But why did God break His long silence of nearly two millennia to now call an obscure young man as prophet? The answer is more simple than you might think. It’s a matter of prophecy and preparation. But mostly it’s a simple matter of God’s will. He chose Joseph Smith to be the prophet through whom He would restore sacred truths and saving knowledge. Joseph Smith did not ask to be a prophet.

It is left to each of us, however, to ask God whether Joseph was called to become a prophet. Learning the answer to that question may is key to knowing more about the doctrines Christ revealed through him.

See also: josephsmith.com

Let’s look at the list of questions outlined in How can I know if a man is a true prophet?

• Q. Did he claim that the call came from Deity, even though the calling itself may have come through another person in a position of authority?

• A. “I was led to say in my heart: Why persecute me for telling the truth? I have actually seen a vision; and who am I that I can withstand God, or why does the world think to make me deny what I have actually see? For I had seen a vision: I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I could not deny it” (Joseph Smith-History 1:25).

• Q. Did he receive priesthood authority to act in God’s name?

• A. “In 1829, [Joseph Smith Jr.] received priesthood authority from John the Baptist and from Peter, James, and John” (Guide to the Scriptures, s.v. “Smith, Joseph Jr.”).

• Q. Does he offer revelations and pronouncements from God that he considers binding on the people he leads?

• A. All but 3 of the 138 revelations that make up the book Doctrine and Covenants were received by Joseph Smith and are considered canon and therefore binding on the Latter-day Saints.

• Q. Does he teach universal truths that cross cultures and political boundaries?

• A. As one example of the breadth of Joseph’s intended message, the title page of the Book of Mormon states that it is “to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations” (emphasis added).

• Q. Does he address social issues in clarifying and sometimes radical ways?

• A. Joseph Smith‘s revelation on a health code (see Doctrine and Covenants 89) is a good example of his radical approach to health that has been proven to be very much in accord with good health practices today.

• Q. Does he both maintain and reform status quo religion?

• A. See, for example, his teachings on the Godhead.

The answers to these additional questions are similarly positive and clarifying. However, you should do the research and answer them yourselves, and then turn to God to ask Him yourself for a spiritual confirmation regarding whether Joseph Smith was truly called as a prophet. Then you owe it to yourself to examine his fellow prophets in line as prophets and apostles over Jesus Christ‘s restored Church:

• Did he go through some sort of spiritual preparation for the calling?
• Does he now or did he have a major weakness or trial to overcome?
• Does he have opponents who do not believe his calling as prophet?
• Does he have both a reliance on and a willingness to expand sacred texts (scripture)?
• In what ways does he testify of Jesus Christ as the Redeemer of mankind?

Sources

Where Have All the Prophets Gone? by Scott R. Petersen

Encyclopedia of Religion, s.v. “Prophecy”

The Encyclopedia of Mormonism, s.v. “Smith, Joseph: The Prophet”

Born December 23, 1805 in Sharon, Vermont.

Died June 27, 1844 in Carthage, Illinois, at the hands of a mob.

Ministry

As founder and first President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Joseph Smith created communities of Church members in New York, Ohio, Missouri, and Illinois. He served as the leader of the Church from the day it was organized on April 6, 1830, until he was martyred on June 27, 1844.

Preparation and Calling

At age 14, Joseph Smith sought God for help in finding the “true” organized religion in his area. In answer to that prayer, he saw in vision God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. Three years later, he began a tutelage by an angel named Moroni, who would visit and instruct him at regular yearly intervals for the next four years. On September 27, 1827, Joseph Smith was given possession of the plates from which the Book of Mormon was translated, and his ministry was underway.

Interaction with God

Joseph Smith received open visions and felt the quiet whisperings of the Holy Ghost. He prophesied, pondered, prayed, and received answers to those prayers. He was familiar with the appearance of angels, and he translated ancient records through the gift of the Spirit. The records of his interactions with Deity provide something of an instructional manual of how one is to talk with God.

Social Situation

In Frontier America, religious reformation was a very active issue. Under heavenly direction, Joseph Smith began a church with remarkable doctrine and vision. As the church grew, local communities became uneasy, even fearful, of the political and spiritual influence being exercised by the “Mormons.” As a result, those communities persecuted and killed Church members, including killing Joseph Smith himself in June, 1844. Under the direction of Brigham Young, Joseph’s successor, the Church moved west to the Great Salt Lake Valley and it surrounding environs.

Key Teachings

Joseph Smith taught clearly of the nature of the Godhead and mankind’s relationship to them. He taught that Heavenly Father, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are separate and distinct beings, united in purpose. Man’s purpose is to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ, qualifying through righteous living and the grace of Christ to regain the Father’s presence in the afterlife, where all of His richest blessings can be bestowed on him. Joseph also emphasized the importance of priesthood authority in governing the Church and conducting its ordinances.