Orson Hyde's References to the First Vision

Parent page: First Vision

Orson Hyde (1842): "Two glorious heavenly personages stood before him, resembling each other exactly in features and stature"

Orson Hyde published a account of the rise and progress of the church, in 1842, in German. He appears to have used Orson Pratt's 1840 account as a starting point.

At this sacred moment, the natural world around him was excluded from his view, so that he would be open to the presentation of heavenly and spiritual things. Two glorious heavenly personages stood before him, resembling each other exactly in features and stature. They told him that his prayers had been answered and that the Lord had decided to grant him a special blessing. He was also told that he should not join any of the religious sects or denominations, because all of them erred in doctrine and none was recognized by God as his church and kingdom. He was further commanded, to wait patiently until some future time, when the true doctrine of Christ and the complete truth of the gospel would be revealed to him. The vision closed and peace and calm filled his mind.^[1]

Orson Hyde (1850): "In the first vision which Joseph Smith received in the Spring of the year 1820, (he being between fourteen and fifteen years of age,) both the Father and the Son, while he was praying, appeared unto him"

Orson Hyde published an article in The Frontier Guardian by Orson Pratt:

In the first vision which Joseph Smith received in the Spring of the year 1820, (he being between fourteen and fifteen years of age,) both the Father and the Son, while he was praying, appeared unto him. He says: "When the light rested upon me, I saw two personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name, and said -(pointing to the other,) This is my beloved Son, hear him. Thus we find that the visions both of the ancient and modern prophets agree, and clearly demonstrate the existence of two distinct persons - the Father and the Son.^[2]

Orson Hyde (1854): "Some one may say, 'If this work of the last days be true, why did not the Saviour come himself to communicate this intelligence to the world?'"

The proper context of Elder Hyde’s remarks can be determined simply by examining his opening statement. There he makes it clear that because it was currently the season for sowing crops he wanted to discourse on some parable imagery found in the 13th chapter of the New Testament book of Matthew (verses 1–9, 36–43). Orson Hyde said:

When we take a more extensive view of the subject, we find that the grand harvest is reserved until the last—until the winding up scene; for it is said, "The harvest is the end of the world, and the reapers are the angels," by whose agency this reaping dispensation was committed to the children of men. Some one may say, "If this work of the last days be true, why did not the Saviour come himself to communicate this intelligence to the world?" Because to the angels was committed the power of reaping the earth, and it was committed to none else. And after the mighty champions that hold the keys of this dispensation came and brought the intelligence that the time of harvest was now—that the time of the end was drawing nigh,—when this proclamation was made, and the announcement saluted the ears of the children of men, what was to be done next? Behold, the gathering of the Saints begins. ^[3]

A summary of Elder Hyde’s comments shows that he did not intend to speak about the First Vision at all; he wanted to impress upon that Saints that the latter-day work of gathering (the figurative harvest imagery) was inaugurated by angels and they would also play a role in the figurative separation of the wheat and the tares.

Notes

1. ↑ Orson Hyde, Ein Ruf aus der Wuste, eine Stimme aus dem Schoose der Erde [A Cry from the Wilderness, a Voice from the Dust of the Earth] (Frankfurt, 1842); translation by Marvin Folsom, in Dean Jessee, The Papers of Joseph Smith. Volume 1. Autobiographical and Historical Writings (Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book Company, 1989): 405, 407, 409, at page 409.
2. ↑ Orson Hyde, printing and article by Orson Pratt, The Frontier Guardian (6 March 1850).
3. ↑ Orson Hyde, (6 April 1854) Journal of Discourses 6:335.