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====1838==== | ====1838==== | ||
− | :Brigham Young, 22 December 1838, I left Kirtland in consequence of the fury of the mob … who threatened to destroy me because I would proclaim, publicly and privately, that I knew, by the power of the Holy Ghost, that Joseph Smith was a Prophet of the Most High God Manuscript History of Brigham Young, ed. Elden Jay Watson (Salt Lake City, 1968), p pp. 23-24 [Leland Nelson, 13] | + | :Brigham Young, 22 December 1838, I left Kirtland in consequence of the fury of the mob … who threatened to destroy me because I would proclaim, publicly and privately, that I knew, by the power of the Holy Ghost, that Joseph Smith was a Prophet of the Most High God.<ref>Manuscript History of Brigham Young, ed. Elden Jay Watson (Salt Lake City, 1968), p pp. 23-24 [Leland Nelson, 13].</ref> |
====1841==== | ====1841==== | ||
− | Heber C. Kimball, letter to ''Millennial Star'' editor, Nauvoo, July 15, 1841: “On the 4th June I started for home, in company with Elders Young and Taylor.—Elder O. Pratt remained in New York to republish the book he had printed in Edinburgh, Scotland, giving a history of the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, and of which he intended to publish 5,000 copies…. [78] Elder Orson Pratt arrived here this week…” | + | Heber C. Kimball, letter to ''Millennial Star'' editor, Nauvoo, July 15, 1841: “On the 4th June I started for home, in company with Elders Young and Taylor.—Elder O. Pratt remained in New York to republish the book he had printed in Edinburgh, Scotland, giving a history of the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, and of which he intended to publish 5,000 copies…. [78] Elder Orson Pratt arrived here this week…”<ref>{{MS|vol=2|pages=77-78|date=1841}} This must refer to ''Remarkable Visions'' (Orson Pratt's account of Joseph's first vision and other revelations); nothing else had published by him yet.</ref> |
====1845==== | ====1845==== | ||
− | Brigham Young, June 25, 1845: we received the priesthood from God through Joseph Smith…. The Twelve Apostles who received the priesthood from Joseph | + | Brigham Young, June 25, 1845: we received the priesthood from God through Joseph Smith…. The Twelve Apostles who received the priesthood from Joseph<ref>Manuscript History of Brigham Young, ed. Leland Nelson, 94</ref> |
====1847==== | ====1847==== | ||
− | * Brigham Young, D&C 136 | + | * Brigham Young, {{s||D&C|136|37}} (January 14, 1847): … Joseph Smith, whom I did call upon by mine angels, my ministering servants, and by mine own voice out of the heavens, to bring forth my work.<ref>Manuscript History of Brigham Young, William Harwell, 14; {{MS|vol=14|num=10|date=1 May 1852|pages=151}}</ref> |
− | * Brigham Young, January 17, 1847: Dr. Richards read ‘The Word and Will of the Lord’ [D&C 136] and all present voted unanimously to receive it. I addressed the assembly showing that the Church had been led by revelation just as much since the death of Joseph Smith as before, and that he was as great and good a man, and as great a Prophet as ever lived upon the earth, Jesus excepted. Joseph received his apostleship from Peter and his brethren | + | * Brigham Young, January 17, 1847: Dr. Richards read ‘The Word and Will of the Lord’ [{{s||D&C|136||}}] and all present voted unanimously to receive it. I addressed the assembly showing that the Church had been led by revelation just as much since the death of Joseph Smith as before, and that he was as great and good a man, and as great a Prophet as ever lived upon the earth, Jesus excepted. Joseph received his apostleship from Peter and his brethren<ref>Manuscript History of Brigham Young, 16.</ref> |
− | * Brigham Young | + | * Brigham Young |
− | :When Brother Joseph received the priesthood he did not receive all at once but he was a prophet, seer and revelator before he received the fullness of the priesthood and keys of the kingdom. He first received the Aaronic Priesthood and was ordained under the hands of John the Baptist. He then had not power to lay on hands to confirm the church but afterwards he received the Patriarchal or Melchizedek Priesthood from under the hands of Peter, James and John, who were of the Twelve apostles and were the presidency when the other apostles were absent. | + | :When Brother Joseph received the priesthood he did not receive all at once but he was a prophet, seer and revelator before he received the fullness of the priesthood and keys of the kingdom. He first received the Aaronic Priesthood and was ordained under the hands of John the Baptist. He then had not power to lay on hands to confirm the church but afterwards he received the Patriarchal or Melchizedek Priesthood from under the hands of Peter, James and John, who were of the Twelve apostles and were the presidency when the other apostles were absent.<ref>{{WWJ|date=15 August 1847|pages=319-320|vol={{NC}}</ref> |
====1848==== | ====1848==== | ||
− | 1848 Brigham Young wrote, late December 1848: “Elder Orson Pratt published a series of pamphlets on the first principles, viz., Divine Authority, or the Question, Was Joseph Smith Sent of God…. Kingdom of God parts 1 & 2…. Also reprinted his pamphlet entitled Remarkable Visions 16 pages… All of which were published in Liverpool, England” | + | 1848 Brigham Young wrote, late December 1848: “Elder Orson Pratt published a series of pamphlets on the first principles, viz., Divine Authority, or the Question, Was Joseph Smith Sent of God…. Kingdom of God parts 1 & 2…. Also reprinted his pamphlet entitled Remarkable Visions 16 pages… All of which were published in Liverpool, England”....<ref>''Manuscript History of Brigham Young. 1847-1850'', edited by William S. Harwell (Salt Lake City, Utah: Collier’s Publishing Co., 1997): 139</ref> |
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====1850==== | ====1850==== | ||
− | * Brigham Young, June 23, 1850, Bowery | + | * Brigham Young, June 23, 1850, Bowery: “[sin and darkness] makes it necessary for the Lord to speak from the heavens, send his angels to converse with men, and cause his servants to testify of the things of God”<ref>''Deseret News'' 1/3 (29 June 1850) [following sermon by Reverend G.B. Day]</ref> |
*On 1 November 1850 Lorenzo Snow wrote a letter to Brigham Young and informed him that he had produced a tract called ''The Voice of Joseph'' which included information on “visions of Joseph Smith.” This tract talks about the Prophet’s First Vision experience. <ref>Lorenzo Snow, ''The Italian Mission'' (London: W. Aubrey, 1851), 13; also in {{BioLS|start=127|end=128}}</ref> | *On 1 November 1850 Lorenzo Snow wrote a letter to Brigham Young and informed him that he had produced a tract called ''The Voice of Joseph'' which included information on “visions of Joseph Smith.” This tract talks about the Prophet’s First Vision experience. <ref>Lorenzo Snow, ''The Italian Mission'' (London: W. Aubrey, 1851), 13; also in {{BioLS|start=127|end=128}}</ref> | ||
====1853==== | ====1853==== | ||
− | * Brigham Young 19 June 1853 | + | * Brigham Young 19 June 1853: |
− | * Brigham Young 24 July 1853 | + | ::All persons who are acquainted with this kingdom, who knew Joseph Smith from his boyhood, from the time the Lord revealed to him where the plates containing the matter in the Book of Mormon were deposited, from the time the first revelation was given to him, and as far back as he was known, in anywise whatever, as a person professing to have received a visitation from heaven—all must know that as much priestcraft as was then within the circle of the knowledge of Joseph Smith, jun., he had to bear on his back, and to lift from time to time. On the other hand, as his name spread abroad, and the principles of the Gospel began to be more extensively taught, in the same proportion he had more to bear. The Lord began to raise him up, and endow him with wisdom and power that astonished both his friends and his foes.<ref> {{JDmini|vol=1|pages=185-191|date=19 June 1853}}</ref> |
+ | * Brigham Young 24 July 1853: | ||
+ | ::the Book of Mormon is true, that Joseph Smith was a true Prophet of the Lord, that an angel from heaven administered to him, that the Latter-day Saints have got the true Gospel, that John the Baptist came to Joseph Smith and committed to him the keys of the Aaronic Priesthood; and that Peter, James, and John also came to him, and gave him the keys of the Melchisedek Priesthood....<ref>{{JDmini|date=24 July 1853|vol=1|num=233-245}}</ref> | ||
====1854==== | ====1854==== | ||
* The Lucy Mack Smith autobiography called ''Biographical Sketches'' became available in Utah. Since Brigham Young protested vigorously against some of this book’s content he was more than likely aware of the 1838 Church history First Vision material printed within it. <ref>{{Biosketch1|start=75}}; {{LucyMackSmith-Proctor1| start=editor's introduction }}</ref> | * The Lucy Mack Smith autobiography called ''Biographical Sketches'' became available in Utah. Since Brigham Young protested vigorously against some of this book’s content he was more than likely aware of the 1838 Church history First Vision material printed within it. <ref>{{Biosketch1|start=75}}; {{LucyMackSmith-Proctor1| start=editor's introduction }}</ref> | ||
− | * Brigham Young, March 31, 1854 | + | * Brigham Young, March 31, 1854: |
− | + | ::“….After the administration of baptism, we believe in laying hands upon the candidate for his confirmation as a member of the Church, and for his reception of the Holy Ghost; and we believe that these, and all other ordinances pertaining to salvation, should be administered by persons actually clothed with the priesthood, as again restored to the earth through the ministration of angels to the Prophet JOSEPH SMITH…. Trusting that this reply, though brief, will be satisfactory on the points of your inquiry” I remain, respectfully, your obedient servant, BRIGHAM YOUNG, <ref>Letter to MR. HENRY A. MCAFEE, Freeport, Stephenson Co., Ill; letter to editor of the Freeport, Illinois ''Bulletin'' June 1, 1854. Reprinted ''New York Times'' (7 June 1854), 3.</ref> | |
− | MR. HENRY A. MCAFEE, Freeport, Stephenson Co., Ill. | ||
====1855==== | ====1855==== |
When the Lord called upon Joseph he was but a boy—a child, only about fourteen years of age. He was not filled with traditions; his mind was not made up to this, that, or the other. I very well recollect the reformation which took place in the country among the various denominations of Christians—the Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, and others—when Joseph was a boy. Joseph’s mother, one of his brothers, and one, if not two, of his sisters were members of the Presbyterian Church, and on this account the Presbyterians hung to the family with great tenacity. And in the midst of these revivals among the religious bodies, the invitation, ‘Come and join our church,’ was often extended to Joseph, but more particularly from the Presbyterians. Joseph was naturally inclined to be religious, and being young, and surrounded with this excitement, no wonder that he became seriously impressed with the necessity of serving the Lord. But as the cry on every hand was, ‘Lo, here is Christ,’ and ‘Lo, there!’ Said he, ‘Lord, teach me, that I may know for myself, who among these are right.’ And what was the answer? ‘They are all out of the way; they have gone astray, and there is none that doeth good, no not one.’ When he found out that none were right, he began to inquire of the Lord what was right, and he learned for himself. Was he aware of what was going to be done? By no means. He did not know what the Lord was going to do with him, although He had informed him that the Christian churches were all wrong, because they had not the Holy Priesthood, and had strayed from the holy commandments of the Lord, precisely as the children of Israel did.
—Brigham Young, (23 June 1867) Journal of Discourses 12:67-69..
It has been claimed that "Brigham Young never once mentioned the First Vision of God the Father and his Son in his 30 years of preaching as President of the Church."
To see citations to the critical sources for these claims, click here
Note that the same critics also claim that Brigham Young taught only that an angel came: a strange claim to make while insisting that Brigham never spoke of the First Vision at all.
It cannot be denied that Brigham Young was aware of the official version of the First Vision as published by Joseph Smith in Nauvoo, Illinois. And it is almost beyond comprehension to believe that President Young was not aware of numerous First Vision story recitals (both in print and over the pulpit) by high Church authorities such as Orson Pratt, Lorenzo Snow, John E. Page, George Q. Cannon, Orson Hyde, John Taylor, Franklin D. Richards, and George A. Smith.
This charge is not historically accurate. It can be plainly seen in the information provided below that Brigham Young was aware of the First Vision story during his tenure as President of the Church and not only shared it with non-Mormons in written form but also spoke to the Saints about it over the pulpit.
Heber C. Kimball, letter to Millennial Star editor, Nauvoo, July 15, 1841: “On the 4th June I started for home, in company with Elders Young and Taylor.—Elder O. Pratt remained in New York to republish the book he had printed in Edinburgh, Scotland, giving a history of the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, and of which he intended to publish 5,000 copies…. [78] Elder Orson Pratt arrived here this week…”[11]
Brigham Young, June 25, 1845: we received the priesthood from God through Joseph Smith…. The Twelve Apostles who received the priesthood from Joseph[12]
1848 Brigham Young wrote, late December 1848: “Elder Orson Pratt published a series of pamphlets on the first principles, viz., Divine Authority, or the Question, Was Joseph Smith Sent of God…. Kingdom of God parts 1 & 2…. Also reprinted his pamphlet entitled Remarkable Visions 16 pages… All of which were published in Liverpool, England”....[16]
Notes
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