The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints proclaims that in the spring of 1820, Joseph Smith saw God the Father and Jesus Christ. This experience is called the First Vision.
The event itself is quite simple. Joseph Smith testified that he saw God and Jesus Christ. But what do we know about the events leading up to the vision? Why are there different accounts of the First Vision? Why are there some differences in those accounts? How do we respond to criticisms of the First Vision? What impact does the First Vision have on the theology of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and our lives individually?
Of all these questions about the First Vision, and so many more, perhaps the most important question is how we can find out for ourselves whether it really happened.
This post references and summarizes the many other posts on this website that discuss the First Vision. It also contains resources and sources that we can read to understand more about this important topic.
What is the First Vision?
The Church has written a significant amount about the First Vision. I would recommend you read the following to gain a better understanding of the First Vision:
- First Vision Overview, from Topics and Questions in the Gospel Library.1 This article gives a brief explanation of the events related to the First Vision,
- First Vision Gospel Study Guide, also from Topics and Questions. This provides several self-study lessons with scriptures and other references. This study guide helps us to understand the impact of the First Vision, and teaches us what we can learn from the First Vision. The lessons include:
These two articles should be part of any study of the First Vision. They give basic details, and teach us the significance of the First Vision.
What are the different accounts of the First Vision?
There are several different accounts. The following resources address the different accounts, and can help us understand why there are differences:
- From the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- First Vision Accounts, from Topics and Questions. This article addresses some of the differences in the accounts, particularly the 1832 account, then answers several questions, such as “why are there differences,” “why do they differ in how he described his age,” and several others.
- First Vision Accounts in Gospel Topics Essays.2 This briefly lists and summarizes the various accounts.
- From the Joseph Smith Papers
- The Joseph Smith Papers is an extensive project intended to compile and publish all writings by or at the direction of Joseph Smith. All content is available online at josephsmithpapers.org.
- Accounts of Joseph Smith’s First Vision. This website references all accounts, and has links to read the text of each account.
- The First Vision: A Joseph Smith Papers Podcast. The Joseph Smith Papers has produced a series of podcasts that discuss the background and history of Joseph Smith’s First Vision. This webpage has links to all six episodes.
- From my posts
- I have written several posts about the different accounts. These are some of the posts from this website:
- Prelude to the First Vision. This briefly addresses the society in which Joseph and his family lived leading up to the First Vision, as well as some history of Joseph Smith’s family.
- The Smith Family Farm. This contains information about where Joseph Smith lived at the time of the First Vision, with some photos.
- The Sacred Grove. This describes the location of the First Vision, including pictures.
- The First Vision Video. This includes a link to a video produced by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that re-enacts the First Vision, taking language from the multiple First Vision accounts.
- The First Vision Accounts. This lists the various accounts, with a brief description of each, and references for where to read each account.
- The 1832 First Vision Account. The 1832 account perhaps has the most questions surrounding it, so this post contains the full text.
These are only some of the resources that can be accessed to read about the different accounts, but they provide a significant amount of information.
What questions or concerns do you have about the First Vision?
I have had a lot of questions about the First Vision, and it was because of these questions that I started writing about my experiences. What will you do with all this information about the First Vision, and how will you respond to questions and criticisms? The following posts briefly discuss some things I have done with all this information:
- What is True? In our society with so much information, it can be a challenge to know the truth. This post briefly addresses the problem of perception and memory, and addresses differences between facts, opinions, and bias.
- What Sources Can I Trust? As we struggle to determine what is true, we also have to wonder who or what we can trust. There is a lot that has been written about the First Vision, but some sources are more reliable than others.
- The Problem of Recordkeeping. As we evaluate the First Vision accounts, we often judge them based on our current technology and our own experiences keeping records. But in Joseph Smith’s day, recordkeeping was a struggle. It is vital that we understand the historical context to make a fair assessment of the various accounts.
- How Do I Feel About the Differences in the First Vision Accounts? There are differences in the various accounts, and in this post I discuss what I think about these differences, and why I think these differences make this experience more credible than if he had said exactly the same thing all the time.
- How Do I Judge the Evidence of the First Vision? This discusses my process of evaluating the various accounts, and what I have considered in forming my judgments.
- What Do I Think of the Arguments Against the First Vision? This article doesn’t state arguments against the First Vision, but it does address a couple of articles that summarize many of the arguments against it that have been made over the years. Primarily, this post talks about how I generally respond to things that criticize what I believe.
- I Believe Joseph Smith’s Accounts of the First Vision. I am a believer. My belief came after effort, study, and prayer, and in this post I explain why I believe and how I came to believe.
When Moroni visited Joseph Smith in September 1823, he said that Joseph Smith’s name “should be had for good and evil among all nations, kindreds, and tongues, or that it should be both good and evil spoken of among all people.”3 There is a lot that we can read that is critical of Joseph Smith and the First Vision. We will have to determine how we will react when we encounter that information.
What is the impact of the First Vision?
The First Vision is not just the commencement of the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but it is also a model for how we can receive revelation. I find it fascinating that it is Joseph Smith’s experience leading up to the First Vision that teaches us how to gain our own knowledge that Joseph Smith was telling the truth.
- I Believe that God Calls Prophets. A testimony of the First Vision requires an understanding that it is part of God’s plan of salvation to call prophets. Joseph’s experience fits within the pattern we see in the scriptures that God calls prophets.
- Joseph Smith’s First Vision Accounts as Models for Revelation. Joseph Smith had a question, he studied to try and gain information, then he prayed to know for himself. This model teaches us how to receive revelation.
- Legacy of the First Vision. This post contains some of the lessons that I have learned from my study of the First Vision.
Significantly, it was the First Vision that ushered in this last dispensation. The First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles has issued a proclamation on the restoration of the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, in which they declare that “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, organized on April 6, 1830, is Christ’s New Testament Church restored.”4 The First Vision was a significant event, but it was only the beginning of the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
How can I know the First Vision really happened?
It is important to understand that Joseph Smith was the sole witness of this event. He alone went into the woods to pray, and he alone saw God the Father and Jesus Christ. So, the only information we have about the First Vision comes from Joseph Smith. We can pick apart the various accounts, we can criticize Joseph’s credibility, or we can read what others think about this event. But if we want to know for ourselves, we should read Joseph’s testimony, then pray to gain a testimony through the Holy Ghost.
Gordon B. Hinckley, former President of the Church, once said, “Our whole strength rests on the validity of that vision. It either occurred or it did not occur. If it did not, then this work is a fraud. If it did, then it is the most important and wonderful work under the heavens.”5 Using this logic, there is much more evidence we can use to judge Joseph’s credibility, such as the Book of Mormon. With a knowledge of the reality of the Book of Mormon, we can have much more confidence in the truthfulness of Joseph Smith’s testimony of the First Vision.
I believe that the First Vision really happened, that Joseph Smith did see and speak with God the Father and Jesus Christ in the spring of 1820. I encourage you to read the resources referenced in this post, but more importantly, to follow Joseph’s example and pray to know for yourself that Joseph Smith experienced the First Vision.
References
- At churchofjesuschrist.org, click on “Libraries,” then “Topics and Questions.” ↩︎
- The Gospel Topics Essays are “straightforward, in-depth essays on a number of topics.” They are “approved by the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles,” and “gather accurate information from many different sources and publications.” They are located in “Topics and Questions” in the Gospel Library. ↩︎
- Joseph Smith-History 1:33. ↩︎
- Restoration Proclamation, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/the-restoration-of-the-fulness-of-the-gospel-of-jesus-christ/a-bicentennial-proclamation-to-the-world?lang=eng. ↩︎
- Gordon B. Hinckley, “The Marvelous Foundation of Our Faith,” October 2002, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2002/10/the-marvelous-foundation-of-our-faith?lang=eng&id=p25#p25. ↩︎