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 during the first twelve years
of their existence nobody knew anything at all about what is now
known as "the official version" of the first vision, where
God 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.
For that reason both their teachings and their missionary endeavours
were focussed on the Book of Mormon. The "Messenger and
Advocate," the principle source of LDS news during that
period, never ever mentioned a first vision from God the Father and
his Son.
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, whether they were angels or
deity, 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 to 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,
and so on. 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 very little resemblance to it.
Most Mormons are unaware of the fact that for the first twelve
years of their church's existence, i.e. right up until twenty-two
years after his supposed first vision, Joseph Smith had led the
LDS in the worship of the trinitarian deity. Then on the strength
of his newly revealed vision (that was supposed to have happened
twenty-two years before), he persuaded them to abandon his
previous teachings in favour of his revolutionary, man-centered
doctrine of eternal progression, that described God as being a
man of flesh and bone, who had once needed salvation from sin.
His latest version of the supposed vision fitted his new
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 of his first vision 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 (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, which was written by his scribe,
Oliver Cowdery, assisted by Joseph Smith. This indicates that
Smith had dictated it to his scribe as he wrote it down, which
was the way they 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 came from a family
of occultists and that he 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 deep involvement in the occult. The LDS's excuses
that these records are all counterfeits, and that everybody
keeps on making up lies about Joseph Smith because the true
church is always persecuted, just do not hold water.
THE METHODIST CHURCH
In his official version of his first vision, Joseph Smith maintains
that he was persecuted by all the churches in his area because of
his claim to have had this vision. However, Orsemus Turner, an
apprentice printer in Palmyra until 1822 (two years after Joseph's
claimed vision), 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, records reveal that 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.
Apparently after he had joined the Methodist Church in 1828, the
subject of his bad reputation and low moral standards was raised.
The Minister then had a talk to him, pointing out that his
questionable way of earning a living, his involvement in the
occult and his moral character were all contrary to what the
church stood for. Nevertheless they were prepared to keep him in
membership provided he confessed his misdemeanors, 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. 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 participation in their mid week evening meetings and
his joining the Methodist church utterly destroys the validity
of his so-called first vision that he claimed he'd had eight
years previously. Furthermore, it leaves us with the
conviction that his story of having had a vision was just
another one of his many deceptions.
As a matter of interest, he never did give up his old practices.
LDS photographs show him wearing an occultic ring on his finger at
the time he was leading the church. And 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 evil spirits.
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 he had been persecuted as bitterly as
he says he had been, 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, 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. They worshipped the eternal
spirit God of the trinitarian deity for the first twelve years,
yet today they ridicule that teaching and worship an exclusively
Mormon God of flesh and bone, who was once a sinner. 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 who has examined it. And this is only the tip of the
iceberg. How much more evidence is necessary?
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