JOSEPH SMITH'S LAST DREAM IN CARTHAGE JAIL

Joseph Smith was a man of visions and dreams and truly bore his namesake's (Joseph of Egypt) legacy well. He truly was a direct descendant of that line. I am not aware of any other person (that at least has recorded it) who has excelled at this gift more than Joseph Smith. And while he was mocked and scorned for that gift, I aspire to the same gift and would be satisfied to have just a crumb of what he possessed for myself.

I have enjoyed stunning dreams that have predicted down to the most minute detail, things of the future including very mundane things related to work and relationships. I have been quite shy on the visions detail, but that will come over time and if there is a divine need for it in my life. I will share more of these remarkable dreams over time - not in a manner of boasting - but as encouragement to others to seek after their gift. In being silent about these remarkable manifestations (unless we are expressly forbidden to share them with the world), we do the devil's work in that God's glory is not manifest and that gift or the seeking for the gift is not encouraged among other budding in the gifts of the Spirit. I have a wonderful little 8 yr old girl who has watched me try (poorly, I might say) to exercise my non-gift for piano playing. In seeing me, she has been encouraged to hop on the bench and start plunking. In her plunking, my wife and I recognized a fluidity in her motion and an ear for tone that most kids do not have. We, instead of discouraging her, and telling her that she must only play that when no one else is around for fear of embarrassment, have encouraged and praised her openly and she has blossomed (with some good piano teachers) into a great little pianist whom I think will go far with her gift. So it is with spiritual gifts - they are suppressed in the church with such zeal that there is little incentive to even try. Gifts of healing the same - and I cite some of the trials that Iohani Wolfgramm went through as he exercised that fantastic gift (which I have also been given). Not to be critical here, but people are not shown how to exercise that gift properly - and a few of those that have done it have been swatted down for it by people, quite frankly, who are faithless and who will find themselves on the left hand as the corrupt teachers they have been who made their adherents into twice the children of hell that they were - in the final analysis. The proud and wicked and hypocritical can't take being shown up by the weak and the unlearned - it drives them mad with jealousy - a type of rage that is only documented in those who dealt with Jesus, Abinadi and Nephi among others. I have felt it among the wicked around me who have begun to find out what I stand for - and increasingly so, among those in the church. In the Church, it is mild to moderate now, but it will increase with time as disparity grows in the membership. It will get to the point, that if Jesus were to appear incognito, the general membership would vote to put the radical (from their perspective) to death again. To illustrate my point, here is Joseph's last dream the night before he was murdered. I will not narrate it - I leave it to you to decide for yourselves what the interpretation is, but remember what he told Emma when she sent a runner for him after he had crossed the Mississippi River to head to the Rocky Mountains the night before he was taken into custody. Also, remember the Book of Mormon was written for (to shred) us (the general membership of the Church) and not the Catholics or Protestants or some other group that may never have the pleasure of reading it:

Joseph related the following dream which he had last night:

"I was back in Kirtland, Ohio, and thought I would take a walk out by myself, and view my old farm, which I found grown up with weeds and brambles, and altogether bearing evidence of neglect and want of culture. I went into the barn, which I found without floor or doors, with the weather-boarding off, and was altogether in keeping with the farm.

"While I viewed the desolation around me, and was contemplating how it might be recovered from the curse upon it, there came rushing into the barn a company of furious men, who commenced to pick a quarrel with me.

"The leader of the party ordered me to leave the barn and farm, stating it was none of mine, and that I must give up all hope of ever possessing it.

"I told him the farm was given me by the Church, and although I had not had any use of it for some time back, still I had not sold it, and according to. righteous principles it belonged to me or the Church.

"He then grew furious and began to rail upon me, and threaten me, and said it never did belong to me nor to the Church.

"I then told him that I did not think it worth contending about, that I had no desire to live upon it in its present state, and if he thought he had a better right I would not quarrel with him about it but leave; but my assurance that I would not trouble him at present did not seem to satisfy him, as he seemed determined to quarrel with me, and threatened me with the destruction of my body.

"While he was thus engaged, pouring out his bitter words upon me, a rabble rushed in and nearly filled the barn, drew out their knives, and began to quarrel among themselves for the premises, and for a moment forgot me, at which time I took the opportunity to walk out of the barn about up to my ankles in mud.

"When I was a little distance from the barn, I heard them screeching and screaming in a very distressed manner, as it appeared they had engaged in a general fight with their knives. While they were thus engaged, the dream or vision ended."

Both Joseph and Hyrum bore a faithful testimony to the Latter-day work, and the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, and prophesied of the triumph of the Gospel over all the earth, exhorting the brethren present to faithfulness and persevering diligence in proclaiming the Gospel, building up the Temple, and performing all the duties connected with our holy religion.

Sobering - really quite sobering, from my perspective anyway.