I’m not sure if you’re referring to my experience with revelation or with that of the prophet Joseph Smith. He of course was 14 years old when he received the visit from God in the sacred grove. I was in my early teens when I had some of my first experiences with revelation. This particular experience I have described in this essay occurred when I was preparing for my mission so I would have been 18 or 19.

To answer your question as to why the Lord would grant revelatory experiences to someone so young all I can offer is that it impressed me profoundly to be the recipient of such an awesome experience at that age. However, I must point out that my experience is no all that unique, or at least I do not think it is. There are many thousands of young people who can testify to having received revelation from the Lord in answer to their prayers.

That’s one of the wonderful things about this church – we can know for ourselves that it is true through personal revelation. It does not take away our agency and it does not make us any different from the rest of the world in that we are still subject to the temptations of mortality, but it does give us a sure witness that we can share with the rest of the world when the Lord needs us to do so.

I was privileged to share that witness for two years in Central America as a missionary back in the late 70′s. Today, that witness is just as strong if not stronger than it was when I first received it. It is real and has remained with me all these years, for which I am grateful. So it makes sense that the Lord would give young people revelation if they ask for it and pay the price to receive it. I has blessed my life tremendously over the years.

I hope I’m not being too harsh on those who struggle with their church history discoveries. It is only recently I have come to appreciate how blessed I was to have been exposed to all this stuff in my youth. I can only imagine what it must be like to learn about it later in life, perhaps when diligently preparing to teach a seminary class.

I am not so sure that those who we might consider the intellectuals in the church really rely on FAIR or FARMS or SHIELDS. I think they tend to rely more on their own reasoning and logic. Some things in our history do not seem very reasonable or logical. Men acted back then on faith that defies logic. Entering into plural marriage was not logical. It went against everything that the moral climate of the era dictated.

But yes, I stand by my testimony in this essay that prayer, leading to revelation is the best answer to dealing with the distressing issues that can come up in deep searches of church history. I’m even shocked by some of the things I have read recently about the activities of some bishops in Southern Utah in the late 19th century. Crazy stuff!

Thanks for your comment.