- Dec 12, 2002
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I've always been more interested in doctrine than Joseph Smith's history, but last evening I decided to take a look at some history:
"3 I was born in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and five, on the twenty-third day of December, in the town of Sharon, Windsor county, State of Vermont. … My father, Joseph Smith, Sen., left the State of Vermont, and moved to Palmyra, Ontario (now Wayne) county, in the State of New York, when I was in my tenth year, or thereabouts. In about four years after my father’s arrival in Palmyra, he moved with his family into Manchester in the same county of Ontario—
...
"5 Some time in the second year after our removal to Manchester, there was in the place where we lived an unusual excitement on the subject of religion. It commenced with the Methodists, but soon became general among all the sects in that region of country. Indeed, the whole district of country seemed affected by it, and great multitudes united themselves to the different religious parties, which created no small stir and division amongst the people, some crying, “Lo, here!” and others, “Lo, there!” Some were contending for the Methodist faith, some for the Presbyterian, and some for the Baptist.
"6 For, notwithstanding the great love which the converts to these different faiths expressed at the time of their conversion, and the great zeal manifested by the respective clergy, who were active in getting up and promoting this extraordinary scene of religious feeling, in order to have everybody converted, as they were pleased to call it, let them join what sect they pleased; yet when the converts began to file off, some to one party and some to another, it was seen that the seemingly good feelings of both the priests and the converts were more pretended than real; for a scene of great confusion and bad feeling ensued—priest contending against priest, and convert against convert; so that all their good feelings one for another, if they ever had any, were entirely lost in a strife of words and a contest about opinions."
Joseph Smith—History 1
Joseph's family moved to Manchester when he was about fourteen; two years later he was sixteen. 1805 plus sixteen equals about 1821. The local newspapers, The Palmyra Reflector and Wayne Sentinel recorded that the revivals occurred in 1824.
How many different versions did Joseph Smith give of his "First Vision?"
"Was this a real, physical event? Or was this a vision in the same sense that Lehi saw a vision of the tree of life, in a dream?[3] The first written version of the account by Joseph was not given until 12 years after it supposedly took place. When he first penned the account, Joseph only mentioned one person visiting him, which is no small detail to be mistaken about.[4] There are now known at least nine different accounts[5]relating the First Vision with varying degrees of changes and circumstances. If this vision was so important, why are there discrepancies?
"As far as the dissemination of Joseph's vision, there is scant evidence that it was referenced in any published material in the 1830's and it was left out of the first publication of the Church's history written by Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery. It was also left out of the Book of Commandments (published in 1833, it was the precursor to the Doctrine & Covenants) and the general Church membership did not receive information about the First Vision until the 1840's and even then, the story did not hold the prominent place in Mormon thought that it does today.[6] For an event of such import, why wasn't it more widely known? And if Joseph's telling of the event was the cause of such persecution to himself, why doesn't the historical record bear this out?"
Joseph Smith's First Vision
5 http://www.josephsmithpapers.org/site/accounts-of-the-first-vision
"3 I was born in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and five, on the twenty-third day of December, in the town of Sharon, Windsor county, State of Vermont. … My father, Joseph Smith, Sen., left the State of Vermont, and moved to Palmyra, Ontario (now Wayne) county, in the State of New York, when I was in my tenth year, or thereabouts. In about four years after my father’s arrival in Palmyra, he moved with his family into Manchester in the same county of Ontario—
...
"5 Some time in the second year after our removal to Manchester, there was in the place where we lived an unusual excitement on the subject of religion. It commenced with the Methodists, but soon became general among all the sects in that region of country. Indeed, the whole district of country seemed affected by it, and great multitudes united themselves to the different religious parties, which created no small stir and division amongst the people, some crying, “Lo, here!” and others, “Lo, there!” Some were contending for the Methodist faith, some for the Presbyterian, and some for the Baptist.
"6 For, notwithstanding the great love which the converts to these different faiths expressed at the time of their conversion, and the great zeal manifested by the respective clergy, who were active in getting up and promoting this extraordinary scene of religious feeling, in order to have everybody converted, as they were pleased to call it, let them join what sect they pleased; yet when the converts began to file off, some to one party and some to another, it was seen that the seemingly good feelings of both the priests and the converts were more pretended than real; for a scene of great confusion and bad feeling ensued—priest contending against priest, and convert against convert; so that all their good feelings one for another, if they ever had any, were entirely lost in a strife of words and a contest about opinions."
Joseph Smith—History 1
Joseph's family moved to Manchester when he was about fourteen; two years later he was sixteen. 1805 plus sixteen equals about 1821. The local newspapers, The Palmyra Reflector and Wayne Sentinel recorded that the revivals occurred in 1824.
How many different versions did Joseph Smith give of his "First Vision?"
"Was this a real, physical event? Or was this a vision in the same sense that Lehi saw a vision of the tree of life, in a dream?[3] The first written version of the account by Joseph was not given until 12 years after it supposedly took place. When he first penned the account, Joseph only mentioned one person visiting him, which is no small detail to be mistaken about.[4] There are now known at least nine different accounts[5]relating the First Vision with varying degrees of changes and circumstances. If this vision was so important, why are there discrepancies?
"As far as the dissemination of Joseph's vision, there is scant evidence that it was referenced in any published material in the 1830's and it was left out of the first publication of the Church's history written by Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery. It was also left out of the Book of Commandments (published in 1833, it was the precursor to the Doctrine & Covenants) and the general Church membership did not receive information about the First Vision until the 1840's and even then, the story did not hold the prominent place in Mormon thought that it does today.[6] For an event of such import, why wasn't it more widely known? And if Joseph's telling of the event was the cause of such persecution to himself, why doesn't the historical record bear this out?"
Joseph Smith's First Vision
5 http://www.josephsmithpapers.org/site/accounts-of-the-first-vision
