For video of this presentation, click here.

Key Points: The root of Jesse is Joseph Smith, he is the servant of Christ, the David of the latter days who will yet have political and ecclesiastical authority over all the earth, who will return in the flesh to lay out inheritances in Missouri the New Jerusalem, who will unite old and new Jerusalem, who will call down the plagues of the last days, a Millennial leader under Christ like Joseph in Egypt was under Pharaoh in his day, etc. As Jesus is the revealer of the Father, so is Joseph Smith the revealer of Jesus. As Jesus visited his people after his resurrection, so will Joseph Smith after his. Joseph will lead the Great Council of God in Zion and Jerusalem. Like Christ, Joseph Smith was largely rejected in his mortal ministry, but will be accepted in his second coming. People of this dispensation need the consent of Joseph Smith to enter the celestial kingdom where God and Christ are. Joseph Smith is the angel of the last days spoken of in Revelation 14, the servant in Jacob 5, the servant in D&C 101, the latter-day Elias preparing the way of the Lord.

 

-For another presentation by the Joseph Smith Foundation titled “The Mystery of the 2 Prophets” discussing how Joseph and Hyrum Smith could fit the Rev. 11 two prophets, see my summary click here.

-“Would to God, brethren, I could tell you who I am! Would to God I could tell you what I know! But you would call it blasphemy…” (Joseph Smith)
-Joseph is a messenger, a David, a witness, a servant, etc. Some LDS scholars think Joseph Smith is proud and arrogant, but we will see that he simply stood in his rightful place.
-Who is the latter-day servant of Isa. 42? Is his name David? Who is this “one mighty and strong”?
-The latter-day witness isn’t just A witness, he is THE witness. The leader of the world. He has all political authority under the Savior, and all direction of the church under the Savior. The Moses of the latter-day exodus. It is even likely that ancient Israel sacrifices prefigure this man.
-Joseph Smith and Brigham Young, and the ancient authors of holy writ knew who the latter-day servant is.
-If we don’t know who the servant is, we lose much perspective of the latter days.
-see discourse “Joseph Smith: A Revealer of Christ” where Bruce McConkie shows that just as Jesus Christ is the revealer of Heavenly Father, so is Joseph Smith the revealer of Jesus Christ.
-Joseph clarified Gabriel as Noah, and Michael as Adam. Who is Joseph Smith?
-3 Nephi 21:9 speaks of a marvelous work and a wonder that people won’t believe although a man declare it to them.
-Isaiah 52 speaks of Christ being marred, similarly 3 Ne. 21:10 speaks of the servant of the latter days being marred.
-LDS scholars have said that the latter-day servant would seal the 144,000, would be a king in Israel, would call down plagues upon the wicked in the last days, would preach to the Jews after they had rebuilt Jerusalem, etc. Joseph Smith can fit all of these roles, especially in light of the repeated doctrine that Joseph Smith will return. As the scripture says, he was marred, and will be healed. Like the Savior, his first coming was largely rejected, but his second coming will be wonderful.
-“Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord and my God shall be my strength” this ancient prophecy can apply to Joseph Smith and Jesus Christ. Mortality is not the end, like how patriarchal blessings need not all be fulfilled within the time frame of mortality.
-Heber C Kimball taught in 1861: You will see the say when Joseph Smith, Hyrum Smith, and Brigham Young etc. will be there in the flesh laying out the inheritances in Missouri. The quote continues “…the day will be when I will see those men [the aforementioned latter-day brethren] in the general assembly of the Church of the First Born, in the great council of God in Jerusalem too….I heard Joseph say twice that Brother Brigham and I should be in that council in Jerusalem, when there should be a uniting of the two divisions of God’s government.”
-D&C 85:7 speaks of the one mighty and strong with a scepter and arranging by lot the inheritances of the saints
-D&C 77 speaks of 2 prophets raised up to the Jewish nation at the time of the restoration after the Jews are gathered and have built Jerusalem in the land of their fathers. The time of the restoration is the time of Joseph and Hyrum Smith. More on that in the Joseph Smith Foundation film “The Mystery of the Two Prophets”
– Isa. 11:10 speaks of a “root of Jesse” coming from the stem of Jesse (Jesus Christ); D&C 113:5 speaks of the “root of Jesse” and gives this interpretation in verse 6: “[the root of Jesse] is a descendant of Jesse, as well as of Joseph, unto whom rightly belongs the priesthood, and the keys of the kingdom, for an ensign, and for the gathering of my people in the last days.” The root of Jesse could well be Joseph Smith, Bruce R McConkie teaches that he is this servant and is this servant.
-Ezek. 34:24 speaks of Jehovah’s servant David as a prince
-Days before his martyrdom, Joseph Smith said to his Nauvoo legion “I promise you when I come again I shall lead you forth so that where I am you shall be also.” He also said just before his martyrdom, “Don’t be sad, don’t be cast down, I will come back again…as soon as I can” (autobiography of Wandle Mace)
-“Joseph, Hyrum, Father Smith, and many others will be there [during the Millennium] to dictate and preside. Joseph will stand at the head of this dispensation and hold the keys of it, for they are not taken from him; they never were in time; they never will be in eternity. I shall be there if I live or if I die.” (President Brigham Young, April 1853, when JS had been dead nearly 9 years)
-Joseph Smith will reign during the Millennium under Christ in a similar way that Joseph of old ruled in Egypt under Pharaoh. Joseph in Egypt was a type of Joseph Smith, foreshadowing the even greater role that Joseph Smith would play.
-“I said to Brother Joseph, the spring before he was killed, “you are laying out work for 20 years.” He replied, “you have as yet scarcely begun to work; but I will set you enough to last you during your lives, for I am going to rest.” All I can do or ask now is to do the work, so that it will be right and acceptable to him when he comes here again.” (President Brigham Young, 1857)
-Brigham understood that he held a stewardship to carry out what Joseph told him to do. The marching orders of latter-day prophets are dictated by Joseph Smith.
-“Joseph Smith Junior will again be on this earth dictating plans…And he will never cease his operations, under the directions of the Son of God, until the last ones of the children of men are saved that can be, from Adam till now. There is an almighty work to perform in the spirit world. Joseph has not yet got through there. When he finishes his mission in the spirit world, he will be resurrected, but he has not yet done there…When his spirit again quickens his body, he will ascend to heaven, present his resurrected body to the Father and the Son, receive his commission as a resurrected being, and visit his brethren on this earth as did Jesus after his resurrection.” (President Brigham Young, 1857)
-Brigham taught that Joseph Smith has some stewardship for everyone that has lived on this earth, and that he has Millennial keys.
-President Kimball’s prophecy, “An army of Elders”: there will be great prosperity in the west followed by financial bondage, “then persecution comes next and all true latter-day saints will be tested to the limit. Many will apostatize and others will be still not knowing what to do. Darkness will cover the earth and gross darkness the minds of the people. The judgements of god will be poured out on the wicked to the extent that our elders will be called home, or in other words, the gospel will be taken from the Gentiles and later on carried to the Jews. The western boundary of the state of Missouri will be swept so clean of its inhabitants that, as Brigham Young tells us, when you return to that place there will not be left so much as a yellow dog to wag his tail. Before that day comes however, the saints will be put to a test that will try the integrity of the best of them. The pressure will become so great that the more righteous of them will cry to the Lord day and night until deliverance comes. Then the prophet Joseph and others will make their appearance and those who have remained faithful will be selected to return to Jackson County Missouri and take part in the building of that beautiful city, the New Jerusalem.”
-After Joseph’s martyrdom, Parley Pratt received a revelation that “my servant Joseph still holds the keys of my kingdom in this dispensation, and he shall stand in due time on the earth in the flesh and fulfil that to which he is appointed.”
-“Those who are your friends are my friends, and I promise you when I come again, I will lead you forth, so that where I am you shall be with me.” (Joseph Smith)
-The SLC temple east doors niches held statues of Joseph and Hyrum until 1911.
-Joseph likely also fits the description of angels and prophets in the book of Revelation. Revelation 14 speaks of an angel.
-The original architectural designs for the angel Moroni atop the temples featured a temple with the book of Mormon in one hand, and a trumpet in the other, on a weather vane, featuring a stylized tongue of fire, a compass, and a square.
-Brigham saw years before the construction of the SLC temple every time he went to the place it was to be constructed. He never had to ask God how to build it because it was shown him plainly. Similarly, the Nauvoo temple was shown to Joseph Smith.
-according to the Peregrine Sessions journal, “on this day they raised the figure which is the representation of an Angel in his Priestly robe with the book of Mormon in one hand and a trumpet in the other which is over laid with gold leaf”
-many say this angel on our temples is a representation of Rev. 14:6-7 the angel flying through the midst of heaven with the gospel to preach to every nation, telling that the hour of the judgement of God is come. Its clear this angel has a large role in the latter days. Some have speculated that this angel is Moroni, who indeed helped Joseph Smith. But it could be Joseph Smith himself. Joseph Smith said he would give “a literal rendering” of Matthew 24. Joseph said, “The Savior said when these tribulations should take place, it should be committed to a man who should be a witness over the whole world…the keys of knowledge, power, and revelations should be revealed to a witness who should hold the testimony to the world” (Joseph Smith, cited May 12, 1844, Thomas Bullock report). This witness and the tribulations are clearly referencing the last days.
-“It has always been my providence to dig up new things, hidden things for my hearers. Just at the time when some men think I have no right to the keys of the priesthood, just at that time, I have the greatest right…All the testimony is that the Lord in the last days would commit the keys of the priesthood to a witness over all people. Has the Gospel of the kingdom commenced in the last days? And will God take it from the man until He takes him Himself?” (Joseph Smith, 1844). We realize that aside from Jesus Christ, Joseph Smith was prophesied of more than anyone in scripture. Here we see that Joseph identifies himself as the witness of the last days.
-“The building up of Zion is a cause that has interested the people of God in every age. It is a theme upon which prophet’s priests and kings have dwelt with particular delight. They have looked forward with joyful anticipation to the day in which we live, and fired with heavenly and joyful anticipations, they have written and sung and prophesied of this our day. But they died without the sight. We are the favored people that God has made choice of to bring about the latter-day glory. It is left for us to see, participate in, and help to roll forward the latter-day glory.” (Joseph Smith)
-Since the mission of the witness is to build Zion, how could it be someone other than Joseph Smith?
-“Joseph Smith, the Prophet and Seer of the Lord, has done more, save Jesus only, for the salvation of men in this world, than any other man that ever lived in it.” (John Taylor)
-“no man or woman in this dispensation will ever enter into the celestial kingdom of God without the consent of Joseph Smith…every man and woman must have the certificate of Joseph Smith, Junior, as a passport to their entrance into the mansion where God and Christ are… [Joseph Smith] reigns there as supreme a being in his sphere, capacity, and calling, as God does in heaven. Many will exclaim- “Oh, that is very disagreeable! It is preposterous! We cannot bear the thought!” But it is true.” (Brigham Young, 1859)
-The prophet Joseph Smith reigns under Jesus Christ in the celestial kingdom
-“Jesus Christ excepted, no better man ever lived or does live upon this earth.” (Brigham Young referring to Joseph Smith)
-“Has the gospel of the kingdom commenced in the last days and will God take it from the man until he takes him himself? I have read it precisely as the words flowed from the lips of Jesus Christ. John the revelator saw an angel flying through the midst of heaven having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth. The scripture is ready to be fulfilled when great wars famines pestilence great distress judgements and so forth are ready to be poured out on the inhabitants of the earth. John saw the angel having the holy Priesthood, who should preach the everlasting gospel to the nations. God had an angel- a special messenger- ordained and prepared for that purpose in the last days. Woe, woe be to that man or set of men who lift up their hands against God and His witness in these days: for they shall deceive almost the very chosen ones.” (Joseph Smith, May 12, 1844, Thomas Bullock report) Here Joseph Smith connects the angel of Rev. 14 with the special messenger/servant of the last days, and essentially acknowledges that he is the man.
-Joseph Smith shows us that the angel is the special witness, who is the messenger, who is himself.
-the documents from this presentation are available at josephsmithfoundation.org/research
-The above citations by Joseph Smith show himself to be the latter-day witness:
a. he speaks of the latter-day witness,
b. he makes direct reference to himself,
c. again he references the witness,
d. understanding the context of the passage we see that he again directly speaks of himself,
e. he invokes Christ as a witness of this claim,
f. he then introduces the Rev 14 angel as the revealer of the Gospel to all the earth,
g. he places the angel in a latter-day context
h. he speaks of this angel’s right to the priesthood and keys in the latter days
i. he identifies the angel as the messenger who holds the keys in the latter days
j. he finally warns against all those who attempt to slander or vilify himself as the witness in the latter days
-Malachi’s messenger ‘preparing the way’ may allude to Joseph Smith, a latter-day prophet crying in the wilderness to prepare the way of the Lord.
-“Malachi as Isaiah speaks of the Lord sending his servant to prepare the way before him and while that does have reference to the coming of John the Baptist, it is one of those scriptures that has double fulfilment, it has reference also to the coming of the prophet Joseph Smith because that messenger which was to come and prepare the way before him was to come in this day, the latter days.” (President Joseph Fielding Smith)
-The Lord coming suddenly to his temple was fulfilled in the Kirtland temple, but will have dual fulfillment.
-“Why do not my enemies strike a blow at the doctrine? They cannot do it: it is truth, and I defy all men to upset it. I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, “Repent ye of your sins and prepare the way for the coming of the Son of Man”…for the kingdom of God has come unto you, and henceforth the ax is laid unto the root of the tree; and every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, God Almighty (and not Joe Smith) shall hew it down and cast it into the fire.” (Joseph Smith) Here Joseph directly quotes John the Baptist, making himself a latter-day John.
-Malachi 3:2 speaks of Christ as a refining fire; Isaiah 10:17-18 speaks of “the light of Israel for a fire and his Holy One for a flame”; Isa. 31:9 speaks of the Lord’s fire being in Zion
-“The Lord in the former dispensation sent a messenger to prepare the way before him, and in this dispensation it was just as necessary that a messenger be sent to prepare the way for the coming of the Lord and the establishment of the reign of peace. If Joseph Smith was not that man, then we must look for another.” If we must look for another, the Book of Mormon, LDS ordinances, and Joseph Smith himself are a fraud. Joseph declared himself to be this man. We know he fulfilled his mission.
-“The Lord declared, through one of his prophets, that before his second coming a messenger should be sent to prepare the way and make it straight. You may apply this to John if you will, [speaking of John the Baptist] and it is true. John, the messenger who came to prepare the way before the Lord in the former dispensation, also came in this dispensation, as a messenger to Joseph Smith; so it applies, if you wish to apply it so, to John who came as a messenger to prepare the way before the Lord. But I go farther and maintain that Joseph Smith was the messenger whom the Lord sent to prepare the way before him. He came, and under direction of holy messengers laid the foundation for the kingdom of God and of this marvelous work and a wonder that the world might be prepared for the coming of the Lord.” (President Joseph Fielding Smith)
-We also consider Joseph Smit has fulfilling the role of the Elias to restore all things, the 2 prophets in Rev. 11, the servant in D&C 101, the 1 sons in Isaiah, the servant in Jacob 5, the Davidic prince, etc.
-“The Restoration of the gospel is true. Someday we’ll know of the greatness of the Prophet Joseph Smith.” (Elder David B. Haight, 1996)