The First Vision
These are the different accounts of the First Vision:
Joseph Smith published his story in the Mormon publication Times and Seasons in 1842. The
following is his description of the vision:
So in accordance with my determination, to ask of God, I retired to the woods to make the attempt. It was on
the morning of a beautiful clear day, early in the spring of eighteen hundred and twenty ... I saw a pillar of
light exactly over my head.... When the light rested upon me I saw two personages (whose brightness and
glory defy all description) standing above me in the air. One Of them spoke unto me, calling me by name, and
said, (pointing to the other.) "This is my beloved Son, hear him." ... I asked the personages who stood above
me in the light, which of all the sects was right, ... I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were
all wrong, and the personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that
those professors were all corrupt.... He again forbade me to join with any of them: and many other things did
he say unto me which I cannot write at this time (Times and Seasons, vol. 3, pp.728, 748).
And a transcript of the only Handwritten account by Joseph Smith Jr.:
marvilous even in the likeness of him who created him (them) and when I considered upon these things my heart
exclaimed well hath the wise man said the (it is a) fool (that) saith in his heart there is no God my heart
exclaimedall all these bear testimony and bespeak an omnipotant and omnipreasant power a being who makith
Laws and decreeeth and bindeth all things in their bounds who filleth Eternity who was and is and will be from all
Eternity to Eternity and when I considered all these things and that (that) being seeketh such to worship him as
worship him in spirit and in truth therefore I cried unto the Lord for mercy for there was none else to whom I
could go and to obtain mercy and the Lord heard my cry in the wilderness and while in (the) attitude of calling
upon the Lord (in the 16th year of my age) a piller of fire light above the brightness of the sun at noon day come
down from above and rested upon me and I was filled with the spirit of god and the (Lord) opened the heavens
upon me and I saw the Lord and he spake unto me saying Joseph (my son) thy sins are forgiven thee. go thy (way)
walk in my statutes and keep my commandments behold I am the Lord of glory I was crucifyed for the world that
all those who believe on my name may have Eternal life (behold) the world lieth in sin and at this time and none
doeth good no not one they have turned asside from the gospel and keep not (my) commandments they draw near
to me with their lips while their hearts are far from me and mine anger is kindling against the inhabitants of the
earth to visit them acording to th[e]ir ungodliness and to bring to pass that which (hath) been spoken by the mouth
of the prophets and Ap[o]stles behold and lo I come quickly as it [is] written of me in the cloud (clothed) in the
glory of my Father and my soul was filled with love and for many days I could reioice with great Joy and the Lord
was with me but [I] could find none that would believe the hevnly vision nevertheless I pondered these things in
my heart about that time my mother and but after many days
In the 1850's the Deseret News (the Mormon church's newspaper) was publishing Joseph
Smith's History of the Church. In the issue for May 29, 1852, the following statement by Joseph
Smith appeared:
This afternoon, Erastus Holmes, of Newbury, Ohio, called on me to inquire about the establishment of the
church, and to be instructed in doctrine more perfectly. I gave him a brief relation of my experience while in
my juvenile years, say from six years old up to the time I received the first visitation of angels, which was
when I was about fourteen years old also the revelations that I received afterwards concerning the Book of
Mormon, and a short account of the rise and progress of the church up to this date (Deseret News, vol. 2,
no.15, May 29, 1852).
In the February, 1835, issue of the Messenger and Advocate, Oliver Cowdery told how Joseph
Smith made his first contact with God:
You will recollect that I mentioned the time of a religious excitement, in Palmyra and vicinity to have been in
the 15th year of our brother J. Smith Jr's age--that was an error in the type--it should have been in the 17th.--You will please remember this correction, as it will be necessary for the full understanding of what will follow
in time. This would bring the date down to the year 1823.... while this excitement continued, he continued to
call upon the Lord in secret for a full manifestation of divine approbation, and for, to him, the all important
information, if a Supreme being did exist, to have an assurance that he was accepted of him....
On the evening of the 21st of September, 1823, previous to retiring to rest, our brother's mind was unusually
wrought up on the subject which had so long agitated his mind--his heart was drawn out in fervent prayer....
While continuing in prayer for a manifestation ... on a sudden a light like that of day, ... burst into the room.--... and in a moment a personage stood before him ... he heard him declare himself to be a messenger sent by
commandment of the Lord, to deliver a special message, and to witness to him that his sins were forgiven ...
(Messenger and Advocate, vol. 1, pp.78-79).
God cannot be seen by Man without the Priesthood:
This revelation is published as Section 84 of the Doctrine and Covenants. In verses 21-22 we read: "And
without the ordinances thereof, and the authority of the priesthood, the power of godliness is not manifest
unto men in the flesh; "For without this no man can see the face of God, even the Father, and live."
Questioning the Credibility of the Witness:
The above should cause you to ask a few things. Who was it that met with Joseph Smith
Jr. when he was fourteen years old? Was it an Angel sent from God or was it the Lord
himself. How many separate beings were there at the time. One account says it was the
Father and the Son (the official version), another says it was angels, and another says it
was a messenger. Note that this is the same incident in each one based on his distinction of
Date, time, or other "landmark" information marking theses as different accounts of the
same incident and not merely several different incidents. This is not an attempt to nit-
pick the accounts but, perspective that goes to the Prophet's credibility is in need of
consideration. As the investigator, would you believe that a person who (from the
"Official Version") met God face to face, would forget how many beings were present?
Would he mistake God for a messenger or a visitation of angels? Also note, Joseph Smith
Jr. wrote in the Doctrine and Covenants (A book that is Scripture to the LDS people) that
no one can see God without the Priesthood and live but, the vision is claimed to have taken
place in 1820 prior to his claim of Ordination by John the Baptist(Aaronic) or the Apostles
Peter, James and John(Melchizedek) Priest hoods. His inconsistency makes either the
Prophecy in the D&C 84:21-22 wrong or he would have not survived the first vision. If you
look at the visit in his room by the messenger you will see that a Prophet that followed
Joseph Smith Jr. in succession claimed that in 1823 Joseph didn't know if there was a
Divine being. This would be three years after the "Official Version took place. Another
concern about the "Official Version" is that Joseph Smith Jr. was instructed to join none of
the Christian Sects because they were all wrong and an abomination in the sight of God.
Yet we will look at some evidence that shows he attempted to join the United Methodist
Church after being married to his wife Emma Smith. Would someone who met God face to
face forget or misunderstand the instructions given? Or was this willful disobedience?
Either way the credibility is harmed.
PROPHESIES OF JOSEPH SMITH JR.
JOSEPH SMITH WAS A METHODIST
SITE DIRECTORY