Joseph Smith Jr. was born in Sharon, Vermont on December 23, 1805. Smith was characterized as being literate, but far from well-educated. His family's rough existence led them across Vermont and eventually to Rochester, New York. It was here, in the spring of 1820, that Joseph Smith retired to a secluded grove of trees behind his house and said a prayer for guidance about whether to join the Presbyterians as his mother demanded, or whether to join the credo of the Baptists, take up the faith of the Methodists, or follow some other of the contending sects within Christianity at the time. It was here Joseph Smith claimed to receive his first of many visions. Smith claimed that God and Jesus Christ appeared before Joseph as separate …show more content…

This prophet's purpose is not to be an intermediary between God and others, though a prophet must often do so. His purpose is rather, to assist others to receive from God the personal revelation that he, the prophet, has taught God's truth, which will show the way. The prophet, as the head, of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and all other people who preside in the Church may receive revelation for the benefit of those over whom they preside. These revelations can then be passed on to the membership of the Church through conference and other talks and in personal counsel. But each individual is entitled to know by personal revelation that these messages given through presiding authorities are truly from the Savior himself. Another important fact, is that presiding quorums in the Church are entitled to revelation for the Church on matters of doctrine, policies, programs, callings, and disciplinary actions, as each might be appropriate to a given quorum. The decisions of these quorums are to be made only by the personal individual revelation of God to each member of that quorum. Another important concept, is that due to the Mormon belief in an open canon, the living prophets are considered more reliable in a sense than either the words of a dead prophet or The Book of Mormon. The difference between the writings of the former prophets and the teachings of the living prophets is that the living prophet can address changing