Unlike the First Vision, which has several accounts, the details of Moroni’s visit to Joseph Smith are discussed primarily in Joseph Smith’s 1838 History, which is the history contained in the Pearl of Great Price.
The years between the First Vision and Moroni’s Visit
The visit occurred on September 21, 1823, three years after the First Vision. At this time, the Smith family had nine children, for a total of eleven people living in the log home.1 For the three years from the First Vision until this visit, there is not much written by Joseph, Lucy, or other writers. Lucy simply says, “From this time until the twenty-first of September, 1823, Joseph continued, as usual, to labor with his father, and nothing during this interval occurred of very great importance—though he suffered every kind of opposition and persecution from the different orders of religionists.”2 In his history, Joseph said, “I continued to pursue my common vocations in life until the twenty-first of September, one thousand eight hundred and twenty-three, all the time suffering severe persecution at the hands of all classes of men, both religious and irreligious, because I continued to affirm that I had seen a vision.”3
From all accounts, it sounds like Joseph lived the life of a typical teenager during those years. He aged from 14 to 17, and although the life of a teenage boy was significantly different in 1820 rural New York than it is today, I believe many traits are likely shared, and so it could be that the following described Joseph as a teenager: “The old saying of ‘idle hands make the devil’s workshop’ was likely referencing teenage boys. When teenage boys have no structure, they are much more likely to be impulsive and get into trouble. It is likely they will fill their time with the first thing they think of, which often may have detrimental consequences.”4
That quote sounds right to me, as Joseph himself talked about the “weakness of youth”: “I was left to all kinds of temptations; and, mingling with all kinds of society, I frequently fell into many foolish errors, and displayed the weakness of youth, and the foibles of human nature; which, I am sorry to say, led me into divers temptations, offensive in the sight of God. In making this confession, no one need suppose me guilty of any great or malignant sins. A disposition to commit such was never in my nature. But I was guilty of levity, and sometimes associated with jovial company, etc., not consistent with that character which ought to be maintained by one who was called of God as I had been. But this will not seem very strange to any one who recollects my youth, and is acquainted with my native cheery temperament. In consequence of these things, I often felt condemned for my weakness and imperfections.”5
Joseph’s prayer
One of my favorite lessons from church history is that almost everything Joseph learned came as a result of prayer. The First Vision came after at least two years of searching and as a result of his attempt to pray vocally. The visit from Moroni is no different.
After three years, Joseph was concerned about his spiritual state. He says, “on the evening of the above-mentioned twenty-first of September, after I had retired to my bed for the night, I betook myself to prayer and supplication to Almighty God for forgiveness of all my sins and follies, and also for a manifestation to me, that I might know of my state and standing before him; for I had full confidence in obtaining a divine manifestation, as I previously had one.”6
Lucy describes it as follows: “On the evening of the twenty-first of September, he retired to his bed in quite a serious and contemplative state of mind.”7
My favorite account is one written by Oliver Cowdery. As a close associate of Joseph Smith, I imagine that he and Joseph would have discussed these events at length, likely with Oliver asking many questions. The details added by Oliver, although in words used by Oliver, reflect the sincerity and intensity that I imagine were in Joseph’s prayer that night:
“On the evening of the 21st of September, 1823, previous to retiring to rest, our brother’s mind was unusually wrought up on the subject which had so long agitated his mind—his heart was drawn out in fervent prayer, and his whole soul was so lost to every thing of a temporal nature, that earth, to him, had lost its charms, and all he desired was to be prepared in heart to commune with some kind messenger who could communicate to him the desired information of his acceptance with God.
“At length the family retired, and he, as usual, bent his way, though in silence, where others might have rested their weary frames ‘locked fast in sleep’s embrace;’ but repose had fled, and accustomed slumber had spread her refreshing hand over others beside him—he continued still to pray—his heart, though once hard and obdurate, was softend, and that mind which had often flitted, like the ‘wild bird of passage,’ had settled upon a determined basis not to be decoyed or driven from its purpose.
“In this situation hours passed unnumbered—how many or how few I know not, neither is he able to inform me; but supposes it must have been eleven or twelve, and perhaps later, as the noise and bustle of the family, in retiring, had long since ceased.”8
Description of Moroni
As he thus prayed, Joseph saw an angel: “
“While I was thus in the act of calling upon God, I discovered a light appearing in my room, which continued to increase until the room was lighter than at noonday, when immediately a personage appeared at my bedside, standing in the air, for his feet did not touch the floor.
“He had on a loose robe of most exquisite whiteness. It was a whiteness beyond anything earthly I had ever seen; nor do I believe that any earthly thing could be made to appear so exceedingly white and brilliant. His hands were naked, and his arms also, a little above the wrist; so, also, were his feet naked, as were his legs, a little above the ankles. His head and neck were also bare. I could discover that he had no other clothing on but this robe, as it was open, so that I could see into his bosom.
“Not only was his robe exceedingly white, but his whole person was glorious beyond description, and his countenance truly like lightning. The room was exceedingly light, but not so very bright as immediately around his person. When I first looked upon him, I was afraid; but the fear soon left me.”9
As with the description of Joseph’s feelings at the time he prayed, Oliver’s description of the angel is also much more articulate:
“While continueing in prayer for a manifestation in some way that his sins were forgiven; endeavouring to exercise faith in the scriptures, on a sudden a light like that of day, only of a purer and far more glorious appearance and brightness, burst into the room.— Indeed to use his own description, the first sight was as though the house was filled with consuming and unqu[e]nchable fire. This sudden appearance of a light so bright, as must naturally be expected, occasioned a shock or sensation, visible to the extremities of the body. It was, however, followed with a calmness and serenity of mind, and an overwhelming rapture of Joy that surpassed understanding, and in a moment a personage stood before him.
“Notwithstanding the room was previously filled with light above the brightness of the sun, as I before describe<d,> yet there seemed to be an additional glory surrounding or accompanying this personage, which shone with an increased degree of brilliancy, of which he was in the midst; and though his countenance was as lightning, yet it was of a pleasing, inocent and glorious appearance, so much so, that every fear was banished from the heart, and nothing but calmness pervaded the soul.
“It is no easy task to describe the appearance of a messenger from the skies—indeed, I doubt their being an individual clothed with perishable clay, who is capable to do this work. To be sure, the Lord appeared to his apostles after his resurrection, and we do not learn as they were in the least difficultied to look upon him; but from John’s description upon Patmos, we learn that he is there represented as most glorious in appearance; and from other items in the sacred scriptures we have the fact recorded where angels appeared and conversed with men, and there was no difficulty on the part of the individuals, to endure their presence; and others where their glory was so conspicuous that they could not endure. The last description or appearance is the one to which I refer, when I say that it is no easy task to describe their glory.
“But it may be well to relate the particulars as far as given[.] The stature of this personage was a little above the common size of men in this age; his garment was perfectly white, and had the appearance of being without seam.”10
References
- See a prior post, The Smith Family Farm.
- Lucy Mack Smith, “The History of Joseph Smith by His Mother,” Zion’s Camp Books, Kindle Edition, Chapter 17.
- Joseph Smith-History 1:27.
- Lee Bare Ph.D., “Why Do Teenage Boys Need Structure?” Psychology Today, March 7, 2019, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/boys-will-be-boys/201903/why-do-teenage-boys-need-structure.
- Joseph Smith-History 1:28-29.
- Joseph Smith-History 1:29.
- Lucy Mack Smith, “The History of Joseph Smith by His Mother,” Chapter 17.
- History, 1834–1836, p. 62, The Joseph Smith Papers, accessed August 14, 2023, https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/history-1834-1836/66.
- Joseph Smith-History 1:30-32.
- History, 1834–1836, p. 63, The Joseph Smith Papers, accessed August 14, 2023, https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/history-1834-1836/67.