The Similarities of Two Prophets

Our Gospel Doctrine lesson yesterday began with a question like this: Which prophet is described by the following statements?

1. He was named after his father.

2. At about the age of 10 his father moved his family in a southern direction. 

3. By the age of about 15 he had seen the Lord. 

4. He had a scriptural record that he started working on in earnest (though he had known about it for several previous years) at the age of about 24. 

5. That record was hid in a hill named Cumorah. 

6. He was an instrument in the hands of God in bringing us a new book of scripture. 

7. He was a general of an army over a people he loved.

8. He was often in danger from his enemies and was ultimately killed by them.

So who was he? These statements apply to both Joseph Smith and Mormon, showing a remarkable similarity between these two prophets. 

Of course there are many differences between the lives of Joseph Smith and Mormon, but these similarities are striking, especially given that even some of the years match up. Here is a little more detail on these:

1. Joseph Smith, Jr. was of course named after father Joseph Smith, Sr., and Mormon said, “And my father’s name was Mormon” (Mormon 1:5).

2. Joseph was 10 when his father moved his family from Vermont to eastern New York (southern and west) where he would ultimately receive the Book of Mormon record. Mormon recorded, “And it came to pass that I, being eleven years old, was carried by my father into the land southward, even to the land of Zarahemla” (Mormon 1:6).

3. Mormon recounted, “And I, being fifteen years of age and being somewhat of a sober mind, therefore I was visited of the Lord, and tasted and knew of the goodness of Jesus” (Mormon 1:15). Joseph’s First Vision came at the age of 14 and we of course have more details about that visitation: “When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!” (JSH 1:17)

4. Mormon received this instruction from Ammaron when he was only ten years old: “Therefore, when ye are about twenty and four years old I would that ye should remember the things that ye have observed concerning this people; and when ye are of that age go to the land Antum, unto a hill which shall be called Shim; and there have I deposited unto the Lord all the sacred engravings concerning this people. And behold, ye shall take the plates of Nephi unto yourself, and the remainder shall ye leave in the place where they are; and ye shall engrave on the plates of Nephi all the things that ye have observed concerning this people” (Mormon 1:3-4). Mormon recorded later on in his account, “I had gone according to the word of Ammaron, and taken the plates of Nephi, and did make a record according to the words of Ammaron” (Mormon 2:17). So at 24 he took the plates of Nephi and started writing, not the words of the Book of Mormon as we have it today but his own account on the large plates of Nephi. Joseph Smith, though he received the plates at the age of 21, didn’t start translating in earnest with Oliver Cowdery until the spring of 1829, when he was 23 years old. 

5. What Mormon wrote on the large plates of Nephi was ultimately hid up into the hill Cumorah: “I made this record out of the plates of Nephi, and hid up in the hill Cumorah all the records which had been entrusted to me by the hand of the Lord, save it were these few plates which I gave unto my son Moroni” (Mormon 6:6). So he put all the records he had, including his contribution to the large plates of Nephi, into the hill Cumorah except for his abridgment of the large plates that he gave to Moroni and which became the Book of Mormon. Joseph of course pulled out the record he would translate from the hill that would also come to be known as Cumorah. 

6. We owe the Book of Mormon both to Joseph and Mormon. Mormon abridged the majority of it, writing under the inspiration and power of God, and Joseph translated all of it by the gift and power of God.

7. Joseph led the Camp of Israel from Kirtland to Missouri in an attempt to help their brethren who had been driven out of Zion in Jackson County. Joseph was also the general of the Nauvoo Legion comprised of Latter-day Saint men he loved and served. Mormon was of course the leader of the Nephite armies on several occasions. Joseph of course never fought an actual battle, contrary to Mormon whose days were filled with battles against the Lamanites. 

8. Joseph was in danger numerous times from his enemies, spending many months in prison and was on several occasions forced to go into hiding from those in Missouri who sought to capture him. He was finally killed by a mob in Carthage in 1844. Mormon was in numerous battles against the Nephites in which he could have been killed. In the final battle of Cumorah he wrote, “I fell wounded in the midst; and they passed by me that they did not put an end to my life” (Mormon 6:10). Later, though, Moroni recounted, “The Nephites who had escaped into the country southward were hunted by the Lamanites, until they were all destroyed. And my father also was killed by them” (Mormon 8:2-3).  

 

While these similarities between these two prophets are certainly impressive, what is most important of course is that they both were valiant witnesses of Jesus Christ. Mormon declared, “Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I have been called of him to declare his word among his people, that they might have everlasting life” (3 Nephi 5:12). Joseph Smith declared, “And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives! For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father—that by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God” (Doctrine and Covenants 76:22-24).