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< Mormonism and Wikipedia | First Vision
A FairMormon Analysis of Wikipedia: Mormonism and Wikipedia/First Vision A work by a collaboration of authors (Link to Wikipedia article here)
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Background in the supernatural |
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Joseph Smith wrote or dictated several versions of his vision story, and told the story to others who later published what they remember hearing. Taken together, these accounts set forth the following details: Smith said that when he was about twelve (c. 1817-18), he became interested in religion and distressed about his sins.Author's sources:
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He studied the Bible and attended church, but the accounts differ as to whether he determined on his own that there was no existing religion built upon the true teachings of JesusAuthor's sources:
from the age of twelve years to fifteen I pondered many things in my heart concerning the sittuation of the world of mankind the contentions and divi[si]ons the wicke[d]ness and abominations and the darkness which pervaded the
of theminds of mankind my mind become excedingly distressed for I become convicted of my sins and by searching the scriptures I found thatmandmankind did not come unto the Lord but that they had apostatised from the true and liveing faith and there was no society or denomination that built upon the gospel of Jesus Christ as recorded in the new testament...
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or whether the idea that all churches were false had not "entered his heart" until he experienced the vision.Author's sources:
I asked the Personages who stood above me in the light, which of all the sects was right (for at this time it had never entered into my heart that all were wrong)—and which I should join.
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During this period of religious concern, he determined to turn to God in prayer. An early account says the purpose of this prayer was to ask God for mercy for his sinsAuthor's sources:
a personage appeard in the midst of this pillar of flame which was spread all around, and yet nothing consumed, another personage soon appeard like unto the first, he said unto me thy sins are forgiven thee, he testified unto me that Jesus Christ is the Son of God; (emphasis added)
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while later accounts emphasize his desire to know which church he should join.Author's sources:
I knew not who was right or who was wrong and I considered it of the first importance that I should be right, in matters that involve eternal consequ[e]nces; being thus perplexed in mind I retired to the silent grove and bow[e]d down before the Lord, under a realising sense that he had said (if the bible be true) ask and you shall receive knock and it shall be opened seek and you shall find and again, if any man lack wisdom let him ask of God who giveth to all men libarally and upbradeth not; information was what I most desired at this time, and with a fixed determination to obtain it, (emphasis added)
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Therefore, as his mother had done years before when concerned about an important religious question,Author's sources:
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Smith said he went one spring morning to a secluded grove near his home to pray.Author's sources:
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He said he went to a stump in a clearing where he had left his axe the day beforeAuthor's sources:
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and began to offer his first audible prayer.Author's sources:
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He said his prayer was interrupted by a "being from the unseen world" more powerful than any he had previously encountered.Author's sources:
I called upon the Lord for the first time, in the place above stated or in other words I made a fruitless attempt to p[r]ay, my toung seemed to be swolen 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 sprung up on my feet, and and looked around, but saw no person or thing that was calculated to produce the noise of walking, I kneeled again my mouth was opened and my toung liberated, and I called on the Lord in mighty prayer, a pillar of fire appeared above my head...
—Diary of Joseph Smith, Jr. (1835-1836)
At first he was severely tempted by the powers of darkness which endeavored to overcome him, but he continued to seek for deliverance until darkness gave way from his mind, and he was enabled to pray in fervency of the spirit and in faith.
—A Interesting Account of Several Remarkable Visions and of the Late Discovery of Ancient American Records
But, exerting all my powers to call upon God to deliver me out of the power of this enemy which had seized upon me, and at the very moment when I was ready to sink into despair and abandon myself to destruction—not to an imaginary ruin, but to the power of some actual being from the unseen world, (emphasis added)
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Smith said the spirit caused his tongue to swell in his mouth so that he could not speak,Author's sources:
I made a fruitless attempt to p[r]ay, my toung seemed to be swolen 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 sprung up on my feet, and and looked around, but saw no person or thing that was calculated to produce the noise of walking, I kneeled again my mouth was opened and my toung liberated, and I called on the Lord in mighty prayer,
to the power of some actual being from the unseen world, who had such marvelous power as I had never before felt in any being
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One account said he heard a noise behind him like someone walking towards himAuthor's sources:
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and then, when he tried to pray again, the noise grew louder, causing him to spring to his feet and look around, but he saw no one.Author's sources:
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In some of the accounts, he described being covered with a thick darkness and thinking that he would be destroyed.Author's sources:
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At his darkest moment, he knelt a third time to prayAuthor's sources:
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and, as he summoned all his power to pray, he felt ready to sink into oblivion.Author's sources:
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At that moment, he said his tongue was loosed and he saw a vision.Author's sources:
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Smith said he saw a pillar of light brighter than the noonday sun that slowly descended on him,Author's sources:
At about the age of twelve years my mind become seriously imprest with regard to the all importent concerns
offor the wellfare of my immortal Soul which led me to searching the scriptures...the Lord heard my cry in the wilderness and while in the attitude of calling upon the Lord in the 16th year of my age a piller offirelight above the brightness of the sun at noon day come down from above and rested upon me...
—History of the Life of Joseph Smith (1832)
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growing in brightness as it descended and lighting the entire area for some distance.Author's sources:
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As the light reached the tree tops, Smith feared the trees might catch fire.Author's sources:
...a personage appeard in the midst of this pillar of flame which was spread all around, and yet nothing consumed, another personage soon appeard like unto the first, he said unto me thy sins are forgiven thee, he testified unto me that Jesus Christ is the Son of God; and I saw many angels in this vision I was about 14 years old when I received this first communication...
—Diary of Joseph Smith, Jr. (1835-1836)
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 it reached the tops of the trees the whole wilderness, for some distance around, was illuminated in a most glorious and brilliant manner. 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 hopes of being able to endure its presence.
—*A Interesting Account of Several Remarkable Visions
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But when it reached the ground and enveloped him, it produced a "peculiar sensation."Author's sources:
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"[H]is mind was caught away from the natural objects with which he was surrounded; and he was enwrapped in a heavenly vision."Author's sources:
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While experiencing the vision, he said he saw one or more "personages," described differently in Smith's accounts. In one, Smith said he "saw the Lord."Author's sources:
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In diary entries, he said he saw a "visitation of Angels"Author's sources:
a pillar of fire appeared above my head, it presently rested down upon me head, and filled me with Joy unspeakable, a personage appeard in the midst of this pillar of flame which was spread all around, and yet nothing consumed, another personage soon appeard like unto the first, he said unto me thy sins are forgiven thee, he testified unto me that Jesus Christ is the Son of God; and I saw many angels in this vision... (emphasis added)
I received the first visitation of Angels which was when I was about 14. years old...
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or a "vision of angels" that included "a personage," and then "another personage" who testified that "Jesus Christ is the Son of God," as well as "many angels".Author's sources:
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In later accounts, Smith consistently said that he had seen two personages who appeared one after the other.Author's sources:
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These personages "exactly resembled each other in their features or likeness."Author's sources:
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The first personage had "light complexion, blue eyes, a piece of white cloth drawn over his shoulders, his right arm bare."Author's sources:
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In later accounts, one of the personages called Smith by name "and said, (pointing to the other), 'This is my beloved Son, hear him.'"Author's sources:
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Although Smith left their identity unexplicit, most Latter Day Saints infer that these personages were God the Father and Jesus.Author's sources:
FAIR WIKI EDITORS: Check sources
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In two accounts, Smith said that the Lord told him his sins were forgiven, that he should obey the commandments, that the world was corrupt, and that the Second Coming was approaching.Author's sources:
a personage appeard in the midst of this pillar of flame which was spread all around, and yet nothing consumed, another personage soon appeard like unto the first, he said unto me thy sins are forgiven thee, he testified unto me that Jesus Christ is the Son of God; and I saw many angels in this vision I was about 14 years old when I received this first communication... (emphasis added)
—Diary of Joseph Smith, Jr. (1835-1836)
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Later accounts say that when the personages appeared, Smith asked them "O Lord, what church shall I join?"Author's sources:
FAIR WIKI EDITORS: Check sources
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or "Must I join the Methodist Church?"Author's sources:
FAIR WIKI EDITORS: Check sources
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In answer, he was told that "all religious denominations were believing in incorrect doctrines, and that none of them was acknowledged of God as his church and kingdom."Author's sources:
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All churches and their professors were "corrupt",Author's sources:
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and "all their creeds were an abomination in his sight."Author's sources:
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Smith was told not to join any of the churches, but that the "fulness of the gospel" would be known to him at a later time.Author's sources:
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After the vision withdrew, Smith said he "came to myself" and found himself sprawled on his back.Author's sources:
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Wikipedia references for "First Vision" |
FairMormon regularly receives queries about specific LDS-themed Wikipedia articles with requests that we somehow "fix" them. Although some individual members of FAIR may choose to edit Wikipedia articles, FairMormon as an organization does not. Controversial Wikipedia articles require constant maintenance and a significant amount of time. We prefer instead to respond to claims in the FAIR Wiki rather than fight the ongoing battle that LDS Wikipedia articles sometimes invite. From FAIR’s perspective, assertions made in LDS-themed Wikipedia articles are therefore treated just like any other critical (or, if one prefers, "anti-Mormon") work. As those articles are revised and updated, we will periodically update our reviews to match.
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Again, the answer is no. The truth is that Wikipedia is generally self-policing. Highly contentious articles do tend to draw the most passionate supporters and critics.
Although some LDS-related Wikipedia articles may appear to have a negative tone, they are in reality quite a bit more balanced than certain critical works such as One Nation Under Gods. Although many critical editors often accuse LDS-related Wikipedia articles of being "faith promoting" or claim that they are just an extension of the Sunday School manual, this is rarely the case. Few, if any, Latter-day Saints would find Wikipedia articles to be "faith promoting." Generally, the believers think that the articles are too negative and the critics believe that the articles are too positive. LDS Wikipedia articles should be informative without being overtly faith promoting. However, most of the primary sources, including the words of Joseph Smith himself, are "faith promoting." This presents a dilemma for Wikipedia editors who want to remain neutral. The unfortunate consequence is that Joseph's words are rewritten and intermixed with contradictory sources, resulting in boring and confusing prose.
We examine selected Wikipedia articles and examine them on a "claim-by-claim" basis, with links to responses in the FairMormon Answers Wiki. Wikipedia articles are constantly evolving. As a result, the analysis of each article will be updated periodically in order to bring it more into line with the current version of the article. The latest revision date may be viewed at the top of each individual section. The process by which Wikipedia articles are reviewed is the following:
The ability to quickly and easily access literature critical of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been made significantly easier through the advent of the Internet. One of the primary sites that dominates search engine results is Wikipedia, an online encyclopedia that “anyone can edit.” Wikipedia contains a large number of articles related to Mormonism that are edited by believers, critics, and neutral parties. The reliability of information regarding the Church and its history is subject to the biases of the editors who choose to modify those articles. Even if a wiki article is thoroughly sourced, editors sometimes employ source material in a manner that supports their bias. This essay explores the dynamics behind the creation of Wikipedia articles about the Church, the role that believers and critics play in that process, and the reliability of the information produced in the resulting wiki articles.
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