Personages who appeared to Joseph Smith

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Personages who appeared to Joseph Smith

Summary: A list of known personages who appeared to the Prophet Joseph Smith or who were seen by him in vision. The list does not include instances where he only heard supernatural voices.

Jump to details:

• Question: How many visions of heavenly beings did Joseph Smith actually have and what was the nature of their visits?
• Ensign, "I Have a Question"
• BYU Studies, "Parting the Veil: The Visions of Joseph Smith"

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Articles about Joseph Smith

Life and Character	Status in Latter-day Saint belief Joseph's trustworthiness Money digging Folk magic or the occult The Word of Wisdom Alleged narcissism
Youth	Joseph Smith's family as trustworthy and hard-working Education Use of seer stones as a youth The Hurlbut affidavits Joseph Smith's 1826 trial
Revelations and the Church	Witness of Jesus Christ First Vision Book of Mormon Joseph Smith's inspired revision of the Bible (JST) The restoration of the priesthood Personages who appeared to Joseph Smith Production of the Book of Abraham Kinderhook Plates
Prophetic Statements	The U.S. Civil War Rocky Mountain prophecy The White Horse prophecy Alleged false prophecies of Joseph Smith Joseph Smith and Old Testament practices
Society	Legal issues 1826 trial Creation of the Kirtland Safety Society Failure of the Kirtland Safety Society Campaign for President of the United States
Plural marriage (polygamy)	Plural marriage or polygamy Polygamy navigator Plural wives of Joseph Smith
Death	The Nauvoo Expositor Events surrounding the death of Joseph Smith Firing a gun at Carthage Jail Qualification as a martyr 1844 Succession to Joseph Smith

Question: How many visions of heavenly beings did Joseph Smith actually have and what was the nature of their visits?

Joseph Smith was visited by a number of heavenly beings

Joseph Smith was visited by a number of heavenly beings. The following list includes known personages who appeared to the Prophet Joseph Smith or who were seen by him in vision. The list does not include instances where he only heard supernatural voices, as in D&C 128:20–21.

Abraham	D&C 137:5
Adam (Michael)	D&C 137:5; History of the Church, 3:388. Volume 3 link;History of the Church, 5:247. Volume 5 link
Alvin Smith	D&C 137:5
Elias	D&C 110:12
Elijah	D&C 110:13–16
God the Father	JS—H 1:17; D&C 76:20; 137:3
James	D&C 27:12; 128:20
Jesus Christ	JS—H 1:17; D&C 76:20–24; 110:2–10; 137:3
John the Baptist	D&C 13; 27:8
John the Beloved	D&C 27:12; 128:20
Moroni	JS—H 1:30–49; D&C 20:6; 27:5
Moses	D&C 110:11
Paul	Joseph Smith, Jr., Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, selected by Joseph Fielding Smith, (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1976), 180. off-site
Peter	D&C 27:12; 128:20
Satan	D&C 128:20
Unnamed angel	(concerning wine in sacrament) D&C 27
Unnamed angel	(with three witnesses) History of the Church, 1:54–55. Volume 1 link
Unnamed angel	(accepted dedication of the Kirtland Temple) Life of Heber C. Kimball, p. 106; Temples of the Most High, p. 28

Joint visions

• Both Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery saw John the Baptist together (D&C 13); Peter, James, and John together (D&C 27:12 and 128:20); Jesus Christ together (D&C 110:2–10); Elijah together (D&C 110:13–16); Moses together (D&C 110:11); and Elias together (D&C 110:12).
• Both Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon saw God the Father and Jesus Christ together (D&C 76:20–24).
• Joseph Smith, Martin Harris, Oliver Cowdery, and David Whitmer saw an unnamed angel together (History of the Church, 1:54–55. Volume 1 link). These were the three witnesses to the Book of Mormon.

Second hand accounts of visions that Joseph had

• John Taylor claimed that Joseph Smith saw Enoch (John Taylor, Journal of Discourses 21:65.; John Taylor, Journal of Discourses 21:94.), Isaac (John Taylor, Journal of Discourses 21:94.), Jacob (John Taylor, Journal of Discourses 21:94.), Mormon (John Taylor, Journal of Discourses 17:374. and John Taylor, Journal of Discourses 21:163.), Nephi (John Taylor, Journal of Discourses 21:161-163.), Noah (John Taylor, Journal of Discourses 18:326., John Taylor, Journal of Discourses 21:94., and John Taylor, Journal of Discourses 23:48.), the 12 Jewish apostles (John Taylor, Journal of Discourses 21:94.), the 12 Nephite apostles (John Taylor, Journal of Discourses 21:94.), "others who lived on this [the American] continent" (John Taylor, Journal of Discourses 17:374.), "others who lived on the Asiatic continent" (John Taylor, Journal of Discourses 17:374.), and an unnamed angel (John Taylor, Journal of Discourses 5:271.).
• George Q. Cannon claimed that Joseph Smith saw Nephi (George Q. Cannon, Journal of Discourses 13:47.).
• Orson Pratt claimed that Joseph Smith saw Nephi (Orson Pratt Letter Box, 3/11/1876).
• Oliver B. Huntington claimed that Joseph Smith saw Eve (Oliver B. Huntington Diary, BYU Library, 2:214).
• Eliza R. Snow claimed that Joseph Smith saw an unnamed angel three times, commanding him to practice polygamy (Biography and Family Records of Lorenzo Snow, (Salt Lake City: Desert News, 1884), 69–70).

Ensign, "I Have a Question"

Brian L. Smith, director of the Portland (Oregon) Institute of Religion,  Ensign, (October 1994)

It is true that the Prophet Joseph Smith was visited by many heavenly messengers who helped inaugurate this final dispensation. Though we do not know how many such messengers appeared to the Prophet—or the purpose of some of their visits—we do know the circumstances and the nature of many of these visits. Heavenly beings came to Joseph Smith to bestow priesthood keys, to unfold the majesty and glory of future events, and to warn or to admonish the maturing Prophet. Certainly to a remarkable degree the Prophet Joseph Smith received communication from an array of angels who helped prepare him to carry out his foreordained mission.

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BYU Studies, "Parting the Veil: The Visions of Joseph Smith"

Alexander L. Baugh,  BYU Studies 38/1 (1999)

Three major points became apparent as I researched Joseph Smith's visions. First and perhaps most remarkable is the sheer number of visions the prophet received. The majority of these visions are not found in the standard works but pervade the prophets own history and the records kept by contemporaries who were present when a vision was received or when Joseph Smith spoke about his sacred communications. A major purpose of this study is to document those visions not generally known

Click here to view the complete article

Notes

Ensign, "I Have a Question"

Brian L. Smith, director of the Portland (Oregon) Institute of Religion,  Ensign, (October 1994)

It is true that the Prophet Joseph Smith was visited by many heavenly messengers who helped inaugurate this final dispensation. Though we do not know how many such messengers appeared to the Prophet—or the purpose of some of their visits—we do know the circumstances and the nature of many of these visits. Heavenly beings came to Joseph Smith to bestow priesthood keys, to unfold the majesty and glory of future events, and to warn or to admonish the maturing Prophet. Certainly to a remarkable degree the Prophet Joseph Smith received communication from an array of angels who helped prepare him to carry out his foreordained mission.

Click here to view the complete article

BYU Studies, "Parting the Veil: The Visions of Joseph Smith"

Alexander L. Baugh,  BYU Studies 38/1 (1999)

Three major points became apparent as I researched Joseph Smith's visions. First and perhaps most remarkable is the sheer number of visions the prophet received. The majority of these visions are not found in the standard works but pervade the prophets own history and the records kept by contemporaries who were present when a vision was received or when Joseph Smith spoke about his sacred communications. A major purpose of this study is to document those visions not generally known

Click here to view the complete article

Notes