Twelve (1817)
humble and contrite to effectuate this desire in a capitalistic society, the young Joseph
developed an emotional motivation to fulfill his role.
Placed in the Religious Fervor of New York
Upon their arrival in New York, Joseph experienced a state of religious excitement
and emotion that would eventually be the catalyst to get him to do what he had never done
in his life: pray vocally to a God that he had no idea even existed.
Winning the Revolutionary War motivated people to become more patriotic and
liberal in their religious views. People were coming up with all kinds of new religions and
belief systems around 1817.^17 The Bible remained the cornerstone of most religious beliefs at
the time, but it was being interpreted in as many ways as there were people to read and
preach it. Revivals and meetings excited the people. The hypnotic power of their prayers
fixated their minds on whatever their particular God “revealed” to them.
Young Joseph observed the religious excitement with the wide-eyed curiosity of a
boy attending a circus. He was a silent observer and never got caught up in the fray of
emotions associated with the piety of religious people. Of course, his idol and mentor,
Alvin, played a large role in keeping Joseph grounded throughout his early youth. When his
strong-willed mother convinced Hyrum, Samuel, and Sophronia to attend church and pray
often,^18 Joseph followed the example of Alvin and his father, and stayed home and did not
pray. As a youth, Joseph never prayed. Not one word. It was a couple of years later before
he made his first attempt. He wrote in his history:
It was the first time in my life that I had made such an attempt, for amidst all
my anxieties I had never as yet made the attempt to pray vocally.^19Vocalized Prayer for the Pious
After making his first attempt, Joseph never again used prayer, as the pious do, who
have no understanding or concept about advanced human beings and the way they truly
interact with mortals. Yes, in fulfilling his role, Joseph said many prayers, consecrated many
buildings and lands, and encouraged others to “worship...God according to the dictates of
[their] own conscience.”^20 But he did this because he was commanded to give the people
what they wanted—and the people wanted to pray.
Nevertheless, just before he was killed, Joseph taught the real truth about prayer
through the symbolism in the presentation of the LDS Temple Endowment. Here he
figuratively presented the way people are accustomed to praying in contrast with the “true
order of prayer,” which has nothing to do with words, but all to do with actions.^21 Through
hidden symbolism, he taught that all people who pray vocally during their mortal existence
are praying to and will be answered by, none other than, “Lucifer”—the god of this world.^22 It
is the same “devil” by whom the people “are taken captive...and led by his will down to
destruction” because they “harden their hearts [and receive] the lesser portion of the word.”^23
The young Joseph saw the effect of vocalized prayer on the people whom he
associated with as a youth. The area of Palmyra and Manchester, New York was the perfect
place to be for this type of experience. Religion was alive and flourishing in this area.
Joseph’s critics would later create the supposition that Joseph was caught up in the religious
fervor of the time and joined the circus^24 by inventing his own manifestation of God through