Joseph Smiths First Vision Account

Mormonism stands or falls on the first vision account of

Joseph Smith. The first vision is the foundation and
cornerstone on which the Mormon Church was built.
Gordon B. Hinckley !"!#$%##&'( the fifteenth president
of the )*S church stated( +,ur whole stren-th rests on
the validity of that vision. .t either occurred or it did not
occur. .f it did not then this work is a fraud. .f it did then
it is the most important and wonderful work under the
heavens./
The late Mormon apostle Bruce 0. McConkie !"!1$
!"&1' wrote( +This transcendent vision was the
be-innin- of latter$day revelation2Throu-h it the creeds
of Christendom were shattered to smithereens( and
because of it the truth about those Bein-s whom it is life
eternal to know be-an a-ain to be tau-ht amon- men./
Joseph 3ieldin- Smith !&45$!"4%'( the tenth president
of the )*S church wrote that Mormonism +must stand or
fall on the story of Joseph Smith( He was either a
prophet of God( divinely called( properly appointed and
commissioned( or he was one of the bi--est frauds this
world has ever seen. There is no middle -round./
So why are there nine differing accounts of Joseph
Smiths first vision? Which one should we believe?
The official position was that in !&%#( when Joseph Smith was !6 years( he went into the woods
to pray over James !71 and about which church to 8oin. Joseph then claims he was overcome by
+some power/ of +astonishin- influence/ and visited by God the 3ather and Jesus Christ and was
told( +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./
Date ecorded Account ecorded
!"#$ 9 :ccount of Joseph Smith( Sr.(
and Joseph Smith( Jr.( -iven to ;illard
Chase( as related in his !&<< affidavit.
: spirit appears to Joseph tellin- him of a record on -old
plates at a-e !$ %!"#&'.
!"#$ 9 :ccount by Martin Harris -iven
to 0ev. John Clark( as published in his
book Gleanings by the Way, printed in
!&6%( pp. %%%$%%".
:n angel appears to Joseph tellin- him he has been chosen to
be a prophet and brin- forth a record on -old plates at a-e
!"(!) %!"#*(#+',
!"&- 9 .nterview of Joseph Smith by
=eter Bauder( recounted by Bauder in his
book The Kingdom and the Gospel of
Jesus hrist, printed in !&<6( pp. <5$<&.
Joseph could -ive +no christian e>perience/ but says an angel
tells him where to find a secret treasure. Joseph returns once
a year for several years before obtainin- the plates.
!"&# 9 ?arliest known attempt at an
@officialA recountin- of the @3irst Bision(
from History( !"#$, Joseph %mith
Jesus .hrist appears to Joseph at a-e !+.
=a-e ! of %
&etterboo' !( pp.%(<( in the handwritin-
of Joseph Smith.
!"&*(&+ 9 ,liver Cowdery( with Joseph
SmithAs help( published the first history
of Mormonism in the )*S periodical
(essenger and )d*ocate( Cirtland( ,hio(
*ec. !&<6( vol.!( no.<
:n angel appears to Joseph in his bedroom at a-e !$
%!"#&'.
!"&+ 9 :ccount -iven by Joseph Smith
to Joshua the Jewish minister( Joseph
Smith *iary( Dov. "( !&<1.
/wo personages and 0and 1 saw many angels in this
vision2 appear to Joseph in a grove at a-e !* %!"#-'. ,ne
of the persona-es testifies about Jesus but neither one is
identified as Jesus.
!"&+ 9 :ccount -iven by Joseph Smith
to ?rastus Holmes on Dovember !6(
!&<1( ori-inally published in the +eseret
,ews of Saturday May %"( !&1%.
Joseph had visions of angels at a-ed !* %!"#-',
!"&" 9 This account became the official
version( now part of Mormon Scripture in
the =earl of Great =rice( Joseph Smith 9
History( !74$%#. Thou-h written in !&<&(
it was not published until !&6% in Times
and %eason( March !1( !&6%( vol. <( no.
!#( pp. 4%4$4%&( 46&$46"( 41<.
Joseph was !* %!"#-' and in a grove when he had a vision
of two personages( ,ne identifies the other as his son by
implication God the 3ather and Jesus( but not e>plicitly
stated'.
!"** 9 :ccount in )n -riginal .istory of
the /eligious +enominations at Present
01isting in the 2nited %tates( edited by
*aniel 0upp. Joseph Smith wrote the
chapter on Mormonism.
Joseph was !* %!"#-' and in a grove when he had a vision
of two personages that are unidentified.
+Joseph SmithEs Chan-in- 3irst Bision :ccounts/ F 0ob Bowman at .00.or- http7GGwww.irr.or-GmitGfirst$visionGfvision$
accounts.html'
.onclusion of First Vision Account
;as Joseph !6( !1( !5 or !4 years oldH ;as Joseph visited by a -lorious an-el( many an-els(
Jesus alone( Jesus and God the 3atherH ;as the vision in !&%#( !&%% or !&%<H ;hy do the
messa-es differ in what was supposedly told JosephH
So( what are we to believeH Joseph Smith chan-ed simple and easily remembered key elements
over the years of his supposed +first vision account/. His story is not consistent with somethin-
of this ma-nitude.
Galatians !7& says( +But thou-h we( or an an-el from heaven( preach any other -ospel unto you
than that which we have preached unto you( let him be accursed./
This should trouble Mormons -reatly as well as be a cause of -reat concern.
=a-e % of %