View source for Accounts of Joseph Smith's First Vision

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*[[Joseph Smith's First Vision/First Vision accounts#Firsthand accounts|Firsthand accounts]]
*[[Joseph Smith's First Vision/First Vision accounts#Secondhand accounts|Secondhand accounts]]
*[[Joseph Smith's First Vision/First Vision accounts#Later accounts|Later accounts]]

There were four firsthand and five secondhand accounts of Joseph's vision published in Joseph's lifetime. A description of each account is available in [https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/site/accounts-of-the-first-vision "Accounts of Joseph Smith’s First Vision"], josephsmithpapers.org.

A brief summary of each is included below, along with a link to the original image and a transcription published by the Joseph Smith Papers Project.

==Firsthand accounts==
<small>Video published by Doctrine and Covenants Central.</small>
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<small>Video published by the Church History Department.</small>
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Joseph Smith recorded four accounts of the First Vision (either by himself or using a scribe):
* [https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/history-circa-summer-1832/1 1832], a journal entry recorded by Joseph Smith
* [https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/journal-1835-1836/24 1835], a journal entry recorded in Joseph Smith's official journal
** A lightly edited version of this journal entry appeared in the [https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/history-1834-1836/124 1835 JS history] prepared by Warren Parish
* [https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/history-circa-june-1839-circa-1841-draft-2/2 1838] (commonly known as [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/pgp/js-h/1?lang=eng Joseph Smith–History] in the Pearl of Great Price)
** Two other versions of this account were created in the [https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/history-circa-1841-draft-draft-3/2 1838–1841 draft history] and the [https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/history-circa-1841-fair-copy/2 1841 fair copy history] as Joseph's scribes were preparing the Church history (formerly known as ''History of the Church'', now known as the JS, History, 1838–1856). It was also published in two parts the ''Times and Seasons'', on [https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/times-and-seasons-15-march-1842/9 15 March 1842] and [https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/times-and-seasons-1-april-1842/14 1 April 1842] 
* [https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/church-history-1-march-1842/1 1842] (commonly known as the Wentworth Letter)
** A copy of this version appeared in an [https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/latter-day-saints-1844/1 1844 book] published by Daniel Rupp

==Secondhand accounts==
Contemporaries of Joseph Smith recorded five secondhand accounts of the First Vision.
* [https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/latter-day-saints-1844/1 1840, ''A(n) Interesting Account''], a pamphlet published by Apostle Orson Pratt
* [https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paperSummary/orson-hyde-ein-ruf-aus-der-wste-a-cry-out-of-the-wilderness-1842-extract-english-translation 1842, ''Ein Ruf aus der Wüste (A cry out of the wilderness)''], a pamphlet published by Apostle Orson Hyde ([https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paperSummary/orson-hyde-ein-ruf-aus-der-wste-1842-extract?p=3 original German also available])
* [https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paperSummary/levi-richards-journal-11-june-1843-extract 1843, journal entry by Levi Richards], recording his experience listening to Joseph tell about the First Vision
* [https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paperSummary/interview-21-august-1843-extract 1843, newspaper report by David Nye White] in the ''Pittsburgh Weekly Gazette'', including an interview White did with Joseph Smith
* [https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paperSummary/alexander-neibaur-journal-24-may-1844-extract 1844, journal entry by Alexander Neibaur], recording his experience listening to Joseph tell about the First Vision

==Later accounts==
In 1893, Charles Walker recorded [[Primary sources/Joseph Smith, Jr./First Vision accounts/1893 (Charles L. Walker account)|a late reminiscent account]] of hearing Joseph describe his vision.

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