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While serving a mission in North Carolina a few years ago, my husband, Ron, and I learned that Southern hospitality is a real gap thing! People are not only kind, but polite, and you can have a conversation with just about anyone in just about any setting. What we found especially wonderful about the people in the South is that they love to talk about Jesus Christ. They love the Savior. It was not uncommon to see service trucks with bold signage declaring, “We work for Jesus” or “We serve the Lord.” One of our favorite public displays of love for the Savior happened every year around Easter when the Wendy’s marquee changed from advertising the price of the weekly burger special to “Jesus Has Risen!”

There are many people throughout the world who believe in and love Jesus Christ. There are few, however, who know what happened “on the morning of a beautiful, clear day, early in the spring of [1820].”[1] Consider the religious ideology and confusion that dominated the spiritual perspective of those living in the early 1800s. At a time when the world at large believed the heavens to be closed and void of communication, they burst wide open!

Joseph Smith’s First Vision set in motion the “marvellous work and a wonder”[2] prophesied anciently, leading to the restoration of Jesus Christ’s gospel and the organization of His Church on the earth. The implications of these events are vast, but what do they mean to you and to me? And to our families and those we teach?

When I ponder the blessings we enjoy because of Joseph Smith’s visions and visitations, they seem to be unending. And the reality is that they are unending! I have often considered what my life would be like without the restored gospel and the covenants I have made with the Lord. Maybe you have too. When I think of the variety of challenges we face in mortality, in addition to the confusion and contention that permeate the world, I feel immense gratitude for the blessings available to us because of the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

When the Savior appeared to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery in the Kirtland Temple on Easter Sunday in April of 1836, He said to them, “Let the hearts of all my people rejoice.”[3] Considering the tremendous persecution the Saints were enduring at that very moment, the direction from the Lord to rejoice must have invited a sacred feeling of peace and optimism. The Lord did not say that the people should rejoice because He would take away their oppressors, but to rejoice because of the blessing that would come to them just moments later.

Moses, Elias, and Elijah soon appeared and committed the keys of their dispensations to Joseph and Oliver. Moses brought the keys of the gathering of Israel. Elias committed to them the dispensation of the gospel of Abraham. Elijah brought the sealing keys, which make it possible for families to be sealed together forever.[4] This vision, along with Joseph Smith’s other visions, are indeed marvelous and miraculous, but are we rejoicingin their purposes and intent?

Sealing Power

On March 5, 2024, text messages flew between me, my siblings, and our parents when the Church announced the purchase of the Kirtland Temple. We were ecstatic! Our parents were born and raised in small towns just outside of Kirtland, Ohio. I was also born near Kirtland along with a brother and sister. Our father tells how as a boy he frequently swam in the east branch of the Chagrin River, which ran through his family’s farm. That river powered the grain mill in Kirtland that had been built by early Saints. He also tells how he and a group of friends occasionally had dances on the front porch of a classmate’s home where Brigham Young and Mary Ann Angell had been married in 1834.[5]

As a young woman, our mother drove past the temple every week on her way to her organ lessons in Kirtland. Our parents met at a church youth activity and were eventually married. I was born a few years later. I was christened in the Pilgrim Christian Church, one of four churches that still stand on each corner of our beautiful town square. It was the same church where my parents were married and where our mother played the organ for Sunday services as a paid job throughout her high school years.

There we were, living in the heart of significant Church history, yet we knew nothing about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We had no knowledge that the nearby temple was originally built so “that the Son of Man might have a place to manifest himself to his people,”[6] nor that Jesus Christ had in fact appeared within its walls. Mom and Dad knew nothing of the miraculous events that occurred there, nor had any idea that the very visions manifested in that holy house would eventually answer the questions of their souls and lead them to baptism into the Savior’s Church.

It wasn’t until we moved away from Ohio that our parents learned of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. Imagine their astonishment when they learned from two young elders from Utah and Idaho that priesthood keys needed for God’s essential ordinances of salvation and exaltation had been restored in the old “Mormon temple” they frequently passed by but knew hardly anything about.

Prior to meeting the missionaries, Mom had spent four years praying to know what would happen to her children if one of them died. This question caused her great anxiety because her only sibling, an older brother, had died when she was just seven years old. She was raised in a home that believed in heaven and had accepted that that was where her brother was. But for her, what little knowledge she did have of heaven was vastly incomplete and, as she said, “not good enough.” So she continued to worry and pray to know more about heaven and life after death.

Coming to know and understand the events and visions[7] that took place in the Kirtland Temple changed everything for our family. Our parents learned of what Mom calls “God’s beautiful and perfect plan.” They learned of life before and after mortality, kingdoms of glory, eternal life, and the prospect of being sealed for eternity as a family.

Because of the visions and the vital priesthood keys bestowed upon the Prophet Joseph Smith in the Kirtland Temple in 1836,[8] “the knowledge and power of God [was] expanding” in our home. “The veil o’er the earth” (and our parents’ understandings) was “beginning to burst,” and “we through our [parents’] faith [had begun] to inherit the visions and blessings and glories of God.”[9]

I remember the Sunday that my parents were confirmed members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in sacrament meeting, but I have no memory of their baptism. It wasn’t until right before Ron and I left for our mission that it occurred to me to ask my parents about their baptism, hoping to spark my lost memory of that event. Mom told me, “Oh, you don’t remember it because you weren’t there. We left you home with a babysitter. There was no way we were going to take four little kids to our baptism and have them spoil our experience!” I do vividly remember, however, the day a year later when our family knelt at the altar in the Bern Switzerland Temple, dressed in pure white, and were sealed together as a family.

What has that sealing meant to me? It has meant everything. As a child it helped me to feel secure. I felt safe in the knowledge that my family would always be together. As an adult it gives me confidence—not a confidence in myself, but rather a confidence in God’s love for me and an assurance in his “beautiful and perfect plan.” It stirred in me a deep desire to be sealed to my own husband and raise children who were born in the covenant.[10] It has brought me peace as loved ones have passed through the veil, some much sooner than anticipated, and it brings me great joy to know we will be together again.

The covenants Ron and I made to God and to each other in the temple sustain us in a telestial world filled with distractions and temptations. Our covenants bring about a fierce loyalty to each other in a highly disposable and lustful society. They help us better endure challenges as we face them together, placing our trust in the Lord and allowing Him to prevail in our lives.[11] Our hearts continue to rejoice because of the bestowal of the sealing keys upon Joseph Smith.

Lee and Vernita

In 2023 my brother, Lee, suddenly and unexpectedly lost his beautiful wife, Vernita. It was a surreal experience for our entire family and one that was hard to wrap our heads around. As sad as we were, we naturally worried mostly about our brother being without his wife, as he and Vernita were truly soulmates. Lee was heartbroken and continues to miss his sweet companion. However, as a result of being separated from Vernita, his vision of eternal families has expanded, and his view of the work of the gathering on both sides of the veil has been enhanced in remarkable ways.

The veil has not parted for him to see his wife or her new surroundings, but he does feel connected to her through the Holy Ghost and the temple covenants they made. Their goals have not changed—their work remains the same. They are both fully committed to their family and to the Lord. They walk together to strengthen each other and their family and to bring others to the Savior on their respective sides of the veil. Lee continues to pray for Vernita and asks Heavenly Father to bless her in the work she is doing. He has prayed for Vernita since they first met, so why would that change now? He recognizes that although she is with her parents, a brother, and countless others whom she loves, she must certainly miss her family here. He reminds his family that the way to stay connected to their mother and grandmother is by keeping their covenants, for if they do, the blessings of being together again eternally are sure. Is there any doubt why the Lord proclaimed to Joseph and Oliver that a time for rejoicing had come?

Incredible blessings are reserved not only for those who are currently sealed to a spouse, but for all those who make covenants in the temple and strive to understand and keep them. President Russell M. Nelson taught:

And to each of you who has made temple covenants, I plead with you to seek—prayerfully and consistently—to understand temple covenants and ordinances. Spiritual doors will open. You will learn how to part the veil between heaven and earth, how to ask for God’s angels to attend you, and how better to receive direction from heaven. Your diligent efforts to do so will reinforce and strengthen your spiritual foundation. . . . Then, as we keep our covenants, He endows us with His healing, strengthening power. And oh, how we will need His power in the days ahead.[12]

Gathering of Israel

Moses’s visitation to Joseph and Oliver in the Kirtland Temple not only committed the priesthood keys associated with the gathering of Israel but gave each of us a work to do.

In a worldwide devotional on June 3, 2018, President Nelson invited the youth of the Church to help gather scattered Israel:

[The] gathering is the most important thing taking place on earth today. . . . Would you like to help gather Israel during these precious latter days? Would you, who are the elect, be willing to help find the elect who have not heard the message of the restored gospel? Would you like to be among those “swift messengers” of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke?

He also stated:

Nothing else compares in magnitude, nothing else compares in importance, nothing else compares in majesty. And if you choose to, if you want to, you can be a big part of it. You can be a big part of something big, something grand, something majestic![13]

After hearing this profound declaration, the youth, worldwide, couldn’t wait to get started. They were ready to go! President Nelson gave them a series of things to do, and they did them. Everywhere we traveled, we heard stories from young women and young men who accepted the prophet’s invitation and did something to help gather Israel on either side of the veil. It was remarkable to hear their faith-growing experiences. President Nelson then invited the Primary children, the women, and the men of the Church to also to be a part of “the greatest challenge, the greatest cause, and the greatest work on earth today.”

In a vision to Moses, God declared His work and glory to be that of bringing to pass the immortality and eternal life of His children.[14] Our Savior, Jesus Christ, came to earth to assist Heavenly Father in that work.

In addition to keeping the Lord’s commandments,[15] our work is also to assist God in fulfilling His work. The General Handbook says, “Jesus Christ established His Church to enable individuals and families to assist God in fulfilling His work of salvation and exaltation.”[16]

That work is to help bring others on both sides of the veil to our Savior. So gathering Israel is not just an invitation to participate, it is our work!

To many members of the Church, the work of gathering Israel seems enormous! Many that desire to participate in this great cause do not know what to do or where to start. In a message celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Young Women organization,[17] President Nelson reminded the young women that we help gather Israel by participating in God’s work of salvation and exaltation. But what is that? Doesn’t that still sound big? It’s simpler than it sounds, but it does require effort! If you are familiar with the General Handbook, you might have recognized that it is organized according to God’s work of salvation and exaltation. This work “focuses on four divinely appointed responsibilities”:

• Living the Gospel of Jesus Christ
• Caring for Those in Need
• Inviting All to Receive the Gospel
• Uniting Families for Eternity[18]

Living the Gospel of Jesus Christ

Striving to live the gospel of Jesus Christ helps us draw closer to the Savior. We do that in many ways, including attending sacrament meeting and seminary or institute, paying tithing, studying the scriptures, praying, ministering, attending the temple, and repenting daily. The list goes on, but I’m sure you get the picture. Interestingly, living the gospel of Jesus Christ is the only part of God’s work of salvation and exaltation that is inward focused. Notice how the other three emphasize helping others. Notice also how no one area stands alone. Each supports the whole. Each helps us bring others to Christ and His covenant path, which is gathering Israel.

Caring for Those in Need

Everyone has needs. Some have needs centered on physical, financial, or emotional challenges. Some needs simply require a friend, a listening ear, or a kind word. It’s not necessary to travel around the world to find others to help. With the two great commandments to love God and our neighbor planted in our hearts, we will be better able to discern the needs of those close to us in our communities and families. We will be better ministering brothers and sisters. We will be generous in our fast offerings, which help care for others living near and far. Serving as the Savior served can help others feel His love.

Inviting All to Receive the Gospel

Inviting all to receive the gospel is simply that—inviting. Many members of the Church get hung up on the idea that they have to convert their family or friends. But that is simply not our job: that is the role of the Holy Ghost. We invite; the Spirit converts. That doesn’t mean we have to invite everyone we meet for the first time to be baptized either. We first love, then share, and then we invite our friends to “come and see,” “come and serve,” and “come and belong.”[19]

Uniting Families for Eternity

Uniting families for eternity happens on both sides of the veil. We can help bring our ancestors to Christ by researching our family lines and standing as proxies in their essential temple work. This includes indexing and gathering family stories. Uniting families also includes those things we do to connect and strengthen our earthly families and come closer to the Savior together.

You can probably see that you are already helping to gather Israel as you live, care, invite, and unite. It’s really quite simple. The Lord told Joseph and Oliver that not only would “the hearts of all [His] people rejoice,” but because of the priesthood keys that would be restored, “the hearts of thousands and tens of thousands shall greatly rejoice in consequence of the blessings which shall be poured out.”[20] It’s easy to see how our efforts to bring others to the Savior by participating in the work of salvation and exaltation helps fulfill the Lord’s promised blessings.

The Book of Mormon

For me, one of the most significant series of angelic visitations to the Prophet Joseph Smith centers on the coming forth of the Book of Mormon. I love the Book of Mormon and testify that it contains the word of God. Joseph Smith’s declaration that “a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book”[21] has been true for me. The principles and doctrines taught in the Book of Mormon help me to stay focused on the Lord’s covenant path. But in addition to the lessons and knowledge written on its pages, the Spirit contained between the covers of the book itself, continues to testify to me that Jesus is the Christ and that His restored Church is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The blessings promised by prophets past and present are ones I want and need in my life. President Nelson made this promise to all who earnestly pore over the Lord’s words:

I promise that as you prayerfully study the Book of Mormon every day, you will make better decisions—every day. I promise that as you ponder what you study, the windows of heaven will open, and you will receive answers to your own questions and direction for your own life. I promise that as you daily immerse yourself in the Book of Mormon, you can be immunized against the evils of the day, even the gripping plague of pornography and other mind-numbing addictions.[22]

Reading and studying the Book of Mormon creates a safety net against distractions and temptation. I do not know anyone, personally, who has fallen away from the Church, whether intentionally or not, who hasn’t first quit reading the Book of Mormon. President Nelson gave a talk in general conference in 2017 titled “The Book of Mormon: What Would Your Life Be Like without It?” Gratefully, the Book of Mormon has been part of my life since my parents joined the Church, and it has been a constant, enduring blessing and support for me each and every day.

Gaining a Testimony

I continue to marvel at the small miracles that brought my family into the Church. Since my dad wasn’t home the day the missionaries knocked on the door, they asked if they could call and set up an appointment to visit at a time when Mom and Dad were both available. Mom had no interest in having them come back, but because she’s the nicest person on the planet, she gave them our phone number.

When the missionaries called the next day, Mom answered the phone. After a very brief conversation of niceties, she handed the phone to Dad, fully expecting him to turn them down.

But “something strong, a spiritual feeling,” as he called it, came over him as he spoke with the missionaries, and he accepted their invitation.

My dad is profoundly left-brained, logistical, and analytical, which made him exceptional in his profession as a career army officer. His logistical nature, however, caused us to wonder how he could have possibly believed that a fourteen-year-old boy prayed in the woods and received an actual visit from God our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. One of my brothers once commented that if Dad believed it, it had to be true!

To my surprise, my dad told me later that he actually had thought it was feasible that as a young boy Joseph Smith had seen Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. The truth of that event, however, was confirmed to him and Mom by the power of the Holy Ghost, along with the other truths the missionaries taught.

As a young woman, I valued the fact that Joseph Smith was a teenager at the time of his First Vision and early visits from the angel Moroni. It wasn’t just that he was young when these events occurred, but as a teenager myself, I felt that I could also receive a witness of truth. But the answer to Joseph Smith’s question about religion did not come without effort. He had to act. He had to do something. And when he did, he received an answer, and then he owned it.

I am confident that Joseph Smith felt the truthfulness of many things taught to him by his parents. I felt that same kind of confidence in my own parents! He believed in the Bible and the existence of God. He believed that if he asked God, nothing wavering,[23] that he could receive an answer to his question.

I don’t ever remember a time that I �徱���’t believe the gospel principles and doctrines I had been taught. Maybe I have what I’ve heard called “believing blood.” But there came a time, before I left home for BYU, that I realized that I had never actually prayed to know if the Book of Mormon and the Church were true. I had felt the Spirit many times since I was a young girl, and on occasion, very strongly. But I had never actually asked the question.[24] Maybe I �徱���’t need to, given the testimony I already had. Nevertheless, I felt I needed assurance, or maybe a re-assurance, that what I believed was right. Like Joseph Smith, I knew I had to do something. I knew I had to act, and then I had to own the answer. And I was ready to do just that!

My answer came on a fast Sunday after I finished rereading the Book of Mormon and offered a simple but heartfelt prayer. No angels appeared, but I was left knowing with certainty, through the inspiring feelings and witness from the Holy Ghost, that the Book of Mormon and all that I had been taught were indeed true. That small but meaningful experience has sustained me as questions or difficulties have surfaced over my lifetime.

In our roles as teachers in our families and classes, how can we help others have spiritual experiences that will aid them in gaining and maintaining a testimony of Jesus Christ and His restored gospel? How can we help them make this their church and not just their parents’ or someone else’s church?

The youth of the rising generation do not want to sit on the sidelines and watch. They want to be part of the conversation and part of the solution. President Nelson said they “have the capacity to be smarter and wiser and have more impact on the world than any previous generation.”[25] They do not respond well to lectures. Actually, none of us do! So with that in mind, and with the Spirit as your guide, ask inspired questions that allow others to search within themselves and be taught by the Holy Ghost. Engage them in the teaching and learning processes. Consider invitations that kindle a desire to do something, to act, as Joseph Smith did to find answers from God. Regardless of the setting, whether at home or in a classroom, be intentional about creating experiences that allow others to feel and recognize the Spirit and to ultimately own their conversion.

Answers to questions typically don’t come in earthshaking magnitudes. Instead, they normally come through impressions, feelings, or thoughts given through the still, small whisperings of the Spirit. However, even those still, small whisperings can feel monumental, and stay with us long term, when we recognize from whence our answer came.

One night when my children were young, I went to turn off the light in our oldest son’s room and found him in bed reading the “big boy” scriptures he had received for his baptism the week before. I asked what he was reading, and he said to me, “Mom, I know the Book of Mormon is true.” I asked how he knew that, and he responded, “I read this scripture, and I had this warm feeling right here,” rubbing his chest. He said, “Listen.” And then he read to me 1 Nephi 1:5: “Wherefore it came to pass that my father, Lehi, as he went forth prayed unto the Lord, yea, even with all his heart, in behalf of his people.”

“Wow,” I thought. “What on earth did he get from that verse!” But it wasn’t the verse that had touched his heart. I could have told him that the feeling he had was the Spirit, but instead I asked a question. “What do you think that feeling was?” He said, “I think it was the Holy Ghost.” I then added my own witness, “Yes, I believe it was.” Now, as a forty-two-year-old man, he will tell anyone that his testimony of the Book of Mormon and the truthfulness of the gospel came to him when he was just eight years old, the night he read 1 Nephi 1:5. He had acted, had an experience with the Spirit, and still owns it.

It's true that we do not know everything. I readily admit that there is much I don’t know or understand. I am always reassured, however, when I hear one of the Brethren say something to the effect, “We don’t know that . . . yet.” But there are things we do know. And we should never allow the things we don’t know to overshadow the things we do know.

Courage in the Gap

Elder Dieter F. Uchtdort taught me a German phrase. It doesn’t have a direct English translation, but it does have great value in any language. He used it during a period of time when we were working on a project that seemed to have a thousand revisions and looked as if it would never be perfect. He said, “Mut Zur Lucke.”

Elder Uchtdorf defined this phrase as having “courage in the gap.” Things will not always be perfect. There will always be gaps. But gaps can be good in that they cause us to place our faith and trust in Jesus Christ and His Atonement. Those gaps might be things we don’t fully understand or questions we have that remain unanswered. The gap might be our own anxieties, apprehensions, or weakness. It might mean that our efforts, or the efforts of others, are not quite perfect. But with courage in the gap and trust in God, we can keep moving forward.

Humbly kneeling, sweet appealing—
’Twas the boy’s first uttered prayer—
When the pow’rs of sin assailing
Filled his soul with deep despair;
But undaunted, still he trusted
In his Heav’nly Father’s care,
But undaunted, still he trusted
In his Heav’nly Father’s care.[26]

Think for a moment how much young Joseph Smith was able to do, and withstand, and become because he undauntedly, or courageously, trusted in his Heavenly Father, not knowing what was ahead. We can have that same courage as we place our trust in Him. When we strive to live our covenants, we can move forward with confidence, knowing that the Lord knows us, loves us, and is aware of our circumstances, questions, and fears. He will guide us.

So why are the visions and visitations of Joseph Smith so important to us? What was their purpose? They were given to restore the gospel of Jesus Christ, including the ordinances and covenants that allow us to be exalted and cause us to rejoice now and throughout eternity.

Rejoice

My first international assignment as a counselor in the Young Women General Presidency came just a few weeks after my call. Ron and I traveled with Sister Cristina B. Franco, a counselor in the Primary General Presidency, and her husband to the Caribbean Area. I admit to being quite nervous as I prepared for that assignment, and even more so when the plane took off from Salt Lake City, headed into the unknown. I just �徱���’t want to mess anything up! Elder Jose L. Alonso, who was a counselor in the Caribbean Area Presidency at the time, accompanied us as we visited six islands over a period of ten days. We met with remarkable Saints and friends of the Church, and to say it was an incredible experience would be an understatement. At the end our trip, I asked Elder Alonso how I could improve my training and what he thought I could do differently as I moved forward in my new calling. It was a very sincere question. I knew I had much to learn, and I hoped for some helpful, honest feedback. He was too kind to give me any suggestions and only offered positive responses. But I pressed him, and then pressed him again. He finally said, “Ok!” He then threw his hands up over his head, and with a big smile on his face and an animated voice said, “Enjoy!” He went on to suggest that members of the Church often wear long faces and complain about how busy and stressed they are. “This is the gospel of Jesus Christ, and it is the gospel of joy,” he said, and then suggested that as I meet with members of the Church throughout the world, I remind them of this divine truth. God’s great plan of happiness is for each of us to have joy as we progress through our mortal experiences back to our Father’s presence.

My heart does rejoice along with the hearts of all the Lord’s people because of the great truths and keys which were restored through visions and visitations to the Prophet Joseph Smith.

Through the workings of both the Spirit and reason, I know that Joseph Smith is the Prophet of this dispensation—the dispensation of the fulness of times—and the Prophet of the Restoration.

I know that this is the Lord’s Church and that He leads it through His living prophets. I love hearing them bear testimony of Jesus Christ. I know that they hear His voice. I don’t pretend to know exactly what that looks like, but I know that they know Him and that they are quick to respond to all they are asked to do. Knowing this gives me great confidence and peace in this challenging world and allows me to continue to rejoice in His miraculous blessings.

Notes

[1] Joseph Smith—History 1:14.

[2] Isaiah 29:14.

[3] Doctrine and Covenants 110:6.

[4] Doctrine and Covenants 110:11–16.

[5] Marian Gould Bottger, “A Mini-History of Newbury,” www.newburyohio.com.

[6] Doctrine and Covenants 109:5.

[7] Doctrine and Covenants 110; 137.

[8] Doctrine and Covenants 110:11–16.

[9] William W. Phelps, “The Spirit of God,” Hymns, no. 2, www.churchofjesuschrist.org.

[10] General Handbook: Serving in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 27.4, www.churchofjesuschrist.org.

[11] Russell M. Nelson, “Let God Prevail” (general conference talk, October 2020), www.churchofjesuschrist.org.

[12] Russell M. Nelson, “The Temple and Your Spiritual Foundation”

(general conference talk, October 2021), www.churchofjesuschrist.org.

[13] Russell M. Nelson, “Hope of Israel” (worldwide youth devotional, June 3, 2018), www.churchofjesuschrist.org.

[14] Moses 1:39.

[15] Doctrine and Covenants 11:20.

[16] General Handbook, 1.3.

[17] Face to Face with the YW General Presidency: Celebrating 150 Years (worldwide youth broadcast, November 15, 2020), www.churchofjesuschrist.org.

[18] General Handbook, 1.0–1.2.4.

[19] Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “Come and Belong” (general conference talk, April 2020), www.churchofjesuschrist.org.

[20] Doctrine and Covenants 110:6, 9; emphasis added.

[21] Introduction to the Book of Mormon.

[22] Russell M. Nelson, “The Book of Mormon: What Would Your Life Be Like without It?” (general conference talk, October 2017), www.churchofjesuschrist.org.

[23] James 1:5–6.

[24] Moroni 10:4.

[25] Nelson, “Hope of Israel.”

[26] George Manwaring, “Joseph Smith’s First Prayer,” Hymns, no. 26, www.churchofjesuschrist.org.