How The Church Started

When Christ was crucified His church continued on the earth with the authority that He had given to His Apostles. This authority only came when Christ had personally chosen them and personally gave this authority to them by the power of the Priesthood which He had. This is only given by one who has the authority (the Priesthood) to do so. When this chain of authority is received, then the person receiving it can then pass it to others that the Lord choses to continue the chain. When the chain of authority is broken, only God by His messengers can bring it back to beign again the chain.

The Apostles began to go to all the world to teach the things that the Savior had taught them. When any one Apostle died the other Apostles would gather together to pray and fast so that they, with the authority they had received from the Savior, would call and ordain (give authority to) a new Apostle. However, with the passing of time the Apostles were hunted down and killed. Because they were spread throughout all the world they did not have time to gather together to call new Apostles so that the chain of authority received from the Savior could continue. With the passing of the last Apostle also came an end to the Savior's church. It did not end because God did not have the power to save it, it ended because God has given to all men the ability and freedom to choose. And because they had chosen wickedness and to kill the Apostles they were not worthy to have Christ's church among them.

God knew that the fall of His church would happen. He also knew that He would need to put it back on the earth when His children were prepared again to receive it. That is where Joseph Smith comes into the picture. He is the man that God chose to bring back Christ's church upon the earth. He was called by God to be a prophet for our days. God sent holy messengers (John the baptist, along with three of the Apostles in Christ's time: Peter, James and John) to bring back to the earth the authority to direct Christ's church; which authority was lost with the death of the Apostles. Joseph Smith was not some random person that was chosen by God to bring back His church, in stead, when God saw that it was time to put His church back on the earth He placed Joseph Smith here. Joseph Smith was chosen before he came to this earth. It was all just a matter of timing on the Lord's part.

I have personally come to know for myself that Joseph Smith was chosen by God. I know this just as anyone can come to know this; it is known through sincere prayer and by the power of the Holy Ghost. I invite anyone who is interested in knowing if Joseph Smith was truly called of God, or not, to pray to God for guidance and for an answer. He will let you know.