The First Vision

Obviously at BYU you are required to take a certain amount of religion courses but I recently wrote about the first vision, a topic which really interested me as a convert! The idea the God put all of his work on a young boy truly amazes me so here is a little of what i wrote about! Again sorry my posts have been lengthy but these are just things that I truly care about! 

Many events have shaped Latter-day Saint’s history, but the first vision was undoubtedly the foundation of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This event was the turning point for religion and the restoration of Jesus Christ during the great Apostasy. Even though Joseph Smith was unsure about his religious path, he received an answer in the first vision that helped him establish the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and restore the true gospel on earth.

After the death of Jesus Christ and his Apostles, the world was in a state of darkness. Priesthood authority was lost and the truth of the gospel was taken from the earth, causing a “spiritual darkness.”  The prophet Amos stated “a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord.” This prophecy was true and those who wanted to follow Christ’s teachings, no longer had the ability to. Many people tried to preach a message of faith and get as many followers as they could, but all of them were missing something. Each new church that was being formed had bits and pieces of the gospel but none had it in fullness. This issue caused a young Joseph Smith to question each religion and also question which one he should join.

As a young boy, Joseph Smith was searching for complete truth in a single religion and looked towards heavenly father for guidance. He found that many of the churches already established had some truth but none of them were complete. Each religion was missing something. The young, 14 year old boy was “Concerned by his sins and unsure which spiritual path to follow, he sought guidance by attending meetings, reading scriptures, and praying.” It was important that Joseph got baptized into the church he knew brought complete truth to the world. Joseph didn’t know this yet, but him surviving typhoid fever not only blessed the Smith family, but also would soon bless the entire world. He survived an epidemic that “caused more than 3,000 deaths in the New England area.” Leading up to the first vision, Joseph kept an open mind and truly searched for guidance in every way he knew how.

Joseph kept reading the bible so he could have some clarity on what his religious path should be. As he read through the scriptures one day, he noticed a passage that said, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and unbraideth not: and it shall be given him.” This passage really made Joseph think about God and if he asked, would God give him an answer? In Joseph Smith’s encounter he says, “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.” And that is exactly what Joseph Smith did on the beautiful spring morning of 1820 in the grove near his house in Palmyra, New York. He knelt down and prayed for wisdom and guidance from the Lord and received revelation unlike he has ever experienced before. He speaks of the encounter and says “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.”  This was the adversary trying to destroy Joseph because he knew that great work was about to be done. 

What happened next was the first step in restoring The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Joseph then saw a pillar of light above his head, and descended until it fell upon him. Joseph Smith describes this experience saying, “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!.” After this Joseph asked which of the religions was right and which one he should join. The Lord answered by telling Joseph that none of the religions were the right one. The Lord said they each had some “form of godliness,” but they denied “the power thereof.” Joseph was also forgiven of his sins and told “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.” After this, Joseph was told more things that would help guide him in the direction to restore the church on the earth.

            Joseph Smith was chosen for a reason and Heavenly Father had a specific plan for him to bring the teachings of the true gospel back to earth. This first vision was just the start of many that Joseph would have in his lifetime. Although he was a young boy at the time, he understood his responsibility to spread the world and do the Lord’s work so that future generations could be blessed with the teachings from The Church of Jesus Christ  of Latter-day Saints.