THIRTY-EIGHT
(1843)
Joseph’s role was to test the true humanity of the people in his day—whether they would choose
“good” or “evil” when given the choice. By 1843, it was clear that the LDS people had chosen the “evil.”
Joseph did not control the people’s choices; they did. Sidney Rigdon became Joseph’s “Judas.”
The Kinderhook Plates were forged in an attempt to trap the prophet. The reality of
reincarnation is revealed. Joseph prepared for his final acts as a mortal.Joseph’s last full year upon the earth was his busiest. The Church was
expanding as never before in Europe and the city of Nauvoo was growing faster than
any other city in the United States of America. Joseph was fulfilling the promise he
made to his followers in June of 1839: “Then by God’s will, the people shall have their
city and their prophet.”
Stumbling Blocks Reveal Whether People Will Be True To Their Humanity
Since the time that Timothy had left him in 1839, Joseph received no further
visitations from any advanced human. He still had the use of the Urim and Thummim,
but only used it as a preventative measure when necessary to further preserve his life
so that he could complete his mission on earth. While the absence of advanced humans
and the Brothers made his job more difficult, nevertheless, Joseph had become quite
skilled in delivering to the people the stumbling blocks necessary to prove their true
humanity. In actuality, advanced humans never did advise him on how to create the
stumbling blocks that they required of Joseph, as this would have been contrary to the
laws by which these beings exist. Advanced humans do not do things that bring
unhappiness to other humans.
As Joseph portrayed it in symbolic form in the presentation of the Temple
Endowment, he was the messenger commanded by Jehovah who received the
command from Elohim to:
go down and visit the man Adam in the Telestial world, without
disclosing your identity. Observe conditions generally. See if Satan is
there, and learn whether Adam has been true to the token and sign given
to him in the Garden of Eden. Then return and bring us word.^1(Note: the italicized words above indicate changes made by the LDS Church
(i.e., deleted), circa 1990.)
There was only one way for Joseph to “learn whether Adam ha[d] been true to
the token and sign given to him in the Garden of Eden”: The people had to be given a
test to learn whether they would remain true to the humanity that had been
foundationalized in each one of them when they were each first created and taught by
their advanced human parents.