By the weak things of the earth, would God confound the wise and learned of the earth. Joseph Smith was but a 'farm boy' with only a few years of formal education. This, perhaps, was one of the biggest challenges being resisted by the 'learned' men of religion of Joseph's day. How could a mere 'boy' of very limited education, and certainly not on the level of any formal minister of God, be the source of God's will concerning all of mankind?

The pride of man comes from various sources. Wealth and worldly possessions are often one such source of pride, thinking oneself better than another because of possessing the riches of the earth. Title and position and the status of class, can be another, especially when it is coupled by having any type of 'dominion' and 'power' over those of a lesser perceived position. And then there is the area of worldly knowledge. This is also often the source of much pride and discrimination of one over another. Joseph would suffer from the lack of all three and thus be subjected to the discrimination of those who consider themselves the superior of a 'poor' 'farm boy' of 'very little learning.' Joseph was poor, Joseph was of the low common class, and Joseph had little to no education. The wealthy men of learning and position would most certainly choose to look down their noses at such an inferior.

At the age of 12, the boy Jesus confounded the wise and learned of the temple. Later these same men of position, learning and wealth would judge the Christ and be the instruments of the crucifixion of the Savior of the world. But it was by the voice of all the Jews, which requested a known criminal's release over that of an innocent which cast the final decision. Those common Jews where lead by their leaders of wealth, position and learning. And who where the inciters of the violence against the Prophet Joseph Smith but the same who would stir up the hearts of men against an innocent? The Christian men of religion incited their members against the Mormons. The men of property, who supported the class system of slavery, incited their community against the 'northern Mormons.

Joseph was raised up by God. It was God's training by which Joseph became learned and excelled in understanding both the things of the world and the things of God. Joseph became a man of learning, a translator of languages, and the source of knowledge and wisdom to the saints of God. And Joseph never did suffer from the false pride of being of great wealth, high position, or worldly education. His position was a calling before God to whom he would answer directly to. His education became the intelligence gained directly from the source of all intelligence, and that was God. He possession where entirely dependent upon the blessings that God would grace Joseph with. Joseph was not given to the failings of 'pride and prejudice' as where those who counted Joseph their enemy.

Joseph knew much, he had gained great knowledge from God. And as Joseph would often state, he could not revel to the world all that he knew, as the world was not prepared to receive it. Even among the membership of the Church, Joseph would find he would have to fight against the 'learned' traditions of a false Christianity. Even among the membership of the Church, Joseph would find he would have to fight against the men of 'worldly wealth' and 'high standing' who would still consider Joseph their inferior. And one could most assuredly argue that it was not such opposition from without of the Church that eventual led to Joseph's death. It was the lack of support and enemies from within the Church who would place Joseph into the hands of the 'mobsters' who would kill the humble Prophet of God.

How is it that the more things change, the more things stay the same. Today in the Church we are still faced with such dangers, as was the constant problem of the people of God in the Book of Mormon. It is this same false pride which does still rise up among us. It is the pride of wealth, position, and education which does eat at the fabric of the Church. The word of the Lord's Anointed, regardless of such worldly concerns, that is of worth in the Kingdom of God. To be learned is good if they will harken to the word of God. Yet those of 'intellectual' attainments do still put the wisdom of their field of 'expertise' above that of the word of God's Anointed. It is still those of position which consider themselves 'above' such humble compliance to the direction of the humble servants of God. And is those who are of wealth who do not fill themselves as being compelled to live by the word of Jehovah's Prophets.

To what great ends of good could those of wealth put their resources to is they would but be guided by the hand of God? To what great ends of good could those of position bring about to the Kingdom of God if they would but place that devotion first and foremost? And to what great ends of good could those of learning bring by placing the 'wisdom of God' before the 'wisdom and learning of the theories of men?' But what happens is that rather than the things of the Kingdom of God and God's wisdom taking the lead, men are more prone to follow after the logic of the learning of their discipline at the expense of the wisdom of God. And men determine by such reliance upon such learning based upon the discipline of their training is the truth of a matter above and beyond that which is put forth and given by the anointed of the Lord.

What great strides in the advancements of man could be accomplish by a school of discipline governed by the word and understanding of God such as understood by Joseph Smith? But rather than take such a lead in their fields in bring the science of their discipline in line with the wisdom of God, the learned of the Church are prone to rely upon the 'man' derived theories of their training to redefine the very tenets of their religion. Thus, that which is of the absolute truths of God begin to be bent by the learning of the world even by the learned membership of God's Kingdom. Instead of studying the events of the earth from the scriptural record such as the implications of the days of the division of the earth during the time of Peleg, the men of science, regardless of their membership in the Church, will cow toe to use the theories of men. Thus they choose to make out scripture and the words of God's anointed to seen as lies and the theories of men to be deemed as absolute truth. And they only do this in order to comply with the design of their discipline according to the false traditions of the world. They would rather do this than rise to the challenge of redefining, with the aid of God's direction, the very essence of the knowledge of their field of study. And thus they by pass that which would bring them greatness in the long run, redefining their science to the truths of God, in lieu of receiving short-term acceptance by compliance to the false theories of their colleagues. And it is this 'fear of men' above the 'fear of God' which leads them to redefine their true religion in compliance to their false science, rather than allowing their true religion to redefine their 'false' science. And those who are so susceptible to such compliance will be easily lead astray from the truth by the proclamations of such of positions. And thus the falsehoods of science will begin to form the concepts and beliefs of religion, as those of position comply to the 'academic intellectualism' of the sciences of men rather than holding to the truths of God.