As an instrument in the hands of
God, Joseph Smith laid the foundation for the
restored gospel of Jesus Christ to be taken to the world.
"The truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and
independent," Joseph declared, "till it has penetrated
every continent, visited every clime, swept every
country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes
of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall
say the work is done."
Through Joseph,
the Lord sent missionaries throughout the world. "We
don't ask any people to throw away any good they have got,"
the Prophet explained. "We only ask them to come and
get more."
Even as Church
President, Joseph Smith himself preached the gospel from
Massachusetts to Missouri and into Canada. "Had a great
congregation [that] paid good attention," his 1833
journal records. He continued, "O God, seal our
testimony to their hearts." A week later he wrote: "I
bear record to the people. The Lord gave His spirit in a
marvelous manner for which I am thankful to the God of
Abraham." He then noted 14 baptisms over two
days.
Joseph counseled
the Saints, "Let every one labor to prepare himself
for the vineyard."
instrument in the hands of God
When the Son of God declared, "Thy will be done" (Moses 4:2), He became an instrument in the hands of His Father. We follow that pattern by serving God and one another, for "the laborer in Zion shall labor for Zion" (2 Nephi 26:31).
vineyard
A symbol for a field of labor, sometimes referring to the house of Israel, the kingdom of God on the earth, or the peoples of the world in general. (The Guide to the Scriptures, "Vineyard of the Lord," 251).
