Mobs and persecutions continue.
"Thus were we persecuted on account of our religious faith—in a country the Constitution of which guarantees to every man the indefeasible right to worship God according to the dictates of his own conscience—and by men, too, who were professors of religion, and who were not backward to maintain the right of religious liberty for themselves, though they could thus wantonly deny it to us."
"For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." (Moses 1:139)
"Thus were we persecuted on account of our religious faith—in a country the Constitution of which guarantees to every man the indefeasible right to worship God according to the dictates of his own conscience—and by men, too, who were professors of religion, and who were not backward to maintain the right of religious liberty for themselves, though they could thus wantonly deny it to us."
Joseph enumerates and records the names of some of his persecutors. The Lord protects them and sends revelations, such as the first chapter in the Book of Moses. There is an eternity of meaning in even a single verse of this great revelation:
"For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." (Moses 1:139)
Moses learns that he is a son of God, in the image of God, and that God knows him. He learns that God has a work for him to do, and he resists the temptations of Satan. Moses receives many blessings, and is enabled to discern many things through the Spirit of God. Joseph Smith is like Moses.
In a somewhat humorous story, Oliver Cowdery attempts to correct the word of God as received by Joseph Smith. Joseph reasons calmly with him, and to his credit, Cowdery realizes his error:
"And thus was this error rooted out, which having its rise in presumption and rash judgment, was the more particularly calculated (when once fairly understood) to teach each and all of us the necessity of humility and meekness before the Lord, that He might teach us of His ways, that we might walk in His paths, and live by every word the proceedeth froth from His mouth." (p. 105)
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