In the gospel of Matthew, Christ gives us a rule of thumb for determining the intents of others. Chapter 7 verse 20 reads, “Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” His analogy is a good tree cannot bring forth bad fruit, neither can a bad tree bring forth good fruit. Its against nature. Applicable to our lives involving those around us, this guideline from Christ is for us to follow as a guaranteed way to know what is true and what isn’t. Or who is true and who isn’t. Reading through Jesus the Christ by James E. Talmage, I realized that time and time again Christ brought forth good fruit, performing miracles yet many refused to believe He was the Messiah.

How can one be so blind as to not know that Jesus was the Christ? I’ve always wondered why the Pharisees and scribes didn’t believe Him. Made of stone, their hearts must have been, to look the long awaited Messiah in the face and not recognize Him for who He truly was. Jesus did not come as they had expected, and instead of accepting their wrong perception, they fought against Him, unwilling to let go of their pride and popular positions. Being so focused on strict obedience of the laws and commandments, many forgot the reason for the law. The professional understanding of the scriptures inhibited the possibility of misconception. So caught up in laws and restrictions, the Pharisees condemned Christ for healing on the Sabbath. Completely missing the point of the gospel, they condemned the one who came to fulfill the law and satisfy the demands of justice. The good fruit of Christ was incorrectly judged as that of evil.


We must be able to accept truth. If we are not careful, our ears might not be opened to hear and our eyes may not be able to see what really lies before us. Humility allows us to be teachable, mold-able and reachable. Faith is not developed by having all the answers and if WE had all the answers, God would cease to be God. Trust in His plan and His laws. We are counseled to judge not that ye be not judged but also encouraged to make righteous judgements to secure an approved path to follow. As a missionary, I’ve used this promised of “by their fruits ye shall know them” when explaining the sacred role of Joseph Smith as a prophet. The fruit brought forth by Brother Joseph is the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. By this book, one can know of his divine calling as Prophet of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. Remember that even Christ’s good works were thought of as evil by those who were unable to see Him as their Savior because of the hardness of their hearts. Let us not be blind to the righteous fruit of Joseph Smith. He was called of God to restore His church on the earth and it was through the power of God that he translated the Book of Mormon. By this fruit YOU can know whether or not Joseph Smith was called of God.