Multiple Accounts of the First Vision
66 Primary Sources
Date | Summary | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
1829 | Printer's Manuscript of BOM. | Joseph Smith, Jr. LDS | Scribed Verbatim | |
Apr 1830 | Revelation manuscript for D&C 20. | Joseph Smith, Jr. LDS | Scribed Verbatim | |
Jan 6, 1831 | LMS letter to her family describing appearance of Moroni. | Lucy Mack Smith LDS | Holograph Direct | |
Jun 1832 - | Joseph describes his childhood education and his upbringing. | Joseph Smith, Jr. LDS | Holograph Direct | |
Jun 1832 - | Joseph's 1832 history giving earliest firsthand account of the vision. | Joseph Smith, Jr. LDS | Holograph Direct | |
Dec 1832 | JST manuscript for Psalm 14 which has similar verbiage to 1832 FV account. | Joseph Smith, Jr. LDS | Scribed Verbatim Translation | |
Dec 1834 | OC letter to WWP describing JS First Vision. | Oliver Cowdery LDS | Direct | |
Feb 1835 | OC writes to WWP on JS First Vision. | Oliver Cowdery LDS | 2nd Hand Reprint | |
Apr 1, 1835 | JC describes hearing JS relate First Vision when a religious revivial occurred. | Joseph Curtis LDS | Holograph 2nd Hand | |
Jun 2, 1835 | WWP letter to his wife saying he heard JS preach. | W. W. Phelps LDS | Holograph 2nd Hand | |
Nov 1835 - | RF remembers hearing about First Vision in 1835. | Rhoda Ann Fullmer LDS | Scribed Verbatim Reprint | |
Nov 9, 1835 | JS account of his First Vision from 1835. | Joseph Smith, Jr. LDS | Scribed Verbatim Direct Late | |
Nov 14, 1835 | JS First Vision summary. | Joseph Smith, Jr. LDS | Scribed Verbatim Direct | |
Nov 27, 1836 | PPP recounts JS telling about his visions. | Parley P. Pratt LDS | Holograph 2nd Hand | |
Jun 1839 | Joseph's 1838 canonical history. | Joseph Smith, Jr. LDS | Scribed Verbatim | |
1840 | Orson Pratt recounts JS's First Vision. | Orson Pratt LDS | 2nd Hand | |
Apr 18, 1841 | JM recounts meeting WS who retells JS First Vision. | James Murdock Non-LDS | Reprint 3rd Hand Journalism | |
Mar 1, 1842 | JS 1842 account of First Vision for JW. | Joseph Smith, Jr. LDS | Direct | |
Mar 15, 1842 - | 1842 publication of JS 1838 First Vision account. | Joseph Smith, Jr. LDS | Direct Reprint | |
1842 | OH recounting of JS First Vision. | Orson Hyde LDS | 2nd Hand | |
Jun 11, 1843 | LR accounts of JS First Vision. | Levi Richards LDS | Holograph 2nd Hand | |
Aug 21, 1843 | DNW interviews JS on the First Vision and JS details seeing two personages. | Joseph Smith, Jr. Non-LDS | 2nd Hand Journalism | |
May 24, 1844 | AN 1844 account of JS First Vision. | Joseph Smith, Jr. LDS | Holograph 2nd Hand | |
1844 | IDR prints JS' account of the First Vision, where he sees two personages who are exactly the same. | Joseph Smith, Jr. LDS | Scribed Verbatim Direct Reprint | |
1845 | Lucy Mack Smith conflates First Vision and Moroni visit. | Lucy Mack Smith LDS | 2nd Hand Late | |
Jun 25, 1850 | JT recounts JS First Vision. | John Taylor LDS | 2nd Hand Reprint | |
Feb 18, 1855 | BY says Lord sent his angel to JS in First Vision. | Brigham Young LDS | Scribed Verbatim 2nd Hand | |
Mar 3, 1861 | BY mentions First Vision; gives JS age at 14. | Brigham Young LDS | Scribed Verbatim 2nd Hand Reprint | |
Dec 19, 1869 | OP retells First Vision. | Orson Pratt LDS | Scribed Verbatim 2nd Hand Reprint | |
Dec 31, 1876 | JT recounts JS First Vision, indicating that God revealed "events that are to transpire on this continent." | John Taylor LDS | Scribed Verbatim 2nd Hand Reprint | |
Mar 2, 1879 | JT declares purpose of First Vision in discussion of priesthood, missionary work, and enlightenment. | John Taylor LDS | Scribed Verbatim | |
1883 | William Smith recounts Joseph Smith's First Vision account. | William Smith Disaffected | 2nd Hand | |
Feb 2, 1893 | CW says JA says he heard JS say God touched his eyes in the vision. | Charles Lowell Walker LDS | Reprint 3rd Hand Late | |
1893 | ES late reminiscence of hearing First Vision. | Edward Stevenson LDS | Scribed Summary 2nd Hand Late | |
Jul 15, 1894 | ES reminiscence of hearing of FV, with God the Father Pointing to JC who was in his likeness. | Edward Stevenson LDS | 2nd Hand Late | |
Dec 31, 1897 | Edward Stevenson writes a late recollection of the First Vision of Joseph Smith. | Edward Stevenson LDS | Holograph 2nd Hand Late | |
1908 | Reprint of Wentworth Letter, including 1842 FV account, in History of the Church series. | Joseph Smith, Jr. LDS | Direct Reprint | |
Apr 1910 | MIHH late recollection of JS First Vision where "the Prophet's countenance lightened up." | Mary Isabella Hales Horne LDS | 2nd Hand Late | |
Apr 1921 | Joseph Fielding Smith is sustained as Church historian/recorder at the April 1921 General Conference. | Heber J. Grant LDS | Direct | |
1930 | BHR recounts First Vision, reproduces and cites material from 1838 and 1842 FV accounts. | B. H. Roberts LDS | Direct Secondary | |
Feb 1962 | Preston Nibley republishes JS 1842 Wentworth Letter in IE, including First Vision account, in full. | Joseph Smith, Jr. LDS | Direct Reprint | |
1965 | PRC MA thesis including first published version of 1832 FV account. | Paul R. Cheesman LDS | Secondary | |
1966 | James B. Allen cites evidence supporting that the First Vision had relevance in the lifetime of Joseph. | James B. Allen LDS | Direct Secondary | |
1969 | BYU Studies full issue of Spring 1969 devoted to First Vision accounts. | BYU Studies LDS | Secondary | |
1969 | TGM mentions institutional support behind project to catalogue known First Vision accounts. | BYU Studies LDS | Secondary | |
Feb 14, 1970 | "Church Section" of Deseret News reports on release of Joseph Fielding Smith as Church historian/recorder in February 1970; notes he was called March 17, 1921. | Deseret News LDS | Journalism | |
Apr 1970 | JBA provides chart harmonizing First Vision accounts. | James B. Allen LDS | Direct | |
Apr 1970 | James B. Allen discusses First Vision accounts in an official Church periodical. | James B. Allen LDS | Secondary | |
Dec 1974 | GML illustrates how the standardization of Sunday School was an ongoing process from the 1800s into the early 1900s. | Glen M. Leonard LDS | Direct Secondary | |
Aug 22, 1978 | TGM writes that JS saw both angels and God during the First Vision. | Truman G. Madsen LDS | Direct Secondary | |
Jan 1985 | MVB Jr. publishes article in Ensign on the different First Vision accounts. | Milton V. Backman, Jr. LDS | Direct Secondary | |
Jan 1986 | MVB Jr. follow-up article to Jan 1985 piece on the First Vision; details more known accounts of FV and provides additional historical context. | Milton V. Backman, Jr. LDS | Direct Secondary | |
Apr 1996 | RLA publishes article in Ensign talking about First Vision accounts; answers common criticisms, provides historical context. | Richard L. Anderson LDS | Direct Secondary | |
1998 | L. Petersen recalls his discussion with L.E. Young about a "strange account" of the First Vision. | LaMar Petersen Critic Non-LDS | 2nd Hand Late | |
2001 | CES teacher's manual that recommends scholarship on First Vision. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints LDS | Direct Secondary | |
2003 | Chpt 3 in CES manual references 1832 and 1838 First Vision accounts. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints LDS | Direct Secondary | |
2004 | Non-LDS scholar SP discusses First Vision. | Stephen Prothero Non-LDS | Secondary | |
2012 | Joseph Smith Papers Editors explain the document history of the 1832 First Vision account. | The Joseph Smith Papers LDS | Secondary | |
2013 | L. Petersen recounts L.E. Young's examination of a "strange account" of the First Vision. | LaMar Petersen Critic Non-LDS | 2nd Hand | |
2014 | S. Larson argues that J.F. Smith hid the 1832 First Vision account. | Stan Larson LDS | Secondary | |
2018 | ROB explains lack of documentation for JS's early visions, discusses reasons for that. | Ronald O. Barney LDS | Direct Secondary | |
Jan 2019 | "Mormon Stories" article argues that the evidences supports Joseph Fielding Smith, or someone under his charge in the Church Historian's Office, tearing out the 3 pages of Letterbook 1. | Mormon Stories Critic | Direct | |
Jan 5, 2020 | RJ and SM discuss JS writing and record-keeping habits. | Spencer McBride LDS | Scribed Verbatim Direct Secondary | |
Apr 18, 2020 | Robert M. Bowman Jr., argues that Joseph Fielding Smith knew about the 1832 First Vision account and he wanted "to be made public quietly under the most favorable possible circumstances." | Robert M. Bowman, Jr. Critic Non-LDS | Direct | |
2021 | RSJ explores possible reasons why JS was reluctant to record visionary experiences, or at least why he hesitated to record them. | Robin Scott Jensen LDS | Direct Secondary | |
2021 | JSPP editors on JS needing to use scribes. | The Joseph Smith Papers LDS | Direct Secondary |