The Prophet of the Restoration

I was going to post a video of Joseph Smith's story, and how he was called to restore the Gospel, and be the Prophet of this dispensation, but it wasn't working, so I'd just like to bear my testimony on the Restoration:
It seems hard to accept, at first, hearing the story of a young boy praying in a grove of trees, and being visited by God the Father, and his Son Jesus Christ, especially when you're pretty convinced there is no God. But, through reading, pondering, and praying, I found out that that really did happen. When Joseph Smith was just a boy, he was confused by the war of religions going on around him. He saw how many different sects there were, and was confused by that. He wondered which of these churches was true. There had to be one true church, because as it says in Ephesians 4:5 "One Lord, one faith, one baptism", and he wanted to be part of that one. After talking with the local ministers and weighing everything, he was leaning towards the Methodists, but every time he came close to choosing one, another minister would come and convince him otherwise. Finally, one night, while reading the scriptures, he came across James 1:5 which reads "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." He took the advice laid out in that scripture, and approached his Heavenly Father in earnest prayer, seeking truth and knowledge. And truth and knowledge he got. He was visited by Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, and they told him, in answer to his question, that none of the churches were true; that they drew near to Him with their mouths, but there hearts were far from Him. He was then informed that he would be responsible for restoring the fullness of the gospel, and ushering in the Dispensation of the Fullness of Times, the final dispensation before the Second Coming.
I know this is true. I am sure of it. I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Joseph Smith is a Prophet, Seer, and Revelator, the Prophet of this Dispensation. I know that through his work, and through the Power of God, we have the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, which is divine and inspired writings that testify of Christ as our Savior and Redeemer. I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is Christ's church, the one true Church on the earth today, and that Jesus Christ is the head of it. I know we are guided and led by Prophets and Apostles who are called of God and receive revelation from God to help us in these trying times. I am so thankful for these men, for Joseph Smith, and am eternally grateful for the Savior, Jesus Christ, and for his Atoning sacrifice. I am thankful for my testimony, and my knowledge of the truthfulness of this Gospel. We are in the Latter-days, the last days as prophesied by prophets of old, and the fact that we have a prophet, just as in biblical times, is so reassuring, and has blessed my life immensely. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet, and that Christ's church has been restored again to the earth, by him.

Man in the Moon?

Ever look up at the moon? Ever been entranced by what you see? It's this massive rock, floating thousands of miles away form the Earth. It orbits around us, and based on where it is in regards to the sun and us, it's anywhere from full, to seemingly nonexistent. It effects the tides, gives us light, and has often been the source of dreaming. It was one giant leap for mankind when we set foot on the moon 42 years ago.
I remember, back when I worked at a movie theater, I would have to bike to and from work. It was about a 20 minute bike ride down the bike paths. When I closed, or when I would watch a movie afterwards, I would have to bike home in the dark. They didn't put lights on the bike trails like they did on roads, so when it was 11 o' clock, or later, it was a pretty dark trip. I always enjoyed when there was a full, bright moon because it made it easier for me to see, and I didn't have to worry as much about any obstacles that my be in front of me. I wasn't such a big fan of the nights when we had new moons, and it was very dark. It made me weary of going too fast, so it would take me longer to get home.
Think of our preexistent state as day time. God is present, giving us light and warmth, and we have no hindrance to our vision. We can see everything just fine. However, when we come to this world, it becomes as night. We are no longer in the presence of our Heavenly Father, and have much greater difficulty seeing what lies ahead. But fortunately, God won't just leave us to our own devices. Rather, he sends us a wonderful gift: prophets. Prophets are like the moon: they receive light from the sun (God) and give it to the people. Thanks to prophets, even on dark nights, they give us enough light that we are much better able to see the path ahead of us. Throughout history, people had accepted and rejected the prophets, in an ongoing cycle of apostasy and dispensations. We can think of this as similar to the lunar cycle. A prophet is introduced to the people, and they listen to his words and heed his counsel. This is like the waxing of the moon, as it grows towards its full state. Eventually, it is full, and the people prosper.
However, it doesn't take long for people to start disliking being told what to do, or what they're doing wrong. So, as so often seen, the prophets were rejected, persecuted, and sometimes killed. The people lost that light and guidance. This can be compared to the waning period of the moon, as it begins to get smaller, until it reaches the new moon. The new moon is an apostasy, when that light and guidance is gone.
How lucky we are to be in the Dispensation of the Fullness of Times. We have that full, bright moon that gets light from God, and gives it to all of us to help us along in our journey. We should always follow the counsel of the prophets, because he will always guide us in righteousness.