No Enemies

In the spring of 1820 a young boy had a question that had been troubling him. What church should he join? After reflection and scripture study he made a plan to go into the woods and pray. When he did so, after darkness threatened to overtake him, a pillar of light appeared, and he spoke to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ face to face. In the vision, he was told that he should not join any of the churches. 

After the vision, he went to tell a leader from one of the churches what had happened, and there persecution against him began. He was just a boy, and miracles and visions like that only happened in times of old. Joseph began to keep what happened to himself, but word got out quickly. Despite the persecution, Joseph never retracted his statement on what he had seen. He said, "For I had seen a vision; I knew it and I knew that God knew it, and I could not deny it, neither dared I do it (JSH 1:25)."

After a few years he was visited again, this time by an angel. The angel told him "God had a work for [him] to do; and that [his] name should be had for good and evil among all nations, kindreds, and tongues, or that it should be both good and evil spoken of among all people (JSH 1:33)." To this day, his name is had for good and evil throughout the world. But, in the words of the poet, Charles Mackay:

You have no enemies, you say?
Alas! My friend, the boast is poor;
He who has mingled in the fray
Of duty, that the brave endure, 
Must have made foes! If you have none, 
Small is the work that you have done.
You've hit no traitor on the hip, 
You've dashed no cup from perjured lip,
You've never turned the wrong to right, 

You've been a coward in the fight. 

As we each gain a testimony of the truth of the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith, and the gospel of Christ, we must hold fast to the ground we have won, especially when it is challenged. We may make enemies, but this fight...our fight... the Lord's fight is worth fighting for.