View source for Multiple accounts of the First Vision

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{{Epigraph|I am not worried that the Prophet Joseph Smith gave a number of versions of the first vision anymore than I am worried that there are four different writers of the gospels in the New Testament, each with his own perceptions, each telling the events to meet his own purpose for writing at the time. I am more concerned with the fact that God has revealed in this dispensation a great and marvelous and beautiful plan that motivates men and women to love their Creator and their Redeemer, to appreciate and serve one another, to walk in faith on the road that leads to immortality and eternal life.<br>
&mdash;Gordon B. Hinckley, “God Hath Not Given Us the Spirit of Fear,” ''Ensign'', Oct 1984, 2 {{link|url=http://www.lds.org/ensign/1984/10/god-hath-not-given-us-the-spirit-of-fear?lang=eng}}
}}
{{parabreak}}
{{Epigraph|Critics of Mormonism have delighted in the discrepancies between the canonical [1838 PGP] account and earlier renditions, especially one written in Smith's own hand in 1832.  For example, in the 1832 version, Jesus appears to Smith alone, and does all the talking himself.   Such complaints, however, are much ado about relatively nothing. Any good lawyer (or historian) would expect to find contradictions or competing narratives written down years apart and decades after the event. And despite the contradictions, key elements abide.  In each case, Jesus appears to Smith in a vision.  In each case, Smith is blessed with a revelation.  In each case, God tells him to remain aloof from all Christian denominations, as something better is in store.<br><br>&mdash;Stephen Prothero, ''American Jesus: How the Son of God Became a National Icon'' (New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2003), 171.
}}
{{parabreak}}

=What are the criticisms related to Joseph Smith's accounts of the First Vision?=

==Why did Joseph wait 12 years to record his First Vision?==
President Dallin H. Oaks explained, "As a boy, Joseph Smith had not [kept a record]. His formal education was limited, paper was expensive and it was not customary for poor farm boys in the United States to keep journals. That is why we lack contemporaneous accounts of his earliest visions."<ref>Dallin H. Oaks, [https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/new-biography-the-prophet-joseph-smith "First Presidency Commissions New Biography of the Prophet Joseph Smith,"] Newsroom.ChurchofJesusChrist.org, 15 September 2023.</ref>

==Joseph Smith gave several accounts of the First Vision that include different details==
*Some charge that differences in the accounts show that he changed and embellished his story over time, and that he therefore had no such vision.<ref>{{CriticalWork:Abanes:Becoming Gods|pages=29&ndash;36}}; Isaiah Bennett, ''Inside Mormonism: What Mormons Really Believe'' (Catholic Answers: 1999); {{CriticalWork:Brodie:No Man Knows|pages=24&ndash;25}}; {{CriticalWork:Dehlin:Why People Leave the LDS Church:2008}}; {{CriticalWork:Palmer:Insider|pages=Chapter 8}}; {{CriticalWork:Tanner:Case Against|pages=1:120&ndash;128}}; {{CriticalWork:Tanner:Changing World|pages=Chapter 6}}; {{SearchForTheTruthDVD}}; {{50Questions}}</ref>
*It is claimed by some that the Church has not discussed these accounts in official Church publications.
*One critic of the Church states, "I learned that Joseph Smith provided multiple and varying accounts of his first vision story, and that some of these accounts (e.g., his descriptions of the Godhead) seemed to evolve over time to correspond with his own changing beliefs." <ref>{{CriticalWork:Dehlin:Questions and Answers:25 June 2014}}</ref>

==Joseph tailored the story and details included of his vision based upon his audience==

Joseph adjusted and emphasized certain portions of his narrative of the First Vision to account for his audience, as well as to incorporate his evolving understanding of Church doctrine. This is not unusual:

<blockquote>
We often edit or entirely rewrite our previous experiences—unknowingly and unconsciously—in light of what we now know or believe. The result can be a skewed rendering of a specific incident, or even of an extended period in our lives, that says more about how we feel now than what happened then. Thus, without knowing it, we can modify our own history.” <ref>Seema L. Clifasfi, Maryanne Garry, and Elizabeth Loftus, “Setting the Record (or Video Camera) Straight on Memory and Other Memory Myths,” in ''Tall Tales about the Mind and Brain: Separating Fact from Fiction'', edited by Sergio Della Sala (New York: Oxford University Press, 2007), 61; cited in Gardner, Gift and Power, 119n1.</ref>
</blockquote>

==The Church has published information about the various First Vision accounts since at least 1970==
The Church has published information about the various First Vision accounts since at least 1970. Critics of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints often seek to point out differences between the various accounts which Joseph Smith gave of his First Vision. In defense of their position that the Prophet changed his story over a six year period (1832 to 1838) they claim that the earliest followers of Joseph Smith either didn’t know about the First Vision, or seem to have been confused about it. The Church, however, has discussed the various accounts in a number of publications. Joseph Smith's various accounts of the First Vision were targeted at different audiences, and had different purposes. They, however, show a remarkable degree of harmony between them. There is no evidence that the early leaders of the LDS Church did not understand that the Prophet saw two Divine Personages during his inaugural theophany.

[[File:First Vision Accounts ldsnet graphic.jpg|thumb|600px|center|A graphical comparison of the details of Joseph Smith's accounts of the First Vision. Image courtesy of LDS.net. Original may be viewed at LDS.net page "Why Are There Differences Between Joseph Smith’s 4 First Vision Accounts?" {{link|url=http://lds.net/blog/faith/defending-the-faith/mormon-history/why-are-there-differences-between-joseph-smiths-4-first-vision-accounts/}}]]
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{{FMEBar
|category=First_Vision/Accounts
|subject=More evidence related to the First Vision accounts
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{{PerspectivesBar
|link=http://www.fairmormon.org/fair-conferences/2011-fair-conference/2011-four-accounts-and-three-critiques-of-joseph-smiths-first-vision
|author=Steven C. Harper
|authorlink=http://www.fairmormon.org/perspectives/authors/harper-steven
|title=Four Accounts and Three Critiques of Joseph Smith’s First Vision
|publication=Proceedings of the 2011 FAIR Conference
|date=August 2011
|summary=There are essentially three arguments against the first vision. The minister to whom Joseph reported the event announced that there were no such things these days. More than a century later Fawn Brodie wrote with literary grace to mask historical deficiencies that Joseph concocted the vision years after he said it happened. Then a generation later Wesley Walters charged Joseph with inventing revivalism when a lack of historical evidence proved that there was none, and therefore no subsequent vision as a result. So by now it has become a foregone conclusion for some there are no such things as visions, and Joseph failed to mention his experience for years and then gave conflicting accounts that didn’t match historical facts.
}}

=Richard J. Maynes: "Joseph wrote or dictated four known accounts of his First Vision"=
[[File:Maynes.first.vision.1 may 2016.jpg|thumb|center|400px|Elder Richard J. Maynes speaking at the Worldwide YSA Devotional held in the Salt Lake Tabernacle on 1 May 2016. https://www.lds.org/broadcasts/watch/worldwide-devotional/2016/05?lang=eng Image from LDS.org]]
Elder Richard J. Maynes, Presidency of the Seventy, at the [https://www.lds.org/broadcasts/watch/worldwide-devotional/2016/05?lang=eng Worldwide Young Adult Devotional] held 1 May 2016 in the Salt Lake Tabernacle:
<blockquote>
Let me share with you some historical context leading up to Joseph Smith's First Vision...Joseph wrote or dictated four known accounts of his First Vision. Additionally, his contemporaries recorded their memories of what they heard Joseph say about the vision; five such accounts are known. It is a blessing to have these records. They make Joseph’s First Vision the best-documented vision in history. I encourage you to visit history.lds.org to learn more about the accounts and see how they work together to paint a more complete picture...Like the individual New Testament Gospels that together more completely describe Christ’s life and ministry, each one of the accounts describing Joseph’s First Vision adds unique detail and perspective to the total experience. They together tell Joseph’s consistent, harmonious story. They all emphasize that there was confusion and strife among Christian churches, that Joseph desired to know which — if any — was right, that he searched the scriptures and prayed, that a light descended from heaven, and that divine beings appeared and answered his prayer.{{read more|url=https://www.lds.org/broadcasts/watch/worldwide-devotional/2016/05?lang=eng}} <ref>Elder Richard J. Maynes, [https://www.lds.org/broadcasts/watch/worldwide-devotional/2016/05?lang=eng "Worldwide Young Adult Devotional,"] (1 May 2016).</ref>
</blockquote>

=Gospel Topics: "The various accounts of the First Vision tell a consistent story, though naturally they differ in emphasis and detail"=
Gospel Topics on LDS.org: 
<blockquote>
The various accounts of the First Vision tell a consistent story, though naturally they differ in emphasis and detail. Historians expect that when an individual retells an experience in multiple settings to different audiences over many years, each account will emphasize various aspects of the experience and contain unique details. Indeed, differences similar to those in the First Vision accounts exist in the multiple scriptural accounts of Paul’s vision on the road to Damascus and the Apostles’ experience on the Mount of Transfiguration.3 Yet despite the differences, a basic consistency remains across all the accounts of the First Vision. Some have mistakenly argued that any variation in the retelling of the story is evidence of fabrication. To the contrary, the rich historical record enables us to learn more about this remarkable event than we could if it were less well documented. <ref>[http://www.lds.org/topics/first-vision-accounts?lang=eng "First Vision Accounts,"] Gospel Topics on LDS.org</ref>{{read more|url=http://www.lds.org/topics/first-vision-accounts?lang=eng}}
</blockquote>

=Seminary Manual (2013): "Joseph Smith emphasized different aspects of his vision in his multiple accounts"=
''Doctrine and Covenants and Church History Seminary Teacher Manual'' (2013), LESSON 6: Joseph Smith—History 1:1–20:
<blockquote>
Just as	Joseph Smith emphasized different aspects of his vision	in his multiple	accounts, the Apostle Paul emphasized different aspects of his vision of the Savior to different audiences (see Acts 9:1–9; Acts 22:5–11; Acts 26:12–20). Why do you think Joseph Smith and Paul emphasized different things each time they related the accounts of their visions? <ref>[http://www.lds.org/bc/content/shared/content/english/pdf/language-materials/10590_eng.pdf?lang=eng "LESSON 6: Joseph Smith—History 1:1–20,"] ''Doctrine and Covenants and Church History Seminary Teacher Manual'' (2013) 20.</ref>
</blockquote>

=Backman (1985): "On at least four different occasions, Joseph Smith either wrote or dictated to scribes accounts of his sacred experience of 1820"=
Milton V. Backman, ''Ensign'' (January 1985):
<blockquote>
On at least four different occasions, Joseph Smith either wrote or dictated to scribes accounts of his sacred experience of 1820. Possibly he penned or dictated other histories of the First Vision; if so, they have not been located. The four surviving recitals of this theophany were prepared or rendered through different scribes, at different times, from a different perspective, for different purposes and to different audiences.1 It is not surprising, therefore, that each of them emphasizes different aspects of his experience.<ref>Milton V. Backman, [https://www.lds.org/ensign/1985/01/joseph-smiths-recitals-of-the-first-vision?lang=eng "Joseph Smith's Recitals of the First Vision,"] ''Ensign'' (January 1985).</ref>
</blockquote>

=Allen (1970): "the Prophet described his experience to friends and acquaintances at least as early as 1831-32...he continued to do so in varying detail until the year of his death"=
James B. Allen, ''Improvement Era'' (April 1970):
<blockquote>
Nevertheless, it can now be demonstrated that the Prophet described his experience to friends and acquaintances at least as early as 1831-32, and that he continued to do so in varying detail until the year of his death, 1844. We presently know of at least eight contemporary documents that were written during his lifetime.<ref>James B. Allen, [https://archive.org/details/improvementera7304unse "Eight Contemporary Accounts of Joseph Smith's First Vision - What Do We Learn from Them?,"] ''Improvement Era'' (April 1970): 4-13.</ref>
</blockquote>

=Neuenschwander (2009): "Joseph's vision was at first an intensely personal experience...it became the founding revelation of the Restoration"=
Dennis B. Neuenschwander, ''Ensign'' (January 2009):
<blockquote>
Joseph's vision was at first an intensely personal experience&mdash;an answer to a specific question. Over time, however, illuminated by additional experience and instruction, it became the founding revelation of the Restoration. <ref>Dennis B. Neuenschwander, [http://www.lds.org/ensign/2009/01/joseph-smith-an-apostle-of-jesus-christ?lang=eng "Joseph Smith: An Apostle of Jesus Christ]," ''Ensign'' (January 2009): 16-22.</ref>
</blockquote>

=Gordon B. Hinckley (1984): "I am not worried that the Prophet Joseph Smith gave a number of versions of the first vision"=
Gordon B. Hinckley, ''Ensign'' (October 1984):
<blockquote>
I am not worried that the Prophet Joseph Smith gave a number of versions of the first vision anymore than I am worried that there are four different writers of the gospels in the New Testament, each with his own perceptions, each telling the events to meet his own purpose for writing at the time. I am more concerned with the fact that God has revealed in this dispensation a great and marvelous and beautiful plan that motivates men and women to love their Creator and their Redeemer, to appreciate and serve one another, to walk in faith on the road that leads to immortality and eternal life.<ref>Gordon B. Hinckley, [http://www.lds.org/ensign/1984/10/god-hath-not-given-us-the-spirit-of-fear?lang=eng “God Hath Not Given Us the Spirit of Fear,”] ''Ensign'' (October 1984): 2.</ref>
</blockquote>

=Prothero (2003): "in the 1832 version, Jesus appears to Smith alone, and does all the talking himself. Such complaints, however, are much ado about relatively nothing"=
Stephen Prothero, ''American Jesus: How the Son of God Became a National Icon'' (2003):
<blockquote>
Critics of Mormonism have delighted in the discrepancies between the canonical [1838 PGP] account and earlier renditions, especially one written in Smith's own hand in 1832. For example, in the 1832 version, Jesus appears to Smith alone, and does all the talking himself. Such complaints, however, are much ado about relatively nothing. Any good lawyer (or historian) would expect to find contradictions or competing narratives written down years apart and decades after the event. And despite the contradictions, key elements abide. In each case, Jesus appears to Smith in a vision.  In each case, Smith is blessed with a revelation.  In each case, God tells him to remain aloof from all Christian denominations, as something better is in store.<ref>Stephen Prothero, ''American Jesus: How the Son of God Became a National Icon'' (New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2003), 171.</ref>
</blockquote>

=Did the details of Joseph’s First Vision experience appear to have changed when communicating to his followers such that the elders of the Church did not know that Joseph saw two personages?=
==Early Church leaders sometimes mentioned the word "angel" in relation to the First Vision==
The following quotes are often used to support the assertion that Church leaders did not understand the nature of the First Vision:

#Brigham Young  “The Lord did not come with the armies of heaven ... but He did send his angel to this same obscure person, Joseph Smith jun., who afterwards became a Prophet, Seer, and Revelator, and informed him that he should not join any of the religious sects of the day, for they were all wrong.” ({{JDfairwiki|vol=2|disc=31|date=1855|start=171|author=Brigham Young}})
#Wilford Woodruff  “The same organization and Gospel that Christ died for ... is again established in this generation. How did it come? By the ministering of an holy angel from God, out of heaven, who held converse with man, and revealed unto him the darkness that enveloped the world ... He told him the Gospel was not among men, and that there was not a true organization of His kingdom in the world ... Joseph was strengthened by the Spirit and power of God, and was enabled to listen to the teachings of the angel. ... The man to whom the angel appeared obeyed the Gospel.” (Journal of Discourses, vol.2, 1855, pp.196-197)  
#George A. Smith  “He [Joseph Smith] went humbly before the Lord and inquired of Him, and the Lord answered his prayer, and revealed to Joseph, by the ministration of angels, the true condition of the religious world. When the holy angel appeared, Joseph inquired which of all these denominations was right and which he should join, and was told they were all wrong.” ({{JDfairwiki|author=George A. Smith|date=1863|vol=12|disc=63|start=334}})
#John Taylor  “How was it, and which was right? None of them was right, just as it was when the Prophet Joseph asked the angel which of the sects was right that he might join it. The answer was that none of them are right. What, none of them? No. We will not stop to argue that question; the angel merely told him to join none of them that none of them were right.” (Journal of Discourses, 1879, vol.20, pp.158-171)

==Critics of the Church use a quote from Brigham Young to demonstrate that he was unfamiliar with the First Vision: "The Lord did not come...But he did send His angel"==

Brigham's full quote, including the portions removed by the critics:
<blockquote>
The Lord did not come with the armies of heaven, in power and great glory, nor send His messengers panoplied with aught else than the truth of heaven, to communicate to the meek, the lowly, the youth of humble origin, the sincere enquirer after the knowlege of God. But He did send His angel to this same obscure person, Joseph Smith jun., who afterwards became a Prophet, Seer, and Revelator, and informed him that he should not join any of the religious sects of the day, for they were all wrong; that they were following the precepts of men instead of the Lord Jesus; that He had a work for him to perform, inasmuch as he should prove faithful before Him.<ref>{{JDfairwiki|vol=2|disc=31|date=1855|start=171}}</ref>
</blockquote>

==The critics ignore a quote where Brigham actually ''did'' state the that Lord "called upon" Joseph Smith at age 14==

Brigham Young:
<blockquote>
The Lord chose Joseph Smith, called upon him at fourteen years of age, gave him visions, and led him along, guided and directed him in his obscurity until he brought forth the plates and translated them, and Martin Harris was prevailed upon to sustain the printing of the Book of Mormon. All this was done in the depths of poverty, obscurity, and weakness. <ref>{{JDfairwiki|author=Brigham Young|vol=8|disc=86|start=354|date=3 March 1861}}.</ref>
</blockquote>

{{SeeAlso|Events after the First Vision#What did Brigham Young say that leads one to believe that he denied the First Vision?|l1=Did Brigham Young deny the First Vision?}} 

==Critics of the Church use a quote from John Taylor as evidence that he wasn't familiar with the First Vision: "When the Prophet Joseph asked the angel which of the sects was right"==
<blockquote>
None of them was right, just as it was when the Prophet Joseph asked the angel which of the sects was right that he might join it. The answer was that none of them are right.<ref>{{JDfairwiki|author=John Taylor|vol=20|disc=19|start=167|date=2 March 1879}}</ref>
</blockquote>

==The critics ignore this quote from John Taylor that was made the very same day in another discourse: "When the Father and the Son and Moroni and others came to Joseph Smith"==
<blockquote>
 When the Father and the Son and Moroni and others came to Joseph Smith, he had a priesthood conferred upon him which he conferred upon others for the purpose of manifesting the laws of life...
<ref>{{JDfairwiki|author=John Taylor|vol=20|disc=33|start=257|date=2 March 1879}}</ref>
</blockquote>

Notice how one refers to an "angel" and the other refers to "the Father and the Son." Taylor was clearly aware of the details of the First Vision. This also demonstrates how early Church leaders used the term "angel" to represent the personages that Joseph saw, even at the same time that they recognized that these personages were the Father and the Son.

=Does Doctrine and Covenants 84 say that one cannot see God without holding the priesthood?=
==This argument is fatally flawed by an improper interpretation of D&C 84:21-22 and also by not taking into account additional texts that were produced by Joseph Smith==

Joseph Smith claimed that he saw God in 1820 and also claimed that he received the priesthood in 1829. However, in a text which he produced in 1832 ({{s||D&C|84|21-22}}) it is said that a person cannot see God without holding the priesthood. Some have misinterpreted section 84 of the Doctrine and Covenants in an effort to destroy the testimony of Joseph Smith with regard to the reality of the First Vision. Their effort fails when the text is seen in its proper context and then compared with other writings that were prepared by the Prophet.

When D&C 84:21-22 is analyzed in context then an interpretation emerges that does not support the one proposed by the Prophet's critics. The relevant words read: 

<blockquote>
19 "And this greater [i.e., Melchizedek] priesthood administereth the gospel and holdeth the key of the mysteries of the kingdom, even the key of the knowledge of God. 

20 Therefore, in the ordinances thereof, '''the power of godliness''' is manifest. 

21 And without the ordinances thereof, and the authority of the priesthood, '''the power of godliness''' is not manifest unto men in the flesh; 

22 For without '''this''' no man can see the face of God, even the Father, and live."
</blockquote>

==The word "this" in verse 22 does not refer to the Melchizedek Priesthood, but rather to "the power of godliness"==

The word "this" in verse 22 does not refer to the Melchizedek Priesthood, but rather to "the power of godliness." <ref>{{Book:Robinson Garret:Commentary on the D&C:3|pages=32-33}}</ref> One of the ordinances of the Melchizedek Priesthood is the bestowal of the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands (see {{s||D&C|49|14}}). As the Lord explained in an 1831 revelation, "no man has seen God at any time in the flesh, except quickened by the Spirit of God" ({{s||D&C|67|11}}). 

==Moses was transfigured in order that he could see God and endure his presence==

An example of this happening is seen in the ''Pearl of Great Price'' where it is recorded that Moses "saw God face to face, and he talked with Him, and the glory of God was upon Moses; therefore Moses could endure His presence" ({{s||Moses|1|2}}). Moses confirmed that it was because he was transfigured by the glory of God that he did not die when he saw the Lord's face while in mortality (see {{s||Moses|1|11}}). The Lord verified to Moses in yet another text that sinful mortals cannot see His face and live (see [http://scriptures.lds.org/en/jst/16 JST Exodus 33:20]). 

==Joseph Smith recorded that he was "filled with the Spirit of God" during the First Vision==

This brings us to the case of Joseph Smith in 1820. In the earliest known account of this heavenly manifestation (written in 1832 - the same year as D&C 84) the Prophet made note of the fact that when the experience began a pillar of fire rested down upon him and he was "filled with the Spirit of God." Once the heavens were opened the Savior appeared and said, "Joseph, my son, thy sins are forgiven thee." The Redeemer tied these elements together in a Book of Mormon passage where He informed a multitude of His disciples that certain persons would be "visited with '''fire''' and with '''the Holy Ghost''', and shall receive a '''remission of their sins''' ({{s|3|Nephi|12|2}}). Since the Prophet's experience followed the same pattern, it is reasonable to believe that this is what happened to him in the Sacred Grove.

There are two further pieces of evidence pointing to the conclusion that Joseph Smith was transfigured during the First Vision event. First, there is Orson Pratt's 1840 recounting of the incident wherein he relates that the pillar of fire or light "continued descending slowly, until it rested upon the earth, and [Joseph Smith] was enveloped in the midst of it. When it first came upon him, it produced a peculiar sensation throughout his whole system." <ref>{{Book:Pratt:An Interesting Account of Several Remarkable Visions|pages=5}}</ref> Joseph noticed that there was some sort of change wrought upon his body and it was of an extraordinary nature&mdash;something he was apparently not accustomed to. Second, we find a parallel between what happened to Moses after his transfiguration and that which happened to young Joseph after his theophany ended. In Moses chapter 1 we read: 

<blockquote>
9 "And the presence of God withdrew from Moses, that His glory was not upon Moses; and Moses was left unto himself. And as he was left unto himself, he fell unto the earth. [10] And it came to pass that it was for the space of many hours before Moses did again receive his natural strength like unto man."({{s||Moses|1|9-10}})
</blockquote>

==In the Charles Walker account of the First Vision, it is indicated that Jesus touched Joseph's eyes in order for him to be able to see him==

''Diary of Charles Lowell Walker'', as told by John Alger:
<blockquote>
2nd Feb Thurs [1893] Cold and chilly. Attended Fast Meeting.... Br John Alger said while speaking of the Prophet Joseph, that when he, John, was a small boy he heard the Prophet Joseph relate his vision of seeing The Father and the Son, That God touched his eyes with his finger and said “Jospeh this is my beloved Son hear him.” As soon as the Lord had touched his eyes with his finger he immediately saw the Savior. After meeting, a few of us questioned him about the matter and he told us at the bottom of the meeting house steps that he was in the House of Father Smith in Kirtland when Joseph made this declaration, and that Joseph while speaking of it put his finger to his right eye, suiting the action with the words so as to illustrate and at the same time impress the occurence on the minds of those unto whom He was speaking. We enjoyed the conversation very much, as it was something that we had never seen in church history or heard of before.<ref>Karl Larson and Katharine Miles Larson, eds., ''Diary of Charles Lowell Walker'' (Logan, UT: Utah State University Press, 1980), 2:755–56 [recorded 2 February 1893]</ref>
</blockquote>

==In three of the Prophet's retellings of the First Vision story he mentions that he too lost his strength and fell to the earth==

;1838 Main Text and Note B
:"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 recover[ed] in some degree."

;1843 David N. White Interview
:"when I came to myself, I was sprawling on my back and it was some time before my strength returned."

;1844 Alexander Neibaur Diary
:"I endeavored to arise but felt uncom[monly] feeble."

==Some early Christian authors saw things in the same way as Joseph==

For example, in an early Christian document called the ''Clementine Homilies'' the apostle Peter is portrayed as agreeing:
<blockquote>
For I maintain that the eyes of mortals cannot see the incorporeal form of the Father or Son, because it is illumined by exceeding great light. . . . For he who sees God cannot live. For the excess of light dissolves the flesh of him who sees; unless by the secret power of God the flesh be changed into the nature of light, so that it can see light.<ref>{{Anf1|author=Apostle Peter (claimed)|article=Clementine Homilies|citation=17:16|vol=8|start=322|end=323}}</ref>
</blockquote>

{{Critical sources box:Joseph Smith's First Vision/Doctrine and Covenants 84 says God not seen without priesthood/CriticalSources}}<!--Leaving two spaces keeps elements from smushing against each other-->


=Did God tell Joseph Smith that all of the churches of the day were an "abomination"?=
==Joseph did not claim that the ''churches'' of the day were "an abomination." He was told that their ''creeds'' were an abomination==
One critic claims,
<blockquote>
According to Mormon scripture, the founder of your church (Joseph Smith) was told by God in 1820 that all the churches of the day were "an abomination."
</blockquote>

Joseph did not claim that the ''churches'' of the day were "an abomination." He was told that their ''creeds'' were an abomination. According to Joseph Smith's history, he was told the following by Jesus Christ during the First Vision:
<blockquote>
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.” 
</blockquote>

{{Critical sources box:Joseph Smith's First Vision/Were all the churches of the day claimed to be "an abomination"/CriticalSources}}<!--Leaving two spaces keeps elements from smushing against each other-->


=Did Joseph Smith change his stated motivation for praying in later years after he received the First Vision?=
==The story elements of the vision remain steady over time==
The assertion that Joseph Smith's motivation for prayer changes in later accounts of the First Vision event does not pass the test of close examination. The evidence shows, rather, that the story elements remain steady over time. Joseph's motivations for praying are not, as one critic puts it "all over the place." He had two motivations: forgiveness of sins, and a desire to know which church was right.
*'''1832 Account'''&mdash;<br>my intimate <span style="color:blue">acquaintance with those of different denominations, led me to marvel exceedingly. For I discovered that they did not adorn their profession by a holy walk and godly conversation</span> agreeable to what I found contained in that sacred depository. This was a grief to my soul....<br>My mind become exceedingly distressed for I became convicted of my sins....He spake unto me saying, <span style="color:red">'Joseph my son, thy sins are forgiven thee.</span>
*'''1835 Account (9 Nov. 1835)'''&mdash;<br>being wrought up in my mind, respecting the subject of religion and looking at <span style="color:blue">the different systems taught the children of men, I knew not who was right or who was wrong</span> and I considered it of the first importance that I should be right....<br><span style="color:red">he said unto me thy sins are forgiven thee....</span>
*'''1835 Account (14 Nov. 1835)'''&mdash;<br>This account is simply a one line summary of the vision - motive not given.
*'''1838 Account (published in 1842)'''&mdash;<br><span style="color:blue">Who of all these parties are right; or, are they all wrong together?</span> If any one of them be right, which is it, and how shall I know it?....My object in going to enquire of the Lord was to know which of all the sects was right, that I might know which to join....<br><span style="color:red">many other things did He say unto me which I cannot write at this time....</span>
*'''1840 Account by Orson Pratt'''&mdash;<br><span style="color:blue">...if any one of these denominations be the Church of Christ, which one is it?...<br><span style="color:red">He was informed that his sins were forgiven. </span>

It must be kept in mind that those who report the Prophet's inaugural manifestation in writing do not always spell things out in exactly the same way; sometimes they obscure information by the language they choose to utilize and on occasion they omit story elements altogether (possibly because of audience considerations).

=First Vision accounts in Church publications=

The claim is sometimes made by critics that the Church hides the various accounts of Joseph Smith's First Vision that are not in its official canon. The following chronological database (compiled by FAIR volunteer Edward Jones) demonstrates conclusively that this is simply not the case. The various accounts of the First Vision have been widely acknowledged in LDS-authored sources throughout the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. 

{{ChurchResponseBar
|link=http://www.lds.org/topics/first-vision-accounts?lang=eng
|title=First Vision Accounts
|author=Gospel Topics
|publication=Gospel Topics, located on lds.org. 
|summary=The various accounts of the First Vision tell a consistent story, though naturally they differ in emphasis and detail. Historians expect that when an individual retells an experience in multiple settings to different audiences over many years, each account will emphasize various aspects of the experience and contain unique details. Indeed, differences similar to those in the First Vision accounts exist in the multiple scriptural accounts of Paul’s vision on the road to Damascus and the Apostles’ experience on the Mount of Transfiguration.3 Yet despite the differences, a basic consistency remains across all the accounts of the First Vision. Some have mistakenly argued that any variation in the retelling of the story is evidence of fabrication. To the contrary, the rich historical record enables us to learn more about this remarkable event than we could if it were less well documented.
}}

{{ChurchResponseBar
|link=http://www.lds.org/bc/content/shared/content/english/pdf/language-materials/10590_eng.pdf?lang=eng
|author=The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
|publication=Doctrine and Covenants and Church History Seminary Teacher Manual
|title=LESSON 6: Joseph Smith—History 1:1–20
|date=2013
|start=20
|summary=
Just as	Joseph Smith emphasized different aspects of his vision in his multiple	accounts, the Apostle Paul emphasized different aspects of his vision of the Savior to different audiences (see Acts 9:1–9; Acts 22:5–11; Acts 26:12–20). Why do you think Joseph Smith and Paul emphasized different things each time they related the accounts of their visions?
}}

{{SummaryItem
|link=Joseph Smith's First Vision/Church Hides Accounts (1910-1968)
|subject=LDS-Authored Publications (1910-1968)
|summary=Mentions of the various accounts of the First Vision in LDS publications (1910-1968)
}}
{{SummaryItem
|link=Joseph Smith's First Vision/Church Hides Accounts (1969-1978)
|subject=LDS-Authored Publications (1969-1978)
|summary=Mentions of the various accounts of the First Vision in LDS publications (1969-1978)
}}
{{SummaryItem
|link=Joseph Smith's First Vision/Church Hides Accounts (1979-1983)
|subject=LDS-Authored Publications (1979-1983)
|summary=Mentions of the various accounts of the First Vision in LDS publications (1979-1983)
}}
{{SummaryItem
|link=Joseph Smith's First Vision/Church Hides Accounts (1984-1989)
|subject=LDS-Authored Publications (1984-1989)
|summary=Mentions of the various accounts of the First Vision in LDS publications (1984-1989)
}}
{{SummaryItem
|link=Joseph Smith's First Vision/Church Hides Accounts (1990-1997)
|subject=LDS-Authored Publications (1990-1997)
|summary=Mentions of the various accounts of the First Vision in LDS publications (1990-1997)
}}
{{SummaryItem
|link=Joseph Smith's First Vision/Church Hides Accounts (1998-2003)
|subject=LDS-Authored Publications (1998-2003)
|summary=Mentions of the various accounts of the First Vision in LDS publications (1998-2003)
}}
{{SummaryItem
|link=Joseph Smith's First Vision/Church Hides Accounts (2004-Present)
|subject=LDS-Authored Publications (2004-Present)
|summary=Mentions of the various accounts of the First Vision in LDS publications (2004-Present)
}}


{{To learn more box:First Vision: Church hiding different versions}}<!--Leaving two spaces keeps elements from smushing against each other-->

{{Endnotes sources}}

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[[Category:"Questions and Answers" on Mormon Stories]]
[[Category:An Insider's View of Mormon Origins]]
[[Category:Becoming Gods]]
[[Category:Difficult Questions for Mormons]]
[[Category:Facts Mormons Won't Tell You When They Call at Your Door]]
[[Category:First Vision]]
[[Category:John Dehlin's "Questions and Answers"]]
[[Category:Letter to a CES Director]]
[[Category:MormonThink]]
[[Category:No Man Knows My History]]
[[Category:Questions All Mormons Should Ask Themselves]]
[[Category:Questions]]
[[Category:The Changing World of Mormonism]]
[[de:Frage: Lehre und Bündnisse 84 sagt: niemand kann Gott sehen ohne Priestertum?]]
[[de:Frage: Wurde Joseph Smith gesagt, dass alle Kirchen jener Tage „ein Gräuel” waren?]]
[[de:Joseph Smiths Erste Vision/Berichte]]
[[de:Neuenschwander:Ensign:Januar 2009:Josephs Vision war zunächst eine intensive persönliche Erfahrung...zur grundlegenden Offenbarung der Wiederherstellung]]
[[de:Quelle:Evangeliumsthemen:Die verschiedenen Berichte über die erste Vision stimmen im Wesentlichen überein]]
[[es:Fuente:Allen:Improvement Era:abril 1970:él siguió haciéndolo en mayor o menor detalle, hasta el año de su muerte]]
[[es:Fuente:Backman:Ensign:enero 1985:Por lo menos en cuatro ocasiones diferentes, Joseph Smith también escribió o dictó escribas relatos de su experiencia sagrada de 1820]]
[[es:Fuente:Hinckley:Ensign:octubre 1984:No estoy preocupado de que el profeta José Smith dio una serie de versiones de la primera visión]]
[[es:Fuente:Manual de Historia de la Iglesia del Seminario Maestro:2013:José Smith hizo hincapié en diferentes aspectos de su visión en sus varios relatos]]
[[es:Fuente:Neuenschwander:Ensign:enero 2009:La visión de José era en un principio una experiencia intensamente personal ... se convirtió en la revelación de fundación de la Restauración]]
[[es:Fuente:Prothero:American Jesus:2003:en la versión de 1832, Jesús se aparece a Smith solo, y hace todo el hablar a sí mismo . Tales quejas, sin embargo, son mucho ruido y pocas relativamente nada]]
[[es:Fuente:Temas del Evangelio:Los varios relatos de la Primera Visión narran una historia uniforme]]
[[es:La Primera Visión de José Smith/Cuentas de la Primera Visión en publicaciones de la Iglesia]]
[[es:La Primera Visión de José Smith/Relatos]]
[[es:Pregunta: ¿Cambió José Smith su motivación declarada por orar en los últimos años?]]
[[es:Pregunta: ¿Cuáles son las críticas relacionadas con las relatos de la Primera Visión de José Smith?]]
[[es:Pregunta: ¿La Doctrina y Convenios Sección 84 dice que uno no puede ver a Dios sin tener el sacerdocio?]]
[[fi:Kysymys: OL 84 sanoo, että Jumalaa ei voi nähdä ilman pappeutta?]]
[[pt:A Primeira Visão/Relatos]]
[[pt:A Primeira Visão/Será que a Igreja esconder contas da Primeira Visão]]
[[pt:Fonte:Allen:Improvement Era:April 1970:ele continuou a fazê-lo em pormenor variável até o ano de sua morte]]
[[pt:Fonte:Backman:Ensign:January 1985:Em pelo menos quatro ocasiões diferentes, Joseph Smith escreveu ou ditou a contas escribas]]
[[pt:Fonte:Church History Seminary Teacher Manual:2013:Joseph Smith enfatizou diferentes aspectos de sua visão em suas várias contas]]
[[pt:Fonte:Hinckley:Ensign:October 1984:Não estou preocupado que o Profeta Joseph Smith deu um número de versões da primeira visão]]
[[pt:Fonte:Neuenschwander:Ensign:January 2009:A visão de Joseph foi a primeira de uma experiência intensamente pessoal ... tornou-se a revelação fundador da Restauração]]
[[pt:Fonte:Prothero:American Jesus:2003:na versão de 1832, Jesus parece Smith sozinho, e faz todo o falar-se. Essas queixas, no entanto, são muito barulho por nada relativamente]]
[[pt:Fonte:Tópicos do Evangelho:Os vários relatos da Primeira Visão contam uma história consistente]]
[[pt:Pergunta: Doutrina e Convênios 84 dizer que não se pode ver Deus sem possuir o sacerdócio?]]
[[pt:Pergunta: Quais são as críticas relacionadas com os relatos da Primeira Visão de Joseph Smith?]]
[[pt:Pergunta: Será que Joseph Smith mudar sua motivação declarada por orar em anos posteriores?]]
[[pt:Pergunta: Será que Moroni dizer Joseph Smith que todas as igrejas do dia foram uma "abominação"?]]