Growing up I always knew the church was true, and I did my best to follow the commandments to the best of my abilities. I never really questioned my beliefs, but I remember a time in primary where I had a harder time believing that Joseph Smith prayed and saw Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. The thoughts of doubt came in spurts. I would ponder about it and then I would forget that I had any doubt about the First Vision at all. By the time I was on my mission, I remembered back in primary where I thought that Joseph Smith seeing God was a little silly and the doubts I once had slowly came back into my heart.
I wrote to my family about my feelings and I received letters back from my parents and my grandpa about their thoughts on the subject. I found out that my grandpa went through the same experience. I thought that this was crazy because he has such a strong testimony and great love for the church. When I read his letter, I remember feeling the spirit and knowing what he had wrote was the truth. It was correct information and I knew that Joseph Smith really was visited by our loving Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ. I remember praying and acting on Moroni’s challenge and promise he states in Moroni 10:3-5: “Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath bee unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things and ponder in your hearts. And when ye shall receive these things I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, He will manifest the truth unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.”
I looked for the truth of Joseph Smith, and by pondering and looking for help from my family and from Heavenly Father by the power of the Holy Ghost I found what I was looking for. I was sincerely looking for the truth of Joseph Smith. I wanted to know for myself that he was a true prophet of God, and through the Holy Ghost, I found that he was a prophet.
