Joseph Smith is my friend

Today is The Prophet’s birthday, and so I wanted to share my thoughts about Joseph Smith, and why he is such an important figure in my life. I grew up in the Church, and so was taught from childhood that Joseph was a prophet. I believed it, and never really doubted that fact. But while I was serving as an LDS Missionary in North Carolina, I found myself having to defend him all the time from clever attacks by sincere people of other faiths. This didn’t cause me any testimony crisis, but it did make me want to know more about The Prophet (probably in part so I could argue back, which just demonstrates my then immaturity). I read books on Joseph Smith, and commenced a new study of the Doctrine and Covenants. The result was a personal witness from The Holy Ghost that Joseph Smith was God’s instrument in restoring to mankind sacred truths that had been lost, and Priesthood keys I needed turned for me to fully access the power of Christ’s Atoning Sacrifice. But it was even more than that. I came to feel like I knew The Prophet personally, and he became to me a friend as real as anyone who I’d known in my life. A milestone moment in this was when I read about his martyrdom. I’d read Doctrine and Covenants 135 (the account of Joseph and Hyrum’s murder in Carthage Illinois) several times, but this time it became so real to me that I wept. Not a few leaky tears, but racking sobs as real as anything I’ve cried for loved ones who’ve passed away. A bit of that comes back anytime I think, read, or watch something about his death. These poignant feelings aren’t grief, but a moving gratitude to God for what he accomplished through Joseph Smith and an appreciation for a man that I know was honest, good, and courageous. He was a prophet and a true servant of Jesus Christ. His remarkable life and message deserve serious consideration by anyone interested in the truth. I end this post with one of my favorite stories from Joseph’s life, a story that speaks to his true character.

A woman named Mary Frost Adams tells us what happened:

"While he was acting as mayor of the city, a colored man named Anthony was arrested for selling liquor on Sunday, contrary to law. He pleaded that the reason he had done so was that he might raise the money to purchase the freedom of a dear child held as a slave in a Southern State. He had been able to purchase the liberty of himself and his wife and now wished to bring his little child to their new home. Joseph said, 'I am sorry, Anthony, but the law must be observed, and we will have to impose a fine.'

The next day Brother Joseph presented Anthony with a fine horse, directing him to sell it, and use the money obtained for the purchase of the child." (Young Women's Journal, p.538)

The horse was Joseph's prized white stallion, and was worth about $500; a huge sum at the time. With the money from the sale, Anthony was able to purchase his child out of slavery.
http://www.lightplanet.com/mormons/history/blacks/index.html