Bathed in the Light

Bathed in the light
Of the restoration
There is insight
For life's exploration

Mormon Founder: Joseph Smith Jr. - 3 of 5 - Mormonism

The keeping of records
And the bearing of truth
Has come through great efforts
As great trees have deep roots

I just listened to a recording of a man in a choke hold who ended up dying.  He kept saying, "I can't breathe!"  The man holding him was so focused on other things he didn't stop and the man died.  In so many ways Joseph could have died that night.  He grew up like a sapling that is whipped continually by wind.  It sends down deeper roots to anchor it!.

Mormon Founder: Joseph Smith Jr. - 5 of 5 - Mormonism

As the founder of a cause

How would you lead? at what cost?
Would you be willing to die?
Who would take your place? and why?

Mormon Founder: Joseph Smith Jr. - 4 of 5 - Mormonism

Sometimes all you have

Is your faith to hold on to

And the hope that perhaps

All your family will be true

Mormon Founder: Joseph Smith Jr. - 2 of 5 - Mormonism

Amidst a war of words

How can you know what's right?
Let your questions be heard
For wisdom, seek God's light

Mormon Founder: Joseph Smith Jr. - 3 of 5 - Mormonism

A witness can't be denied

Forgotten or ignored

As, from it you cannot hide

For it came from the Lord

Mormon Founder: Joseph Smith Jr. - 2 of 5 - Mormonism

Scriptures come with power

Unto the heart of man

Teaching any hour

Heaven remains open

Light Burst through the Cloud of Apostasy

The cloud of apostasy
Covered the earth
Till a young man's inquiry
Stirred a rebirth

His bosom burned, as he found and read
That we each can ponder, seek, and know...
Hungry for truth. to a grove, then led
And he saw God and His Son aglow

We will never forget
What he both saw and heard!
The spirit won't let.
For, prayer was answered!

A fire burned within his soul
As God's perfect plan was made clear!
Joseph never abandoned his role
The restoration began here!

Even prison doors could not stop
The glad message his to bear
As a martyr he was shot!
But, his vision we still share

This is my top poem How wondrous is that? Joseph Smith- I owe him My biggest shout out! Imagine giving a standing ovation after celebrating someone's achievement. Someday, I think we owe Joseph Smith that!!!!!

On April 6 1830

On April 6, 1830
The Lord's church was organized
In an intimate gathering
It was officially recognized

The Holy Ghost, that day, out poured
To a very great degree
For as they rejoiced and praised the Lord
Some were given the gift of prophecy

Unnoticed by the world
The events of this day went by
But certainly, the heavens saw and heard
Unto rejoicing as God was glorified

These are glorious times foreseen in vision
When the church would be restored with truth
Millions have entered the waters of baptism
After receiving a witness of the spirit for proof


A Great Work of God
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf
Ensign, March 2010, 4

A Gathering of Like Minds

A gathering of like minds
Is of God soon one finds
As uncommon interventions
Relocate prior intentions...

A gathering of but the weak
Prepared to give their all
To be proven as one meek
And... answer their given call

This group came to discover
That God's hand was over them
Something seen in each other
Seemed familiar quite often

Together they became strong
As they organized themselves much
With lists of names growing long...
The restoration was made of such

The Darkness Dispels

The darkness dispels
There is beauty that's bright
And all else soon pales
To the beautiful sight

Glorious and risen
Stands our God and His Son
The world now glistens
In this, our dispensation

When we do what's wrong
The day turns into night
But it won't stay for long
If we do what is right

We've the Light and the Life
From our Brother, Jesus
He knows of our strife
And He is there for us

Those who've been baptized
Have a gift that's a shield
Satan's tricks cannot hide
Amongst a brightened field

Evil can't conquer
If we choose what yields light
We've light from our Brother
To see light through the night

Robert D. Hales
"Out of Darkness
Into His Marvelous Light"
Ensign, May 2002

Brought Forth Out of Darkness

Brought forth out of darkness
Into His marvelous light
As each man does discern
How to do more of what's right

The Lord's temple stands tall
In the top of the mountains
With light it beacons all
To flow unto His fountains

Out of obscurity
We see brightly lit spires
Which proclaim purity
As to all it inspires

There's a light in our eyes
And a warmth in our hands
In the gospel there lies
Love, the soul understands

As it lights fires within
We come to recognize the source
As we journey from sin
We're on a beautiful course

We've each the Light of Christ
That we've brought with us to earth
To do good, it invites
Unto a light of great worth

Given to burn within us-
The Gift of the Holy Ghost-
Testifies of Jesus
When we're baptized, it's bestowed

As part of the Godhead
This spirit of personage
Guides us, spiritually led
T'wards the day when we're judged

Elder Robert D. Hales
"Out of Darkness into
His Marvelous Light"
Ensign, May 2002

Isaiah 2:2
2 And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.

D&C 1:30
30 And also those to whom these commandments were given, might have power to lay the foundation of this church, and to bring it forth out of obscurity and out of darkness, the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth, with which I, the Lord, am well pleased, speaking unto the church collectively and not individually—

Micah 4: 1
1 But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it.

The Moving of the Water

A moving of the water
Caused by an angel that dipped
Healed the first one to enter
As unseen hands to head slipped

A gathering of the infirm
Await the water's stir
Whose turn to wash and be healed?
Before the waters stilled
----------------------
Impaired in body or mind
This sprinkling of mankind
Cannot care for themselves
And depend on someone else

Those who are in the family
Feel the blame guiltily
That it's a result of sin
But, this is false doctrine

As Jesus passed a blind man
He taught of handicaps
He said of nature's sovereign
God's manifest in them

Don't ridicule or discard
What nature disregards
The infirm are innocent
And, not all ignorant

If we laugh at their expense
Let there be recompense
Those who mimic a palsy
May they fall, soon, where all see

Oh, that we were afflicted
With blindness inflicted
And not see imperfection
Then we'd know perfection

We should become like angels
Who move and water swells
By one act that we perform
We heal what's in deform

Our spirits are locked in flesh
And not always well they mesh
We all need sympathy
Kind love, and empathy

Lest we die prematurely
We'll need some aid, surely
Let our works make an account
For when our needs too will mount

When we resurrect one day
We will look a new way
Like the pool of Bethesda
We will see the real pure us

For now, might we just glimpse
The infirm's small attempts
For they've a spirit's guiding
and learning, though in hiding

As everyone must progress-
A step by step process
May we help those handicapped
To be spiritually tapped

Each spirit's intelligent
What's now is earthly sent
When the sleeping dust's restored
We'll rejoice with the Lord

There will be fullness of joy
Flesh no longer destroyed
The day of healing will come
No more blind, deaf or dumb

Elder Boyd K. Packer
"The Moving of the Water",
Ensign May 1991 pg. 7

Out of the Mouths of Three Witnesses

Isaiah's words were poetic,
With visions hidden and prophetic.
He saw the scattering Israel.
He called our Lord's name- Immanuel.
To be born of a virgin (the sign),
To give blood for our sins and die.
Then, to swallow up death and arise!

Isaiah was read by Nephi,
And Jacob- their words testify.
They had visions of our Savior.
Who'd pay the infinite favor.
Then, risen- He would manifest
To the Holy Lands and the West.
The Book of Mormon tells the rest!

The mouths of three give witness,
God's words reveal, then establish-
In the form of holy scripture.
And, guide the paths for man's future.
In our day, are we ignored?
No, we've the truth- It's been restored.
And, we've Mormon's ancient record!

Be it known unto all nations.
Irregardless of their stations.
Through the grace of God, and our Lord,
That three have seen the plates record.
Cowdery, Whitmer, and Harris.
They bore record, with soberness.
They saw what's golden and marvelous!

An angel came down from heaven
To show the plates were engraven.
Twas translated through God's power.
From the days of Babel's tower-
To those who'd left Jerusalem.
Their words restored, we'll learn from them-
To honor the Godhead. Amen!

Nephi risked his life to get the words of Isaiah.
He saw the wisdom in this when he saw their downfall
of the people from the tower of Babel's day-
who took with them no scriptures, and they soon did fall.

Isa. 7: 14, 2 Ne. 17: 14
14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you
a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and
bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

2 Nephi 11
2 And now I, Nephi, write more of the words
of Isaiah, for my soul delighteth in his words.
For I will liken his words unto my people,
and I will send them forth unto all my children,
for he verily saw my Redeemer, even as I have
seen him.
3 And my brother, Jacob, also has seen him as
I have seen him; wherefore, I will send their
words forth unto my children to prove unto them
that my words are true. Wherefore, by the words
of three, God hath said, I will establish my word.
Nevertheless, God sendeth more witnesses, and he
proveth all his words.

A STONE HAS ROLLED

A stone has rolled in the latter days
To break the world of its darkened ways.
Twas started in an obscure place
And now extends to the human race.

A stone represents revelation,
Restoration, and elevation.
Twas fashioned without tool or hand
To break down tendencies that destroy man.

The stone is the solid strength of God
He rules and reigns with the iron rod.
As we now turn our hearts toward Him
He shows us how to become a gem.

The Only True God and Jesus Christ Whom He Hath Sent

Here, in the premillennial inning
To a boy whose life was just beginning
Came the answer that's been sought out by man
Who is the incomprehensible God?
To Him, can I pray and be heard? Yes, I can
As He guide us to Him through an iron rod

Joseph Smith prayed to know which church is true
He, confused and not knowing what to do
At first he was claimed by purgatory
Then in the grove a flood of light soon shown
And with embodied and majestic glory-
The Father and the Son stood risen and aglow

And why did Jesus Christ also appear?
He to the left of the Father so dear
Sinless, He'd redeemed us and set up justice
He, with the Father came to earth in the flesh
To end confusion with their living witness-
We're led by divine beings whose purposes mesh.

​- Elder Holland

40–42, Jeffrey R. Holland, Nov 2007,
“The Only True God
and Jesus Christ Whom He Hath Sent, ”
Liahona

The Weak and the Simple

No respecter of persons,
Our Lord has called the weak.
In a solemn procedure,
He calls those simply meek.
He qualifies those who serve.
Though they're untrained and unlearned.
That ev'ry man may speak
In the name of God the Son.
That faith might also increase
To break the mighty and strong ones.

In the service of the Lord,
It is not where but how.
One neither seeks nor declines.
Through our mouth, He endows.
The Lord's gospel is proclaimed,
Through the meek and not the famed.
That ev'ry man may speak
In the name of God the Son.
That faith might also increase
To break the mighty and strong ones.

As such was called young Joseph,
To organize God's church.
That we'd see it's through priesthood,
Not position, nor perch;
That we are governed and lead
By a living seen Godhead.
We do not pay clergy
We are taught with love instead.
As we're hungry for the truth
We are taught by living bread.

He commands unto the ends.
Our God has thus spoken,
With focus on the family-
Sealed love at home transcends.
We are taught from little ones-
Who from God have freshly come.
Our testimony is
All that we need to possess.
For we see Him work through us.
And of His hand, we confess.

-President Packer-
Otherwise known as a frog
who has learned to jump very high

6–9, Boyd K. Packer, Nov 2007,
“The Weak and the Simple of the Church,” Ensign

The Stone Cut Out of the Mountain

When Joseph earnestly prayed, the grove became so lustrous.
Never have we a record of something so glorious.
God spoke of the Risen Lord, “This is my Beloved Son.”
Who then answered Joseph's prayer- of the churches please join none.
Why is it so important that both God and Christ appeared?
For a new dispensation? A young boy was to be reared.
He was schooled and ushered in, by great clouds of witnesses.
God organized this kingdom, this true gospel which is His.
A stone cut out of mountains unrolls with bold promises.

The night was in September, it was eighteen twenty three
When the young Joseph Smith prayed, oh a miraculous thing...
The room became much brighter, much brighter than of noon day.
There a personage appeared and called Joseph by his name.
He was told that he had a work that only he could do.
His name would be known for good. But, to scoffers- evil- too.
For a poor unlearned son, how he must have been so stunned.
What was he to accomplish? Him without a single fund?
Just how could his name be known by mankind of every tongue?

The Book of Mormon records the testimonies of men.
They heard God and saw Jesus, And, they new He'd come again.
May we read its sweet message, it's been translated for us.
It was buried to come forth, for our latter- day purpose.
It holds for us great cautions of murmuring and of pride.
It is a second witness, it's power can't be denied.
And it ends with a promise for all those who humbly pray.
For the Prophet Moroni saw the trials of our day.
He knew we'd feel God's power, if we'd exercise our faith.

-President Hinckley


83–86, Gordon B. Hinckley, Nov 2007,
“The Stone Cut Out of the Mountain, ” Liahona