8. Can you show me in the Bible the LDS teaching that we must all stand before Joseph Smith on the Day of Judgment?
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FAIR Answer:
This is a misunderstanding and caricature of LDS doctrine. There is, however, the Biblical doctrine that the apostles will help judge Israel:
Ye [the apostles] are they which have continued with me in my temptations. And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; that ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. (Luke 22:28-30; see also Matt. 19:28)
Since the saints believe in modern apostles, they believe that those modern apostles (including Joseph) will have a role in judgment appointed to them by Jesus. Those who condemn Joseph on these grounds must also condemn Peter and the rest of the Twelve.
Learn more here: Joseph Smith's status in LDS belief
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My Answer:
If you click the link that says, "Joseph Smith's status in LDS belief" it will take you to a page where they make a valiant effort at damage and spin control by saying,
Clearly, Joseph's role is to function under the "direction...of the Son of God," and the primary goal is the salvation of all who will accept any degree of Christ and Joseph's witness of Him.
Now, if you're not careful, they'll slip that right past you. Not only do you have to accept Christ, but also "Joseph's witness of Him." It's not enough to accept the witness of the apostle John, or Peter, or Matthew or Paul. You must accept Joseph Smith's "witness" of Christ--which wasn't any kind of witness, but merely a manifestation from the Satanic realm.
Interestingly, they then quote Brigham Young saying that if we do not believe Joseph Smith, that we are not of God:
I have taught for thirty years, and still teach, that he that believeth in his heart and confesseth with his mouth that Jesus is the Christ and that Joseph Smith is his Prophet to this generation, is of God; and he that confesseth not that Jesus has come in the flesh and sent Joseph Smith with the fulness of the Gospel to this generation, is not of God, but is antichrist.
Did you catch that? You must believe both prongs of this forked-tongue system. You must believe Jesus is the Christ and that He has come in the flesh, ***AND*** that Joseph Smith is His prophet with the fullness of the Gospel. If you don't believe both of these prongs, you are not of God and you are Antichrist. This is not coming from some "bigoted, anti-Mormon" site. This is from a pro-LDS apologetics source.
The Scripture they try and use to back up this claim of Joseph Smith sitting on a throne and judging is Luke 22:28-30--"But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials. And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel" and Matthew 19:28--So Jesus said to them, "Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." However, we need to do some proper exegesis of these passages, because they could have also used 1st Corinthians 6:1-4, but we won't get into that passage right now. Let's look at what our Lord was saying.
In Matthew 19:28, we need to be careful not to assume that when Jesus speaks of the "regeneration" that He is talking about the final resurrection--whether the Bema of Christ, or the Great White Throne--because this is not what He is referring to. The word Jesus uses here is παλιγγενεσια (paliggenesia), not αναστασις (anastasis). The word παλιγγενεσια literally means "second nativity." You might say that παλιγγενεσια means "Second Advent." I believe this means Christ's 1000 year reign on earth. Revelation 20:4--And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. I believe these twelve thrones will be filled by the 11 faithful apostles and Matthias. Notice Jesus says there will be TWELVE thrones. If Joseph was to be included in this circle of judgment, wouldn't Jesus have said there would be THIRTEEN thrones? But I guess that's one of those places where "careless transcribers" removed one of those truths that was "plain and most precious."
Also, we need to remember this: To whom did the Father entrust ALL judgment? To the Son? Or to the Son and an
Besides, if you've read the last two "answers" about Joseph and his "First Vision" and how that was a fraud, then the fact that he is a fraud excludes him from sitting on any throne and judging anybody.
