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Brother Joseph: Seer of a New Dispensation, Volume I
- GenresNonfictionBiographyLds
428 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
May 20, 2020
Amazing read. Learned more about and gained a greater respect of the man Joseph Smith. I am honored to call him Brother Joseph. I look forward to the day when I will have a chance to hear his conversion story from him personally.
October 25, 2021
A good companion read along with the sections of the Doctrine & Covenants.
January 13, 2016
Brother Joseph: Seer of a New Dispensation, Volume One is a religious autobiography. This beautifully written book by Richard N. Skousen tells the story of how the Golden Plates were translated into the Book of Mormon. This is a true book.
The book begins explaining Joseph as a regular, humble farm boy. He lived with his parents, Lucy Mack and Joseph, and his eight other siblings. In his hometown of Palmyra, Joseph is confused by which church he should join. He prays to the Lord and He answers Joseph is a way much bigger than he expected. When Joseph goes to the Sacred Grove to pray, Heavenly Father appears with His son, Jesus Christ. They tell Joseph that none of the churches are true. They promised him that with time, the Lord's true gospel would be restored to the earth, and that if Joseph would stay faithful, he would be able to be a part of this restoration. When he told his family, they all believed strongly that Joseph had had a vision, but the people of Palmyra did not. They persecuted Joseph and hated him. But, he stayed faithful and three years after, the Angel of Moroni appeared to Joseph at night and told him that the Lord was ready to restore His church. He told Joseph that he would have an important role in this. Moroni told Joseph of the Golden Plates which contained the record of the church and a fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ and that they were buried in a hill nearby. He showed Joseph in a vision the exact location. Now let's fast forward a little bit. Joseph is unable to take the plates from the hill, but instead he is taught by the Angel Moroni. Eventually he is able to remove them and begin translating them from the ancient language that it is written in to regular English. When Joseph is able to take them, he is faced with constant danger. The plates were supposed to be kept secret but the information was leaked and now the treasure seekers of Palmyra are desperately trying to steal the golden book. Fast forward a lot and Joseph finishes translating the book in 65 work days, about 8 pages a day. The book goes on to explain how the church was formed and how it spread to all nations.
I would recommend this book to anyone who would like to learn more about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I really enjoyed this book because I learned more about my church and it has inspired me. (:
(This book is 428 pages long which counts as 2 books)
The book begins explaining Joseph as a regular, humble farm boy. He lived with his parents, Lucy Mack and Joseph, and his eight other siblings. In his hometown of Palmyra, Joseph is confused by which church he should join. He prays to the Lord and He answers Joseph is a way much bigger than he expected. When Joseph goes to the Sacred Grove to pray, Heavenly Father appears with His son, Jesus Christ. They tell Joseph that none of the churches are true. They promised him that with time, the Lord's true gospel would be restored to the earth, and that if Joseph would stay faithful, he would be able to be a part of this restoration. When he told his family, they all believed strongly that Joseph had had a vision, but the people of Palmyra did not. They persecuted Joseph and hated him. But, he stayed faithful and three years after, the Angel of Moroni appeared to Joseph at night and told him that the Lord was ready to restore His church. He told Joseph that he would have an important role in this. Moroni told Joseph of the Golden Plates which contained the record of the church and a fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ and that they were buried in a hill nearby. He showed Joseph in a vision the exact location. Now let's fast forward a little bit. Joseph is unable to take the plates from the hill, but instead he is taught by the Angel Moroni. Eventually he is able to remove them and begin translating them from the ancient language that it is written in to regular English. When Joseph is able to take them, he is faced with constant danger. The plates were supposed to be kept secret but the information was leaked and now the treasure seekers of Palmyra are desperately trying to steal the golden book. Fast forward a lot and Joseph finishes translating the book in 65 work days, about 8 pages a day. The book goes on to explain how the church was formed and how it spread to all nations.
I would recommend this book to anyone who would like to learn more about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I really enjoyed this book because I learned more about my church and it has inspired me. (:
(This book is 428 pages long which counts as 2 books)
January 20, 2010
From a historical viewpoint, this was great! It moved you through the development of the church in an interesting, timely way. However, I couldn't agree with the author's interpretation of scripture in several instances. It seemed a very fuzzy take on some doctrine, too. I'll read volume two, but I expect more of the same. Reading this made me pull out my scriptures and read what he's referencing, so I guess that's good, even if I can't agree with all the conclusions the Skousens' come to.
Okay, I'm moving this to 4 stars after reading volume 2. Reading both of these I could really see the whole scope of the work Joseph Smith did, and the building up of Zion and the church. Still a little fuzzy conclusions, etc., but overall, I'm glad I read this.
Okay, I'm moving this to 4 stars after reading volume 2. Reading both of these I could really see the whole scope of the work Joseph Smith did, and the building up of Zion and the church. Still a little fuzzy conclusions, etc., but overall, I'm glad I read this.
April 4, 2008
If you would love a glimpse into the life of the Prophet Joseph Smith, this book is for you! It gave me such an appreciation for Joseph Smith as a prophet, a leader, a father & a person. It strengthened my testimony. It's a great read if you have the time! :)It is a 2 part book series, so make sure you get both volumes! :)
May 27, 2009
Okay - can't really say I'm a big fan of this one. I love reading about church history and Joseph Smith as well, but whenever I read books by the Skousens I find they are always making claims that are unsupportable. I found several items in this book that I felt were misleading or mis-representational - particularly his statements about some of the scriptures.
January 26, 2009
i enjoyed reading volume one and volume two of this series. the information brought to life more of the day to day and experiences of our dear prophet Joseph Smith Jr., his family, friends. I highly recommend reading these books
June 5, 2010
I liked this book because it helped me to see a more human side of Joseph Smith. It also put in the background story of the revelations Joseph Smith received in the Doctrine and Covenants. It helped me to realize, greater obedience brings greater blessings.
August 20, 2010
Interesting book, I learned quite a bit, but also found many of the authors' to be speculative instead of doctrinal. There's lots of sources so if you don't actually check on them he could leave you with some mistaken impressions but if you know the scriptures well I'd say read this book.
April 12, 2008
I have only opened the cover but I have dedicated myself to learn about a true prophet of god! I have only opened the cover but I have dedicated myself to learn about a true prophet of god!
December 16, 2009
Great book
July 8, 2011
I learned so much about Joseph Smith and the Doctrine and Covenants by reading this book. I read it in one day. Looking forward to reading the second volume.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews