Editing First Vision (section)

==Recorded accounts of the vision==
[[File:Earliest Depiction of Joseph Smith First Vision by J Hoey.JPG|thumb|upright|Woodcut by J. Hoey of Joseph Smith's First Vision first published in 1873 in T. B. H. Stenhouse's book ''Rocky Mountain Saints''.<ref>Palfreyman, "Mormon Roots in the American Forest," 15–16. Palfreyman identifies the woodcut in Rocky Mountain Saints as the earliest surviving First Vision image; Stenhouse, Rocky Mountain Saints 1873</ref>  This is the earliest known depiction of the First Vision.<ref>Elise Petersen and Steven C. Harper, "Using Art and Film to Form and Reform a Collective Memory of the First Vision," in An Eye of Faith: Essays in Honor of Richard O. Cowan, ed. Kenneth L. Alford and Richard E. Bennett (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center; Salt Lake City, 2015), 257–75.</ref>]]
The importance of the First Vision within the [[Latter Day Saint movement]] evolved over time. There is little evidence that Smith discussed the First Vision publicly prior to 1830.<ref>"The earliest allusion, oral or written, to the first vision is the brief mention that was transcribed in June 1830 and originally printed in the Book of Commandments." (Palmer,{{specify|date=April 2012}} 235).</ref> Mormon historian [[James B. Allen (historian)|James B. Allen]] notes that:

<blockquote> The fact that none of the available contemporary writings about Joseph Smith in the 1830s, none of the publications of the Church in that decade, and no contemporary journal or correspondence yet discovered mentions the story of the first vision is convincing evidence that at best it received only limited circulation in those early days.{{sfnp|Allen|1966}}</blockquote>

===1830s reference to early Christian regeneration===

In June 1830, Smith provided the first clear record of a significant personal religious experience prior to the visit of the [[angel Moroni]].<ref>The account was first published to non-Mormons in 1831. {{Harvtxt|Howe|1831}}.</ref> At that time, Smith and his associate [[Oliver Cowdery]] were establishing the [[Church of Christ (Latter Day Saints)|Church of Christ]], the first [[Latter Day Saint movement|Latter Day Saint]] church.  In the "Articles and Covenants of the Church of Christ," Smith recounted his early history, noting

<blockquote>"For, after that it truly was manifested unto [Smith] that he had received remission of his sins, he was entangled again in the vanities of the world, but after truly repenting, God visited him by an holy angel ... and gave unto him power, by the means which was before prepared that he should translate a book."<ref>{{Harvtxt|Howe|1831}}.</ref></blockquote>

No further explanation of this "manifestation" is provided. Although the reference was later linked to the First Vision,<ref>{{Harvtxt|Allen|1980|p=45}}; {{Harvtxt|Bushman|2005|pp=39, 112}}.</ref> its original hearers would have understood the manifestation as simply another of many revival experiences in which the subject testified that his sins had been forgiven.<ref>{{Harvtxt|Bushman|2005|p=39}}.</ref>

===1832 Smith account===
The earliest extant account of the First Vision was handwritten by Smith in 1832 in a letter book, but its existence was not known outside the Church History department until it was published in 1965.<ref>"One of the most significant documents of that period yet discovered was brought to light in 1965 by [[Paul R. Cheesman]], a graduate student at Brigham Young University. This is a handwritten manuscript apparently composed about 1833 and either written or dictated by Joseph Smith. It contains an account of the early experiences of the Mormon prophet and includes the story of the first vision. While the story varies in some details from the version presently accepted, enough is there to indicate that at least as early as 1833 Joseph Smith contemplated writing and perhaps publishing it. The manuscript has apparently lain in the L.D.S. Church Historian's office for many years, and yet few if any who saw it realized its profound historical significance." {{harv|Allen|1966|p=35}}</ref>  Sometime around 1930, the pages on which the account was written were torn from the letter book, removed from the Church Historian's collection and placed into a private safe in the custody of Apostle [[Joseph Fielding Smith]].  In 1952, General Authority [[Levi E. Young]] met with amateur historian LaMar Peterson and told him of a "strange account" in Joseph's handwriting that did not mention God the Father.  In 1964, Peterson told [[Jerald and Sandra Tanner]] about the account, and they subsequently asked permission from Joseph Fielding Smith to see it, but were denied.  In 1964, Smith authorized the showing of the account to Paul R. Cheesman, a BYU student working on his master's thesis.  The Tanners obtained a copy of the thesis transcript and the account was published for the first time in 1965.<ref>[https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5406/dialjmormthou.47.2.0037 Stan Larson "Another Look at Joseph Smith's First Vision"] ''[[Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought]]'', Vol. 47, No. 2 (Summer 2014), pp. 37-62</ref>

<blockquote>[T]he 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 pillar 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 aside 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 according 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 ...."<ref>{{harvp|"Letterbook 1"|p=2}}. Angle brackets indicate insertions by Smith.</ref></blockquote>

Unlike Smith's later accounts of the vision, the 1832 account emphasizes personal forgiveness and mentions neither an appearance of God the Father nor the phrase "This is my beloved Son, hear him." In the 1832 account, Smith also stated that before he experienced the First Vision, his own searching of the scriptures had led him to the conclusion that mankind had "apostatized from the true and living faith and there was no society or denomination that built upon the Gospel of Jesus Christ as recorded in the new testament."<ref>Joseph Smith History, 1832, as found in {{harvp|Vogel|1996|p=28}}</ref>

===1834 Cowdery account===
In several issues of the Mormon periodical ''[[Messenger and Advocate]]'' (1834–35),<ref>See the full text of the ''[[Messenger and Advocate]]'' from December 1834, [http://www.centerplace.org/history/ma/v1n03.htm#42 page 42]{{Unreliable source?|date=April 2012}} and January 1835, [http://www.centerplace.org/history/ma/v1n05.htm#78pages 78-79].</ref>{{Unreliable source?|date=April 2012}} [[Oliver Cowdery]] wrote an early biography of Smith. In one issue, Cowdery explained that Smith was confused by the different religions and local revivals during his "15th year" (1820), leading him to wonder which church was [[one true church|the true one]]. In the next issue of the biography, Cowdery explained that reference to Smith's "15th year" was a typographical error, and that actually the revivals and religious confusion took place in Smith's "17th year."

Therefore, according to Cowdery, the religious confusion led Smith to pray in his bedroom, late on the night of September 23, 1823, after the others had gone to sleep, to know which of the competing denominations was correct and whether "a Supreme being did exist." In response, an angel appeared and granted him forgiveness of his sins. The remainder of the story roughly parallels Smith's later description of a visit by an angel in 1823 who told him about the [[golden plates]]. Thus, Cowdery's account, containing a single vision, differs from Smith's 1832 account, which contains two separate visions, one in 1821 prompted by religious confusion (the First Vision) and a separate one regarding the plates on September 22, 1822. Cowdery's account also differs from Smith's 1842 account, which includes a First Vision in 1820 and a second vision on September 22, 1823.

===1835 Smith accounts===
On November 9, 1835, Smith dictated an account of the First Vision in his diary after telling it to a stranger<ref>The stranger was [[Robert Matthews (religious figure)|Robert Matthias]], a religious con-artist using the alias "Joshua the Jewish minister". Bushman, ''Rough Stone Rolling'', 275-76.</ref> who had visited his home earlier that day.<ref>{{Harvtxt|Smith|1835|pp=22–24}}.</ref> Smith said that when perplexed about religions matters, he had gone to a grove to pray<ref>{{Harvtxt|Smith|1835|p=23}}.</ref> but that his tongue seemed swollen in his mouth and that he had been interrupted twice by the sound of someone walking behind him.<ref>{{Harvtxt|Smith|1835|pp=23–24}}.</ref> Finally, as he prayed, he said his tongue was loosed, and he saw a pillar of fire in which an unidentified "personage" appeared.<ref name="Smith 1835 24">{{Harvtxt|Smith|1835|p=24}}.</ref> Then another unidentified personage told Smith his sins were forgiven and "testified unto [Smith] that Jesus Christ is the Son of God."<ref name="Smith 1835 24"/> An interlineation in the text notes, "and I saw many angels in this vision."<ref name="Smith 1835 24"/> Smith said this vision occurred when he was 14 years old and that when he was 17, he "saw another vision of angels in the night season after I had retired to bed" (referring to the later visit of the [[angel Moroni]] who showed him the location of the [[golden plates]]).<ref name="Smith 1835 24"/> Smith identified none of these personages or angels with "the Lord" as he had in 1832.<ref>Abanes,{{specify|date=April 2012}} 16: [http://www.irr.org/mit/First-Vision-Scans/first-vision-1835A.html the 1835 account] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050414033852/http://www.irr.org/mit/First-Vision-Scans/first-vision-1835A.html |date=April 14, 2005 }}{{Unreliable source?|date=April 2012}}. In 1835, Smith approved the "[[Lectures on Faith]]", an orderly presentation of Mormonism (probably written by [[Sidney Rigdon]]) in which it was taught that although Jesus Christ had a tangible body of flesh, God the Father was a spiritual presence—a view not out of harmony with orthodox Christian belief. The "Lectures on Faith" were canonized by the LDS Church and included as part of the [[Doctrine and Covenants]] until de-canonized after 1921. (Bushman,''Rough Stone Rolling'', 283–84.)</ref>

A few days later, on November 14, 1835, Smith told the story to another visitor, Erastus Holmes.<ref>{{Harvtxt|Smith|1835|p=35}}.</ref> In his journal, Smith said that he had recited his life story "up to the time I received the first visitation of angels, which was when I was about fourteen years old."<ref>{{Harvtxt|Smith|1835|pp=35–36}}. When LDS Church historian [[B. H. Roberts]] included this account into his ''[[History of the Church (Joseph Smith)|History of the Church]]'' '''2''':312, he changed the words "first visitation of angels" to "first vision."</ref>

===1838 Smith account===
[[File:Young Joseph Smith reading Bible.PNG|thumb|upright|1912 artistic depiction of Joseph Smith reading James 1:5 as described in the 1838 account of the First Vision]]
In 1838, Smith began dictating a history, introduced as "I have been induced to write this history ... in relation both to myself and the Church."<ref>The original 1838 manuscript has been lost, but the account was copied to manuscripts dating from 1839, which indicates that the year of writing was 1838, a fact also confirmed by Smith's journal entries. See {{Harvtxt|Jessee|1969|pp=6–7}}.</ref> This history included a new account of the First Vision, later published in three issues of ''[[Times and Seasons]]''.<ref>''[[Times and Seasons]]'', March and April, vol. 3 nos. 9, 11.</ref> This version was later incorporated into the [[Pearl of Great Price (Mormonism)|Pearl of Great Price]], which was canonized by the LDS Church in 1880, as [[Joseph Smith–History]]. Thus, it is often called the [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/pgp/js-h/1?lang=eng "canonized version"] of the First Vision story.

This version differs from the 1840 version because it includes the proclamation, "This is My Beloved Son, hear Him" from one of the personages, whereas the 1840 version does not. The canonized version says that in the spring of 1820, during a period of "confusion and strife among the different denominations" following an "unusual excitement on the subject of religion", Smith had debated which of the various Christian groups he should join. While in turmoil, he read from the [[Epistle of James]]: "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."<ref>James 1:5; [[Joseph Smith–History]].</ref>

One morning, deeply impressed by this scripture, the fourteen-year-old Smith went to the woods near his home, knelt, and began his first vocal prayer. Almost immediately he was confronted by an evil power that prevented speech. A darkness gathered around him, and Smith believed that he would be destroyed. He continued the prayer silently, asking for God's assistance though still resigned to destruction. At this moment a light brighter than the sun descended towards him, and he was delivered from the evil power.

In the light, Smith "saw two personages standing in the air". One pointed to the other and said, "This is My Beloved Son, hear Him." Smith asked which religious sect he should join and was told to join none of them because all existing religions had corrupted the teachings of Jesus Christ.<ref>''See'' [[Great Apostasy]].</ref>

In his 1838 account, Smith wrote that he made an oblique reference to the vision to his mother in 1820, telling her the day it happened that he had "learned for [him]self that [[Presbyterian]]ism is not true."{{sfnp|Roberts|1902|loc=vol. 1, ch. 1, p. 6}} Lucy did not mention this conversation in her memoirs in her own words, but included the narrative from Joseph's 1838 account directly.{{sfnp|Smith|1853|p=78}}<ref>{{citation |url= http://woodlandinstitute.com/joseph/first-vision/pubSeerPg5JosephSmith1838.php |title=The First Vision: 1838 Joseph Smith History Account |work=Woodland Institute |publisher=Richard N. Holzapfel |url-status= usurped |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120825180610/http://www.woodlandinstitute.com/joseph/first-vision/pubSeerPg5JosephSmith1838.php |archive-date=2012-08-25}}</ref>

Smith wrote he "could find none that would believe" his experience.<ref name="Letterbook 1 p.2"/> He said that shortly after the experience, he told the story of his revelation to a Methodist minister<ref>According to Mormon apologist Larry C. Porter, the Methodist minister, George Lane, may have passed very near the Smith home and preached at a camp meeting along the way in July 1820. "In the pursuit of his ministerial duties Rev. Lane was in the geographical proximity of Joseph Smith on a number of occasions between the years 1819-1825. The nature degree or indeed the actuality of their acquaintanceship during this interval poses a number of interesting possibilities .... In July 1820 Lane would have had to pass through the greater Palmyra-Manchester vicinity..unless he went by an extremely circuitous route. Present records do not specify Lane's itinerary or exact route ... but they do for Lane's friend, Rev. George Peck .... [Peck's] conference route took him north to Ithaca, then on to a camp meeting in the Holland Purchase, subsequently passing along the Ridge Road to Rochester .... As Rev. Peck, [Lane] may even have stopped at a camp meeting somewhere along the way. A preacher of his standing would always be a welcome guest." {{harv|Porter|1969|p=335}}. Smith never mentions the name of the minister.</ref> who responded "with great contempt, saying it was all of the devil, that there was no such thing as visions or revelations in these days; that all such things had ceased with the apostles, and that there never would be any more of them."{{sfnp|Smith|1842c|p=748}}{{sfnp|Roberts|1902|loc=vol. 1, ch. 1, p. 6}} He also said that the telling of his vision story "excited a great deal of prejudice against me among professors of religion, and was the cause of great persecution, which continued to increase."{{sfnp|Roberts|1902|loc=vol. 1, ch. 1, p. 7}} There is no extant evidence from the 1830s for this persecution beyond Smith's own testimony.<ref>{{harvp|Allen|1966|p=30}}: "According to Joseph Smith, he told the story of the vision immediately after it happened in the early spring of 1820. As a result, he said, he received immediate criticism in the community. There is little if any evidence, however, that by the early 1830s Joseph Smith was telling the story in public. At least if he were telling it, no one seemed to consider it important enough to have recorded it ''at the time'', and no one was criticizing him for it."</ref> None of the earliest [[anti-Mormonism|anti-Mormon]] literature mentioned the First Vision.<ref>{{harvp|Allen|1966|p=31}}: "Apparently not until 1843, when the ''New York Spectator'' printed a reporter's account of an interview with Joseph Smith, did a ''non-Mormon'' source publish any reference to the story of the first vision."</ref> Smith also said he told others about the vision during the 1820s, and some family members said that they had heard him mention it, but none prior to 1823, when Smith said he had his second vision.<ref>{{harvp|Palmer|2002|p=245}}: "There is no evidence of prejudice resulting from this first vision.  If his report that 'all the sects...united to persecute me' were accurate, one would expect to find some hint of this in the local newspapers, narratives by ardent critics, and in the affidavits D. P. Hurlbut gathered in 1833. The record is nevertheless silent on this issue. No one, friend or foe, in New York or Pennsylvania remember either that there was 'great persecution' or even that Joseph claimed to have had a vision. Not even his family remembers it."</ref> Joseph's mother recorded the 1820-23 persecution of Joseph in her memoir, stating "From this time until the 21st of Sep. 1823, Joseph continued as usual to labor with his father; and nothing during this interval occurred of very great importance; though he suffered, as one would naturally suppose every kind of opposition and persecution from the different orders of religion."{{sfnp|Smith|1845|p=78}}

[[File:First Vision 1912.PNG|thumb|upright|right|First Vision by L. A. Ramsey, 1912.]]

===1840 Pratt account===
In September 1840, [[Orson Pratt]] published a version of the First Vision in England.<ref>Orson Pratt, "Interesting Account of Several Remarkable Visions", Orson Pratt, Ballantyne and Huges publ, 1840 (reprinted in [[Dean Jessee|Jessee]],{{specify|date=April 2012}} vol. 1 pp. 149–60)</ref>  This version states that after Smith saw the light, "his mind was caught away, from the natural objects with which he was surrounded; and he was enwrapped in a heavenly vision."<ref name="Pratt 1840 5">{{harvp|Pratt|1840|p=5}}</ref> Pratt's account referred to "two glorious personages who exactly resembled each other in their features or likeness".<ref name="Pratt 1840 5"/>

===1842 Wentworth Letter===
In 1842, two years before his death, Smith wrote to [[John Wentworth (mayor)|John Wentworth]], editor of the ''[[Chicago Democrat]]'', outlining the basic beliefs of his church and including an account of the First Vision.{{sfnp|Smith|1842a|pp=706–710}} Smith said that he had been "about fourteen years of age" when he had received the First Vision.{{sfnp|Smith|1842a|pp=706}} Like the Pratt account, Smith's [[Wentworth letter]] said that his "mind was taken away from the objects with which I was surrounded, and I was enwrapped in a heavenly vision."{{sfnp|Smith|1842a|pp=706}} and had seen "two glorious personages who exactly resembled each other in features, and likeness, surrounded with a brilliant light which eclipsed the sun at noon-day."{{sfnp|Smith|1842a|pp=707}} Smith said he was told that no religious denomination "was acknowledged of God as his church and kingdom" and that he was "expressly commanded to 'go not after them.'"{{sfnp|Smith|1842a|pp=707}}

===Smith's accounts found in later reminiscences===
In the rough draft of her autobiography, Smith's mother, Lucy Mack Smith, describes her son being visited in 1823 by an angel, who told him "...there is not a true church on the Earth," but does not include a First Vision narrative.<ref name="LucySmith1844 3 10">{{harvp|Smith|1844–1845|loc=[https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/lucy-mack-smith-history-1844-1845/40 bk. 3, p. 10]}}</ref> The fair copy of the autobiography, prepared under Lucy's direction by the scribe who had also penned the rough draft, includes in the narrative a copy of the 1838 version of the First Vision from ''Times and Seasons''.{{sfnp|Smith|1845|p=73}}{{sfnp|Smith|2001|pp=138, 335}}

Late in his life, Smith's brother [[William Smith (Mormonism)|William]] gave two accounts of the First Vision, dating it to 1823,{{sfnp|Smith|1883|pp=6–8}} when William was twelve years old. William said the religious excitement in Palmyra had occurred in 1822–23 (rather than the actual date of 1824–25);{{sfnp|Persuitte|2000|p=26}} that it was stimulated by the preaching of a Methodist, the Rev. George Lane, a "great revival preacher"; and that his mother and some of his siblings had then joined the Presbyterian church.{{sfnp|Smith|1883|p=6}}

William Smith said he based his account on what Joseph had told William and the rest of his family the day after the First Vision:<ref name="Smith 1883 6, 8–9">{{Harvnb|Smith|1883|pp=6, 8–9}}</ref>

<blockquote>[A] light appeared in the heavens, and descended until it rested upon the trees where he was. It appeared like fire. But to his great astonishment, did not burn the trees. An angel then appeared to him and conversed with him upon many things. He told him that none of the sects were right; but that if he was faithful in keeping the commandments he should receive, the true way should be made known to him; that his sins were forgiven, etc.<ref name="Smith 1883 6, 8–9"/></blockquote>

In an 1884 account, William also stated that when Joseph first saw the light above the trees in the grove, he fell unconscious for an undetermined amount of time, after which he awoke and heard "the personage whom he saw" speak to him.<ref>{{Harvnb|Smith|1884}}</ref>

=== Other accounts of the vision ===
This is an incomplete list of various accounts of the first vision.

==== Secondhand accounts ====
{| class="wikitable"
!Nature
!Year
!Author
!Other Information
|-
|Missionary Tract
(German)
|1842
|Orson Hyde
|Orson Hyde of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles published this account of Smith’s early visions in Frankfurt, Germany, in 1842. Relying heavily on the 1840 Pratt account, Hyde composed the text in English and translated it into German for publication. He called it '<nowiki/>''Ein Ruf aus der Wüste'<nowiki/>''  meaning ''<nowiki/>'''A Cry out of the Wilderness'.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Orson Hyde Pamphlet (1842) |url=https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/content/library/orson-hyde-pamphlet-1842?lang=eng |access-date=2024-10-23 |website=The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints}}</ref>
|-
|Journal extract
|1843
|Levi Richards
|Having attended a meeting where Smith spoke, Richards recorded a testimony born by Joseph Smith regarding the events and the truthfulness of the first vision.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Levi Richards, Journal, 11 June 1843, extract |url=https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/levi-richards-journal-11-june-1843-extract/2 |access-date=2024-10-23 |website=www.josephsmithpapers.org}}</ref>
|-
|Joseph Smith Jr. Interview
|1843
|David Nye White
|White, editor of the ''Pittsburgh Weekly Gazette,'' interviewed Smith in his home as part of a two-day stop in Nauvoo, Illinois.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Interview, JS by David Nye White, Nauvoo, IL, 29 Aug. 1843; in David Nye White, “The Prairies, Joe Smith, the Temple, the Mormons, &c.,” Pittsburgh Weekly Gazette, 15 Sept. 1843, |url=https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/interview-29-august-1843-extract/1 |access-date=2024-10-23 |website=www.josephsmithpapers.org}}</ref>
|-
|Journal extract
|1844
|Alexander Neibaur
|A close associate of Smith, Neibaur recorded this very detailed account presumably after a recitation of his vision in a casual environment.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Alexander Neibaur, Journal, 24 May 1844 |url=https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/alexander-neibaur-journal-24-may-1844-extract/1 |access-date=2024-10-23 |website=www.josephsmithpapers.org}}</ref>
|}

==== Reminicences and Records of other early Latter-Day Saints ====
{| class="wikitable"
!Nature
!Year
!Author
!Other Information
|-
|Book
|1855
|Brigham Young
|In the Journal of Discourses Vol. 2 on page 171, Young refers to the first vision as a catalyst for the restoration.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Journal of Discourses Vol. 2, page 171 |url=https://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/digital/collection/JournalOfDiscourses3/id/5963/ |access-date=2024-10-23 |website=contentdm.lib.byu.edu |language=en}}</ref>
|-
|Discourse
|1890
|Wilford Woodruff
|Recorded in the Latter-Day Saints Millennial Star Woodruff quotes the 1838 Smith account and reiterates the uniqueness and the value of the first vision<ref>{{Cite web |title=Page 2 of Discourse 1890-04-04 [D-91] {{!}} Wilford Woodruff Papers |url=https://wilfordwoodruffpapers.org/documents/819d5e67-28df-4e18-bb55-2c43f6e1edc8/page/943ffb94-707b-45e4-aad2-d525feb2951f |access-date=2024-10-23 |website=wilfordwoodruffpapers.org |language=en}}</ref>
|}