Restoration of the Gospel: The first vision
The church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints centres its beliefs and doctrine on the idea that the gospel of Jesus Christ was restored to the earth through Joseph Smith. They believe that when Jesus Christ was on earth that he established the true church among his followers, but after his crucifixion and the death of his Apostles the fullness of the gospel was taken from the earth because of widespread apostasy. This period of time is known as the Great Apostasy and it is marked by widespread wickedness where people were without divine direction from a living prophet.
The LDS Church teaches that during the Great Apostasy “many churches were established, but they did not have priesthood power to lead people to the true knowledge of God the Father and Jesus Christ. Parts of the holy scriptures were corrupted or lost, and no one had the authority to confer the gift of the Holy Ghost or perform other priesthood ordinances”(True to the Faith, 2004: pg 16). So although there were many people who preached about the gospel and Jesus Christ there were no religions that had the fulness of the truth or the truth or priesthood authority from God. This apostasy lasted until Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith in 1820 and initiated the restoration of the fulness of the gospel. According to the church “the fulness of the gospel has been restored, and the true Church of Jesus Christ is on the earth again. No other organisation can compare to it. It is not the result of a reformation, with well-meaning men and women doing all in their power to bring about change. It is a restoration of the Church established by Jesus Christ. It is the work of Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son”(et al; pg 136).
Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believe that because of this restoration everyone has the opportunity to live the gospel. Through baptism and confirmation we can receive remission of sin, and through temple ordinances we can find “guidance and peace, prepare for eternal life, be sealed to your family for eternity, and provide saving ordinances for your deceased ancestors”.
This series will address some of the more controversial, disputed, and disproven events during and after this so-called restoration in an attempt to show a more honest accounting of the actual events.
The first Vision: Official Account
For Latter-day Saints the events witnessed by Joseph Smith of the first vision are important because they mark the beginning of the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The official account of these events is currently recorded and taught from the Pearl of Great Price (a book of scripture that contains information on certain aspects of the faith and doctrine of the Church), but it was first published in 1842 by Joseph Smith in an LDS publication called Times and Seasons (see photos below). In his article Joseph Smith described the following version of events (the text in bold is highlighted as it will be referenced later):
“I was at this time in my fifteenth year. My father’s family was proselyted to the Presbyterian faith, and four of them joined that church, namely, my mother, Lucy; my brothers Hyrum and Samuel Harrison; and my sister Sophronia. During this time of great excitement my mind was called up to serious reflection and great uneasiness; but though my feelings were deep and often poignant…but so great were the confusion and strife among the different denominations, that it was impossible for a person young as I was, and so unacquainted with men and things, to come to any certain conclusion who was right and who was wrong.
In the midst of this war of words and tumult of opinions, I often said to myself: What is to be done? Who of all these parties are right; or, are they all wrong together? If any one of them be right, which is it, and how shall I know it? While I was laboring under the extreme difficulties caused by the contests of these parties of religionists, I was one day reading the Epistle of James, first chapter and fifth verse, 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. Never did any passage of scripture come with more power to the heart of man than this did at this time to mine. It seemed to enter with great force into every feeling of my heart. I reflected on it again and again, knowing that if any person needed wisdom from God, I did; for how to act I did not know, and unless I could get more wisdom than I then had, I would never know; for the teachers of religion of the different sects understood the same passages of scripture so differently as to destroy all confidence in settling the question by an appeal to the Bible. At length I came to the conclusion that I must either remain in darkness and confusion, or else I must do as James directs, that is, ask of God.
So, in accordance with this, 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. It was the first time in my life that I had made such an attempt, for amidst all my anxieties I had never as yet made the attempt to pray vocally. After I had retired to the place where I had previously designed to go, having looked around me, and finding myself alone, I kneeled down and began to offer up the desires of my heart to God. I had scarcely done so, when immediately I was seized upon by some power which entirely overcame me, and had such an astonishing influence over me as to bind my tongue so that I could not speak. Thick darkness gathered around me, and it seemed to me for a time as if I were doomed to sudden destruction. But, exerting all my powers to call upon God to deliver me out of the power of this enemy which had seized upon me, and at the very moment when I was ready to sink into despair and abandon myself to destruction—not to an imaginary ruin, but to the power of some actual being from the unseen world, who had such marvelous power as I had never before felt in any being—just at this moment of great alarm, I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me. It no sooner appeared than I found myself delivered from the enemy which held me bound. 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 spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him! My object in going to inquire of the Lord was to know which of all the sects was right, that I might know which to join.
No sooner, therefore, did I get possession of myself, so as to be able to speak, than I asked the Personages who stood above me in the light, which of all the sects was right (for at this time it had never entered into my heart that all were wrong)—and which I should join. 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; that: “they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof.” 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. When I came to myself again, I found myself lying on my back, looking up into heaven. When the light had departed, I had no strength; but soon recovering in some degree, I went home” (Pearl of Great Price 1:9-20; Times and Seasons, vol. 3, pp. 728, 748).
The first Vision: Other Accounts
There are multiple accounts of the first vision which are not spoken about or included in Church Doctrine. These are important to consider because they directly contradict the main version of accounts taught historically and if there is not a consistent story of events then it is hard to argue it is true - this can bring into question the credibility of the story of the restoration of the gospel as a whole.
The below version of events is one of the earliest accounts of Joseph Smiths history and it was recorded by Joseph Smith himself between the summer of 1831 and November 1832 (Brigham Young University Studies, Vol. 9, No. 3 (SPRING 1969), pp. 278). The following points are pulled from the transcript of this record which has been verified and accepted by the LDS Church as authentic:
“from the age of twelve years to fifteen I pondered many things in my heart concerning the sittuation of the world of mankind the contentions and divi[si]ons the wicke[d]ness and abominations and the darkness which pervaded the minds of mankind my mind become excedingly distressed for I become convicted of my sins and by searching the scriptures I found that mankind did not come unto the Lord but that they had apostatised from the true and liveing faith and there was no society or denomination that built upon the gospel of Jesus Christ as recorded in the new testament and I felt to mourn for my own sins and for the sins of the world”
“I cried unto the Lord for mercy for there was none else to whom I could go and obtain mercy and the Lord heard my cry in the wilderness and while in theattitude of calling upon the Lord in the 16th year of my age a piller of 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”
“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 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 thir 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”
“My soul was filled with love and for many days I could rejoice with great Joy and the Lord was with me but could find none that would believe the hevnly vision nevertheless I pondered these things in my heart”
When comparing the two versions of events it is clear that there are irreconcilable differences:
Firstly there is the reason that Joseph was seeking God. In the official account of events Joseph claimed to be facing a time of great inner turmoil where he found himself questioning “who of all these parties are right; or, are they all wrong together? If any one of them be right, which is it, and how shall I know it?”. He claims it is these questions that led him to the Bible and ultimately drove him to seek answers from God through prayer. However, in the second account of the story he says that he was “excedingly distressed” because he had already come to the conclusion that “mankind did not come unto the Lord but that they had apostatised from the true and liveing faith”, and his reason for prayer was not to ask which religion was true but he “cried unto the Lord for mercy” for his sins and the sins of the world.
The second difference is an obvious one of age. In the official account Joseph claims he was in his 15th year, and the LDS Church teaches that the first vision took place in the spring of 1820 (which would have actually made Joseph 14 years old). Yet in the second account he claims that this vision did not happen till he was 16 years old.
There seems to be a discrepancy in what exactly happened in the time leading up to Joseph seeing a personage(s). The official account gives a specific description of Joseph Smith going to the grove to pray and being “seized upon by some power” which overcame him and was able to bind his tongue so he could not speak. It was not until he was not until “the very moment when I was ready to sink into despair” that light appeared above his head and “delivered” him from the enemy which held him. Yet in the alternative version of events there is no mention of any such presence overcoming his person, Joseph claimed to be mourning for his sins and the sins of the world so he “cried unto the Lord for 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 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”. It seems likely that had he been overcome with something so powerful that it took the Lord to come to save him that this might be a detail important enough to mention in both versions. Additionally, there seems to be a contextual difference between the two accounts, it does not seem likely that both accounts are true because on one hand he seems to be reaching out to God mournfully asking to be forgiven for sins committed as he knew that there were no true religions, and on the other hand he appears to be earnestly seeking an answer from God about which church to choose before having his body taken over by some sort of malicious presence.
Perhaps one of the most serious contradictions between these two accounts is the number of personages who appeared to Joseph and who they are supposed to represent. In the official account Joseph clearly talks about two separate personages “whose brightness and glory defy all description” and by the words spoken it is clear that these personages are supposed to be God the Father, and His Son Jesus Christ. Joseph Claims he asked the personages “which of all the sects was right (for at this time it had never entered into my heart that all were wrong)—and which I should join”, and one of the personages answered saying that all were wrong and were an “abomination in his sight”. After further advice from the personages which Joseph indicates he can’t discuss they leave.
The alternative account is vastly different. Here Joseph claims that while calling out to the Lord in prayer “a piller of light above the brightness of the sun at noon day” came down from above and rested upon him and he was “filled with the spirit of god”. Joseph then claims that “the Lord opened the heavens…I saw the Lord and he spake unto me saying Joseph my son thy sins are forgiven thee”, this personage is clearly meant to be Jesus Christ as he speaks saying “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”. Nowhere in this version of events does Jospeh mention a second personage appearing, nor does he advise that the personage gave any advice in relation to the truthfulness of the gospel on earth. It is also worth noting that the wording used by the personage changes between the two accounts with the official account saying “One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!”, while in the alternative version of events he claims the personage said, “Joseph my son thy sins are forgiven thee”.
In addition to the above mentioned accounts there is another account which is important to address.
This was recorded in Joseph Smith’s diary by his scribe (Warren Parrish) between 1835-1836 and it was first published by Dean C. Jessee in Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought (1971).
From this account you can see that Joseph states that he went to the grove to pray about which religion was true, and when he attempted to pray he could not as his “toung seemed to be swolen” and he began to hear a noise like someone approaching him, as the sound drew closer he sprang to his feet only to find no one there. when he attempted to pray again he was successful and when he called upon the Lord he claims “a pillar of fire appeared above my head, it presently rested down upon me head, and filled me with joy unspeakable, a personage appeared in the midst of this pillar of flame which was spread all around, and yet nothing consumed, another personage soon appeared like unto the first, he said unto me thy sins are forgiven thee, he testifyed unto me that Jesus Christ is the Son of God; and I saw many angels in this vision I was about 14 years old when I received this first communication”.
It is clear just from this short description that again there is a different account of events. Here Joseph describes a “pillar of fire” coming down and an unnamed personage speaking to him to testify that Jesus is the Son of God. This personage was accompanied by “many angels”.
As well as the discrepancies in the events, there is also evidence that shows that records were amended before being published by the church so that they better support the official story the church presented.
In the History of the Church (1989) there is a statement from Joseph Smith which says "I gave him [Erastus Holmes] a brief relation of my experience while in my juvenile years, say from six years old up to the time I received my first vision, which was when I was about fourteen years old ..." (Vol. 11, p. 312). This statement was part of a journal entry logged by Joseph on November 15, 1835. While the Church does not reference or provide evidence for when this statement was made, there is a similar statement made by Joseph in the Deseret News (an LDS newspaper) in May of 1852. However this time Joseph states “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”.
Arguably this wording was changed because it contradicts the teaching that it was Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ that appeared in the first vision. Nowhere in the Pearl of Great Price, or in the Gospel Principles book does it mention that Joseph Saw anything but two personages.
Conclusion:
So we can see just from the examples above that there does not seem to be a consistent story between the various accounts Joseph Smith has given about the first vision. Some of the details may not have a massive impact on the story as a whole, but the majority of the details are significant and the differences are simply irreconcilable. Additionally, the widely taught version of the story was written years later than the other accounts mentioned, so naturally it would be likely to be less accurate than an earlier account.
While an argument can be made that people generally pick certain details of a story they are sharing depending on the audience/context in which they are speaking, it is not conceivable that the most important details of the story should change or be left out when the whole story hinges on these details. The LDS Church has tried to make an argument that there are other examples of stories changing in the Bible, specifically the story Paul told about his experience on the road to Damascus. However, this is not a fair comparison. Firstly the details of Paul’s experience are all documented in the Bible and as far as we know they have not been purposely doctored to fit a certain narrative. Additionally, there is no way that we can check the authenticity of sources of anything written in the Bible, but we can do a lot of investigation into what was said by Joseph Smith and what is subsequently being taught by the LDS Church as “truth”.
Ultimately the validity of the LDS Church and their story of the restoration of the gospel rests with the claims made by Joseph Smith, and just in this story we can already see multiple contradictions and potential coverups by the Church to make it seem like the claims are true. In addition to the details mentioned in the article there are other discrepancies in other tellings of the first vision (these will be listed in the table below), and it should be a motivation to take a closer look at other truth claims made by the LDS Church and Joseph Smith.
Other References:
Transcript
“At about the age of twelve years my mind become seriously imprest with regard to the all importent concerns of for the wellfare of my immortal Soul which led me to searching the scriptures believeing as I was taught, that they contained the word of God thus applying myself to them and my intimate acquaintance with those of differant denominations led me to marvel excedingly for I discovered that <they did not adorn> instead of adorning their profession by a holy walk and Godly conversation agreeable to what I found contained in that sacred depository this was a grief to my Soul thus from the age of twelve years to fifteen I pondered many things in my heart concerning the sittuation of the world of mankind the contentions and divi[si]ons the wicke[d]ness and abominations and the darkness which pervaded the of the minds of mankind my mind become excedingly distressed for I become convicted of my sins and by searching the scriptures I found that mand <mankind> did not come unto the Lord but that they had apostatised from the true and liveing faith and there was no society or denomination that built upon the gospel of Jesus Christ as recorded in the new testament and I felt to mourn for my own sins and for the sins of the world for I learned in the scriptures that God was the same yesterday to day and forever that he was no respecter to persons for he was God for I looked upon the sun the glorious luminary of the earth and also the moon rolling in their magesty through the heavens and also the stars shining in their courses and the earth also upon which I stood and the beast of the field and the fowls of heaven and the fish of the waters and also man walking forth upon the face of the earth in magesty and in the strength of beauty whose power and intiligence in governing the things which are so exceding great and [p. 2] 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 exclaimed all 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 worshep 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 thir 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 rejoice with great Joy and the Lord was with me but could find none that would believe the hevnly vision nevertheless I pondered these things in my heart about that time my mother and20 but after many days [
