When Jesus Christ was on the earth during His personal ministry among the children of men, He organized a Church. Christ set up the Church to give all God's children a chance at hearing the gospel and choosing for themselves whether they would show their faith and make the efforts to follow Christ or not. He even called His Apostles and gave them direction and authority to continue leading the Church after He was gone. Unfortunately, even the 12 Apostles knew that the Church would not last and would eventually fall into an Apostasy, the same that has occured thoughout the Old Testament. The Apostle Paul, among others, prophesied of an Apostasy to the Thessalonians in 2 Thessalonians 2:3. Christ had been crucified and resurrected by this time and the people knew that He was to return again. However, they thought the Second Coming was immenient but Paul assured them that it would not happen until after the Apostasy, "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, excet htere come a falling away first...". The Apostasy did happen as all the Apostles were either killed or rejected and the authority to act in God's name was taken when the people refused to listen to God's choosen leaders. The gospel is too precious and too great a priviledge to give to a world who will not listen to Christ nor His Apostles. If they were not going to listen to Jesus, and would crucify Him, they were definitely not going to listen to those He chose to continue His teachings. The world went through a dark time until 1820 when a young boy of 14 years old, confused at all the differing religions who all interpreted the Bible a different way, went to ask God the Father which of all the churches was correct. God told us in James 1:5, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." Joseph believed that God was serious when He made that promise, so he went to God in prayer and received an answer. God the Father and Jesus Christ appeared to the young boy and told Joseph that none of the Churches were correct, that the authority was not found on the earth. He called Joseph to be a Prophet and open up a new dispensation in the latter days.
I believe that God the Father and Jesus Christ both appeared to Joseph Smith. I believe that they called him to be a Prophet because they do not change the method with which they communicate with their children here on the earth. They called Prophets anciently and they continue to call Prophets today. They cared about their children in Biblical times and gave them direction according to their needs, and They continue to operate in the same loving manner. They still hold the power to call Prophets and have used that power to do so in our time. We are just as loved as those who listened to Moses preach and lead the people. We still are given direction and assistance as Abraham, Isaac and Jacob provided to their people to help them come unto Christ. The only true way to know whether Joseph Smith was called by God himself to be a Prophet is to do as James directs, that is, to ask God. Pray to find out if God has opened the Heavens once again and established a Prophet, with the correct Priesthood authority and revelation to lead and guide His Church. Either Joseph Smith was a Prophet or not. There is no other option. If you ask God with a sincere heart, with faith that you will receive an answer and intend to act upon that answer, God will fulfill His promise as He has said He would. He loves us.
