. There are any number of inappropriate images that will prevent us from obtaining the object of our own righteous endeavors. Remember, we are just exploring here—there is much that could be expanded in each of these accounts beyond what we have done.

Joseph’s Special Training from Moroni about the Adversary

According to both Lucy Mack Smith and Oliver Cowdery, Joseph was given a vision of the powers of darkness on Monday, September 22, 1823 right on the sacred hill where the gold plates were hidden. This was for the purpose of giving Joseph an early lesson on how to discern between light and dark and to always choose the light.

When Joseph went to the hill the very first time (on the above date), he found the place where the plates were hidden (which had also been shown to him previously in vision) and after leveraging the stone and opening the box, his mind slipped into thinking that perhaps there were things of worth therein that could help his family out of their indigent circumstances. He tried to take the plates out of the box and received a shock through his whole body. He tried again and received the same shock. He tried a third time with the same results. He cried out, “Why can I not obtain the plates?” and the Angel Moroni immediately appeared nearby and informed him that his mind was not yet prepared and ready and that he must keep his feelings and purpose completely single to the glory of God. At this point, Moroni opened a vision to Joseph’s view.

Lucy’s account reads as follows:

“Now I will show you the distance between light and darkness, and the operation of a good spirit and an evil one. An evil spirit will try to crowd your mind with every evil and wicked thing to keep every good thought and feeling out of your mind, but you must keep your mind always staid upon God, that no evil may come into your heart.”

“The angel showed him, by contrast, the difference between good and evil, and likewise the consequences of both obedience and disobedience to the commandments of God, in such a striking manner, that the impression was always vivid in his memory until the very end of his days; and in giving a relation of this circumstance, not long prior to his death, he remarked that ever afterwards he was willing to keep the commandments of God.”[viii]

Oliver’s account gives us some further details of this same occasion. I have left this exactly as it was recorded in the original source: and  

“He [Joseph] had come, to be sure, and found the word of the angel fully fullfilled concerning the reality of the record but he had failed to remember the great end for which they had been kept, and in consequence could not have power to take them into his possession and bear them away.

“At that instant he looked to the Lord in prayer, and as he prayed darkness began to disperse from his mind and his soul was lit up as it was the evening before, and he was filled with the Holy Spirit; and again did the Lord manifest his condescension and mercy: the heavens were opened and the glory of the Lord shone round about and rested upon him. While he thus stood gazing and admiring, the angel said, ‘Look!’ and as he thus spake he beheld the prince of darkness, surrounded by his innumerable train of associates.

“All this passed before him, and the heavenly messenger said, ‘All this is shown, the good and the evill, the holy and impure, the glory of God and the power of darkness, that you may know hereafter the two powers and never be influenced or overcome by that wicked one Behold, whatever entices and leads to good and to do good, is of God, and whatever does not is of that wicked one,[ix] It is he that fills the hearts of men with evil, to walk in darkness and blaspheme God; and you may learn from henceforth, that his ways are to destruction, but the way of holiness is peace and rest. You now see why you could not obtain this record; that the commandment was strict, and that if ever these sacred things are obtained they must be by prayer and faithfulness in obeying the Lord.[x] the  

There are so many lessons for us to learn from this vision. Here are just a few:

One. From Lucy’s account, I love this sentence: “An evil spirit will try to crowd your mind with every evil and wicked thing to keep every good thought and feeling out of your mind, but you must keep your mind always staid upon God, that no evil may come into your heart.” That whole idea of “crowding our minds” with evil and wicked things is so common for those who begin to go astray. And the keep every good thought and feeling out of our minds—don’t you have days like that? And the lesson is clear: Keep your mind always staid upon God—that no evil may come into your heart. This is simple language but pure gold for us in these latter days. The similar Book of Mormon language for this is to be “firm, steadfast and immovable” in keeping the commandments of the Lord.[xi]

Two. Let’s learn from our experiences where we have had a clear choice between light and darkness. The CTR (Choose the Right) approach to life really is a true way to happiness and once we have made that decision it will always bless us. I love how Lucy notes that soon before Joseph’s death (which would have been more than 20 years after this experience with Moroni), he still remembered to choose to keep the commandments of God.

Three. Looking to the Lord in prayer will always help to disperse any darkness that surrounds us. That darkness is usually in our mind and Spirit of God can fill our souls with light.

Four. The prince of darkness (I really like to leave that in lower-case letters!) has an innumerable train of associates. We should never take this lightly but always remember again that “they that be with us are more than they that be with them.”[xii] of

Five. We can absolutely know that Satan can fill our hearts with evil and is the one who leads us to walk in darkness and to blaspheme God. At some level we all know this, but if we are not careful, we can forget the source of our walking a dark path, a path that can lead to destruction, even the destruction of our souls. In contrast, God’s path is a way of holiness and of peace and rest. We need to remember the fruits of the Spirit which are “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance…”[xiii] These lessons really lead us back to primary where we are taught the basics of learning to choose between right and wrong.

Of course, there are many more lessons that can be learned from Joseph in this category. In Part 2 of this article, we will explore Joseph’s counsel and experiences from the perspective of his being a more seasoned adult.

Notes:

[i] Nelson, Russell M., We Can Do Better and Be Better, General Conference, Priesthood Session, April 2019.

[ii] See 2 Nephi 2:11.

[iii] (History, circa June 1839–circa 1841 [Draft 2], p. 3, The Joseph Smith Papers, https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/history-circa-june-1839-circa-1841-draft-2/3), emphasis added.

[iv] 2 Nephi 32:8.

[v] 2 Nephi 28:22.

[vi] [p. 23] (Journal, 1835–1836, p. 23, The Joseph Smith Papers, accessed February 6, 2024, https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/journal-1835-1836/24?p=24), emphasis added.

[vii] (Orson Hyde, Ein Ruf aus der Wüste (A Cry out of the Wilderness), 1842, extract, English translation, p. , The Joseph Smith Papers, accessed February 6, 2024, https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/orson-hyde-ein-ruf-aus-der-wste-a-cry-out-of-the-wilderness-1842-extract-english-translation/1)

[viii] Proctor, Scot Facer and Proctor, Maurine Jensen, Revised and Enhanced History of the Prophet Joseph by His Mother, Bookcraft, Salt Lake City, 1996, chapter 18.

[ix] Notice the same kind of language from Moroni 7:11-17 for here was the very same Prophet who wrote those verses in the Book of Mormon, standing before Joseph as a glorified and resurrected being!

[x] History, 1834–1836, p. 95, The Joseph Smith Papers, https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/history-1834-1836/99.

[xi] See, for example, Helaman 15:5-8; 1 Nephi 2:10; 3 Nephi 6:14; 2 Nephi 31:20; Mosiah 5:15 and Alma 1:25.

[xii] See 2 Kings 6:15-17.

[xiii] Galatians 5:22-23.