Saints Without Halos: A Mormon History Website

Mormon History 1830-1844

Joseph Smith's 1835 Accounts of the First Vision

Two accounts of the First Vision are recorded in Joseph's 1835 diary, the first to "Joshua the Jewish Minister" on November 9 §, the second to Erastus Holmes on November 14 §. Both accounts are in the hand of Warren Parrish, who began writing for Joseph on October 29, 1835.
In the first 1835 account, Joseph, about 14, is "wrought up" about religion and goes to a grove to pray. At first unable to pray, he hears footsteps drawing closer from behind, jumps up and looks around, then kneels and prays earnestly. Pillar of fire descends, sees one personage, then second. The second personage tells Joseph that his sins are forgiven and testifies that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
The second 1835 account is much shorter. Joseph's "first visitation of angels" occurrs when he is "about 14 years old," after which he receives revelations about the Book of Mormon.

	Introduction
"Joshua the Jewish Minister"	Dean Jessee reports that Joshua the Jewish Minister was Robert Matthews, alias Robert Matthias, a joiner and merchant, from Cambridge, New York "claimed to be God the Father reincarnated in the body of Matthias the ancient apostle." He taught that no man who shaved could be a Christian. predicted the destruction of Albany in 1830, then left his wife and five children to go on a preaching tour through the East and South. He was committed to the insane asylum at Bellevue "for a time," and in April 1835 was tried for the murder of a Mr. Perison, who died after eating blackberries prepared by Matthews. He was acquitted on that charge but served three months in jail for beating his daughter with a whip. In 1839 he was shaved by a Little Rock, Arkansas mob and ordered to leave town or get a closer shave by "Dr. Lynch."	PWJS, 682.
Joshua	Between ten and eleven a.m. on November 9, a man comes to Joseph's house and introduces himself as Joshua the Jewish minister. His appearance is "some thing singular"—he is about 50 or 55, tall and slender, with blue eyes, fair complexion, long silver hair, and a gray beard about three inches long. He wears "a sea green frock coat, & pantaloons of the same, black fur hat with narrow brim, and while speaking frequently shuts his eyes with a scowl on his countenance."
	Joseph asks for his name but gets no definite answer. They begin talking about religion. Joseph makes some comments about the Bible, then:

	November 9, 1835 Account
Book of Mormon begins with first vision	I commenced giving him a relation of the circumstances connected with the coming forth of the book of Mormon, as follows—	Diary-2, 22–24 // PWJS, 104–105; 1:43–45.
Which church is right	being wrought up in my mind, respecting the subject of religion and looking at the different systems taught the children of men, I knew not who was right or who was wrong and I considered it of the first importance that I should be right, in matters that involve eternal consequnces; being thus perplexed in mind I retired to the silent grove and bowd down before the Lord,	Contra ¶ Joseph Smith's 1832 History and Orson Pratt's 1840 Account, obtaining forgiveness of sins is not a motivating factor.
Ask, knock, seek	under a realising sense that he had said (if the bible be true) ask and you shall receive knock and it shall be opened seek and you shall find and again, if any man lack wisdom let him ask of God who giveth to all men libarally and upbradeth not;	Matthew 7:7, James 1:5
Desires information	information was what I most desired at this time, and with a fixed determination to obtain it, <
First prayer in grove Cannot speak	I called upon the Lord for the first time, in the place above stated or in other words I made a fruitless attempt to pay, my toung seemed to be swolen in my mouth, so that I could not utter,	Satan Came Also
Noise from behind	I heard a noise behind me like some person walking towards me,
Tries again	I strove again to pray, but could not,
Walking closer	the noise of walking seemed to draw nearer,
Jumps up	I sprung up on my feet, ~~and~~ and looked around, but saw no person or thing that was calculated to produce the noise of walking,
Kneels and prays	I kneeled again my mouth was opened and my toung liberated, and I called on the Lord in mighty prayer,
Pillar of fire, unspeakable joy	a pillar of fire appeared above my head, it presently rested down upon me ~~head~~, and filled me with Joy unspeakable,
Personage in pillar	a personage appeard in the midst of this pillar of flame which was spread all around, and yet nothing consumed,
Second personage	another personage soon appeard like unto the first, he said unto me	Only "the Lord" appears in ¶ Joseph Smith's 1832 History. Which church is true is not addressed,
Forgives sins	thy sins are forgiven thee,
Jesus is Son of God	he testifyed unto me that Jesus Christ is the Son of God;
Many angels	<and I saw many angels in this vision>	Angels are not mentioned by Joseph in 1832 or by Orson Pratt in 1840.
About 14	I was about 14 years old when I received this first communication;
	November 14 account
	In the afternoon, a man named Erastus Holmes of Newberry, Clermont county, Ohio, calls on Joseph to ask about the church.	Diary-2, 36–37. Also PWJS, 112–113. An edited account of this text was published in the Deseret News, May 29, 1852. This text from PWJS, 112–113.
Visitation of angels, age 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 the revelations that I received afterward, concerning the book of Mormon, and a short account of the rise and progress of the church up to this, date he listened verry attentively and seemed highly gratified, and intends to unite with the Church he is a verry candid man indeed and I am much pleased with him.
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