Joseph Smith — "I am a man of God, and I desire to do the will of God."
I am a man of God, and I desire to do the will of God.
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Understanding this quote
What it means
The speaker declares their identity as divinely appointed and commits to following God's direction above personal desire or worldly pressure. It expresses total surrender to a higher calling—the idea that one's purpose, decisions, and identity flow from God rather than self-interest. It also carries a defensive undertone, asserting legitimacy against doubt or opposition by grounding authority in divine appointment rather than human credentials.
Relevance to Joseph Smith
Joseph Smith claimed direct visions from God and Jesus Christ beginning in 1820, and said an angel led him to golden plates that became the Book of Mormon. His entire ministry rested on divine authority claims—he positioned himself as a modern prophet restoring Christ's original church. This quote captures his core self-identity: not a self-appointed leader but one answering an irresistible divine mandate, a conviction that sustained him through years of persecution until his 1844 martyrdom.
The era
Smith operated during America's Second Great Awakening (1790s–1840s), a period of mass religious revival that birthed dozens of new denominations and prophetic movements. Western New York's burned-over district saw such intense spiritual fervor that claims of direct divine communication were culturally plausible. The era questioned established church authority and hungered for authentic connection with God, making Smith's declaration of being a literal man of God resonate powerfully with seekers disillusioned by traditional religion.
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