Elder LeGrand Richards, in an address at the April 1981 general conference, spoke of prophecies pertaining to Joseph Smith:

"When Joseph Smith went into the woods to pray, a boy of only fourteen years of age, a power of darkness rested upon him until he felt like it would crush the very life out of his body; but through his prayer, finally a pillar of light descended and he was released from the power of Satan. Satan knew that he would have to reckon with that man Joseph Smith because he was one of those noble and great ones that God said He would make His rulers.

"We read in the Book of Mormon that when Lehi was in the desert, he told his son Joseph that the Lord had promised Joseph who was sold into Egypt that in the latter days He would raise up a prophet from his loins like unto Moses. (See 2. Ne. 3:6-9.) And we are told in holy writ that there was no prophet in Israel like unto Moses because he walked and talked with God. (See Deut. 34:10.) This is the kind of prophet that, three thousand years before Joseph Smith was born, the Lord promised Joseph of Egypt He would raise up through his loins. He said his name would be Joseph, and his father's name should be Joseph; and he said: 'Unto him will I give power to bring forth my word.' (2 Ne. 3:11.)

"The Prophet Joseph Smith brought us the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, the Pearl of Great Price, and many other writings. As far as our records show, he has given us more revealed truth than any prophet who has ever lived upon the face of the earth. And the Lord said: 'And not to the bringing forth my word only. . . but to the convincing of them of my word, which shall have already gone forth among them.' (2 Ne. 3:11.) What did He mean by that? That in the midst of these hundreds of churches of men — the result of men's interpretations of the scriptures because they can't agree, and these churches keep multiplying — that the Lord would give to this new prophet the ability to comprehend the scriptures that had already been sent forth among them.

"Then He adds that he [Joseph Smith] shall 'bring my people unto salvation.' (2 Ne. 3:15.) Why? Because he would receive the holy priesthood, the power to administer the saving ordinances of the gospel. Then He adds, 'And I will make him great in mine eyes.' (2 Ne. 3:8.) Whatever the world may think of the Prophet Joseph Smith, there is the statement of the Lord that he would be great in His eyes."