God Himself
called Joseph Smith as the prophet of the latter days to
restore His true gospel to the earth. "I the Lord, knowing
the calamity which should come upon the inhabitants of
the earth, called upon my servant Joseph Smith, Jun.,
and spake unto him from heaven, and gave him
commandments." Over centuries, the true Church
of Jesus Christ had fallen into apostasy. Christ's teachings had been
corrupted and the ordinances of salvation changed.
This apostasy ended with the calling of Joseph Smith,
an obscure farm boy 14 years of age, as a prophet.
Why did God call
a mere boy as His prophet? "I call upon the weak
things of the world, those who are unlearned and despised,
to thrash the nations by the power of my
Spirit."
President Gordon B. Hinckley has said, "The instrument
in this work of God was a boy whose mind was not
cluttered by the philosophies of men. That mind was
fresh and without schooling in the traditions of the
day."
Having proven
faithful over the 10 years since his First Vision, Joseph
Smith was sustained by vote of the Church as a prophet,
seer, revelator,
translator, and apostle of Jesus Christ on April 6,
1830.
apostasy
A turning away from the truth by individuals, the Church, or entire nations. It includes rebellion against authority and rejection of prophets (Preach My Gospel, 44).
revelator
One who reveals the will of God to His children. Members of the First Presidency and the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are sustained as prophets, seers, and revelators.
prophet
A person who has been called by and speaks for God. As a messenger of God, a prophet receives commandments, prophecies, and revelations from God. His responsibility is to make known God's will and true character to mankind and to show the meaning of His dealings with them. His primary responsibility is to bear witness of Christ. (The Guide to the Scriptures, "Prophet," 201–202).
