Recorded in the book of Matthew is a passage wherein the Lord warns us "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them." (Matthew 7:16-20) I was thinking about Joseph Smith as I read these verses. There are three basic facts about Joseph Smith about which none can dispute. 1) Joseph Smith declared to the world that he had seen and spoken with God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ face to face 2) He came as a Prophet 3) His work bore fruit. What the world must do, then, is judge him and his work by his fruits, most prominent among which is the Book of Mormon. What is the message of the Book of Mormon? What are the results of abiding by the words written on its pages? Even more generally, how is "evil fruit" or "good fruit" to be judged?
These are some questions that any sincere seeker should wonder about--the Lord himself gave us the warning, so it behooves us to be sure we can actually heed his warning and discern between good and evil.
I read this passage in an article called "Shop Class as Soulcraft" by Matthew B. Crawford. The author is discussing the satisfaction of skilled labor -- something that has been fading from American society. When I read it, I was reminded of the Lords "know them by their fruits" counsel. The book of Mormon actually exists, it was either a creation of Joseph Smith or translated from ancient records as he claimed, but Joseph Smith doesn't need any aggrandizement; that fruit, The Book of Mormon, stands on its own.
"The satisfactions of manifesting oneself concretely in the world through manual competence have been known to make a man quiet and easy. They seem to relieve him of the felt need to offer chattering interpretations of himself to vindicate his worth. He can simply point: the building stands, the car now runs, the lights are on. Boasting is what a boy does, who has no real effect in the world. But craftsmanship must reckon with the infallible judgment of reality, where one’s failures or shortcomings cannot be interpreted away."
These are some questions that any sincere seeker should wonder about--the Lord himself gave us the warning, so it behooves us to be sure we can actually heed his warning and discern between good and evil.
I read this passage in an article called "Shop Class as Soulcraft" by Matthew B. Crawford. The author is discussing the satisfaction of skilled labor -- something that has been fading from American society. When I read it, I was reminded of the Lords "know them by their fruits" counsel. The book of Mormon actually exists, it was either a creation of Joseph Smith or translated from ancient records as he claimed, but Joseph Smith doesn't need any aggrandizement; that fruit, The Book of Mormon, stands on its own.
"The satisfactions of manifesting oneself concretely in the world through manual competence have been known to make a man quiet and easy. They seem to relieve him of the felt need to offer chattering interpretations of himself to vindicate his worth. He can simply point: the building stands, the car now runs, the lights are on. Boasting is what a boy does, who has no real effect in the world. But craftsmanship must reckon with the infallible judgment of reality, where one’s failures or shortcomings cannot be interpreted away."
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