I Have Learned for Myself

Additional Context

Joseph, in the religious excitement of the day, had been very desirous to know which church was right, so he could join the one that truly had power to save him. Earlier that day during his first vision of God the Father and Jesus Christ, Joseph Smith had been commanded not to join any of the churches of the day. Joseph’s mother, Lucy Mack Smith, had recently joined the Presbyterian church, which is why he called out Presbyterianism. But what Joseph had really learned was that neither Presbyterianism, nor any other religion on the earth, was God’s true Church.

Why I Chose this Quote?

This quote is very important because it demonstrates that Joseph was not depending on what any other human being had to say on the subject of religion. He knew for himself that there wasn’t a church on the earth that the Lord was pleased with. And just like Joseph learned for himself what he should do regarding which church to affiliate with, so may each of us. Like Joseph Smith, I have learned for myself that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord’s true Church on the earth. It has the doctrinal purity and the authority of the priesthood of God to administer the ordinances of salvation to help guide individuals back to the presence of God.