Personages who appeared during the First Vision

Parent page: First Vision

Joseph Smith (1832): "and I saw the Lord and he spake unto me"

Joseph Smith recorded the following in his own handwriting:

a piller of fire light above the brightness of the sun at noon day come down from above and rested upon me and I was filled with the spirit of god and the Lord opened the heavens upon me and I saw the Lord and he spake unto me saying Joseph my son thy sins are forgiven thee. go thy way walk in my statutes and keep my commandments behold I am the Lord of glory I was crucifyed for the world that all those who believe on my name may have Eternal life ^[1]

Joseph Smith (9 Nov. 1835): "a personage appeard in the midst of this pillar of flame...another personage soon appeard like unto the first...and I saw many angels in this vision"

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, 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 I was about 14 years old when I received this first communication; ^[2]

Joseph Smith (14 Nov. 1835): "I received the first visitation of Angels which was when I was about 14"

I commenced and gave him a brief relation of my experience while in my juvenile years, say from 6 years old up to the time I received the first visitation of Angels which was when I was about 14. years old and also the visitations that I received afterward, concerning the book of Mormon ^[3]

Joseph Smith (1843): "The Lord...revealed himself to me first when I was about fourteen years old...a glorious personage in the light, and then another personage"

The Lord does reveal himself to me. I know it. He revealed himself to me first when I was about fourteen years old, a mere boy....Directly I saw a light, and then a glorious personage in the light, and then another personage, and the first personage said to the second, “Behold my beloved Son, hear him.” I then, addressed this second person, saying, “O Lord, what Church shall I join.” He replied, “don’t join any of them, they are all corrupt.” The vision then vanished. ^[4]

Charles Lowell Walker (1893): "As soon as the Lord had touched his eyes with his finger he immediately saw the Savior"

God touched his eyes with his finger and said “[Joseph] this is my beloved Son hear him.” As soon as the Lord had touched his eyes with his finger he immediately saw the Savior. After meeting, a few of us questioned him about the matter and he told us at the bottom of the meeting house steps that he was in the House of Father Smith in Kirtland when Joseph made this declaration, and that Joseph while speaking of it put his finger to his right eye, suiting the action with the words so as to illustrate and at the same time impress the [occurrence] on the minds of those unto whom He was speaking.^[5]

Notes

1. ↑ Joseph Smith Letterbook 1, pp. 1-6. This electronic text was copied from Wikisource. The editor notes that insertions are indicated like this and deletions are indicated like this. Text in blue is in Smith's own handwriting, the remainder in the handwriting of Frederick G. Williams. "History, circa Summer 1832," The Joseph Smith Papers.
2. ↑ Joseph Smith's journal entry of 9 November 1835 (Monday)
3. ↑ Joseph's journal entry of 14 November 1835 (Saturday)
4. ↑ "Interview, 21 August 1843, extract," Interview, JS by David Nye White, Nauvoo, IL, 21 Aug. 1843; in David Nye White, “The Prairies, Nauvoo, Joe Smith, the Temple, the Mormons, &c.” Pittsburgh Weekly Gazette, 15 Sept. 1843, p. [3]; photocopy at CHL. The Joseph Smith Papers.
5. ↑ Charles Lowell Walker, Diary of Charles Lowell Walker (Logan, UT: Utah State University Press, 1980), 2:755–56 [recorded 2 February 1893]