Gospel Doctrine, Chapter 25, p. 480; “THE PROPHET JOSEPH SMITH. Brother Woodruff, in the course of his remarks, made the assertion that Joseph Smith was the greatest prophet that has ever lived, of whom we have any knowledge, save and except Jesus Christ himself…Today there is not another man, perhaps, who has figured in religion, whose name is so wide-spread among the nations, as that of Joseph Smith.” – Joseph F. Smith
Philippians 2:8-11; “And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” [emphasis mine]
One of my favorite things about living in Germany was the thunderous peal of church bells breaking the silence of every sleepy little village and big cities alike. I noticed no matter where I lived or visited, the reaction of people within earshot was the same.
They stopped and looked up as if it was the first time they’d heard the bells making their announcement. Locals told me the bells represented one thing. Jesus.
Jesus had arrived. Jesus is the Lord. And lest we forget, He died on the cross which sat atop every church, just above the bells.
The churches represented not only Jesus, but Martin Luther as well. Germany, aka ‘The Land of Luther’, stands as a lasting monument to one man’s desire for the common man to know Christ. His undaunted drive for biblical truth and leadership accountability came with a price, just as our redemption because of sin did.
Numerous men lived and died for the Lord Jesus and the cause of biblical truth. Their convictions came from the Lord, not to glorify themselves individually, but to glorify Him who died for us all. Their callings drove them to expose the darkness which in turn provided the common man with access to the Bibles we cherish in our homes today. Here are just a few of the men whose names are still renowned today –
Why is the Church’s focus on Joseph Smith and not Jesus or the Bible? They want people to believe Smith’s name is synonymous with the gospel of Christ when in reality, Smith’s work wasn’t about Jesus or His gospel. His name is synonymous with a lot of things, but the gospel of Christ certainly isn’t either of those things.
Public declarations like the one we’ve seen today speaks volumes as to what is in the heart of these men.
Joseph Smith’s name may be sung by some men… but the very stars in the sky sing to Jesus Christ!
The very rocks cry out to Jesus Christ.
Who does Jesus Christ sing about???
You.
17 The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing. Zephaniah 3:17 (KJV)