JOSEPH SMITH'S FIRST VISION
AND THE CONTROVERSY SURROUNDING IT
Our entire case as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints, rests on the validity of this glorious First
Vision. It was the parting of the curtain to open this, the
dispensation of the fulness [sic] of times. Nothing on which we base
our doctrine, nothing we teach, nothing we live by, is of greater
importance than this initial declaration. I submit that if Joseph
Smith talked with God the Father and his Beloved Son, then all else
of which he spoke is true. This is the hinge on which turns the
gate that leads to the path of salvation and eternal life. (Quote
from LDS President Hinckley, at the world-wide General Conference
on October 4, 1998 by the Church News, October 10, 1998, page
17.)
Contrary to the above statement, a study of the history of the early
years of the LDS church reveals that in those days nobody knew
anything at all about what is now referred to as "the official
version" of the first vision, where God and Christ had
supposedly talked with Joseph Smith. Instead Mormons were told
that Joseph Smith's first vision concerned an angel and the gold
plates from which the Book of Mormon was translated. So their
focus was on the Book of Mormon, not on the then unknown vision that
is now used to justify the formation of the LDS church and their
beliefs. None of the LDS publications during that period, ever
mentioned a first vision from God the Father and his Son.
In fact, another slightly different version to that of the Angel
Moroni having been Joseph's first experience of a heavenly
visitation, appeared in the Mormon newspaper, the Millennial
Star. This is how they put it:
"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 ..." (Millennial Star, Volume 15, page 424)
However, it is the habit of the LDS to sanitize their history in
order to show the church in the best possible light. Consequently,
current editions of the History of the Church read as follows:
"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 my
first vision, which was when I was about fourteen years old;..."
(History of the Church, Volume 2, page 312)
There are presently nine known different versions of Joseph Smith's
first vision. And these are not minor variations of the same basic
story that could be explained away. They are different stories. The
differences include his age at the time, where he was when he had
the vision, how many beings he saw, who they were, and what was
actually said to him. Moreover, one of the versions that was written
in his own handwriting contradicts the official version featured in
the Pearl of Great Price. Evidence reveals that he changed his
story radically each time he retold it, until it finally evolved
into what the LDS now calls the "official version."
The fact that he couldn't stick to the same basic story
indicates that he wasn't telling the truth. If he'd genuinely
had this incredible vision, it would have been indelibly printed
on his mind. For instance, he wouldn't have been confused as to
whether it was a single angel who had appeared to him or whether
both God the Father and His Son had appeared to him together. Nor
would he have been confused as to whether he'd had the vision in
his bedroom or in a grove.
Although some of the earlier versions of his first vision were
known by the early LDS church, Mormon literature reveals that
up until 1838, eighteen years after the event was supposed to
have taken place, not a single soul had heard of the official
version that they believe in today. It was news to everyone.
Not even Smith's own family had heard of it. We know that the
story he told his mother bore little resemblance to it.
Most Mormons are unaware of the fact that the Book of Mormon's
teachings on deity are similar to that of Protestant Christianity
(Alma 11:28-31, 35, 44, 2 Nephi 31:21, Mormon 7:7, 3 Nephi 11:27,
Ether 2:8, Alma 18:26-28, 22:9-11). However, shortly after he'd
started up the LDS church, Joseph Smith began formulating a new
theology. Then twelve years later, he introduced his
revolutionary doctrine of eternal progression, that described God
as being a man of flesh and bone, who had once lived a mortal
existence, and had earned his right to be exalted to godhood. His
official version of the controversial first vision fitted in with
his later doctrines as if it had been tailor-made for them. But,
as previously mentioned, it is invalidated by an earlier,
completely different story, recorded in his own handwriting.
In the official version Smith says that he'd had no idea that
all of the religious sects were wrong. But in an earlier version
written in his own handwriting in 1832, he maintained that he'd
been an avid reader of the Bible from the age of twelve, and
that by the time he'd reached fifteen years of age he'd come to
understand, solely through his own studies of the scriptures,
that all the Christian denominations were wrong. Furthermore,
he only mentioned one being appearing to him, who identified
Himself as the Lord who was crucified, in other words, Christ.
(c/f The Personal Writings of Joseph Smith by Dean C.
Jessee, Salt Lake Deseret Books, page 14).
His mother traces the origin of Mormonism to a visit to his
bedroom by an angel, who told him that none of the churches were
true. (First draft of Lucy Smith's History, page 46,
LDS Church Archives).
Yet another differing version was published in 1834-35 in the
periodical, Latter-day Saints Messenger and Advocate,
Volume 1, pages 42, and 78-79, that was written by his scribe,
Oliver Cowdery, assisted by Joseph Smith. This indicates that
Smith had dictated it to Cowdery as he wrote it down, which
was the way they had worked. It tells of a revival in 1823 that
caused the then 17 year old Joseph to become concerned about
religion. He wanted to know for himself the certainty and
reality of pure and holy religion and prayed that if a supreme
being did exist, he would have an assurance of being accepted
by him and a manifestation that his sins were forgiven.
He said it was then that he had his "first
vision," when an angel appeared to him in his bedroom to
tell him that his sins were forgiven. But this account has
nothing in common with the official version.
JOSEPH SMITH, THE MAN
It is a well recorded fact that Joseph Smith was deeply involved
in both the occult and spiritism. He was a persuasive orator and
was also a known confidence trickster. Before his LDS days he
would convince his victims that for a cash consideration he
would be able to divine the whereabouts of hidden treasure
through the use of an occultic peep stone. But the hidden
treasure never ever materialized.
Because of complaints about his fraudulent activities he was
formally charged and found guilty in a court of law. The
relevant court records are still in existence. There are also
affidavits that confirm his dubious ways of earning a living,
as well as his involvement in the occult. The LDS's excuses
that these records are all counterfeits, and that everybody
keeps on making up lies about their prophet and founder because
the true church is always persecuted, just do not hold water.
(For referenced material, see the link to the article, The
Book of Mormon Exposed, at the bottom of this page.)
THE METHODIST CHURCH
In his official version of his first vision, Joseph Smith
maintains that because of his claim to have had this vision, he
was persecuted by all the churches in his area. However, Orsemus
Turner, an apprentice printer in Palmyra until 1822, had
belonged to the same juvenile debating club that Smith had
frequented. He recalled that "after catching a spark of
Methodism, Joseph became a very passable exhorter in evening
meetings" (History of the Pioneer Settlement of Phelps
and Gorham's Purchase, 1851, page 214).
Furthermore, in June, 1828, eight years after he had
maintained that God had told him in this first vision that he
should not join any of the churches because they were all wrong
and that their teachings were an abomination in His sight,
he nevertheless joined the probationary class of the Methodist
Church.
At this stage the subject of his reputation was raised by one
of the church members. The Minister had a talk to him, pointing
out that his lifestyle was contrary to what the church stood
for. Nevertheless they were prepared to keep him in membership
provided he confessed his misdemeanours, repented and promised
to reform. He was given the choice of either appearing before
a committee to clarify his intentions, or of formally
requesting that his name be removed from their membership list.
He asked for his name to be taken off their list.
It is quite clear from the above that he was not persecuted by
the churches of the day. Instead, the opposite was the truth.
They were prepared to nurture him along the right path. He
deliberately and voluntarily separated himself from the Christian
churches for the sole reason that he was unwilling to give up
the unethical type of lifestyle to which he was so strongly
drawn.
Smith's joining the Methodist Church utterly destroys the
validity of his so-called first vision that he later claimed to
have had eight years prior to the date that he'd joined the
Methodist Church. Furthermore, it leaves us with the firm
conviction that his story of having had a vision was just another
one of his many ongoing deceptions.
As a matter of interest, he never did give up his old practices.
It is common knowledge that he used the same occultic seer stone
that he had used in his treasure seeking scams to enable himself
to write the Book of Mormon, as well as to receive so-called
"revelations from God." Furthermore, when he died he
had an occultic talisman coin in his pocket, which was claimed
by his mother as he'd always carried it on his person and she
wanted to keep it in remembrance of him.
Mormons need to bear in mind that the Bible groups the occult
in the same category as witchcraft, spiritism and idolatry, as
they are all influenced by deceiving spirits who are opposed to
the purposes of God.
PERSECUTION
The following is an extract from Smith's History in the Pearl of
Great Price, written approximately twenty years or so after the
supposed events:
"I soon found, however, that my telling the story had excited a
great deal of prejudice against me among professors of religion, and
was the cause of great persecution, which continued to increase; and
though I was an obscure boy, only between fourteen and fifteen years
of age, and my circumstances in life such as to make a boy of no
consequence in the world, yet men of high standing would take notice
sufficient to excite the public mind against me, and create a bitter
persecution; and this was common among all the sects, all united to
persecute me." Joseph Smith — History 1:22).
Common sense tells us that if a mere boy had been persecuted as
bitterly as he claims he had been for having had a vision from God,
the local newspapers would have made some mention of it at the time.
It's the sort of thing that the press thrives upon. But there is no
record anywhere, not even in Mormon publications, either of
this supposed vision or of any persecution arising because of it.
Nor is there any evidence whatsoever that Smith had ever related the
official version of his first vision to anyone at all, not even to
his nearest and dearest.
The LDS publications, Dialogue, Autumn 1966, pages 30-31
and Saints' Herald, June 29, 1959, page 21 both confirm
that there had been no knowledge of the official version of his
first vision until eighteen years later. Furthermore, pages 30-34
of Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, Autumn 1966,
reveal that the general church membership did not receive any
information about it until the 1840's, a full twenty years after
the supposed event.
LDS STATEMENTS ABOUT THE FIRST VISION
Mormon Apostle Hugh B. Brown declared:
"The First Vision of the Prophet Joseph Smith constitutes the
groundwork of the Church which was later organized. If this First
Vision was but a figment of Joseph Smith's imagination, then the
Mormon Church is what its detractors declare it to be — a
wicked and deliberate imposture" ("The Abundant
Life," pages 310-311). (Italics inserted by author.)
LDS Prophet Joseph Fielding Smith stated:
"Mormonism as it is called, must stand or fall on the story of
Joseph Smith. He was either a prophet of God, divinely called,
properly commissioned, or he was one of the biggest frauds this
world has ever seen. There is no middle ground. If Joseph Smith was
a deceiver who willfully attempted to mislead the people, then he
should be exposed; his claims should be refuted, and his doctrines
shown to be false, for the doctrines of an imposter cannot be
made to harmonize in all particulars with divine truth. If his
claims and declarations were built upon fraud and deceit, there
would appear many errors and contradictions, which would be easy to
detect. The doctrines of false teachers will not stand the test
when tried by the accepted standards of measurement, the scriptures.
" (LDS Prophet Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of
Salvation, Volume 1, 1954, page 188. (The author's italics)
But Joseph Smith's many, varying versions of his first vision
are filled with contradictions and his doctrines do not stand up to
the light of God's Holy Word, the Bible. Furthermore,
Mormonism itself is full of contradictions, i.e. the Book of
Mormon contradicts Smith's revelations in Doctrine and Covenants,
as well as the Pearl of Great Price, and they all contradict the
Bible. Also, Smith taught Mormons to worship two different Gods at
different periods in their history. If that isn't a contradiction,
then what is it? Furthermore, Smith's Book of Abraham has been
unanimously declared to be fraudulent by every Egyptologists and
reputable scholar who has examined it. And this is only the tip of
the iceberg. How much more evidence is necessary?
The following links will take you to articles discussing Joseph
Smith's false prophecies, the various Gods worshipped by the LDS
during their early history, his fraudulent Book of
Abraham and an article on the exposure of the Book of
Mormon as a deception and a work of fiction:
Joseph Smith, the Latter-day False Prophet
The Mormon Gods, Past and Present
The Book of Abraham and its Rejection by Egyptologists and
Scholars
The Book of Mormon Exposed Part One
The Book of Mormon Witnesses Who Never Saw the Gold Plates
NOTE
To access a comprehensive index of articles comparing various
aspects of Mormonism with what the Bible teaches, click on the
"home" button at the bottom of this page.
Copyright 2007, by Mormonism and Biblical Truth. All rights
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