Boyd K. Packer Quorum of the Twelve Apostles 12 September 2013

Apostle, 1970–present

Testimony of Joseph Smith

"The truth is, simply, that he was a prophet of God—nothing more and not one whit less!

"The scriptures did not come so much from Joseph Smith as they did through him. He was a conduit through which the revelations were given. He was otherwise an ordinary man, as were the prophets in ancient times and as are the prophets in our day. . . .

"The Prophet Joseph Smith was an unschooled farm boy. To read some of his early letters in the original shows him to be somewhat unpolished in spelling and grammar and in expression.

"That the revelations came through him in any form of literary refinement is nothing short of a miracle. That some perfecting should continue strengthens my respect for them." ("We Believe All That God Has Revealed," April 1974 general conference.)