"I reflected upon it again and again..."

As a missionary, I get the opportunity to share the message of the Restoration quite frequently. For those of y'all who are unfamiliar with what this is, learn more now.

----------

To bring out certain points from Joseph Smith History of what happened at that time, I will quote the following from Joseph Smith:

 10 In the midst of this war of words and tumult of opinions, I often said to myself: What is to be done? Who of all these parties are right; or, are they all wrong together? If any one of them be^aright, which is it, and how shall I know it?

 11 While I was laboring under the extreme difficulties caused by the contests of these parties of religionists, I was one day reading the ^aEpistle of James, first chapter and fifth verse, which reads: If any of you lack ^bwisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

 12 Never did any passage of ^ascripture come with more power to the heart of man than this did at this time to mine. It seemed to enter with great force into every feeling of my heart. I reflected on it again and again, knowing that if any person needed ^bwisdom from God, I did; for how to act I did not know, and unless I could get more wisdom than I then had, I would never know; for the teachers of religion of the different sects ^cunderstood the same passages of scripture so differently as to destroy all confidence in settling the question by an appeal to the Bible.

 13 At length I came to the conclusion that I must either remain in^adarkness and confusion, or else I must do as James directs, that is, ask of God." 

What unfolded next can only be described as miraculous. Joseph Smith recounts: 

"...I saw a pillar of ^clight exactly over my head, above the brightness of the ^dsun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me. ...When the light rested upon me I^bsaw two ^cPersonages, whose brightness and ^dglory defy all description, ^estanding above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My^fBeloved ^gSon. Hear Him!"

---------

I testify that God and His Son, Jesus Christ, did appear to Joseph Smith. They absolutely did. I love this Gospel and the message that it contains. The same church and Gospel that Jesus Christ established whenever He was on the Earth, was restored (not created or imagined) through the prophet Joseph Smith. Through Joseph's experience, we learn that we can and should ask God, our Eternal Heavenly Father, to know if something is or isn't true; if something is or isn't right. Just as James directs, we must ask of God. I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that He will answer our prayers. It may not all come at once, but it will come. This message of the Restoration is true. I know it. And I encourage you to learn for yourself if it's true as well. Ask the missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints to tell you more. They can help you.

In this Mormon Message, it tells the same story, basically, but it shows how we can relate the Book of Mormon, other scriptures, and this story to us today. I love this Mormon Message and I encourage you all to view it. It is really worth watching. :)

Just something for y'all to think about...

-Sister Reid