While doing some research for another article, I came across a sermon on the subject matter we’re looking at today.
As a reminder, here’s Joe Smith’s official version of his 1st Vision —
Joseph Smith-History 1:17-19 “It no sooner appeared than I found myself delivered from the enemy which held me bound. 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! 18 My object in going to inquire of the Lord was to know which of all the sects was right, that I might know which to join. No sooner, therefore, did I get possession of myself, so as to be able to speak, than I asked the Personages who stood above me in the light, which of all the sects was right (for at this time it had never entered into my heart that all were wrong)—and which I should join. 19 I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong; and the Personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those professors were all corrupt; that: “they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof.”” [emp. added]
But…
The following is a sermon from Mormon apostle, George A. Smith, who apparently thought angels visited Smith.
Journal of Discourses 12:334 “Joseph Smith…read the Bible and had found that passage in James which says “If any of you lack wisdom let him ask of God that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not,” and taking this literally, he went humbly before the Lord and inquired of Him, and the Lord answered his prayer and revealed to Joseph, by the ministration of angels, the true condition of the religious world. When the holy angel appeared, Joseph inquired which of all these denominations was right and which he should join, and was told they were all wrong,—they had all gone astray, transgressed the laws, changed the ordinances and broken the everlasting covenant, and that the Lord was about to restore the priesthood and establish His Church, which would be the only true and living Church on the face of the whole earth.” — George A. Smith, Salt Lake City, November 15, 1868 [emp. added]
It’s odd an LDS apostle wouldn’t have the same story.
Where’s the exalted god, and his son?
Who were the angels?
Was this Moroni, and Nephi?
As members listen to the talks, and read articles regarding this false prophecy, pray for Jesus to intervene and have them stop to think about the scenarios these false leaders present!
With Love in Christ;
Michelle
I’d love to ask a member, which of the 9 or so versions of the 1st. vision accounts do you believe?
Didn’t Joe apply for membership in the Methodist church in around 1832? If that be the case, Joe must not have placed much importance on God telling him not to join any of the churches
Joseph Smith did not apply to join the Methodist church in 1832, if you think he did please cite the evidence.
In answer to your question, I believe all of them. Joseph Smith wrote many of his accounts many years after the actual event, and as a human being our memories of actual details will change over time. If you yourself were to write accounts of an important event in your life when you were very young at different stages in your life you would write it differently as time passed.
The most important thing is that the essence of his account remains the same. The fact that Joseph wrote the account differently, or an early apostle made an error makes no difference at all to me.
You may call Joseph Smith a false prophet as many times as you like, you may criticise him for his human mistakes, but it wont alter the fact the account still stands because of the events that came after, the Book of Mormon, the testimonies of millions of people, and the fact the church is still here and still growing.
So Dale, which account do you believe??? Was it an angel? Nephi/Moroni? Or God the father and his son? If this really happened God wouldn’t allow the narrative to change. After all, this is the one true church right?
And you do realize the narrative the missionaries use today wasn’t compiled until way after Joseph Smith’s death.
For God to tell Joe Smith that none of the local churches were right in his eyes, defies what God says in the Bible:
“As surely as I live says the Lord, every knee will bow to me and every tongue will acknowledge God. So then, each of us will give account of ourselves to God.” (Romans 14:11,12)
Also in 2 Corinthians 5:10: :For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due for the things done, while in the body, whether good or bad.”
God isn’t going to judge you because you were a Methodist, Lutheran or Presbyterian. He is going to judge us on the content of our hearts (faith), not on which church we belonged to
And besides, God is a merciful God. Would God really refuse to bless somebody because they were a .devout Baptist? I am quite sure that during Joe’s time, there were many great men and women of God ,living in the same neighborhood as Joe. Many of the local preachers were men selected by God to preach His Word.
Joe smith’s first Vision is an insult to those men and women that were devout followers of the Gospel of Christ