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FAIR is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing well-documented answers to criticisms of the doctrine, practice, and history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
There is no mention of Joseph Smith seeing the Father and Son in any “contemporary” newspaper, diary, LDS publication, or writing of any kind until the year 1838.
In The Reflector, vol. 2, no. 13, 14 February 1831 it is said that four LDS missionaries were teaching in November 1830 that Joseph Smith had seen "God" personally. The 1832 historical recital listed below and the 1835 historical recounting below both qualify as 'contemporary' accounts.
Altogether there are at least eight eyewitness contemporary and reminiscent accounts that confirm Joseph Smith taught between 1831 and 1837 that the Father and Son (two personages) were present during his inaugural manifestation from heaven.
May 1831 – November 1833 / John Alger
ca. 12 November 1831 / Lorenzo Snow
ca. 27 November 1832 / Joseph Smith historical document
9 August 1834 – 9 August 1835 / Samuel W. Richards
20 October 1834 / Edward Stevenson
9 November 1835 / Joseph Smith historical recounting
13 November 1836 / Kirtland Temple discourse
August 1837 / Mary Horne
The eyewitnesses, and the periods of time their recitals cover, demonstrate that Joseph Smith talked about seeing the Father and Son on a regular basis and over an extended period of time -- before he had the 1838 Church history written down.
None
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