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Witnesses of the Prophet
"Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets." ( Amos 3:7 )
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Latter-day Prophets
Here you can read earlier prophets and presidents of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints testify of the prophet Joseph Smith. You can read more about the living prophet, the twelve apostles and other Church leaders here.
Brigham Young (1801-1877). "All that Joseph Smith did was to preach the truth-the gospel as the Lord revealed it to him-and tell the people how to be saved, and the honest in heart ran together and gathered around him and loved him as they did their own lives .. I feel like shouting Hallelujah, all the time, when I think that I ever knew Joseph Smith, the Prophet whom the Lord raised up and ordained, and to whom He gave keys and power to build up the kingdom of God on earth." (Deseret News, 10 Aug. 1864, 859).
George Albert Smith (1870-1951). "To my mind one of the strongest testimonies of the divinity of the life of our Savior is the testimony of Joseph Smith who laid down his life as a witness of the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ" (Journal History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 19 Dec. 1926, 4a).
David O. McKay (1873-1970). "Joseph Smith, a mere boy between fourteen and fifteen years of age, declared that, in answer to prayer, he received a revelation from God. His declaration was simple, but positive; and he was surprised when men doubted its truth. To him his claim was but the statement of a simple fact; to the Christian world it proved to be a lightning flash that, striking, weakened their religious structure from turret to foundation .. His claim to revelation from God, if established, leaves no doubt as to his authority to organize the Church of Christ upon earth, and to administer authoritatively the principles and ordinances thereof. Thus at the very inception of this great latter-day work was laid the immoveable corner-stone of Christ's Church in this dispensation, viz., the authority to officiate in the name of Jesus Christ in things pertaining to his Church." (Joseph Smith-His Source of Knowledge, Millennial Star, Feb. 8, 1923, 88-89)
Joseph Fielding Smith (1876-1972). "Joseph Smith is the revealer of the knowledge of Christ and of salvation to the world for this day and generation. .. I, for one, want to be numbered forever among those who seek counsel and authority and blessings as they have come from this great prophet whom the Lord raised up to commence the restoration of all things in this final, glorious gospel dispensation." (Quoted in Joseph Fielding Smith Jr. and John J. Stewart, The Life of Joseph Fielding Smith [1972], 364).
Harold B. Lee (1899-1973). "No man can accept Jesus Christ as the Savior of the world, no man can accept this as His church, the Church of Jesus Christ, unless he can accept Joseph Smith as God's mouthpiece and the restorer of His work in these latter days." (The Teachings of Harold B. Lee, ed. Clyde J. Williams [1996], 371).
Ezra Taft Benson (1899-1994). "God has in very deed revealed Himself from the heavens. He did raise up the boy prophet .. Joseph Smith has done more for the salvation of men in this world than any man who ever lived in it, except the Master. He stands at the head of this dispensation-the greatest gospel dispensation of all time-and all the world will someday come to realize that he is in very deed a prophet of the Living God." (The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson [1988], 131-32).
Gordon B. Hinckley (1910-2008). "How great indeed is our debt to him .. It was he who brought us a true knowledge of God, the Eternal Father, and His Risen Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. During the short time of his great vision he learned more concerning the nature of Deity than all of those who through centuries had argued the matter in learned councils and scholarly forums. He brought us the marvelous Book of Mormon as another witness for the living reality of the Son of God. To him, from those who held it anciently, came the priesthood, the power, the gift, the authority, the keys to speak and act in the name of God. He gave us the organization of the Church and its great and sacred mission. Through him were restored the keys of the holy temples, that men and women might enter into eternal covenants with God and that the great work for the dead might be accomplished to open the way for eternal blessings .. He was the instrument in the hands of the Almighty. He was the servant acting under the direction of the Lord Jesus Christ in bringing to pass this great latter-day work .. We stand in reverence before him. He is the great prophet of this dispensation. He stands at the head of this great and mighty work which is spreading across the earth. He is our prophet, our revelator, our seer, our friend. Let us not forget him .. God be thanked for the Prophet Joseph." (A Season for Gratitude, Ensign, Dec. 1997, 2).