Wilford Woodruff's References to the First Vision

Parent page: First Vision

Wilford Woodruff (1855): "Joseph Smith, whom I did call upon by mine angels, my ministering servants, and by mine own voice out of the heavens"

Wilford Woodruff:

That same organization and Gospel that Christ died for, and the Apostles spilled their blood to vindicate, 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, and unfolded unto him the gross darkness that surrounded the nations, those scenes that should take place in this generation, and would follow each other in quick succession, even unto the coming of the Messiah. The angel taught Joseph Smith those principles which are necessary for the salvation of the world; and the Lord gave him commandments, and sealed upon him the Priesthood, and gave him power to administer the ordinances of the house of the Lord.He told him the Gospel was not among men, and that there was not a true organization of His kingdom in the world, that the people had turned away from His true order, changed the ordinances, and broken the everlasting covenant, and inherited lies and things wherein their was no profit. He told him the time had come to lay the foundation for the establishment of the Kingdom of God among men for the last time, preparatory to the winding up scene. Joseph was strengthened by the Spirit and power of God, and was enabled to listen to the teachings of the angel. He told him he should be made an instrument in the hands of the Lord, if he kept His commandments, in doing a good work upon the earth, that his name should be held in honor by the honest in heart, and in dishonor throughout the nations by the wicked. He told him he should be an instrument in laying the foundation of a work that should gather tens of thousands of the children of men, in the generation in which he lived, from every nation under heaven, who should hear the sound of it through his instrumentality. He told him the nations were wrapt in wickedness and abomination, and that the judgments of God were ready to be poured out upon them in their fulness; that the angels were holding the vials of His wrath in readiness; but the decree is that they shall not be poured out until the nations are warned, that they may be left without an excuse. This man to whom the angel appeared obeyed the Gospel;^[1]

Wilford Woodruff (1880): "Joseph Smith, an illiterate boy, was raised up by the power of God. His teachers were the angels of heaven. He was administered unto by the Son of God"

Wilford Woodruff:

The Lord has said by the mouth of the Prophet Isaiah, that he would proceed to do a marvelous work and a wonder; and when I look at the rise and progress of this Church, when I behold the great work the Lord has performed, it was a marvelous work and a wonder indeed. There never has been, in my view, any generation in which the same amount of prophecies and important events have to be fulfilled as in the generation in which we live. Joseph Smith, an illiterate boy, was raised up by the power of God. His teachers were the angels of heaven. He was administered unto by the Son of God. He received the Aaronic priesthood of John the Baptist, who was beheaded for the testimony of Jesus Christ. He received the apostleship and Melchizedek Priesthood under the hands of Peter, James and John^[2]

Woodruff (1880): "Joseph's First Vision. 1820"

Contributor, 2.2 (November, 1880): 60:

MISSIONARY APPOINTMENTS.

THE brethren whose names were called at the young men's conference, October 6, have received their appointments and will make arrangements to fill them at the earliest opportunity. The Territory has been divided into seven districts, and the appointments issued for two or more missionaries to each district. ... We desire the young men to take up the study of the Scriptures and Church History, and proceed systematically in their researches. We have examined the lists of subjects taken from the records, and prepared by Brother Milton H. Hardy, and recommend their adoption to the Associations. Complete lists of these subjects will appear, in their order, in the CONTRIBUTOR. We here present an extract from each, which will give you an idea of their character, and supply you with an example to speak from:

BIBLE SUBJECTS. BOOK OF MORMON SUBJECTS. CHURCH HISTORY SUBJECTS.

First Period, Joseph Smith: 1. Ancestry and birth of the Prophet, 1805. 2. Joseph's First Vision. 1820. ... These subjects may be presented as follows: A member should be assigned one of the subjects as: The Creation, Lehi's Vision, or Birth of Joseph; and all of the members be instructed to read that portion of the Records relating to the subjects. ... Your brethren in the Gospel,

W. Woodruff, Jos. F. Smith, Moses Thatcher. General Superintendency Y. M. M. I. A. ^[3]

Woodruff (1889): "Our testimony of him is that he was taught of God Himself and of the angels who visited him"

Wilford Woodruff, GC October 6, 1889, Collected Discourses 1. 383.

A greater prophet than he [Joseph Smith], excepting Jesus Christ, I do not believe ever lived. In saying this I give it as my own personal views. I don’t believe God ever raised up a greater prophet, save Jesus himself…. Our testimony of him is that he was taught of God Himself and of the angels who visited him.^[4]

Woodruff (1890): "the Father and the Son both appeared to the Prophet Joseph in answer to his prayer"

Wilford Woodruff:

Sixty years ago, last Sabbath, this Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized in Fayette, Seneca Country, New York…. [24] I have never read anywhere, that I know of, of the same power manifested in any dispensation to the children of men, which was manifested to the Prophet of God in the organization of this Church, when the Father and the Son both appeared to the Prophet Joseph in answer to his prayer, and when the Father said, ‘This is my beloved Son; behold him; hear ye Him.’ This was an important revelation, which has never been manifested in the same manner in any dispensation of the world, that God has given concerning His work. So in its organization, the Prophet of God was administered to by the angels of heaven. They were his teachers, they were his instructors.^[5]

Woodruff (1891): "His first prayer to the God of heaven was offered when he was only fourteen or fifteen years of age"

Wilford Woodruff:

When the Prophet Joseph was called of God to lay the foundation of this Church and kingdom he was a mere boy. His first prayer to the God of heaven was offered when he was only fourteen or fifteen years of age. He had read and studied the scriptures previously and was anxious to know what religious sect to join. An answer [501] came to him from the Lord thereon. The heavens were opened; God the Father and God the Son appeared to him, and the Father said, ‘This is My beloved Son; hear ye Him.’ The history of Joseph Smith from that time until he organized the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, on the 6th of April, 1830, was a constant scene of revelation and visitation. His counselors were the angels—those who held the Priesthood in the flesh while on the earth and administered upon this continent to the sons of Adam, to the children of Israel who dwelt here. They were his teachers…^[6]

Woodruff (1891): "he was administered unto, in answer to his prayers, by the Father and the Son...He listened strictly to the words of Jesus Christ"

Wilford Woodruff:

Joseph Smith was moved upon by the Holy Ghost, and he was administered unto, in answer to his prayers, by the Father and the Son; and the Father said to him, ‘This is my beloved Son, hear ye Him.’ He listened strictly to the words of Jesus Christ, and continued to do so until he, like the Savior, was put to death…^[7]

Woodruff (1891): "Joseph Smith was moved upon by the Holy Ghost, and he was administered unto, in answer to his prayers, by the Father and the Son"

Wilford Woodruff:

He also took the Priesthood from the earth, and it remained in the hands of God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ until 1829. Long centuries passed away. Millions of human beings were born, dwelt on the earth, died, and went into the spirit world, and not one soul of them, so far as we have any knowledge, had power to go forth among mankind and administer in the ordinances of the Gospel of life and salvation…. [781] Now, in our day and generation, we have arrived at a point in the history of the world when this Priesthood is restored. The Lord raised up Joseph Smith. He came forth in the proper time. He organized a Church. Who was Joseph Smith? Was he a lawyer? Was he a doctor of divinity? Was he what is called a great man, a learned man? No, he was but a youth; the world would say an illiterate, ignorant youth. He was an unlearned youth in the things of the world. But he was a pure man. He came forth through the lineage of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He was prophesied of by the ancient Patriarchs and Prophets. The Book of Mormon gives his name. Joseph Smith was moved upon by the Holy Ghost, and he was administered unto, in answer to his prayers, by the Father and the Son; and the Father said to him, ‘This is my beloved Son, hear ye Him.’ He listened strictly to the words of Jesus Christ, and continued to do so until he, like the Savior, was put to death, though he was not crucified, because it was not the custom of the day.^[8]

Woodruff (1892): "the Father and Son both appeared to the man whom He had chosen"

Wilford Woodruff:

This is the only dispensation that I have ever read of in which the Father and Son both appeared to the man whom He had chosen to establish His Church. Joseph Smith received this great honor. He was a Prophet of God.^[9]

Woodruff (1894): "Both the Father and the Son presented themselves unto him in the clouds of heaven"

Wilford Woodruff:

Joseph Smith, when fourteen years of age, while calling upon God in the wilderness, had the heavens opened unto him. Both the Father and the Son presented themselves unto him in the clouds of heaven, and the Father said, ‘This is my beloved Son; hear him.’^[10]

Notes

1. ↑ Wilford Woodruff, (2 February 1855) Journal of Discourses 2:196-197.
2. ↑ Wilford Woodruff, (6 June 1880) Journal of Discourses 21:124-125.
3. ↑ Contributor, 2.2 (November, 1880): 60
4. ↑ Wilford Woodruff, General Conference, October 6, 1889, Collected Discourses 1. 383
5. ↑ Wilford Woodruff, General Conference, April 4, 1890; Deseret Weekly 40. 16 (Saturday, April 12, 1890): 525; reprinted in Millennial Star 52. (April 28, 1890): 258; Collected Discourses 2. 23-24
6. ↑ Wilford Woodruff, General Conference, April 5, 1891; Deseret News 42 (Saturday, April 11, 1891): 500-501.
7. ↑ Wilford Woodruff, General Conference October 5, 1891. Afternoon session. Millennial Star 53. 49 (December 7, 1891): 781.
8. ↑ Wilford Woodruff, Cache Stake Conference, Logan, Sunday afternoon, November 1, 1891; Deseret News Weekly 43 (1891): 658-660; Millennial Star 53. 49 (December 7, 1891): 780-781 [also in Collected Discourses 2. 285].
9. ↑ Wilford Woodruff, General Conference, October 9, 1892, Deseret News Weekly 45 (1892): 546c; Collected Discourses 3. 156
10. ↑ Wilford Woodruff, General Conference; Deseret Weekly, 48 (April 8, 1894): 542; Millennial Star 46 (1894): 321; Collected Discourses 4. 70