This document discusses Joseph Smith's early life and experiences leading up to his First Vision. It provides background on his family's moves between Vermont, New Hampshire, and New York from 1805-1816. It then describes the religious revival in Palmyra, New York in the early 1800s. The document examines several first-hand accounts of Joseph Smith's First Vision from 1832-1844 that vary slightly in details but consistently involve God and Jesus Christ appearing to Joseph Smith when he was 14 years old. It discusses doctrines taught by the First Vision, such as the existence of God, that God answers prayers, and that there was an apostasy requiring restoration. The document emphasizes the importance of the First Vision in establishing

1. A Pillar of Light
in a World of
Darkness
The First Vision &
Joseph Smith Smith’’s Early Years
Cody B. LovelandCody Loveland

2. 2 Thessalonians 2:1 1-3
1 NOW we beseech you, brethren, by the coming
of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering
together unto him,
2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be
troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by
letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at
hand.
3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that
day shall not come, except there come a falling
away first.

3. Elder Thomas S. Monson
Ensign, May 1975, 15 15-17
““Crucified was the Lord,
slain were the apostles,
rejected was the truth. The
bright daylight of enlightenment
slipped away, and the
lengthening shadows of a
black night enshrouded the
earth.
One word and one word alone describes the
dismal state that prevailed: apostasy. apostasy.””

4. Roger Williams, ( c.1603 1603––1683)
““There is no regularly regularly-
constituted church on earth,
nor any person authorized to
administer any Church
ordinance: nor could there be
until, new apostles are sent by
the great Head of the Church,
for whose coming, [I am]
seeking." (from Picturesque America, or the
Land We Live In, William C. Bryant, ed. NY:
Appleton Co, 1872, v. 1, p. 502.)

5. Thomas Jefferson (1743 1743-1826)
““I trust with you that the
genuine and simple religion of
Jesus will one day be restored;
such as it was preached and
practiced by himself himself……I hope
that that day of restoration is to
come. come.”” (Thomas Jefferson to Francis A. van
der Kemp, July 9, 1820, The Thomas Jefferson
Papers Papers, http:// , memory.loc.gov/ammem/index.html html)

6. Elder Thomas S. Monson
Ensign, May 1975, 15 15-17
““Honest men with yearning hearts,
at the peril of their very lives,
attempted to establish points of
reference, that they might find the true
way. ... The reformers were like
pioneers blazing wilderness trails in a
desperate search for those lost points
of reference which, they felt, when
found would lead mankind back to the
truth Jesus taught.
John Wycliffe, ……Martin Luther, ……
John Huss Huss, , …… [Ulrich] Zwingli of
Switzerland, …… John Calvin, …… [and]
William Tyndale ……
Their deeds were heroic, their
contributions many, their sacrifices
great great——but they did not restore the
gospel of Jesus Christ. Christ.””

7. The Preparation of a Prophet
zzJoseph Smith, Jr., Born, 23 December 1805, Sharon, Vermont. (5(5ththof 11 Children of of Joseph Smith, Sr., & Lucy Mack)zzHis Father Joseph Smith, Sr. Was A Visionary Man.zz7 Visions, 18117 1811--18191819

8. Providential Placement
zz Moved 7 times in 14
years: (Tunbridge Tunbridge, Vermont;
, Royalton, Vermont; West
Lebanon, New Hampshire;
Salem, Massachusetts (with
Uncle); Norwich, Vermont;
Palmyra, New York &
Manchester, New York)
CHURCH HISTORY MAP 1CHURCH 1

9. West Lebanon, New Hampshire
zz7 Yrs Old, Typhoid Fever7 Fever zzComplications = 4 SurgeriesComplications Surgeries zzBone Infection: OsteomyelitisOsteomyelitis zzDr. Nathan Smith, Dartmouth Medical College in New Hampshire.

10. Move to Palmyra, New York
zz 1816 Move to Palmyra 1816 Move to Palmyra
zz 1818 Manchester, NY 1818 Manchester, NY
zz 100 Acre Farm, $800 100 Acre Farm, $800
zz 20 20’’ X 30 X 30’’ ““snug log snug log
house house””
zz Assassination Attempt Assassination Attempt

11. Palmyra Palmyra’’s Religious Revival
zz 4 Corners, 4 Churches 4 Corners, 4 Churches
(Methodist, Episcopalian, (Methodist, Episcopalian,
Presbyterian, & Baptist.) Presbyterian, & Baptist.)
zz 2nd nd Great Spiritual Great Spiritual
Awakening. Awakening.
zz Rev. George Lane Rev. George Lane

12. First Vision Accounts
zz 1832 Draft History
zz 1835 JS Journal
zz 1838 JS JS——H
zz 1840 Orson Pratt
zz 1842 Wentworth Letter
zz 1843 Pittsburg Gazette
zz 1844 Neibaur Journal
Kent P. Jackson, From Apostasy to Restoration[Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1996], 66 -79.) Milton V. Backman, Jr., Joseph Smith's First Vision: Confirming Evidences and Contemporary Accounts, [1980], 170. Dean C. Jessee, "Early Accounts of Joseph Smith's First Vision," BYU Studies,Vol. 9 (Spring, 1969), 277-278. James B. Allen, Improvement Era, April 1970, 4-13

13. Kent P. Jackson,
From Apostasy to Restoration 76 - 77.
zz ““The Prophet seems to have been selective
regarding what he made known of the sacred
event in his …… known accounts of the vision. We
have no idea, for example, how long it lasted,
and he wrote that the Lord told him "many other
things" that he was not at liberty to share with
others. …… We respect the confidentiality of what
the Lord has chosen not to make public and
acknowledge that we are greatly blessed to
learn all that he allowed his prophet to tell us. us.””

14. 1832 Draft History
zz Written by Joseph Smith, Frederick G.
Williams, scribe.
zz ““a pillar of light above the brightness of the
sun at noon day came down from above
and rested upon me, and I was filled with
the Spirit of God. God.””
zz ““my soul was filled with love, and for many
days I could rejoice with great joy joy””

15. 1835 Joseph Smith Journal
zz Related to Robert Mathews, ““Joshua the Jewish
Minister Minister””; or ; ““Matthias Matthias”” written by a scribe
Warren Parrish.
zz ““My tongue seemed to be swollen in my mouth,
so that I could not utter. I heard a noise behind
me like some person walking towards me. I
strove again to pray but could not. The noise of
walking seemed to draw nearer. I sprang up on
my feet and looked around but saw no person or
thing that was calculated to produce the noise of
walking. walking.””

16. 1835 Joseph Smith Journal
zz ““A pillar of fire appeared above my head. It
presently rested down upon me and filled
me with joy unspeakable. 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. first.””
zz ““I saw many angels in this vision. vision.””

17. 1840 Orson Pratt
zz 1st st published account written by Orson Pratt as a
missionary tract ““A Interesting Account of
Several Remarkable Visions, and of the Late
Discovery of Ancient American Records. Records.””
zz ““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.

18. 1840 Orson Pratt
zz 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. likeness.””

19. 1842 Wentworth Letter
zz John Wentworth, Chicago Democrat
zz ““Believing the word of God, I had
confidence in the declaration of James James””
zz ““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 noonday. noonday.””

20. 1843 Pittsburg Gazette
zz Pittsburg Weekly Gazette Gazette, "The Prairies,
, Nauvoo, Joe Smith, the Temple, the
Mormons, etc.," News Paper Article
zz ““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. work.””
zz ““Directly I saw a light, and then a glorious
personage in the light, and then another
personage. personage.””

21. 1844 Neibaur Journal
zz Alexander Neibaur Neibaur, German convert.
, Taught Joseph Smith German and
Hebrew.
zz ““saw fire towards heaven came near near……saw
a personage in the fire fire……blue eyes eyes……a
other person came to the side of the first first””

22. 1838 Joseph Smith Smith——History
zz ““It shows every indication
of having been written with
great care. It is the most
deliberate, the most
detailed, and the most
formal of the accounts. It
was first published in
Nauvoo, Illinois, in 1842
and is now included in the
Pearl of Great Price. Thus
it is the only account that
has been canonized as
scripture. scripture.”” (Jackson, 71)

23. Doctrines Taught By First Vision
zz God Exists
zz God answers prayers
zz God knows us by name
zz God has glory
zz God has a body (form)
zz We are created in His
image
zz Christ is the Son of God
zz 2 Separate Beings

24. Doctrines Taught By First Vision
zz Scriptures lead to
revelation
zz Man can see God
zz Christ is our Advocate
zz Christ is the Word
zz Satan is real
zz God has power of Satan
zz There was an apostasy
zz God cares where you go
to Church

25. Receiving Our Own Answers
zz ““Serious reflection reflection”” vs. 8
zz ““Feelings were deep deep”” ““Poignant Poignant”” vs. 8
zz ““In process of time time”” vs. 8
zz ““Desire Desire”” vs. 8
zz ““What is to be done? done?”” vs. 10
zz ““Laboring Laboring”” vs. 11
zz ““Reading Reading”” vs. 11

26. Receiving Our Own Answers
zz ““Reflected [ponder] ponder]”” vs. 12
zz ““Ask of God God”” vs. 14
zz ““Pray vocally vocally”” vs. 14
zz ““Kneeled down down”” vs. 15
zz ““Exerting all my powers powers”” vs. 16
zz ““I was answered answered”” vs. 19
zz ““I have learned for myself myself”” vs. 20

27. President J. Reuben Clark, Jr.
The Charted Course of the Church in Education, p. 1 1-3
zz2 Prime Things2 Things zzFirstFirst——that Jesus Christ is the Son of GodSon God zzSecondSecond……the Father and the Son actually and in truth and very deed appeared to the Prophet Joseph in a vision.zz““Any individual who does not accept the fulness of these doctrines as to Jesus of Nazareth or as to the restoration of the gospel and holy priesthood is not a Lattera Latter--day Saint.Saint.””

28. President Gordon B. Hinckley
Church News News, Oct. 28, 1995 , p,7
““I wish all of you today would sit down with your family sometime and read those words again, that testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith, stated with simplicity, with honesty. Then ask the Lord to put it into your hearts and give you the privilege of a testimony of its truth. And whenever you have any doubt of any practice of this Church, you can reflect on that. If that opening of the curtain of light and knowledge which ushered in this the dispensation of the fulness of times is true then all else which the Prophet taught is true also.''