Here We Stand Book

Have you ever been tempted to downplay the Joseph Smith story and focus instead on "common ground" while telling a nonmember about the Church? In Here We Stand, Joseph Fielding McConkie explains that as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we are the recipients of the glorious message of the First Vision and the glorious record of the Book of Mormon. To downplay them-indeed, to fail to emphasize them-is to undermine the very foundation of our faith. Within the pages of this book, Brother McConkie testifies of the reality of the Prophet Joseph's spiritual manifestations and explains why a restoration rather than a reformation was necessary to reestablish Christ's church, points out the inconsistency of accepting ancient prophets while denying the divinely appointed mission of Joseph Smith shows the proper role of the Bible in declaring the message of the Restoration, illustrates the spiritual power involved in answering questions from the revelations of the Restoration, explains how to avoid the war of words and the tumult of opinion and to stand instead in the light of revelation. Brother McConkie confirms the importance of declaring all that we have received, beginning with the First Vision: "Such is the message that we have been commissioned to take to the earth. To be faithful in that labor brings with it the promise of honor, glory, immortality, and eternal life; conversely, failure to be true to that divine commission places us under condemnation." That gets to the heart of the matter as it disarms critics and avoids the spirit of contention. Brother McConkie encourages members of the Church to appreciate the strength of the Church's claim and to teach it more boldly: "The way we answer questions about our faith ought to be by finding the quickest and most direct route to the Sacred Grove. That is our ground. It is sacred ground. And it is here we stand."