History of Joseph Smith, the Prophet by Himself

Annotated

History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints(1)

In this electronic version there are updated historical notes in addition to those provided in the published version by Brigham Henry Roberts. Page numbers refer to the page where a paragraph begins in the published text. The introductory notes by B. H. Roberts which appear at the beginning of the published volumes are placed in separate files. Footnotes that end with (BHR) are B. H. Roberts' notes from the original published text. All others are new here. This version © Copyright 1997, W.V. Smith and The Book of Abraham Project, all rights reserved.

The titles of a few frequently used references are abbreviated in the following ways:

Volume 1, Chapter 1 [1805-1820](2)

Joseph Smith's Birth and Lineage-- The Prophet's First Vision--"This Is My Beloved Son."

p.1

OWING to the many reports which have been put in circulation by evil-disposed and designing persons(3), in relation to the rise and progress of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, all of which have been designed by the authors thereof to militate against its character as a Church and its progress in the world--I have been induced to write this history,(4) to disabuse the public mind, and put all inquirers after truth into possession of the facts, as they have transpired, in relation both to myself and the Church, so far as I have such facts in my possession. In this history I shall present the various events in relation to this Church, in truth and righteousness, as they have transpired, or as they at present exist, being now the eighth(5) year since the organization of said Church.

p.2

I was born in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and five, on the twenty-third day of December, in the town of Sharon, Windsor county, state of Vermont. My father, Joseph Smith,(6) was born July 12th, 1771, in Topsfield, Essex county, Massachusetts; his father, Asael Smith, was born March 7th, 1744, in Topsfield, Massachusetts; his father, Samuel Smith, was born January 26th, 1714, in Topsfield, Massachusetts; his father, Samuel Smith, was born january 26th, 1666, in Topsfield, Massachusetts; his father, Robert Smith, came from England. My father, Joseph Smith, Senior, left the state of Vermont(7), and moved to Palmyra, Ontario (now Wayne) county, in the state of New York, when I was in my tenth year,(8) or thereabouts.(9) In about four years after my father's arrival(10) in Palmyra he moved with his family into Manchester,(11) in the same county of Ontario, his family consisting of eleven souls, namely--my father, Joseph Smith, my mother, Lucy Smith, (whose name, previous to her marriage, was Mack, daughter of Solomon Mack,(12)) my brothers, Alvin, (who died November 19th, 1824,(13) in the 27th year of his age,) Hyrum, myself, Samuel Harrison, William, Don Carlos, and my sisters Sophronia, Catherine, and Lucy.(23)

Some time in the second year after our removal to Manchester,(14) there was in the place where we lived an unusual excitement on the subject of religion.(15) It commenced with the Methodists, but soon became general among all the sects in that region of country.(16) Indeed, the whole district of country seemed affected by it, and great multitudes united themselves to the different religious parties, which created no small stir and division amongst the people, some crying, "Lo here!" and others, "Lo, there!" Some were contending for the Methodist faith, some for the Presbyterian, and some for the Baptist. For notwithstanding the great love which the converts to these different faiths expressed at the time of their conversion, and the great zeal manifested by the respective clergy, who were active in getting up and promoting this extraordinary scene of religious feeling, in order to have everybody converted, as they were pleased to call it, let them join what sect they pleased--yet when the converts began to file off, some to one party and some to another, it was seen that the seemingly good feelings of both the priests and the converts were more pretended than real; for a scene of great confusion and bad feeling ensued; priest contending against priest, and convert against convert; so that all their good feelings one for another, if they ever had any, were entirely lost in a strife of words and a contest about opinions.(16a)

p.3

I was at this time in my fifteenth year. My father's family was proselyted to the Presbyterian faith, and four of them joined that church, namely--my mother Lucy; my brothers Hyrum and Samuel Harrison; and my sister Sophronia. During this time of great excitement, my mind was called up to serious reflection and great uneasiness; but, though my feelings were deep and often poignant, still I kept myself aloof from all these parties, though I attended their several meetings as often as occasion would permit.(17) In process of time my mind became somewhat partial to the Methodist sect, and I felt some desire to be united with them,(18) but so great were the confusion and strife among the different denominations, that it was impossible for a person young as I was, and so unacquainted with men and things, to come to any certain conclusion who was right and who was wrong. My mind at times was greatly excited, the cry and tumult were so great and incessant. The Presbyterians were most decided against the Baptists and Methodists, and used all the powers of both reason and sophistry to prove their errors, or, at least, to make the people think they were in error. On the other hand, the Baptists and Methodists in their turn were equally zealous in endeavoring to establish their own tenets and disprove all others.

p.4

In the midst of this war of words and tumult of opinions, I often said to myself, what is to be done? Who of all these parties are right; or, are they all wrong together? If any one of them be right, which is it, and how shall I know it? While I was laboring under the extreme difficulties caused by the contests of these parties of religionists, I was one day reading the Epistle of James, first chapter and fifth verse, which reads:

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.(19)

Never did any passage of Scripture come with more power to the heart of man than this did at this time to mine. It seemed to enter with great force into every feeling of my heart. I reflected on it again and again, knowing that if any person needed wisdom from God, I did; for how to act I did not know and unless I could get more wisdom than I then had, I would never know; for the teachers of religion of the different sects understood the same passage of Scripture so differently as to destroy all confidence in settling the question by an appeal to the Bible. At length I came to the conclusion that I must either remain in darkness and confusion, or else I must do as James directs, that is, ask of God. I at length came to the determination to "ask of God," concluding that if He gave wisdom to them that lacked wisdom, and would give liberally, and not upbraid, I might venture. So, in accordance with this, my determination to Ask God, I retired to the woods to make the attempt. It was on the morning of a beautiful, clear day, early in the spring of eighteen hundred and twenty. It was the first time in my life that I had made such an attempt, for amidst all my anxieties I had never as yet made the attempt to pray vocally.

p.5

After I had retired to the place where I had previously designed to go, having looked around me, and finding myself alone, I kneeled down and began to offer up the desires of my heart to God. I had scarcely done so, when immediately I was seized upon by some power which entirely overcame me, and had such an astonishing influence over me as to bind my tongue so that I could not speak. Thick darkness gathered around me, and it seemed to me for a time as if I were doomed to sudden destruction. But, exerting all my powers to call upon God to deliver me out of the power of this enemy which had seized upon me, and at the very moment when I was ready to sink into despair and abandon myself to destruction--not to an imaginary ruin, but to the power of some actual being from the unseen world, who had such marvelous power as I had never before felt in any being--just at this moment of great alarm, I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me.

It no sooner appeared than I found myself delivered from the enemy which held me bound. When the light rested upon me I saw two personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name, and said--pointing to the other--

"THIS IS MY BELOVED SON, HEAR HIM."

My object in going to inquire of the Lord was to know which of all the sects was right, that I might know which to join. No sooner, therefore, did I get possession of myself, so as to be able to speak, than I asked the personages who stood above me in the light, which of all the sects was right--and which I should join. I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong, and the personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in His sight: that those professors were all corrupt; that "they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; they teach for doctrines the commandments of men: having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof." He again forbade me to join with any of them: and many other things did he say unto me, which I cannot write at this time. (19a) When I came to myself again, I found myself lying on my back, looking up into heaven. When the light had departed, I had no strength; but soon recovering in some degree, I went home. And as I leaned up to the fireplace, mother inquired what the matter was. I replied, "Never mind, all is well--I am well enough off." I then said to my mother,--"I have learned for myself that Presbyterianism(20) is not true."(21)

p.6

It seems as though the adversary was aware, at a very early period of my life, that I was destined to prove a disturber and an annoyer of his kingdom; else why should the powers of darkness combine against me? Why the opposition and persecution that arose against me, almost in my infancy? Some few days after I had this vision, I happened to be in company with one of the Methodist preachers, who was very active in the before-mentioned religious excitement, and, conversing with him on the subject of religion, I took occasion to give him an account of the vision which I had had. I was greatly surprised at his behavior; he treated my communication not only lightly, but with great contempt(22), saying, it was all of the devil, that there were no such things as visions or revelations in these days; that all such things had ceased with the Apostles, and that there would never be any more of them. 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.

p.7

It caused me serious reflection then, and often has since, how very strange it was that an obscure boy, of a little over fourteen years of age, and one, too, who was doomed to the necessity of obtaining a scanty maintenance by his daily labor, should be thought a character of sufficient importance to attract the attention of the great ones of the most popular sects of the day, and in a manner to create in them a spirit of the most bitter persecution and reviling. But strange or not, so it was, and it was often the cause of great sorrow to myself. However, it was nevertheless a fact that I had beheld a vision. I have thought since, that I felt much like Paul, when he made his defense before King Agrippa, and related the account of the vision he had when he saw a light, and heard a voice; but still there were but few who believed him; some said he was dishonest, others said he was mad; and he was ridiculed and reviled. But all this did not destroy the reality of his vision. He had seen a vision, he knew he had, and all the persecution under heaven could not make it otherwise; and though they should persecute him unto death, yet he knew, and would know to the last breath, that he had both seen a light, and heard a voice speaking unto him, and all the world could not make him think or believe otherwise. So it was with me. I had actually seen a light, and in the midst of that light I saw two personages, and they did in reality speak to me; and though I was hated and persecuted for saying that I had seen a vision, yet it was true; and while they were persecuting me, reviling me, and speaking all manner of evil against me falsely for so saying, I was led to say in my heart, Why persecute me for telling the truth? I have actually seen a vision, and who am I that I can withstand God, or why does the world think to make me deny what I have actually seen? For I had seen a vision; I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I could not deny it, neither dared I do it, at least I knew that by so doing I would offend God, and come under condemnation.

p.8

I had now got my mind satisfied so far as the sectarian world was concerned; that it was not my duty to join with any of them, but to continue as I was until further directed. I had found the testimony of James to be true, that a man who lacked wisdom might ask of God, and obtain, and not be upbraided.


Back to the BOAP history page.

Notes Chapter 1

1. Joseph Smith and his clerks/secretaries compiled a manuscript history from which the present text arises. The manuscript on which the present chapter is based is in the hand of James Mulholland, penned beginning June 11 , 1839. [See, Dean Jessee, "The Writing of Joseph Smith's History," BYUS, 11, Spring 1971, 439-473.] It must be understood that while the history is written in the first person as though Joseph Smith wrote it himself, in fact Joseph wrote none of the present history. He did dictate small portions of it and was a major force in collecting and preserving materials from which the history was written. Joseph Smith holographs are rare. A look at PWJS will convince the reader of this fact. The question always arises as to why the history was written as though Joseph Smith was the author. One reason may have been narrative consistency. A small portion of the history was dictated by Joseph Smith and much more was compiled with his direction. Another was the fact that Joseph Smith was the central figure in the events surrounding the early Church. The writers used methods standard in their day though the result may appear to us to be deceptive in terms of authorship - ghostwritten annals were a norm in 19th century historiography.

Joseph Smith certainly did dictate portions of the history; much of it relies on his diaries (themselves kept by clerks who went with him and described his activities and gave summaries of his sermons-only about 35 pages of his diaries are in his own handwriting). Occasionally these diary entries were reviewed by Joseph, but mostly there was little time for such activity. The large part of the history consists of the independent work of various clerks and associates of Joseph Smith. The ms was more or less complete up to the year 1838 when Joseph Smith was murdered June 27, 1844. Following his death the effort continued to bring the ms up to 1844 but the editing and compilation were not completed until 1857-58.

The methods and paradigms of 20th century professional historians were not employed but the writing of the ms history followed standard practices of the time, although written by frontier gentlemen. [Matthew A. Fitzsimmons, The Development of Historiography, (Harrisburg, Pa.: The Stackpole Co., 1954)] Joseph Smith's clerks were conscientious and the editors of the ms history were as careful as possible in making the ms reflect the actual events, but they were naturally motivated to place Joseph Smith and the early Church in a positive light. Hence, a few incidents may by distorted or not mentioned at all. Generally, we have tried to make the approach more balanced with the addition of various notes. We also hope to bring the HC "closer" to Joseph when possible with the inclusion of sources that were unavailable to the original editors. The efforts of the original editors produced a ms which is not as complete as we could wish but the result was quite extraordinary given the trying circumstances under which they worked.

Unfortunately, by the time the history began to be published in book form (portions had appeared in Church periodicals from time to time) beginning in 1902, the memory of how it was compiled was gone; the compilers were dead. George Q. Cannon, originally assigned to edit the ms history for publication, died before he could make the attempt. B. H. Roberts, another LDS general authority, was then given the assignment. Although not formally trained for the job, being largely self-taught, Roberts was widely read and generally followed the procedures of his day. However, based on the ms and not knowing the methods of the compilers, Roberts treated the text as though it was actually dictated by Joseph Smith in toto and so began a myth which is still perpetuated. Moreover, Roberts seems to have, for the most part, used the printing of Joseph Smith's history in MS as his base text for HC. However, his questions occasionally directed to the First Presidency about the writing of the history show that he did refer to the ms history.

How much of the text was actually dictated by Joseph Smith? This is impossible to determine completely, but it is grounds for further research with a wide range of methods from textual criticism and ms searches to computer analysis. The general rule is that he was much more involved with the text of the ms history in the first part of ms book A-1 when Mulholland and then Thompson were writing the ms (see below). His involvement with the ms after was much less direct, but beginning October 1833, his contemporary diary entries become more consistent and these formed a primary source for the ms history, however they have large gaps and frequently were only very brief notes of activities.

The ms history editors and writers often used contemporary news accounts in the ms to set the stage for what was happening in Joseph Smith's life. Most of the time it is clear that they had no direct help from Joseph Smith - a number of the revelations in the ms history have no explanation about what circumstances surrounded their reception. At other times they inserted journal entries from other sources when there were no entries in Joseph Smith's journal. An example of this is the Zion's Camp journey. The material in the ms history on Zion's Camp is taken from the Heber C. Kimball journal with references to Joseph Smith changed to the first person, as though he was the author of the text. This happens a number of times in the history and often has the effect of making Joseph appear self- congratulatory and egotistical. In an attempt to document church growth and give the history a broader flavor, the compilers would insert diary entries from other church leaders engaged in work far from home, giving the impression that Joseph was somehow omniscient. This sort of "ghostwriting" was a common feature of historical annals both in Joseph Smith's day and long before his time. See PWJS, xvi.

The greatest part of the ms history was first penned in a draft version and then fleshed out to the present manuscript books, A-1, B-1, C-1, D-1, E-1, F-1. The following table reflects the men whose handwriting appears in the ms history and those parts of the ms they wrote and when they wrote it, along with the corresponding text in the published History of the Church. [Table compiled from Howard C. Searle, BYUS Vol. 21, No. 1, 110f]

Scribe MS Book MS pages Vol. in published HC Pages in HC vol. Period covered in history When scribe wrote
James Mulholland A-1 1-59 1 1-117 23 Dec. 1805 to 26 Sept. 1830 11 June 1839 to 27 Oct. 1839
Robert B. Thompson A-1 60-75 1 118-125 26 Sept. 1830 to late Oct. 1830 3 Oct. 1840 to 27 Aug. 1841
William W. Phelps A-1 75-130 1 124-195 Oct. 1830 to 1 Nov. 1831 1841-1842
Willard Richards A-1 131-133
Notes A, B and C
1 6-10 (Roberts omited Note A) 1 Nov. 1831 to 5 Aug. 1838; 6 Aug. 1838 to 1 Mar. 1843 21 Dec. 1842 to 2 Mar. 1844; 15 June 1845 to 1 Dec. 1853
W. W. Phelps A-1 135-157 1 195-222 See above See above
Willard Richards A-1

B-1

158-553

553-812

1
2
2
3
222-493
1-160
161-529
1-56
See above See above
Thomas Bullock B-1
C-1
D-1
812-849
850-1361
1362-1486
3
4
5
56-456
1-610
1-291
6 Aug. 1838 to 1 Mar. 1843 15 June 1845 to 1 Dec. 1853
Leo Hawkins D-1 1486-1547 5 292-384 1 Mar. 1843 to 8 Aug. 1844 18 April 1854 to 30 Jan. 1857
Robert L. Campbell D-1
E-1
1547-1636
1637-2028
5
6
384-556
1-349
1 Mar. 1843 to 8 Aug. 1844 18 April 1854 to 30 Jan. 1857
Jonathan Grimshaw F-1 1-150 6 349-548 1 Mar. 1843 to 8 Aug. 1844 18 April 1854 to 30 Jan. 1857
Leo Hawkins* F-1
F-1
F-1
151-189
190-204
228-304
6
7
7
548-631
1-31
129-243
1 Mar. 1843 to 8 Aug. 1844 18 April 1854 to 30 Jan. 1857

For further details regarding the ms history see Howard C. Searle, "Authorship of the History of Joseph Smith: A Review Essay," BYUS Vol. 21, No. 1, 101-122; Dean C. Jessee BYUS 11 (Summer 1971): 439-73 and the Journal of Mormon History 3 (1976): 23-46. Jessee gives a finer breakdown of when the scribes wrote their contributions on p. 441 of his BYUS article. Also see, Howard C. Searle, "Willard Richards as Historian," BYUS 31 (1991) no. 2, 41-62.

*Leo Hawkins was born 19 July 1834 in London, England, baptized by John Banks 23 October 1848 in London. Sailed from Liverpool, England 10 November 1849, arriving New Orleans on Christmas Day. Stayed in St. Louis until 1852. Arrived Salt Lake City, 24 September 1852. The following year (20 September) he began work in the LDS Church Historian's office. 7 February 1854 ordained a Seventy and served as a president of the 22nd quorum beginning 4 October 1856. Married Sarah Kay, 31 January 1856 in the Endowment House. Served as Salt Lake County recorder. Spoke and read Latin with some skill. Skilled map maker. Proficient in Pitman shorthand. Died Sunday 29 May 1859 of consumption, Salt Lake City.

2. For more about Joseph Smith's early life, see the account by his mother, Lucy Mack Smith, Biographical Sketches of Joseph Smith the Prophet and His Progenitors for Many Generations, (Liverpool, 1853) [Reprinted, Salt Lake City, 1902 under the title History of the Prophet Joseph by His Mother Lucy Mack Smith with various editions since then. While Lucy sometimes narrates events out of temporal order or folds speculations about motive into factual accounts, the reference is still useful. "Biographical Sketches" was the result of a dictated account from Lucy herself, taken down by Martha Coray in Nauvoo during the winter of 1844-45. This ms was modified by Coray and her husband Howard with the addition of material from the Joseph Smith history recently published in the Nauvoo periodical, Times and Seasons. The Coray's also deleted about 20 pages of Lucy's ms. This revised ms was titled "History of Mother Smith, by Herself." Orson Pratt purchased one copy of the revised ms and published it in England in 1853. The leaders of the church in Salt Lake City found the book to have some unpalatable errors and asked that copies of it be destroyed. Somehow, the original ms (probably the work of Martha from notes taken at interviews with Lucy) came to be in the LDS Archives, while a copy of the revised ms came west with Mormon Pioneers. See Richard L. Anderson, "Circumstantial Confirmation of the First Vision Through Reminiscences," BYUS 9 (1969), no. 3, 388.] Further information on Joseph Smith's early life is contained in Richard Bushman, Joseph Smith and the Beginnings of Mormonism, (Chicago: University of Ill. Press, 1988); Dan Vogel, ed., Early Mormon Documents, (Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 1996). See also, Howard C. Searle, "Early Mormon Historiography: Writing the History of the Mormons 1830-1858," (Ph.D. dissertation, UCLA 1979).

3. The existence of "anti-Mormon" literature can be demonstrated from the time of the publication of the Book of Mormon:

The first serious attempt to discredit Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon was by Abner Cole, editor of the Reflector, a local paper in Palmyra, New York. Writing under the pseudonym Obadiah Dogberry, Cole published in his paper extracts from two pirated chapters of the 1830 edition of the Book of Mormon, but was compelled to desist because he was violating copyright law. Cole resorted to satire. He attempted to malign Joseph Smith by associating him with money digging, and he claimed that Joseph was influenced by a magician named Walters. "Alexander Campbell, founder of the Discipies of Christ, wrote the first published anti-Mormon pamphlet. The text appeared first as articles in his own paper, the Millennial Harbinger (1831), and then in a pamphlet entitled Delusions (1832). Campbell concluded, "I cannot doubt for a single moment that [Joseph Smith] is the sole author and proprietor of [the Book of Mormon]. " Two years later he recanted this conclusion and accepted a new theory for the origin of the Book of Mormon, namely that Joseph Smith had somehow collaborated with Sidney Rigdon to produce the Book of Mormon from the Spaulding Manuscript. "The most notable anti-Mormon work of this period, Mormonism Unvailed [sic], was published by Eber D. Howe in 1834. Howe collaborated with apostate Philastus Hurlbut, twice excommunicated from the Church for immorality. Hurlbut was hired by an anti-Mormon committee to find those who would attest to Smith's dishonesty. He "collected" affidavits from seventy-two contemporaries who professed to know Joseph Smith and were willing to speak against him. Mormonism Unvailed attempted to discredit Joseph Smith and his family by assembling these affidavits and nine letters written by Ezra Booth, also an apostate from the Church. These documents allege that the Smiths were money diggers and irresponsible people. Howe advanced the theory that Sidney Rigdon obtained a manuscript written by Solomon Spaulding, rewrote it into the Book of Mormon, and then convinced Joseph Smith to tell the public that he had translated the book from plates received from an angel. This theory served as an alternative to Joseph Smith's account until the Spaulding Manuscript was discovered in 1884 and was found to be unrelated to the Book of Mormon. "The Hurlbut-Howe collection and Campbell's Delusions were the major sources for nearly all other nineteenth- and some twentieth-century anti-Mormon writings, notably the works of Henry Caswall, John C. Bennett, Pomeroy Tucker, Thomas Gregg, William Linn, and George Arbaugh. Most of these writers drew routinely from the same body of anti-Mormon lore (see H. Nibley, 'How to Write an Anti-Mormon Book,' Brigham Young University Extension Publications, Feb. 17, 1962, p. 30). [EM, vol. 1, "Anti-Mormon Publications"; see also note 1, chapter 14 this volume.] For a discussion of Joseph Smith's using seer stones for finding lost objects, money digging, etc. and it's role in preparing him for later religious experiences, see Richard L. Bushman, Joseph Smith, Rough Stone Rolling, (New York: Knopf, 2005).

4. Joseph Smith made several other attempts to write a history. He kept journals or had clerks keep journals of his life for much of his career. His motivation stemmed perhaps from an 1830 revelation (D&C 21:1) in which it was declared "behold there shall be a record kept among you." Joseph Smith's papers are being published in the series PJS.

5. That is, 1838, since the Church was organized April 6th, 1830. The date at which the Prophet began the writing of this History is also indicated on a subsequent page where reference is made to the final return of the plates to the angel, in whose charge they remained "until this day, the second day of May, 1838." (BHR)

6. The persons appearing in Joseph Smith's ms history have short biographical sketches in PJS, and those accounts and others are used here to flesh out the history. The ms history from which the HC is taken are really annals and not a "history" in the accepted sense. Therefore a number of persons appear, immediate events are described and others mentioned tangentially but we often never see the conclusion or outcome. Roberts tried to correct some of this, but his sources, tools, training and time were limited. Many of these "loose ends" are tied up with the new notes.

7. Joseph Smith, Sr. had been the recipient of a string of bad luck in his endevours. Participating in the ginseng root market from China, he was cheated out of $4,500 by a partner. Severe weather left crops dead, those members of his and his wife's family who lived in the neighborhood began moving west to New York and the family safety net disappeared. [See Bushman, Beginnings, 1-40]

8. The move actually took place in the fall of 1816. [Bushman, Beginnings, 40-42; Donald L. Enders, "A Snug Log House," Ensign August 1985 p. 14, n2]

9. Joseph gives a recital of some events surrounding this move:

When I was five years old or thereabouts [he was 7] I was attacked with the Typhus Fever, and at one time, during my sickness, my father dispaired of my life. The doctors broke the fever, after which it settled under my shoulder, and Dr. Parker called it a sprained shoulder and anointed it with bone ointment, and freely applied the hot shovel, when it proved to be a swelling under the arm which was opened, and discharged freely, after which the disease removed and descended into my left leg and ankle and terminated in a fever sore of the worst kind, and I endured the most acute suffering for a long time under the care of Drs. Smith, Stone and Perkins, of Hanover. At one time eleven Doctors came from Dartmouth Medical College, at Hanover, New Hampshire, for the purpose of amputation, but, young as I was, I utterly refused to give my assent to the operation, but consented to their Trying an experiment by removing a large portion of the bone from my left leg, which they did, [the operation took place in West Lebanon, NH] and fourteen additional pieces of bone afterwards worked out before my leg healed, during which time I was reduced so very low that my mother could carry me with ease. After that I began to get about I went on crutches till I started for the State of New York [Joseph was ten years old at this point. His infected leg seems to have troubled him for more than three years after the operation noted above. He was still on crutches during the trip. During his convalesence he stayed with his uncle Jesse for a year.] where my father had gone for the purpose of preparing a place for the removal of his family, which he affected by sending a man after us by the name of Caleb Howard, who, after he had started on, the journey with my mother and family spent the money he had received of my father by drinking and gambling, etc.--We fell in with a family by the name of Gates who were travelling west, and Howard drove me from the wagon and made me travel in my weak state through the snow 40 miles per day for several days, during which time I suffered the most excrutiating weariness and pain, and all this that Mr. Howard might enjoy the society of two of Mr. Gates daughters which he took on the wagon where I should have Rode, and thus he continued to do day after day through the Journey and when my brothers remonstrated with Mr. Howard for his treatment to me, he would knock them down with the butt of his whip.--When we arrived at Utica, N. York Howard threw the goods out of the wagon into the street and attempted to run away with the Horses and wagon, but my mother seized the horses by the reign, and calling witnesses forbid his taking them away as they were her property. On our way from Utica, I was left to ride on the last sleigh in the company, (the Gates family were in sleighs) but when that came up I was knocked down by the driver, one of Gate's Sons, and left to wallow in my blood until a stranger came along, picked me up, and carried me to the Town of Palmyra. --Howard having spent all our funds My Mother was compelled to pay our landlords bills from Utica to Palmyra in bits of cloth, clothing, etc. the last payment being made with [drops?] taken from Sister Sophrona's [ears?], for that purpose. Although the snow was generally deep through the country during this Journey we performed the whole on wheels, except the first two days when we were accompanied by My Mother's mother, grandmother, Lydia Mack who was injured by the upsetting of the Sleigh, and not wishing to accompany her friends west, tarried by the way with her friends in Vermont, and we soon heard of her death suffering that she never recovered from the injury received by the overturn of the Sleigh. [Ms History, Book A-l, pp. 131-132 (called "note A"), located in the LDS Church archives, Salt Lake City. Probably dictated by Joseph Smith, written by Willard Richards, 1842]
The incident regarding Typus infection related here verifies his mother's (independent) account in her biography (chapter 15). Typhus fever is one of a group of illnesses caused by one of the family Rickettsiaceae. The rickettsias are Gram-negative nonsporing non-acid fast short rods, capable of multiplying in one or more species of arthropod as well as in animals and man. The symptoms related by Joseph and his mother however suggest the possible superinfection by some bacterial agent. In fact, Typhoid was epidemic in the region and it was probably this that caused Joseph's difficulties. The fact that following his febrile illness, Joseph complained initially of pain under his arm implicates the axial lymph node. Typhus is trasmitted by fleas or lice while Typhoid fever is transmitted by food, drink or contamination with human excrement. Lucy mentions that the whole family, except the parents were infected with an epidemic in the region. Typhoid can be the cause of ostemyolitis and infection of lymph nodes. The other site of infection on the lower leg suggests a blood-born metastatic bone infection. The resulting osteomyelitis is typically extremely painful. Osteomyelitis in children usually begins abruptly with chills, high fever, nausea, vomiting, and progressive pain at the site of bony involvement. Muscle spasms at the site are a common early feature making the child refuse to move the effected limb. The tissues overlying the involved bone become edematous and shiny. Anemia usually develops during the course of the disease if not treated with modern antibiotics. The surgery to remove the infected bone was particularly dangerous since no chemotherapy was available to control the infection which had probably spread to the marrow. The physician (Nathan Smith of Dartmouth) who performed the surgery was a pioneer in this treatment of Typhoid complication. Fortunately no other bone involvement was evidenced. The fact that Joseph mentions his ankle being involved suggests that the site of metastatic infection was near the end of the tibia/fibula and hence the result of hematogenous dissemination of bacteria. The lengthy recovery period of more than five years following the surgery is not exceptional and war veterans often never recovered full use of limbs where bone was removed in this fashion. [M. G. Koenig, "Staphylococcal infections" Disease-a-Month (Chicago) April 1968; J. E. Smadel and E. B. Jackson, "Rickettsial infections," Diagnostic Procedures for Viral and Rickettsial Diseases, 3d ed., (New York: American Public Health Association, 1964); Anthony S. Fauci, et al., Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 14th ed. (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1997). Richard L. Bushman, Joseph Smith, Rough Stone Rolling, (New York: Knoff, 2005). On the Smith family's fortunate choice of surgeon attending Joseph, see Le Roy S. Wirthlin, "Joseph Smith's Surgeon," Ensign, March 1978, 59-61; also Wirthlin, "Nathan Smith (1782-1828): Surgical Consultant to Joseph Smith," BYUS 17 (1977), 319-37.]

10. About 1820? See the notes below on Joseph's chronological errors. Richard Bushman discusses the records surrounding the residences in New York. Despite some confusion, Joseph's narrative logically fits available data. The Smith's were able to purchase a farm on time payments and moved into a log home in 1818 (a mistake in their initial survey resulted in building the cabin off the actual farm property which was in Farmington (later, Manchester), the cabin was just over the line in Palmyra.) They had to fit six boys nineteen to two years of age, two girls, fifteen and six into a cabin with two rooms and a low sleeping garret divided into two. They later added a bedroom. [Bushman, Beginnings, 48.] Lucy says they cleared thirty acres of woodland the first year, a great accomplishment for father and three sons, an experienced woodsman could clear about ten acres a year in this area, doing nothing else.

Pomeroy Tucker recalls that the Smith's moved from Palmyra to the Manchester property in 1818. This places the move in the broader timeline Joseph develops with the First Vision and Moroni visits, suggesting that Joseph makes an obvious error in his "four years" statement. During the Smith's residence in Palmyra (1816-1818) they made a living at various activities. Aside from hearsay and rumor circulated years after their departure, eyewitnesses state that Joseph Sr. was a peddler along with his sons of gingerbread, pies, boiled eggs, root-beer and other food items in Palmyra and nearby villages. Tucker says they were especially active in this matter during days where there were public gatherings. Such items were commonly sold at the typical camp meeting ground such as the one Joseph would have attended. This provides a possible reason for the initial attendence of Joseph Jr. at revivals outside the Palmyra village. Tucker recalls that Joseph was a "partner" with his father in this "vending" business and was seen working at it in the street, with other boys occasionally trying to trick him in his money-handling. [Pomeroy Tucker, Origin, Rise, and Progress of Mormonism (New York, 1867), 4, 12, 14. While Tucker tends to repeat negative hearsay about the Smiths, and makes some errors in dating, at the beginning of his book there are a number of eyewitness statements.]

11. The township was called Farmington until 1822.

12. The Mack family, at least back to Ebenezer Mack grandfather of Lucy was from the state of Connecticut (Joseph Smith and his Progenitors, by Lucy Smith, ch. ix.) (BHR)

13. The correct year of Alvin's death is 1823. [Wayne County Sentinel [New York] under the date of September 25, 1824; tombstone inscription on Alvin's grave, adjacent to the old Western Presbyterian Church in Palmyra]

14. Joseph probably means Palmyra here given the other circumstances he mentions - see following notes and note 10 above.

15. The Smith's arrived in 1816 during the great Palmyra revival of 1816-1817 [Joseph says he was ten - see note 3 Chapter 2]; Joseph was clearly impressed by this and he reports it led him to pursue the scriptures. Two years later (July 1819) during the time the history mentions here, the Genesee Conference of the Methodists had a large meeting which gathered many from miles around with 110 ministers. The Geneva Presbytery reported in February 1820 that "more have been received into the communion of the Churches than perhaps in any former year."[Bushman, Beginnings p. 204 n31, pp.43-64; Milton V. Backman "Joseph Smith's First Vision: The First Vision in its Historical Context," (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1971) p.82; Daniel C. Peterson, RBBM 4 (1992) p.xxxvi-xxxvii; Larry C. Porter, "Reinventing Mormonism: To Remake or Redo," RBBM 7 (1995) no. 2, 130-132; Richard Lloyd Anderson, "Circumstantial Confirmation of the First Vision through Reminiscences," BYUS 9 (Spring 1969): 373-404; Richard L. Bushman, "The First Vision Story Revived," Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 4 (Spring 1969): 82-93; Peter Crawley, "A Comment on Joseph Smith's Account of His First Vision and the 1820 Revival," Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 6 (Spring 1971): 106-7; Marvin Hill, "The First Vision: A Critique and Reconciliation," Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 15 (Summer 1982): 31-46; Paul R. Cheesman, The Keystone of Mormonism: Early Visions of Joseph Smith (Provo: Eagle Systems International, 1988), 20-37; Book Reviews; Mark Grandstaff, BYUS Vol. 30 (1990), No. 1, 100ff; Porter, Larry C., Backman, Milton V., Jr., and Black, Susan Easton, eds. Regional Studies in Latter-day Saint History: New York Provo: Department of Church History and Doctrine, 1992, 32ff; Richard L. Anderson, "Joseph Smith's Testimony of the First Vision," Ensign (April 1996), 10-25.]

At this point in the text, ("second year after our removal to Manchester") Joseph contradicts himself. The problem flows from his statement that Joseph Smith, Sr. moved the family from Palmyra to Manchester four years after their arrival in Palmyra (this makes the date of the Manchester move 1820!) Then we have two years later the motivating religious excitement which Joseph claims led him to the grove experience. This puts the vision out to 1821 or 1822 at least [some of Joseph Smith's critics have suggested that the well-documented revivals of 1822 are those Smith claims as motivation], contradicting the 1820 date he gives ("my 15th year.") So Joseph's chronology is off somehow. [See Richard L. Bushman, RBBM, Volume 6 no. 2, 1994, 127ff.] Bushman suggests that changing the sense slightly puts the statement in line with Joseph's earlier account written in 1832: "moved to Palmyra" (instead of Palmyra to Manchester.) Also, the 1820 vision date finds support in external evidences which show the Moroni visits did indeed start in 1823 [for example, Porter, Reinventing, 132-133] as well as significant external evidence of revival activity in Joseph's timeline already mentioned. It is certainly possible too that Joseph makes a mistake in his "four years" claim. See below note 17 and note 10 above. Recently, D. Michael Quinn has argued for both an 1820 rivival, a late spring vision and a conflation of revival experiences 1818-1824 in Joseph Smith's memory of events. [Quinn, Joseph Smith's Experience of a Methodist "Camp-Meeting" in spring, 1820. Dialogue: Dialogue Paperless, E-Paper#3 revised August 5, 2006.]

16. In other words, not neccessarily in Palmyra itself.

16a. A number of Methodist preachers of the area wrote of this rivalry. "When conversions began to occur among us," George Beck recalled, "the Baptists, by whom we were surrounded, began to practice their usual strategy. . . . [T]wo preachers of that persuasion . . . were very attentive to our converts." [George Peck, The Life and Times of Rev. George Peck, D. D. (New York, 1874), pp. 65, 93, 122]

17. Some of Smith's contemporaries report him being in Methodist meetings as an investigator prior to 1821. Orasmus Turner:

But Joseph had a little ambition; and some very laudable aspirations; the mother's intellect occasionally shone out in him feebly, especially when he used to help us solve some portentous questions of moral or political ethics, in our juvenile debating club, which we moved down to the old red school house on Durfee street, to get rid of the annoyance of critics that used to drop in upon us in the village; and subsequently, after catching a spark of Methodism in the camp meeting, away down in the woods, on the Vienna road [the road between Palmyra and Vienna, now called Phelps], he was a very passable exhorter in evening meetings. [Orasmus Turner, History of the Pioneer Settlement of Phelps and Gorham's Purchase, and Morris' Reserve (Rochester, 1852)]
Better records exist for revival periods earlier and later than 1820, but it is clear that activity was going on during the period in that region. In MA 1 (December 1834): 42, Oliver Cowdery says Joseph Smith told him a Methodist preacher, one George Lane was intrumental in creating Joseph's anxieties about religion. Lane was definitely active in the general region during this period (his regular assignment was Susquehanna) as well as in later revivals in Palmyra. (see notes above). Cowdery's reference to Lane is somewhat confused and he makes some errors in his chronology. See note 4 chapter 2 this volume. See Quinn, note 15.

Donald Enders gives strong evidence [Donald L. Enders, "The Joseph Smith, Sr. family, farmers of the Genesee," (in Joseph Smith, The Prophet, The Man , BYU Religious Studies Center, 1993)] that the Smith's were on Manchester land by 1818. Moreover, contemporary records make this claim. For another discussion of dating the events of this chapter, see Book Reviews, Paul H. Peterson, BYUS 35(1996) no. 4, 209ff.

18. While Joseph was never a member, he did function as an "exhorter."[Porter, Reinventing, p. 128; see note 17.]

19. KJV James 1:5.

19a. The following sentences up to the word "infancy" were written by Willard Richards on December 2, 1842. [PWJS, 666]

20. Smith's mother was a convert of this sect. Smith himself was evidently concerned about Methodism (see 1844 vision account below).

21. Joseph Smith dictated or recorded or mentioned this experience numerous times (for example, see the oblique reference to the experience in D&C 20:5) and seems to have received some harassment from locals because of it. However, the experience was by no means as unusual a claim as the discovery of the golden plates which generated considerable notice in the press relatively far and wide. Nevertheless, several accounts from Joseph Smith of this "first vision" survive, agreeing essentially with the one given in his official history here. Some details of the experience are omitted in the official account that are given elsewhere and v. versa (reminiscent of Paul's rehearsals in the New Testament of his similar experience). The audience and the purpose of the discussion determine which details are emphasized. Several of these accounts follow [cf. Milton V. Backman, Joseph Smith's first vision: confirming evidences and contemporary accounts, 2nd ed. (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1980); PJS 1:1, 125-127, 265-267, 387-391, 405-409, 430, 444, 461.] We also include a parallel version of these statements to show that in each of the detailed records, essentially the same events are reviewed. For two other accounts found in public remarks by Joseph Smith see 9Nov35 and 14Nov35.

1832 Account of First Vision. Handwriting: Frederick G. Williams and Joseph Smith, Jr. recorded between summer 1832 and November 1832.

[Note that Joseph indicates religious revival at 12 years of age sparking his contemplation.]

A History of the life of Joseph Smith Jr an account of his marvilous experience and of all the mighty acts which he doeth in the name of Jesus Christ the son of the living God of whom he beareth record and also an account of the rise of the church of Christ in the eve of time according as the Lord brought forth and established by his hand [firstly] he receiving the testamony from on high secondly the ministering of Angels thirdly the reception of the holy Priesthood by the ministring of Angels to adminster the letter of the Gospel - the Law and commandments as they were given unto him - and the ordinencs, forthly a confirmation and reception of the high Priesthood after the holy order of the son of the living God power and ordinence from on high to preach the Gospel in the administration and demonstration of the spirit the Kees of the Kingdom of God confered upon him and the continuation of the blessings of God to him &c-------- I was born in the town of Charon in the [state] Of Vermont North America on the twenty third day of December A D 1805 of goodly Parents who spared no pains to instructing me in [the] christian religion at the age of about ten years my Father Joseph Smith Siegnior moved to Palmyra Ontario County in the State of New York and being in indigent circumstances were obliged to labour hard for the Support of a large Family having nine children and as it required the exertions of all that were able to render any assistance for the Support of the Family therefore we were deprived of the bennifit of an education Suffice it to Say I was mearly instructed in reading {and} writing and the ground [rules] of Arithmatic which constuted my whole literary acquirements. At about the age of twelve years my mind became seriously imprest with regard to the all importent concerns for the wellfare of my immortal Soul which led me to Searching the Scriptures believeing as I was taught, that they contained the word of God thus applying myself to them and my intimate acquaintance with those of differant denominations led me to marvel excedingly far I discovered that [they did not {adorn}] {instead} Of adorning their profession by a holy walk and Godly conversation agreeable to what I found contained in that Sacred depository this was a grief to my Soul thus from the age of twelve years to fifteen I pondered many things in my heart concerning the sittuation of the world of mankind the contentions and divions the wickeness and abominations and the darkness which pervaded the {of the} minds of mankind my mind become excedingly distressed for I became convicted of my Sins and by Searching the Scriptures I found that {mand} [mankind] did not come unto the Lord but that they had apostatised from the true and liveing faith and there was no society or denomination that built upon the Gospel of Jesus Christ as recorded in the new testament and I felt to mourn for my own Sins and for the Sins of the world for I learned in the Scriptures that God was the same yesterday to day and forever that he was no respecter to persons for he was God for I looked upon the sun the glorious luminary of the earth and also the moon rolling in their magesty through the heavens and also the Stars Shining in their courses and the earth also upon which I stood and the beast of the field and the fowls of heaven and the fish of the waters and also man walking forth upon the face of the earth in magesty and in the Strength of beauty whose power and intiligence in governing the things which are so exceding great and marvilous even in the likeness of him who created {him} [them] and when I considered upon these things my heart exclaimed well hath the wise man Said {the} [it is a] fool [that] Saith in his heart there is no God my heart exclained all all these bear testimony and bespeak an omnipotent and omnipreasant power a being who makith Laws and decreeeth and bindeth all things in their bounds who filleth Eternity who was and is and will be fron all Eternity to Eternity and when I considered all these things and that [that] being Seeketh such to worship him as worship him inspirit and in truth therefore I cried unto the Lord for mercy for there was none else to whom I could go and {to} obtain mercy and the 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 filld 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 asside 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 acording to this ungodliness and to bring to pass that which [hath] been spoken by the mouth of the prophets and Apostles behold and lo I come quickly as it written of me in the cloud [clothed] in the glory of my Father and my Soul was filled with love and for many days I could rejoice with great joy and the Lord was with me but could find none that would believe the hevenly vision. . . . Nevertheless I fell into transgression and sinned in many things which brought wound upon my Soul and there were many things which transpired that cannot be writen and my Fathers family have suffered many persecutions and afflictions.

*could be 15th year

In the above, words enclosed by {} indicate deletion by cross out-- words enclosed by [] indicate insertion with ^ mark.

Note, the apparent compression that exists in this account of the appearance of the Father and the Son may just be poor writing on Joseph's part. He states "the Lord opened the heavens upon me and I Saw the Lord" perhaps using "Lord" both for God and Jesus Christ.


1835 Account, Written by Warren A. Cowdery. Monday Nov. 9th. . .

While sitting in his house this morning between the hours of ten and eleven a man came in and introduced himself to him calling himself Joshua the Jewish Minister. His appearance was something singular, having a beard about three inches in length which is quite grey, his hair was also long and considerably silvered with age. He had the appearance of a man about 50 or 55 years old. He was tall and straight, slender frame, blue eyes, thin visage, and fair complexion. He wore a green frock coat and pantaloons of the same color. He had on a black fur hat with a narrow brim. When speaking he frequently shuts his eyes and exhibits a kind of scowl upon his countenance. He (Joseph) made some inquiry after his name, but received no definite answer. The conversation soon turned upon the subject of Religion, and after the subject of this narrative had made some remarks concerning the bible, he commenced giving him a relation of the circumstances, connected with the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, which were nearly as follows. Being wrought up in my mind respecting the subject of Religion, and looking at the different systems taught the children of men, I knew not who was right or who was wrong, but considered it of the first importance to me that I should be right, in matters of so much moment, matter involving eternal consequences. Being thus perplexed in mind I retired to the silent grove and there bowed down before the Lord, under a realizing sense (if the bible be true) ask and you shall receive, knock and it shall be opened, seek and you shall find, and again, if any man lack wisdom, let of God who giveth to all men liberally & upbraideth not. Information was what I most desired at this time, and with a fixed determination to obtain it, I called on the Lord for the first time in the place above stated, or in other words, I made a fruitless attempt to pray My tongue seemed to be swoolen in my mouth, so that I could not utter, I heard a noise behind me like some one walking towards me. I strove again to pray, but could not; the noise of walking seemed to draw nearer, I sprang upon my feet and looked round, but saw no person or thing that was calculated to produce the noise of walking. I kneeled again, my mouth was opened and my tongue loosed; I called on the Lord in mighty prayer. A pillar of fire appeared above my head; which presently rested down upon me, and filled me with un- speakable joy. A personage appeared in the midst of this pillar of flame, which was spread all around and yet nothing consumed. Another personage soon appeared like unto the first: he said unto me thy sins are forgiven thee. He testified also unto me that Jesus Christ is the son of God. I saw many angels in this vision. I was about 14 years old when I received this first communication. . .


Wentworth Letter Account of First Vision (essentially the same account is found in Daniel Rupp's book "An Original History of the Religious Denominations at Present Existing in the United States," comp. I. Daniel Rupp (Philadelphia, 1844), pp. 404-10.

[On Wentworth see PJS 1:427.]

At the request of Mr. John Wentworth, Editor, and Proprietor of the "Chicago Democrat," I have written the following sketch of the rise, progress, persecution, and faith of the Latter-Day Saints, of which I have the honor, under God, of being the founder. Mr. Wentworth says, that he wishes to furnish Mr. Bastow [George Barstow], a friend of his, who is writing the history of New Hampshire, with this document. As Mr. Bastow has taken the proper steps to obtain correct information all that I shall ask at his hands, is, that he publish the account entire, ungarnished, and without misrepresentation. I was born in the town of Sharon Windsor co., Vermont, on the 23d of December, A. D. 1805. When ten years old my parents removed to Palmyra New York, where we resided about four years, and from thence we removed to the town of Manchester. My father was a farmer and taught me the art of husbandry. When about fourteen years of age I began to reflect upon the importance of being prepared for a future state, and upon enquiring the plan of salvation I found that there was a great clash in religious sentiment; if I went to one society they referred me to one plan, and another to another; each one pointing to his own particular creed as the summum bonum of perfection: considering that all could not be right, and that God could not be the author of so much confusion I determined to investigate the subject more fully, believing that if God had a church it would not be split up into factions, and that if he taught one society to worship one way, and administer in one set of ordinances, he would not teach another principles which were diametrically opposed. Believing the word of Cod I had confidence in the declaration of James; "If any man lack wisdom let him ask of God who giveth all men liberally and upbraideth not and it shall be given him," I retired to a secret place in a grove and began to call upon the Lord, while fervently engaged in supplication my mind was taken away from the objects with which I was surrounded, and I was enwrapped in a heavenly vision and saw two glorious personages who exactly resembled each other in features, and likeness, surrounded with a brilliant light which eclipsed the sun at noon-day. They told me that all religious denominations were believing in incorrect doctrines, and that none of them was acknowledged of God as his church and kingdom. And I was expressly commanded to "go not after them," at the same time receiving a promise that the fulness of the gospel should at some future time be made known unto me.


Orson Pratt Account. The first published account of the First Vision. Published in a pamphlet in 1840 titled "An interesting account of several remarkable visions".

Mr. Joseph Smith, jun. who made the following important discovery, was born in the town of Sharon, Windsor county, Vermont, on the 23d December, A.D. 1805. When ten years old, his parents, with their family, moved to Palmyra, New York; in the vicinity of which he resided for about eleven years, the latter part in the town of Manchester. Cultivating the earth for a livelihood was his occupation, in which he employed the most of his time. His advantages for acquiring literary knowledge, were exceedingly small; hence, his education was limited to a slight acquaintance, with two or three of the common branches of learning. He could read without much difficulty, and write a very imperfect hand; and had a very limited understanding of the ground rules of arithmetic. These were his highest and only attainments; while the rest of those branches, so universally taught in the common schools, throughout the United States, were entirely unknown to him. When somewhere about fourteen or fifteen years old, he began seriously to reflect upon the necessity of being prepared for a future state of existence; but how, or in what way, to prepare himself, was a question, as yet, undetermined in his own mind. He perceived that it was a question of infinite importance, and that the salvation of his soul depended upon a correct understanding of the same. He saw, that if he understood not the way, it would be impossible to walk in it, except by chance; and the thought of resting his hopes of eternal life upon chance, or uncertainties, was more than he could endure. If he went to the religious denominations to seek information, each one pointed to its particular tenets, saying--"This is the way, walk ye in it;" while, at the same time, the doctrines of each were in many respects, in direct opposition to one another. It also occurred to his mind that God was the author of but one doctrine, and therefore could acknowledge but one denomination as his church, and that such denomination must be a people who believe and teach that one doctrine, (whatever it may be,) and build upon the same. He then reflected upon the immense number of doctrines, now in the world, which had given rise to many hundreds of different denominations. The great question to be decided in his mind, was--if any one of these denominations be the Church of Christ, which one is it? Until he could become satisfied in relations to this question, he could not rest contented. "o trust to the decisions of fallible man, and build his hopes upon the same, without any certainty, and knowledge of his own, would not satisfy the anxious desires that pervaded his breast. To decide, without any positive and definite evidence, on which he could rely, upon a subject involving the future welfare of his soul, was revolting to his feelings. The only alternative, that seemed to be left him was to read the Scriptures, and endeavor to follow their directions. He, accordingly commenced persuing the sacred pages of the Bible, with sincerity, believing the things that he read. His mind soon caught hold of the following passage:--"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."-James 1:5. From this promise he learned, that it was the privilege of all men to ask God for wisdom, with the sure and certain expectation of receiving liberally; without being upbraided for so doing. This was cheering information to him; tidings that gave him great joy. It was like a light shinning forth in a dark place, to guide him to the path in which he should walk. He now saw that if he inquired of God, there was not only a possibility, but a probability; yea, more, a certainty, that he should obtain a knowledge, which, of all the doctrines, was the doctrine of Christ; and, which of all the churches, was the church of Christ. He therefore, retired to a secret place in a grove, but a short distance from his father's house, and knelt down, and began to call upon the Lord. At first, he was severely tempted by the powers of darkness, which endeavored to overcome him; but he continued to seek for deliverance, until darkness gave way from his mind, and he was enabled to pray in feverency of the spirit, and in faith. And while thus pouring out his soul, anxiously desiring an answer from God, he at length, saw a very bright and glorious light in the heavens above; which, at first, seemed to be a considerable distance. He continued praying, while the light appeared to be gradually descending towards him; and as it drew nearer, it increased in brightness and magnitude, so that, by the time that it reached the tops of the trees, the whole wilderness, for some distance around was illuminated in a most glorious and brilliant manner. He expected to have seen the leaves and boughs of the trees consumed, as soon as the light came in contact with them; but perceiving that it did not produce that effect, he was encouraged with the hope of being able to endure its presence. It continued descending slowly, until it rested upon the earth, and he was enveloped in the midst of it. When it first came upon him, it produced a peculiar sensation throughout his whole system; and immediately, his mind was caught away, from the natural objects with which he was surrounded; and he was enwapped in a heavenly vision, and saw two glorious personages, who exactly resembled each other in their features or likeness. He was informed that his sins were forgiven. He was also informed upon the subjects, which had for some time previously agitated his mind, viz.--that all the religious denominations were believing in incorrect doctrines; and consequently, that none of them was acknowledged of God, as his church and kingdom. And he was expressly commanded, to go not after them; and he received a promise that the true doctrine--the fulness of the gospel, should, at some future time, be made known to him; after which, the vision withdrew, leaving his mind in a state of calmness and peace, indescribable.


Orson Hyde Account. Originally published in a German pamphlet in 1842, in Frankfurt (on his return from Jerusalem). Translated in 1960.

Joseph Smith, Jr., to whom the angel of the Lord was sent first, was born in the town of Sharon, Windsor County, Vermont, on the 23rd of December, 1805. When ten years old, his parents with their family, moved to Palmyra, New York, in the vicinity of which he resided for about eleven years, the latter part in the town of Manchester. His only activity was to plow and cultivate the fields. As his parents were poor and had to take care of a large family, his education was very limited. He could read without much difficulty, and write a very imperfect hand; and had a very limited understanding of the elementary rules of arithmetic. These were his highest and only attainments; while the rest of those branches, so universally taught in the common schools throughout the United States, were entirely unknown to him. When some where about fourteen or fifteen years old, he began seriously to reflect upon the necessity of being prepared for a future state of existence; but how, or in what way to prepare himself, was a question, as yet, undetermined in his own mind; he perceived that it was a question of infinite importance. He saw, that if he understood not the way, it would be impossible to walk in it, except by chance; and the thought of resting his hopes of eternal life upon chance or uncertainties, was more than he could endure. He discovered a religious world working under numerous errors, which through their contradicting nature and principles, gave cause to the organization of so many different sects and parties, and whose feelings against each other were poisoned through hate, envy, malice and rage. He felt that there should be only one truth, and that those who would understand it correctly, would understand it in the same manner. Nature had gifted him with a strong, discerning mind and so he looked through the glass of soberness and good sense upon these religious systems which all were so different; but nevertheless all drawn from the scripture of truth.

After he had sufficiently assured himself to his own satisfaction that darkness was covering the earth, and gross darkness the minds of the people, he gave up hope ever to find a sect or party that was in the possession of the pure and unadulterated truth. He accordingly commenced persuing the sacred pages of the Bible with sincerity, believing the things that he read. His mind soon caught hold of the following passage--"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."--James I:5. From this promise he learned that it was the privilege of all men to ask God for wisdom, with the sure and certain expectation of receiving liberally, without being upbraided for so doing. And thus he started to send the burning desires of his soul with a faithful determination. He, therefore, retired to a secret place, in a grove, but a short distance from his father's house, and knelt down and began to call upon the Lord. At first, he was severely tempted by the powers of darkness, which endeavoured to overcome him. The adversary benighted his mind with doubts, and brought to his soul all kinds of improper pictures and tried to hinder him in his efforts and the accomplishment of his goal. However, the overflowing mercy of God came to buoy him up, and gave new impulse and momentum to his dwindling strength. Soon the dark clouds disappeared, and light and peace filled his troubled heart. And again he called upon the Lord with renewed faith and spiritual strength. At this sacred moment his mind was caught away from the natural objects with which he was surrounded, and he was enwrapped in a heavenly vision, and saw two glorious personages, who exactly resembled each other in their features or likeness. They told him that his prayers had been answered, and that the Lord had decided to grant him a special blessing. He was told not to join any of the religious sects or any party, as they were all wrong in their doctrines and none of them was recognized by God as His Church and kingdom. He received a promise that the true doctrine--the fulness of the gospel--should, at some future time, be made known to him; after which, the vision withdrew, leaving his mind in a state of calmness and peace indescribable.


1843 in The Pittsburgh Weekly Gazette 58 (September 15, 1843), p. 3

[From an article "The Prairies, Nauvoo, Joe Smith, the Temple, the Mormons, etc." In August 1843 the Gazette Editor, David Nye White, visited Joseph Smith in his home in Nauvoo, Ill. His report contains the following account of the 1820 vision. On White, see PJS 1:438.]

The Lord does reveal himself to me. I know it. He revealed himself first to me when I was about fourteen years old, a mere boy. I will tell you about it. There was a reformation among the different religious denominations in the neighborhood where I lived, and I became serious, and was desirous to know what Church to join.

While thinking of this matter, I opened the Testament promiscuously on these words, in James, Ask of the Lord who giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not. I just determined I'd ask him. I immediately went out into the woods where my father had a clearing, and went to the stump where I had stuck my axe when I had quit work, and I kneeled down, and prayed, saying, O Lord, what Church shall I join? Directly I saw a light, and then a glorious personage in the light, and then another personage, and the first personage said to the second, Behold my beloved Son, hear him.--I then addressed this second person, saying, O Lord, what Church shall I join? He replied, "don't join any of them, they are all corrupt." The vision then vanished, and when I came to myself, I was sprawling on my back and it was sometime before my strength returned.

When I went home and told the people that I had a revelation, and that all the churches were corrupt, they persecuted me, and they have persecuted me ever since.


1844 Account of German Immigrant, Alexander Neibaur [May 24, 1844]

After Dinner . . . called at BR. J.S. [Joseph Smith] met Mr. Bonnie. Br. Joseph tolt us the first call he had a Revival Meeting, his Mother, Br. and Sisters got Religion. He wanted to get Religion too, wanted to feel and shout like the rest but could feel nothing, opened his Bible of the first Passage that struck him was if any man lack wisdom let him ask of God who giveth to all men liberallity & upbraideth not. Went into the Wood to pray, kneels himself Down, his tongue was closet cleaveh to his roof--could utter not a word, felt easier after awhile--saw a fire toward heaven came near and nearer; saw a personage in the fire, light complexion, blue eyes, a piece of white cloth Drawn over his shoulders his right arm bear after a while a other person came to the side of the first. Mr. Smith then asked, must I join the Methodist Church. No, they are not my People, have gone astray There is none that Doeth good, not one, but this is my Beloved Son harken ye him, the fire drew nigher, Rested upon the tree, enveloped him comforted I endeavored to arise but felt uncomen feeble got into the house told the Methodist priest, said this was not a age for God to Reveal himself in Vision Revelation has ceased with the New Testament.


Parallel Accounts
 
1832 History account 1835 Warren Cowdery account Letter to John Wentworth 1842 Orson Pratt 1840 Pamphlet Orson Hyde 1842 Pamphlet Journal Entry of Alexander Neibaur 1844 Newspaper Interview of Joseph Smith 1843 Ms History 1839 (HC vol. 1)
Preamble
A History of the life of Joseph Smith Jr an account of his marvilous experience and of all the mighty acts which he doeth in  the name of Jesus Christ the son of the living God of whom he beareth record and also an account of the rise of the church  of Christ in the eve of time according as the Lord brought forth and established by his hand [firstly] he receiving the  testamony from on high secondly the ministering of Angels thirdly the reception of the holy Priesthood by the ministring of  Angels to adminster the letter of the Gospel - the Law and commandments as they were given unto him - and the  ordinencs, forthly a confirmation and reception of the high Priesthood after the holy order of the son of the living God  power and ordinence from on high to preach the Gospel in the administration and demonstration of the spirit the Kees of  the Kingdom of God confered upon him and the continuation of the blessings of God to him &c-------- I was born in the  town of Charon in the [state] Of Vermont North America on the twenty third day of December A D 1805 of goodly  Parents who spared no pains to instructing me in [the] christian religion at the age of about ten years my Father Joseph  Smith Siegnior moved to Palmyra Ontario County in the State of New York and being in indigent circumstances were  obliged to labour hard for the Support of a large Family having nine children and as it required the exertions of all that  were able to render any assistance for the Support of the Family therefore we were deprived of the bennifit of an  education Suffice it to Say I was mearly instructed in reading {and} writing and the ground [rules] of Arithmatic which  constuted my whole literary acquirements.    While sitting in his house this morning between the hours of ten and eleven a man came in and introduced himself to him  calling himself Joshua the Jewish Minister. His appearance was something singular, having a beard about three inches in  length which is quite grey, his hair was also long and considerably silvered with age. He had the appearance of a man  about 50 or 55 years old. He was tall and straight, slender frame, blue eyes, thin visage, and fair complexion. He wore a  green frock coat and pantaloons of the same color. He had on a black fur hat with a narrow brim. When speaking he  frequently shuts his eyes and exhibits a kind of scowl upon his countenance. He (Joseph) made some inquiry after his  name, but received no definite answer. The conversation soon turned upon the subject of Religion, and after the subject of  this narrativehad made some remarks concerning the bible, he commenced giving him a relation of the circumstances,  connected with the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, which were nearly as follows. At the request of Mr. John Wentworth, Editor, and Proprietor ofthe "Chicago Democrat," I have written the following  sketch of the rise, progress, persecution, and faith of the Latter-Day Saints, of which I have the honor, under God, of  being the founder. Mr. Wentworth says, that he wishes to furnish Mr. Bastow [George Barstow], a friend of his, who is  writing the history of New Hampshire, with this document. As Mr. Bastow has taken the proper steps to obtain correct  information all that I shall ask at his hands, is, that he publish the account entire, ungarnished, and without  misrepresentation. I was born in the town of Sharon Windsor co., Vermont, on the 23d of December, A. D. 1805. When  ten years old my parents removed to Palmyra New York, where we resided about four years, and from thence we  removed to the town of Manchester. My father was a farmer and taught me the art of husbandry. Mr. Joseph Smith, jun. who made the following important discovery, was born in the town of Sharon, Windsor county,  Vermont, on the 23d December, A.D. 1805. When ten years old, his parents, with their family, moved to Palmyra, New  York; in the vicinity of which he resided for about eleven years, the latter part in the town of Manchester. Cultivating the  earth for a livelihood was his occupation, in which he employed the most of his time. His advantages for acquiring literary  knowledge, were exceedingly small; hence, his education was limited to a slight acquaintance, with two or three of the  common branches of learning. He could read without much difficulty, and write a very imperfect hand; and had a very  limited understanding of the ground rules of arithmetic. These were his highest and onlyattainments; while the rest of those  branches, so universally taught in the common schools, throughout the United States, were entirely unknown to him. Joseph Smith, Jr., to whom the angel of the Lord was sent first, was born in the town of Sharon, Windsor County,  Vermont, on the 23rd of December, 1805. When ten years old, his parents with their family, moved to Palmyra, New  York, in the vicinity of which he resided for about eleven years, the latter part in the town of Manchester. His only activity  was to plow and cultivate the fields. As his parents were poor and had to take care of a large family, his education was  very limited. He could read without much difficulty, and write a very imperfect hand; and had a very limited understanding  of the elementary rules of arithmetic. These were his highest and only attainments; while the rest of those branches, so  universally taught in the common schools throughout the United States, were entirely unknown to him. After Dinner . . . called at BR. J.S. met Mr. Bonnie.
Age of Joseph Smith at the time of the Vision
At about the age of twelve years my mind became seriously imprest with regard  to the all importent concerns for the wellfare of my immortal Soul and my intimate acquaintance with those of differant denominations led me to marvel excedingly far I discovered that they did not adorn  their profession by a holy walk and Godly conversation agreeable to what I found contained in that Sacred depository this was a grief to my Soul thus from the age of twelve years to fifteen I pondered many things in my heart  Being wrought up in my mind respecting the subject of Religion, and [I was about 14 years old when I received this first communication. . . ] When about fourteen years of age I began to reflect upon the importance of being prepared for a future state, and upon enquiring the plan of  salvation When somewhere about fourteen or fifteen years old, he began seriously to reflect upon the necessity of being prepared for a future state of existence; but how, or in what way, to prepare himself, was a question, as yet, undetermined in his own mind. He perceived that it was a question of infinite importance, and that the salvation of his soul depended upon a correct understanding of the same. He saw, that if he understood not the way, it would be impossible to walk in it, except by  chance; and the thought of resting his hopes of eternal life upon chance, or uncertainties, was more than he could endure.  When some where  about fourteen or fifteen years old, he began seriously to reflect upon the necessity of being prepared for a future state of existence; but how, or in what way to prepare himself, was a question, as yet, undetermined in his own mind; he perceived that it was a question of infinite importance. He saw, that if he understood not the way, it would be impossible to walk in it, except by chance; and the thought of resting his hopes of eternal life upon chance or uncertainties, was more than he could  endure. Br. Joseph tolt us the first call he had  The Lord does reveal himself to me. I know it. He revealed himself first to me when I was about fourteen years old, a mere boy. I will tell you about it.  Some time in the second year after our removal to Manchester, there was in the place where we lived an unusual excitement on the subject of religion.  It commenced with the Methodists, but soon became general among all the sects in that region of country.  Indeed, the whole district of country seemed affected by it, and great multitudes united themselves to the different religious parties, which created no small stir and division amongst the people, some crying, "Lo here!"  and others, "Lo, there!" Some were contending for the Methodist faith, some for the Presbyterian, and some for the Baptist.  For notwithstanding the great love which the converts to these different faiths expressed at the time of their conversion, and the great zeal manifested by the respective clergy, who were active in getting up and promoting this extraordinary scene of religious feeling, in order to have everybody converted, as they were pleased to call it, let them join what sect they pleased --yet when the converts began to file off, some to one party and some to another, it was seen that the seemingly good feelings of both the priests and the converts were more pretended than real; for a scene of great confusion and bad feeling ensued; priest contending against priest, and convert against convert; so that all their good feelings one for another, if they ever had any, were entirely lost in a strife of words and a contest about opinions. 

I was at this time in my fifteenth year.

Clash of Opinions -Which Church?
concerning the  sittuation of the world of mankind the contentions and divions the wickeness and abominations and the darkness which  pervaded the {of the} minds of mankind my mind become excedingly distressed for looking at the different systems taught the children of men, I knew not who was right or who was wrong, but considered it of the first importance to me that I should be right, in matters of so much moment, matter involving eternal consequences.  I found that there was a great clash in religious sentiment; if I went to one society they referred me to one plan, and another to another; each one pointing to his own particular creed as the summum bonum of perfection: considering that all could not be right, and that God could not be the author of so much confusion I determined to investigate the  subject more fully,  If  he went to the religious denominations to seek information, each one pointed to its particular tenets, saying--"This is the  way, walk ye in it;" while, at the same time, the doctrines of each were in many respects, in direct opposition to one  another. He discovered a religious world working under numerous errors, which through their contradicting nature and principles, gave cause to the organization of so many different sects and parties, and whose feelings against each other were poisoned through hate, envy, malice and rage. a Revival Meeting, his Mother, Br. and Sisters got Religion. He wanted to get Religion too, wanted to feel and shout like the rest but could feel nothing,  There was a reformation among the different religious denominations in the neighborhood where I lived, and I became serious, and was desirous to know what Church to join. My father's family was proselyted to the Presbyterian faith, and four of them joined that church, namely--my mother Lucy; my brothers Hyrum and Samuel Harrison; and my sister Sophronia.  During this time of great excitement, my mind was called up to serious reflection and great uneasiness; but, though my feelings were deep and often poignant, still I kept myself aloof from all these parties, though I attended their several meetings as often as occasion would permit.  In process of time my mind became somewhat partial to the Methodist sect, and I felt some desire to be united with them; but so great were the confusion and strife among the different denominations, that it was impossible for a person young as I was, and so unacquainted with men and things, to come to any certain conclusion who was right and who was wrong.  My mind at times was greatly excited, the cry and tumult were so great and incessant.  The Presbyterians were most decided against the Baptists and Methodists, and used all the powers of both reason and sophistry to prove their errors, or, at least, to make the people think they were in error.  On the other hand, the Baptists and Methodists in their turn were equally zealous in endeavoring to establish their own tenets and disprove all others. 

In the midst of this war of words and tumult of opinions, I often said to myself, what is to be done?  Who of all these parties are right; or, are they all wrong together?  If any one of them be right, which is it, and how shall I know it? 

Personal Standing before God
I became convicted of my Sins and  by Searching the Scriptures
Mankind Astray
I found that mankind did not come unto the Lord but that they had apostatised from 
True Religion not Found
the true and liveing faith and there was no society or denomination that built upon the Gospel of Jesus Christ as recorded in the new testament and I felt to mourn for my own Sins and for the Sins of the world for I learned in the Scriptures that God was the same yesterday to day and forever that he was no respecter to persons for he was God for I looked upon the sun the glorious luminary of the earth and also the moon rolling in their magesty through the heavens and also the Stars  Shining in their courses and the earth also upon which I stood and the beast of the field and the fowls of heaven and the  fish of the waters and also man walking forth upon the face of the earth in magesty and in the Strength of beauty whose  power and intiligence in governing the things which are so exceding great and marvilous even in the likeness of him who created {him} [them] and when I considered upon these things my heart exclaimed well hath the wise man Said it is the  fool that Saith in his heart there is no God my heart exclained all all these bear testimony and bespeak an omnipotent  and omnipreasant power a being who makith Laws and decreeeth and bindeth all things in their bounds who filleth Eternity  who was and is and will be fron all Eternity to Eternity and      believing that if God had a church it would not be split up into factions, and that if he taught one society  to worship one way, and administer in one set of ordinances, he would not teach another principles which were  diametrically opposed. It also occurred to his mind that God was the author of but one doctrine, and therefore could acknowledge but one denomination as his church, and that such denomination must be a people who believe and teach that one doctrine,  (whatever it may be,) and build upon the same. 

He then reflected upon the immense number of doctrines, now in the  world, which had given rise to many hundreds of different denominations. The great question to be decided in his mind,  was--if any one of these denominations be the Church of Christ, which one is it? 

Until he could become satisfied in relations to this question, he could not rest contented  to trust to the decisions of fallible man, and build his hopes upon the same, without any certainty, and knowledge of his own, would not satisfy the anxious desires that pervaded his breast. To decide, without any positive and definite evidence, on which he could rely, upon a subject involving the future welfare of his soul, was revolting to his feelings.

He felt that there should be only one truth, and that those who would  understand it correctly, would understand it in the same manner. 

Nature had gifted him with a strong, discerning mind and  so he looked through the glass of soberness and good sense upon these religious systems which all were so different; but  nevertheless all drawn from the scripture of truth.   

After he had sufficiently assured himself to his own satisfaction that darkness was covering the earth, and gross darkness the minds of the people, he gave up hope ever to find a sect or party that was in the possession of the pure and  unadulterated truth.

Turns to the Bible
when I considered all these things and that [that] being Seeketh  such to worship him as worship him inspirit and in truth therefore  [which led me to Searching the Scriptures believeing as I was taught, that they contained the word of God thus applying myself to them] under a realizing sense (if the bible be true) ask and you shall receive, knock and it shall be opened, seek and you shall find, and again, Believing the word of God The only alternative, that seemed to be left him was to read the Scriptures, and  endeavor to follow their directions. He, accordingly commenced persuing the sacred pages of the Bible, with sincerity, believing the things that he read.  He accordingly commenced persuing the sacred pages of the Bible with sincerity, believing the things that he read.    opened his Bible of the first Passage that struck him was  While thinking of this matter, I opened the Testament promiscuously on these words,
James 1:5
if any man lack wisdom, let of God who giveth to all men liberally &  upbraideth not. Information was what I most desired at this time, and with a fixed determination to obtain it,  I had confidence in the declaration of James; "If any man lack wisdom  let him ask of God who giveth all men liberally and upbraideth not and it shall be given him," His mind soon caught hold of the following passage:--"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."-James 1:5. From this promise he learned, that it was the privilege of all men to ask God for wisdom, with the sure and certain expectation of receiving liberally; without being upbraided for so doing. This was cheering information to him; tidings that gave him great joy. It was like a light shinning forth in a dark place, to guide him to the path in which he should walk. He now saw that if he inquired  of God, there was not only a possibility, but a probability; yea, more, a certainty, that he should obtain a knowledge,  which, of all the doctrines, was the doctrine of Christ; and, which of all the churches, was the church of Christ. His mind soon caught hold of the following passage--"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."--James I:5. From this promise he learned that it  was the privilege of all men to ask God for wisdom, with the sure and certain expectation of receiving liberally, without being upbraided for so doing. And thus he started to send the burning desires of his soul with a faithful determination.  if any man lack wisdom let him ask of God who giveth to all men liberallity & upbraideth not.  in James, Ask of the Lord who giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not,  While I was laboring under the extreme difficulties caused by the contests of these parties of religionists, I was one day reading the Epistle of James, first chapter and fifth verse, which reads: 

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. 

Never did any passage of Scripture come with more power to the heart of man than this did at this time to mine.  It seemed to enter with great force into every feeling of my heart.  I reflected on it again and again, knowing that if any person needed wisdom from God, I did; for how to act I did not know and unless I could get more wisdom than I then had, I would never know; for the teachers of religion of the different sects understood the same passage of Scripture so differently as to destroy all confidence in settling the question by an appeal to the Bible.  At length I came to the conclusion that I must either remain in darkness and confusion, or else I must do as James directs, that is, ask of God.

Goes to Secluded Place 
I cried unto the Lord for mercy for there was none else  to whom I could go and {to} obtain mercy and  Being thus perplexed in mind I retired to the silent grove and I retired to a secret place in a  grove  He therefore, retired to a secret place in a grove, but a short distance from his father's house,  He, therefore, retired to a secret place, in a grove, but a short distance from his father's house, Went into the Wood to pray, kneels himself Down, I just determined I'd ask him. I immediately went out into the woods where my father had a clearing, and went to the stump where I had stuck my axe when I had quit work, and 
Begins to Pray
the Lord heard my cry in the wilderness and while in [the] attitude of calling upon the Lord in the 16(?)th year of my age  there bowed down before the Lord, I called on the Lord for the first time in the place above stated, or in other words,  and began to call upon the Lord, while fervently engaged in supplication and knelt down, and began to call upon the Lord. and knelt down and began to call upon the Lord. I kneeled down, and prayed, saying, O Lord, what Church shall I join? I at length came to the determination to "ask of God," concluding that if He gave wisdom to them that lacked wisdom, and would give liberally, and not upbraid, I might venture.  So, in accordance with this, my determination to Ask God, I retired to the woods to make the attempt.  It was on the morning of a beautiful, clear day, early in the spring of eighteen hundred and twenty.  It was the first time in my life that I had made such an attempt, for amidst all my anxieties I had never as yet made the attempt to pray vocally. 

After I had retired to the place where I had previously designed to go, having looked around me, and finding myself alone, I kneeled down and began to offer up the desires of my heart to God.

Evil Influence
I made a fruitless attempt to pray My tongue seemed to  be swoolen in my mouth, so that I could not utter, I heard a noise behind me like some one walking towards me. I strove again to pray, but could not; the noise of walking seemed to draw nearer, I sprang upon my feet and looked round, but  saw no person or thing that was calculated to produce the noise of walking. I kneeled again, my mouth was opened and my tongue loosed; I called on the Lord in mighty prayer.  At first, he was severely tempted by the powers of darkness, which endeavored to overcome him; but  he continued to seek for deliverance, until darkness gave way from his mind, and he was enabled to pray in feverency of  the spirit, and in faith. And while thus pouring out his soul, anxiously desiring an answer from God,  At first, he was severely tempted by the powers of darkness, which endeavoured to overcome him.  The adversary benighted his mind with doubts, and brought to his soul all kinds of improper pictures and tried to hinder him in his efforts and the accomplishment of his goal. However, the overflowing mercy of God came to buoy him up, and gave new impulse and momentum to his dwindling strength. Soon the dark clouds disappeared, and light and peace filled his troubled heart. And again he called upon the Lord with renewed faith and spiritual strength.  his tongue was closet cleaveh to his  roof--could utter not a word, felt easier after awhile-- I had scarcely done so, when immediately I was seized upon by some power which entirely overcame me, and had such an astonishing influence over me as to bind my tongue so that I could not speak.  Thick darkness gathered around me, and it seemed to me for a time as if I were doomed to sudden destruction.  But, exerting all my powers to call upon God to deliver me out of the power of this enemy which had seized upon me, and at the very moment when I was ready to sink into despair and abandon myself to destruction--not to an imaginary ruin, but to the power of some actual being from the unseen world, who had such marvelous power as I had never before felt in any being
A Light
a pillar of  light above the brightness of the Sun at noon day come down from above and rested upon me and I was filld with the Spirit of God and A pillar of fire appeared above my head; which presently rested down upon me, and filled me with un- speakable joy.  he at length, saw a very bright and glorious light in the heavens above; which, at first, seemed to be a considerable distance. He continued praying,  while the light appeared to be gradually descending towards him; and as it drew nearer, it increased in brightness and magnitude, so that, by the time that it reached the tops of the trees, the whole wilderness, for some distance around was  illuminated in a most glorious and brilliant manner. He expected to have seen the leaves and boughs of the trees consumed,  as soon as the light came in contact with them; but perceiving that it did not produce that effect, he was encouraged with the hope of being able to endure its presence. It continued descending slowly, until it rested upon the earth, and he was enveloped in the midst of it. When it first came upon him, it produced a peculiar sensation throughout his whole system; and  saw a fire toward heaven came near and nearer;  Directly I saw a light, --just at this moment of great alarm, I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me. 

It no sooner appeared than I found myself delivered from the enemy which held me bound.

A Vision Opens -Mind Caught Away
my mind was taken away from the objects with which I was surrounded, and I was enwrapped in a heavenly vision  immediately, his mind was caught away, from the natural objects with which he was surrounded; and he was enwapped in a heavenly vision,  At this sacred moment his mind was caught away from the natural objects with which he was surrounded, and he was enwrapped in a heavenly vision,
A Person (God) Appears
the Lord opened the heavens upon me and  A personage appeared in the midst of this pillar of flame, which was spread all around and yet nothing consumed. saw a personage in  the fire, light complexion, blue eyes, a piece of white cloth Drawn over his shoulders his right arm bear and then a glorious personage in the light, 
Another Person (Jesus Christ) Appears
I Saw the Lord and Another personage soon appeared like unto the first:  after a while another  person came to the side of the first.  and then another personage, 
Compression of the Appearance

[note that including the previous phrase "the Lord opened the heavens upon me and" suggests that Joseph meant that the Father came and then "I Saw the Lord" (the Son)- the poor construction of the phrase leaves the meaning ambiguous - but the other accounts suggest that this is a reasonable interpretation]

and saw two glorious personages who exactly resembled each other in features, and likeness, surrounded with a brilliant light which eclipsed the sun at noon-day. and saw two glorious personages, who exactly resembled each other in their features or likeness. and saw two glorious personages, who exactly resembled each other in their features or likeness. When the light rested upon me I saw two personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. 
God Speaks
Mr. Smith then asked, must I join the Methodist Church. No, they are not my People, have gone astray There is none that Doeth good, not one, but this is my Beloved Son harken ye him, the fire drew nigher, Rested upon the tree, enveloped him    and the first personage said to the second, Behold my beloved Son, hear him.-- One of them spake unto me, calling me by name, and said--pointing to the other--   

"THIS IS MY BELOVED SON, HEAR HIM." 

Jesus Speaks -Forgiveness
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  he said unto me thy sins are forgiven thee. He testified also unto me that Jesus Christ is the son of God.  He was informed that his sins were forgiven. They told him that  his prayers had been answered, and that the Lord had decided to grant him a special blessing.
Many Angels
I saw many angels in this vision.
Join a Church? - No.
behold] the world lieth in sin {and} at this time and none doeth good no not one they have turned asside 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 acording to this ungodliness and to bring to pass that which hath been spoken by the mouth of the prophets and Apostles behold and lo I come quickly as it written of me in the cloud clothed in the glory of my Father They told me that all religious denominations were believing in incorrect doctrines, and that none of them was acknowledged of  God as his church and kingdom. And I was expressly commanded to "go not after them," at the same time  He was also informed upon the subjects, which had for some time previously agitated his mind, viz.--that all the religious denominations were believing in incorrect doctrines; and  consequently, that none of them was acknowledged of God, as his church and kingdom. And he was expressly  commanded, to go not after them;  He was told not to join any of the religious sects or any party, as they were all wrong in their doctrines and none of them was recognized by God as His Church and kingdom. [This account has the "first personage" being addressed with the question regarding joining a Church. -See above] I then addressed  this second person, saying, O Lord, what Church shall I join? He replied, "don't join any of them, they are all corrupt."  My object in going to inquire of the Lord was to know which of all the sects was right, that I might know which to join.  No sooner, therefore, did I get possession of myself, so as to be able to speak, than I asked the personages who stood above me in the light, which of all the sects was right--and which I should join.    I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong, and the personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in His sight: that those professors were all corrupt; that "they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; they teach for doctrines the commandments of men: having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof."  He again forbade me to join with any of them: and many other things did he say unto me, which I cannot write at this time. 
Gospel Will be Made Known to Joseph
receiving a  promise that the fulness of the gospel should at some future time be made known unto me. and he received a promise that the true doctrine--the fulness of the gospel, should, at some future time, be made known to him;  He received a promise that the true doctrine--the fulness of the gospel --should, at some future time, be made known to him; 
Visionary Experience Exhausting   
I endeavored to arise but felt uncomen feeble The vision then vanished, and when I came to myself, I was sprawling on my back and it was sometime before my strength returned.   When I came to myself again, I found myself lying on my back, looking up into heaven.  When the light had departed, I had no strength;
Vision Comforting to Joseph
and my Soul was filled with love and for many days I could rejoice with great joy and the Lord was with me after which, the vision withdrew, leaving his mind in a state of calmness and peace, indescribable. after which, the vision withdrew, leaving his mind in a state of calmness and peace 
indescribable. 
comforted
Went Home
got into the house When I went home and  but soon recovering in some degree, I went home. 
Conversation with mother
And as I leaned up to the fireplace, mother inquired what the matter was.  I replied, "Never mind, all is well--I am well enough off."  I then said to my mother,--I have learned for myself that Presbyterianism is not true."
Others do Not Believe Joseph
but could find none that would believe the hevenly  vision. . . .  told the  Methodist priest, said this was not a age for God to Reveal himself in Vision Revelation has ceased with the New Testament. told the people that I had a revelation, and that all the churches were corrupt, they persecuted me,  and they have persecuted me ever since.  It seems as though the adversary was aware, at a very early period of my life, that I was destined to prove a disturber and an annoyer of his kingdom; else why should the powers of darkness combine against me?  Why the opposition and persecution that arose against me, almost in my infancy?  Some few days after I had this vision, I happened to be in company with one of the Methodist preachers, who was very active in the before-mentioned religious excitement, and, conversing with him on the subject of religion, I took occasion to give him an account of the vision which I had had.  I was greatly surprised at his behavior; he treated my communication not only lightly, but with great contempt, saying, it was all of the devil, that there were no such things as visions or revelations in these days; that all such things had ceased with the Apostles, and that there would never be any more of them.  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. 

It caused me serious reflection then, and often has since, how very strange it was that an obscure boy, of a little over fourteen years of age, and one, too, who was doomed to the necessity of obtaining a scanty maintenance by his daily labor, should be thought a character of sufficient importance to attract the attention of the great ones of the most popular sects of the day, and in a manner to create in them a spirit of the most bitter persecution and reviling.  But strange or not, so it was, and it was often the cause of great sorrow to myself.  However, it was nevertheless a fact that I had beheld a vision.  I have thought since, that I felt much like Paul, when he made his defense before King Agrippa, and related the account of the vision he had when he saw a light, and heard a voice; but still there were but few who believed him; some said he was dishonest, others said he was mad; and he was ridiculed and reviled.  But all this did not destroy the reality of his vision.  He had seen a vision, he knew he had, and all the persecution under heaven could not make it otherwise; and though they should persecute him unto death, yet he knew, and would know to the last breath, that he had both seen a light, and heard a voice speaking unto him, and all the world could not make him think or believe otherwise.  So it was with me.  I had actually seen a light, and in the midst of that light I saw two personages, and they did in reality speak to me; and though I was hated and persecuted for saying that I had seen a vision, yet it was true; and while they were persecuting me, reviling me, and speaking all manner of evil against me falsely for so saying, I was led to say in my heart, Why persecute me for telling the truth?  I have actually seen a vision, and who am I that I can withstand God, or why does the world think to make me deny what I have actually seen?  For I had seen a vision; I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I could not deny it, neither dared I do it, at least I knew that by so doing I would offend God, and come under condemnation.

Note that the key portion of the 1832 account (the actual vision) is in Joseph Smith's own handwriting. We have already noted that Joseph's poor construction may account for what some perceive as this account not mentioning the Father. Further, the personal matters of his standing before God were less important for the public than the answer to his question about the issue of which church was right. In his more polished 1838 account Joseph expresses himself much more clearly in a streamlined "just the facts" testimony. On June 11, 1843, Levi Richards recorded that Joseph Smith gave such a "to the point" version of the experience:

Pres. J. Smith bore testimony to the same saying that when he was a youth he began to think about these things but could not find out which of all the sects were right he went into the grove & enquired of the Lord which of all the sects were right he received for answer that none of them were right, they were all wrong, & that the Everlasting Covenant was broken . . . [WJS, 215]

22. See Bushman, Beginnings, 58-59 for a recital of individuals with similar vision claims. Joseph's experience was perhaps treated with contempt not because of its unusual nature, but because it was similar to others of the time. Mainstream clergy had taken to putting down such experiences in an effort to keep the notions from spreading, especially since these experiences sometimes put forth the idea that all sects were "corrupt."

23. Joseph Smith's sisters, Sophronia, Catharine and Lucy, all became believers in his visions.

Sophronia Smith, b.1803 at Tunbridge, Vermont. Married Calvin W. Stoddard at Palmyra, New York, 1828. Two known daughters. After Calvin's death in 1836, Sophronia married William McCleary in 1838. She was numbered with the saints in Ohio, Missouri, and Illinois. Did not follow Brigham Young west. D. 1876 Illinois.

Katherine Smith, b.1813 Lebanon, Grafton County, New Hampshire. Married Wilkins Jenkins Salisbury, 1831. Parents of eight children. The family moved to Missouri in 1838, then to Illinois. After the death of her husband in 1856, she remained at Plymouth, Hancock County, Illinois. Although affiliated with the RLDS Church, she maintained contact with relatives and friends in Utah until her death. D. 1900.

Lucy Smith, b.1821, Palmyra, New York. Living with her parents during the migration of the Church from New York to Illinois. Married Arthur Millikin in 1840; parents of nine children. After her father's death, she and her husband cared for her mother seven years. Joined the RLDS Church in 1873. D. 1881 Illinois. [PJS 1:515-516]