History of the Church Vol. 1

I have long been eager to read the History of the Church by Joseph Smith, and finally decided to do it this year. Yesterday I finished the first volume. I absolutely loved getting the perspective from the prophet of the Restoration, and I am eager to continue reading the rest of his history. For my review, I want to just pick out a few passages:

I have been told that the title page to the Book of Mormon was written by Moroni, not Joseph Smith. Although I accepted this teaching, I never knew where it came from. I learned in chapter 8 that this was taught by Joseph Smith himself, as he gives an account of exactly what was on the plates he translated.

In chapter 17, Joseph talks about the time when William E. McLellin tried to duplicate a revelation to make it sound more sophisticated, and failed. I loved Joseph's remark: "It was an awful responsibility to write in the name of the Lord." This one sentence gives some insight into the humility of the prophet and how he viewed his calling. In fact, Joseph's reaction to revelation he received was inspiring to me. For example, in chapter 18, Joseph gives his feelings on The Vision, and it was neat to read his rejoicing words. It was also very interesting for me to read Joseph's teachings to a member in chapter 24, where he said, "We never require at the hand of God for special revelation only in case of there being no previous revelation to suit the case." Sometimes we, as human beings, get the feeling that something doesn't apply to us, or that we deserve different and special rules. This teaching of the prophet dispels that argument.

The history also contains some darker stories. I had never read Joseph's firsthand account of being tarred and feathered before. My heart ached for him as I read what he had to endure. I can't imagine what it must have been like for him to hear the voices of some of his former friends and associates as they brutally tortured him. I had also heard that Sidney Rigdon likely suffered some mental damage that night, and after reading Joseph's account, I have no doubt of it.

I also enjoyed reading excerpts of publications of the Evening and Morning Star, as well as letters written by members of the Church to each other and to governing officials. I especially enjoyed the teachings of the Church leaders, sometimes to a specific individual. For example, Orson Hyde and Hyrum Smith wrote and taught Brother Gilbert that if he turned away from his covetousness, which came about as a fear that God wouldn't provide for His saints, "then the Lord will open his coffers, and his [Brother Gilbert's] wants will be liberally supplied."

Finally, I want to share one last teaching where I learned much from the prophet. In chapter 32 Joseph teaches, "The man who willeth to do well, we should extol his virtues, and speak not of his faults behind his back." I can hardly wait to begin the next volume! The first volume ends in the midst of the Missouri persecutions in Jackson County. The second volume should begin with Zion's Camp, and I am eager to read the prophet's perspective of that historic event, as well as the many other glorious things about to unfurl in Kirtland.