Joseph Smith's First Vision
Four Accounts of the Mormon Prophet Visited by God and Jesus Christ
Jun 29, 2009
Joseph Smith testified of a visit by God the Father and Jesus Christ in 1820. The event left an indelible mark on religious history for Mormons, and most Latter-day Saints today can tell the story by heart. Why was this visitation necessary, and what did Joseph Smith report seeing and hearing?
Thousands of Years of Worldwide Apostasy Preceded the Vision
Mormons believe that Jesus established the fullness of the gospel and organized his church on the earth during his mortal ministry. But after he died, one by one, the apostles were martyred and the priesthood authority — the authority to act in God's name, baptize, and direct the church with prophetic revelation — was gone. The world fell into apostasy as portions of the gospel as established by Jesus were slowly forgotten or changed.
Christ's disciples actually foresaw the Great Apostasy: Paul taught that "that day [the Second Coming of Christ] shall not come, except there come a falling away first" ( 2 Thessalonians 2:3) and Peter spoke about the "times of restitution of all things" when the fullness of the gospel would be restored. (Acts 3:21)
Events Leading Up to Joseph Smith's Vision
Even though the world was in apostasy, there were still many good people and much gospel truth on the earth. Many people and events paved the way for Joseph Smith's vision in 1820 and the restoration of the gospel in 1830.
- Renaissance - Beginning during the late 1300s, the Enlightenment or "Rebirth" began to move people past the ignorance and lack of progress that characterized the Dark Ages.
- Printing press - Johann Gutenburg's printing press of 1430 allowed people to have their own personal copies of the Bible.
- Protestant reformers - Men like Martin Luther, John Calvin, and others attempted to reform their current churches in the 1500s, realizing they were not completely correct.
- Discovery and colonization of America - Mormons believe that Christopher Columbus was inspired when he sailed the ocean blue in 1492, and the Pilgrims coming to America to escape persecution planted the seeds of religious freedom.
- American Revolution - The Constitution, signed in 1787, guaranteed Americans religious freedom necessary for the restoration of the gospel.
Joseph Smith's First Vision
In upstate New York in 1820, religious fervor swept the state. Lucky Mack and Joseph Smith Sr. were a farm family living in Palmyra, NY. Some family members joined one denomination and others remained unaffiliated. The 14-year-old son Joseph Smith, Jr. didn't know what to do.
He read James 1:5 in the family Bible, which reads "if any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God" and felt particularly impressed that he needed to pray for guidance. He went out to the woods behind his house, now called "The Sacred Grove" by Mormons, and prayed out loud. The resulting vision is known by Mormons as the First Vision.
Recorded Events of the First Vision
Smith records that after praying he was seized by a dark power, and called out to God for help. The evil force released him, and then God the Father and Jesus Christ descended in a "pillar of light." God told Smith to listen to Jesus Christ, who instructed him to join none of the existing churches, "for they were all wrong."
Smith adds that "many other things did he say unto me, which I cannot write at this time" (History of the Church, Vol. 1.)
The Smith family believed Joseph, but he received great persecution from outside sources for relating his story.
Four Different Accounts of Joseph Smith's Vision
Joseph Smith recorded four known accounts of the 1820 vision, written in 1832, 1835, 1838, and 1842. Of these, the 1838 account has been canonized as part of the history of the LDS Church. It is believed to be the most complete, being the lengthiest account and having been specifically prepared for publication for the church.
Though the accounts emphasize different aspects of the First Vision, the main message of Jesus Christ remained the same: that the true church was not on the earth in 1820.
Church members today believe that what happened in 1820 in the Sacred Grove changed the world. Joseph Smith's First Vision marked his calling as the first prophet of the restoration and opened the gate for the translation of the Book of Mormon and the restoration of Jesus Christ's church.
For a deeper look at the four accounts of the First Vision and the differences between them, see Milton V. Backman's article "Joseph Smith's Recitals of the First Vision." Backman is a professor of church history at Brigham Young University.
For more information on the formation of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, see "Who Was Joseph Smith?" and "What is the Book of Mormon?"
Sources:
- The Holy Bible, King James Version. Salt Lake City: Intellectual Reserve, 1979.
- History of the Church, Vol. 1. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1978.
- Backman Jr., Milton V., "Joseph Smith's Recitals of the First Vision." Ensign, Jan 1985.
 |
 |
 |
