proper tools for my time

Joseph of Egypt had a vision that in the fullness of time a great seer would be raised up. Lehi quoted from this prophecy, which he found on the brass plates his family took with them on their journey to the Promised Land.

"For Joseph truly testified saying, A seer shall the Lord my God raise up, who shall be a choice seer unto the fruit of my loins, Ya, Joseph truly said: Thus saith the Lord unto me: A choice seer will I raise up out of the fruit of thy loins, his brethren, which shall be of great worth unto them, even bringing of them to the knowledge of the covenants which I have made with thy fathers. And I will give unto him a commandment that he shall do a work for the fruit of they loins, his brethren, which shall be of great worth unto them, even to the bringing of them to the knowledge of the covenants which I have made with they fathers. And I will give unto him a commandment that he shall do none other work, save the work which I shall command him. And I will make him great in mine eyes; for he shall do my work. And he shall be great like unto Moses, whom I have said I would raise up unto you, to deliver my people, O house of Israel. And out of weakness he shall be mad strong, in that day when my work shall commence among all my people, unto the restoring the, O house of Israel, saith the Lord. And thus prophesied Joseph, saying: Behold, that seer will the Lord bless; and they that seek to destroy him shall be confounded; for this promise, which I have obtained of the Lord, of the fruit of my loins, shall be fulfilled. Behold, I am sure of the fulfilling of this promise; and his name shall be called after me; and it shall be after the name of his father. And he shall be like unto me; for the thing, which the Lord shall bring forth by his hand, by the power of the Lord shall bring my people unto salvation." 2 Nephi 3:6-9. 13-15

I wonder how Joseph Smith felt as he translated this portion of the Book of Mormon. I can only imagine prophets seeing some part of my life and writing about it thousands of years before my birth. What a humbling moment it must have been.

It all boils down to gaining a testimony of Joseph Smith as a prophet of God who translated gold plates, giving us the Book of Mormon. Such a testimony is mine, which all other points of doctrine are built. Yes, Jesus died for my sins, was resurrected, and lives today. Witnesses to this fact are the Bible, the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith's first vision, and the faith of millions of believers since His time on earth. Even as a small child, I knew that Jesus is not a fable, he is a living, breathing, tangible God that once walked the earth and atoned for my less-than-perfect life. To me it was never an intellectual question if His life and mission were true or possible. The same is true for the life and mission of Joseph Smith. If God, the Father, allowed visitations, visions, and miracles during Bible times, why would He not do so now? That is where my faith lies: God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He loves me as much as he loved Sarah, Abraham's wife. Sarah was sent a message by two prophets, why would God not send prophetic messages to me? He wants me to make it back into His presence and knows I need the proper tools for my time. There is a need for the Book of Mormon, which was written for this day. There is a need for continued direction from modern prophets.