Joseph Smith's First Prayer: In Search For Truth

In the mission, we used to have 6 discussions to share with those we came in contact with who were interested to know more about the church. My favorite has always been the first discussion where we talk about the prophet Joseph Smith. I’ve often felt the spirit every time we quote his very own words about his first vision.

"I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me... When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other--This is my Beloved Son. Hear Him!" (see Joseph Smith History: 1:15-17).

That first vision of Joseph Smith was a remarkable event. I know of no other person in history who claimed to have seen and spoken to God and His Son, Jesus Christ, as intimately as Joseph did in that grove of trees. However, as phenomenal as it was, to some, it was incredible.

One of my favorite testimonies about the prophet Joseph given by a modern prophet was that of Heber J. Grant. He said: “I’ve heard hundreds of men say if it wasn’t for Joseph Smith, I could accept your religion. Any man, who doesn’t believe in Joseph Smith as a prophet of the true and the living God, has no right to be in this church. The foundation stone: If he who did not make that interview with God and Jesus Christ, the whole Mormon fabric is a failure—it’s a fraud, it isn’t worth anything on earth. But God did come. God did introduce His Son. God did inspire that man to organize the Church of Jesus Christ, and all the opposition of the world is not able to withstand the truth”.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has blossomed like a rose & has come out of obscurity. It is now the 5th largest church in the U.S. and one of the fastest growing in the world. It is the 2nd largest in the state of California. Many people admire our devotion to family and the church’s program towards the family. They are impressed with our law of health, on how we take care of our youth. Many are overwhelmed with our welfare program, in our ability to help our own and others not of our faith at the same time. No other religious organization has a missionary program as successful and as structured as our missions in the church. The church, for some, is too good to be true—a perfect organization which so many admire and would want to emulate. But when the discussion comes in about Joseph Smith and his first vision, people become disinterested, simply because the story is unbelievable.

This great church, brothers and sisters, is a product of young Joseph’s first vocal prayer. The significance of that prayer is that, the truth came out in the open.

Every time I read the personal history of Joseph Smith as found in the Pearl of Great Price, I am amazed at the events that happened before he made the attempt to pray vocally. It also teaches us how to receive answers to our prayers & experience our own sacred grove.

1st, Joseph had the desire to know the truth. The religious revival during Joseph’s time was so intense that churches would advertise their beliefs as if in the marketplace. Joseph was confused as to which church he should join.

He said: "During this time of great excitement my mind was called up to serious reflection and great uneasiness; but though my feelings were deep and often poignant, still I kept myself aloof from all these parties, though I attended their several meetings as often as occasion would permit. In process of time my mind became somewhat partial to the Methodist sect, and I felt some desire to be united with them; but so great were the confusion and strife among the different denominations, that it was impossible for a person young as I was, and so unacquainted with men and things, to come to any certain conclusion who was right and who was wrong.

"My mind at times was greatly excited, the cry and tumult were so great and incessant. The Presbyterians were most decided against the Baptists and Methodists, and used all the powers of both reason and sophistry to prove their errors, or, at least, to make the people think they were in error. On the other hand, the Baptists and Methodists in their turn were equally zealous in endeavoring to establish their own tenets and disprove all others.

"In the midst of this war of words and tumult of opinions, I often said to myself: What is to be done? Who of all these parties are right; or, are they all wrong together? If any one of them be right, which is it, and how shall I know it?" (JSH 1:8-10).

Notice his statements of desire when he said: “What is to be done”? & “how shall I know it”? He wanted that something be done about the matter & he wanted to know how. If we are to read between the lines, his desire went together with study. Along the way, he was studying the different Christian denominations—the result of which was that his “mind became partial to the Methodist sect”.

The word “desire” in simple terms, means “to want something very strongly”. Because Joseph wanted, very strongly, to know the truth, he had to do some study about the issue he was facing. He studied the scriptures and he talked often with his parents about religion.
In the course of his study, he came across a verse in the book of James in the Bible which read: "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him" (James 1:5).

Joseph did just what James suggested. He was only 14 years old. Early one morning, in the spring of 1820, Joseph went to a nearby grove of trees. He was alone. He knelt in solemn and humble prayer. All he wanted to know was which church was true. His faith was such that he believed he would receive that answer, just as was promised in the book of James. What he did not, even could not expect was the appearance of God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. Of this momentous occasion in his life as well as the history of mankind, he said:

"After I had retired to the place where I had previously designed to go, having looked around me, and finding myself alone, I kneeled down and began to offer up the desires of my heart to God. I had scarcely done so, when immediately I was seized upon by some power which entirely overcame me, and had such an astonishing influence over me as to bind my tongue so that I could not speak. Thick darkness gathered around me, and it seemed to me for a time as if I were doomed to sudden destruction.

"But, exerting all my powers to call upon God to deliver me out of the power of this enemy which had seized upon me, and at the very moment when I was ready to sink into despair and abandon myself to destruction—not to an imaginary ruin, but to the power of some actual being from the unseen world, who had such marvelous power as I had never before felt in any being—just at this moment of great alarm, I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me.

"It no sooner appeared than I found myself delivered from the enemy which held me bound. When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!

"My object in going to inquire of the Lord was to know which of all the sects was right, that I might know which to join. No sooner, therefore, did I get possession of myself, so as to be able to speak, than I asked the Personages who stood above me in the light, which of all the sects was right (for at this time it had never entered into my heart that all were wrong)—and which I should join.

"I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong; and the Personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those professors were all corrupt; that: "they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof." (JSH 1:15-19)

What a glorious and straightforward result that was, to receive a specific answer to a specific question. The truth of the matter is, not only did the great restoration take place after that event, in its own humble setting; it was also a powerful example that our personal prayers can be answered, if we desire, study, believe, & not give up or give in if we are faced with adversity. I could not even begin to imagine the kind of opposition young Joseph came across with in that grove of trees while he was praying. He said: "I was seized upon by some power which entirely overcame me, and had such an astonishing influence over me as to bind my tongue so that I could not speak. Thick darkness gathered around me, and it seemed to me for a time as if I were doomed to sudden destruction".

That moment was so significant that it would mean the end of the dark ages of Christianity & the start of the “restitution of all things” as prophesied by the holy prophets in the Bible, such as Amos & Peter. NO wonder the prince of darkness would react with such terrible demonstration.

For the remainder of Joseph Smith’s life, regardless of how many painful and difficult ways his enemies tried, Joseph Smith, Jr. never ever denied his testimony. Denying truth does not make it any less true, and he never denied truth.

Joseph lived a thousand lifetimes in his scant 38 years on this earth. His first prayer resulted to more accomplishments than any other prophet who lived on this earth, save Jesus only. The truth came out. The glorious gospel was restored. The meaning of the atonement was realized. The reality of the Godhead and the characteristics of each of its members were instinctively revealed.

I am obliged to Joseph Smith, who, prior to the coming forth of The Book of Mormon, became a prophet by virtue of his vision of God the Father and His Son. I know, regardless of personal acquaintance with Joseph, that he is a prophet of God; that even though I wasn't there to witness his experience with Deity, I know that it happened. What he said he saw, I know that he saw. When he related that he talked with God and Jesus Christ personally, I know that he did!

2008 UAAP Cheerdance Competition: Post-Mortem

Each year, UAAP cheerdance squads become more creative. Although stunts and tosses had become familiar, choreography and originality make each annual competition worth anticipating for.

The UP Pep Squad captured their back-to-back glory, their 5th UAAP Cheerdance title, including 3 straight from 1999-2001. Their routine showcased a tribal-inspired theme, a fusion of creativity and gymnastics moves. Their theme set them apart from everybody else. It was some sort of a sequel to their profound opening ceremony for this year’s UAAP. They host it in this 71st season.

Aside from the unique incorporation of a theme in their routine, the UP Pep squad demonstrated an above average degree of difficulty in their dance technique, tumbling, tosses, lifts/stunts, and building of pyramids. I had to give it to them in those departments. Auspiciously, looking at the body build of the squad’s members, they were able to dynamically execute their routine.


Another highlight in the UP Pep’s program was its choreography. There was a story in their routine and they were able to prudently integrate the story line into the flow of their presentation. It was transparent that anyone who was watching intently could identify that a theme was already being featured. That was unique and profound. It definitely seized the nod of the judges.

At one point I wrote about a transformation in cheering, and that UP spearheaded that revolution. The UP Pep’s routine this year is reminiscent of their 3-peat championship in the past. It was a wise choice to bring back that sort of signature which obviously surprised the judges and led them to score abundantly.


On the other hand, the UST Salinggawi Dance Troupe earned a runner-up finish. Coming from a back-to-back 1st runner-up rank, this squad should not be put on the back burner as it has in its sleeves 8 UAAP Cheerdance titles—3 straight from 1995-1997, and 5 consecutive from 2002-2006. This year, the Salinggawi made the most of what they do best: synchronization, stunts/lifts, tosses, and trouble-free assembling of pyramids. Best bits were its clean execution, fluid transitions from one formation to another, and synchronicity of tosses and lifts. They presented classic cheerdancing with members resembling those American cheerleaders we see in ESPN—in costume.

I would concur to the judges’ verdict placing the UST Salinggawi 2nd in rank. Had their tosses seen more height, tumbling elements picked up, and degree of difficulty pushed a notch higher, they would have come really close to UP’s performance (I believe body build has a lot to do with being able to execute vigorously). I say “really close” since UST’s choreography and originality aren’t the same level as it used to demonstrate in the previous years.


The FEU Cheering Squad consistently remained on the 3rd spot. This group emerged as a dark horse in the cheering arena when it bagged its first and only championship in 1998. Since then, it has become reliably skillful each passing year. It has come to be known for its tidy routine implementation. It has mastered the knack for synchronization and difficult pyramids.
This year, the squad showcased Mohawk-styled male constituents and a blazing fire-inspired theme. This theme, however, was not sustained in the routine and was a little bleak if the whole picture is taken. Nevertheless, its degree of difficulty was noticeable in building pyramids and formations were impressive.

The Ateneo Blue Babble Battalion came in with a spectacle of tosses, near to perfect tumbling elements, and a mixture of dance and lifts. This team is also dynamic in execution of lifts and stunts as their body build show. It is incredible how this squad turned from all-male cheerleading into modern cheerdancing—now a blend of males and females. They have improved in gymnastics skills and definitely caught on to the trend.

This year, the degree of difficulty and choreography drew the line between the top 3 and the other squads, including the Ateneo BBB. Synchronicity, a huge 10 pts in the overall judging system, was not on the side of most squads.


The Adamson Pep Squad displayed a variety of stunts and difficult pyramids, yet lacked in the departments of dance technique, choreography, and formations, which affected its overall effectiveness.


The same can be observed with the Animo Squad of DLSU. They improved as exhibited by their firm lifts and swift tumbling elements, but tosses and stunts were lacking. The level of difficulty and choreography weren’t too imposing. Their routine, however, was redemption of their cellar finish last year.


The UE Pep Squad came running with a striking choreography and instantaneous display of pyramids and tosses. Lifts and stunts, however, blurred the impact of their routine. Because of the fast-paced program, synchronicity and dance technique were almost no where to be found.

My utmost respect is vested to the NU Pep Squad in their routine this year. They’ve come prepared with their basket tosses, stunts, and even standing back tucks. I like the part when one showed off his tumbling skill doing some sort of an aerial. They hit their routine and executed in simplicity with a touch of difficulty.

Images courtesy of UBELT.COM

The Dying Man Who Taught Me How To Live

This week I’d like to write about Randy Pausch. I never heard of the man until yesterday when a friend, Rafael Osumo, introduced the name & talked a little bit about the person. It was during Sunday school that I saw a shortened version of his renowned “Last Lecture”. It was presented in the Oprah Winfrey show.

Randy Pausch was a Computer Science Professor at Carnegie Mellon University. He died last month of pancreatic cancer. When he gave his “Last Lecture” at the University, he had only months to live.

I would like to share excerpts from his lecture as they relate to life. You can watch the full version in this blog article.

It somewhat came as a surprise for a Computer Science professor to talk about “Childhood Dreams” in a classroom lecture. Then again, it was a personal preference in response to the question: “If you only have months to live, and is asked to lecture on something, what would it be? What would you talk about”?

It was ironic for a man who’s dying to talk about life and how to live. Randy said he didn’t want to be the object of pity. He didn’t like what he was going through because he has 3 little children. He couldn’t do anything about the fact that he was going to die. He said he couldn’t control the cards he’s dealt, just how he plays the hands.

CHILDHOOD DREAMS

In the lecture, he talked about his childhood dreams. He related that he couldn’t find any childhood pictures where he wasn’t smiling. He had a great childhood. He said as a child he dreamed. It was an easy time to dream when you turn on the television and see man landing on the moon: anything is possible. He said we should never lose that spirit.

He dreamed to be a part of the National Football League (NFL), which never happened. He said that “if you don’t achieve your dreams you can still get a lot by trying for it”. That’s important to know. He quoted an expression that he loves, “experience is what you get when you don’t get what you wanted”.

He talked about how his football coach “rode” him all the time during practice. He thought that was a good thing. It meant that he cared. “When you’re doing a bad job and nobody points it out to you, that’s when they’ve given up on you”, he said.

Next he talked about his other dream: A Walt Disney Imagineer. When he was 8 years old his family took a pilgrimage to Disneyland in California. He described it as an “incredible experience”. He was impressed with the rides, the shows, and attractions. He wanted to make stuffs like the ones he saw in Disneyland when he gets older. When he graduated from college, he tried to be an imagineer. Imagineers are the people who “make the magic”. His applications got rejected. He tried again after graduate school and still got rejected. He jested about how he kept those rejection letters and thought they were inspirational.

He worked hard until he became a junior faculty member. He specialized in doing research. There was one “Virtual Reality Research” that he was involved in. By so doing, he developed a skill that was valuable to Disney. That was his chance. He became part of the imagineering team and they worked on something called “Alladin’s Magic Carpet Ride”. It took him over 15 years to finally get a start in Disney. What he learned from that experience is: The brick walls that are in our way are there for a reason. They’re not there to keep us out. They’re there to give us a way to show how much we want it.

GOOD PARENTS: Key to having childhood dreams
He also recommended that we need to have good parents in order for us to have childhood dreams. He said he had great parents. He went on showing slides of his mother and father in their 70’s and 80’s. His mom was riding a go-cart and his dad, a roller coaster. He said there is that notion of “have fun all the time. Have a sense of fun and wonder. That should never go away”.

His dad fought in World War II. He died a little over a year ago. Randy said that while his mom was going through his things, she discovered that her husband was awarded the Bronze Star for Valor, during World War II. In 50 years of marriage, it has never come up. That is a great lesson in humility.

Randy went on to talk about his mother. He described mothers as “people who love you even when you pull their hair”. Her mother was also an example of humility to him. He recalled when he was going through graduate school; she was always there to keep him on check. He said when he was taking really hard examinations, he would go home and whine, complain about how hard those PH. D tests were. His mother would just pat his arm and say “we know how you feel. Just remember that when your father was your age, he was fighting the Germans in World War II”. Finally when Randy got his PH.D, his mother introduced him to everyone saying, “this is my son, he’s a doctor, but not the kind that helps people”.

He remembered how his parents let him paint his bedroom. He drew a rocket ship. They lived in a ranch so he wanted an elevator—he painted one. He also painted the quadratic equation on the wall. He said that the great thing is that his parents let him do it. They let him express his creativity. They thought that was “more important than the pristine nature of the walls”.

PEOPLE VS.THINGS
His parents also taught the importance of people vs. things. He recalled buying his first car when he got older. On weekends he would take his niece (Laura) and nephew (Christopher), with him so his sister would get a little break. They would go on adventures. His sister would explain to the kids how it’s a no-no to get Uncle Randy’s new car dirty. The kids were just cracking up laughing because over her shoulder, they were casually emptying a can of soda over the back seat of Randy’s car. His sister was like, “what are you doing?” and Randy would respond, “It’s a thing. It’s just a thing”. He was glad he did that because at the end of the weekend as he was driving the kids home, Kris who was 8 at the time had a flu and he threw up all over the back seat of his car. Take note of this: Randy said, “I don’t care how much value you get out of owning a nice shiny pristine thing. It’s not as good as I felt knowing that I made an 8 year old boy not feel guilty just because he had the flu”.

DECIDE WHAT YOU ARE
Next he said that we have to decide early on if we’re a Tigger or an Eeyore. Tiggers are energetic, optimistic, curious, and enthusiastic. They have fun. He said not to ever underestimate the importance of having fun. He said he’s dying soon and he’s choosing to have fun “today, tomorrow, and every other day I have left”.

WORK AND PLAY WELL WITH OTHERS
Tell the Truth
Randy continued by saying that if we want to achieve our dreams, we must work and play well with others. Live with integrity—simple advise that we’ll find hard to follow: Just tell the truth.

Apologize (properly)
He admonished that when we screw up, apologize. There are a lot of bad apologies in America, if not the world. He said that a good apology has 3 parts: 1. I’m sorry, 2. It was my fault, and 3. How do I make it right? He lamented that most people skip the 3rd part. That’s how one can tell sincerity.

Wait, and people will show you their good side
There are people that we don’t like—that have done things we don’t like. Randy emphasized that he found out that no one is pure evil. He said that if we wait long enough, people will show us their good side. We can’t make them do it in a hurry, but we can be patient.

SHOW GRATITUDE
When he got tenure, as a young faculty member, there were about 15 young kids who had been working in his research lab. He took them out to Disney World for a week. He paid for the expenses. One of his colleagues said that that might have cost him a fortune. How could have he possibly done it? He responded: “These kids work day and night for years so that I could get the best job in the world for life. How could I not do it”? Gratitude is a very simple and powerful thing.

DON’T COMPLAIN; JUST WORK HARDER
Most of the time we hear our colleagues talk negatively about how things aren’t going the way they should in the company. They rub that attitude to us and we tend to complain about our work, as well. Then someone would say “don’t complain, just do your job”, but here’s a better advise I’ve never thought of for a long time.

Randy didn’t think that complaining and whining really solves the problem. He talked about Jackie Robinson, the first African-American Major League Baseball player. He had in his contract not to complain if people spit on him. It doesn’t matter if we’re Jackie Robinson or like Randy who only has couple of months to live. We can choose to take our finite time, energy, and effort, and we can spend it complaining or we “can spend it playing the game hard”—which is probably going to be more helpful in the long run.

WHY RANDY GAVE THE TALK
The lecture was part of a series given at Carnegie Mellon University. Randy said that his talk isn’t just about how to achieve our childhood dreams. It’s much broader than that. He said it’s about how to live our life. If we lead our life the right way, the karma will take care of itself. The dreams will come to us.

“If you live properly, the dreams will come to you”. – Randy Pausch

It was so stirring to find out that Randy didn’t just give this lecture to the 400 people in Carnegie Mellon who came, and so many have benefited from it. He wrote the lecture for 3 people—his kids. He hopes that when they get older, they could watch it.