Without Disclosing My True Identity
biography exactly how and why Joseph was mandated to allow a religion to be
established under his name. In most instances, however, the false religions and churches
that were started in the name of a true messenger came only after the messenger was
dead and unavailable to tell the people that a religion was not needed to worship or talk
to God. Take, for example, the events in Christian history after Jesus was killed.
How was Joseph Smith supposed to accomplish what his ancient predecessors had
already tried and failed to accomplish in their day; i.e., freeing people from religion and
teaching them to look to the “kingdom of God within,” instead of relying on the arm of
flesh?^16 Why did the advanced beings who called him want him to try things differently?
The answer to both of these questions is as follows: Instead of denouncing all religious
practices and faith in religious leaders (which obviously had never worked), Joseph was
foreordained to allow a new religion to form based entirely on the free will of the people.^17
This religion would have, seemingly (but eventually counter-productively), the potential
of freeing the people from religion in the only way that would reach the hearts and minds
of the religiously zealous of his day.
Authority from “God” (Interacting with Advanced Human Beings)
A true messenger has the opportunity for direct contact with those who grant
him his authority; and some are granted the opportunity to be “caught up into heaven and
see and hear unspeakable things.”^18 In other words, some are taken to a place in this
Universe where the perfect state of human life exists in order to meet those who chose
them as a messenger. And in the case of those “caught up into heaven,” once returned to
this earth, these chosen ones cannot find the “power that they [can] utter the things which
they saw and heard.”^19 This is not because they are actually forbidden to do so—except as
outlined in each of their individual missions—but because they cannot find the words in
the imperfect means of communication that has developed upon the earth to properly
express what they “both saw and heard.” For example, how was Joseph supposed to
describe the technology that he was exposed to in his experiences with highly advanced
human beings, when there weren’t any words to describe what he experienced at that
time (in the early 1800’s)?
The Message is the Same Yesterday, Today, and Forever
However, the message conveyed to other mortals by true messengers will always
make perfect sense regardless of the state of technological advancement that the world is
experiencing. It is a simple message that both the mortal messengers and the “ministering
angels” (advanced humans) assigned to this earth have attempted to tell them throughout
all time, and will be the same message given to the people throughout all eternity.^20
It is a message, nevertheless, that is rejected by the religions of the world and by the
pride of men and women, especially by all those who set themselves apart from others or
above others, or who pretend to some “special” understanding or prominence that exalts
them above their fellow mortals. It is a message that exalts the abased and abases the
exalted.^21 It is a message as eternal as the Universe itself—a Universe controlled by human
beings for the sake of human beings. (This message was mentioned briefly in the
Introduction, but is explained in more detail below.)