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The Calling of a Prophet

Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets. (Amos 3:7.)

One of the most important events in the religious history of the world occurred in a serene grove in the spring of 1820. A young farm boy, fourteen years of age, was called by God to be a modern witness for Christ and to usher in the fulness of the everlasting gospel. In response to Joseph Smith's humble prayer, God the Eternal Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, appeared and instructed the young man. The Father introduced the Son, and the Savior unfolded a momentous message. For hundreds of years a prophet had not been available to guide God's children on earth, but now with the heavens parting, light and knowledge burst upon the inhabitants of this world. During this divine call, Joseph Smith learned more about the nature and personality of God than anyone then living. He also learned that all churches were teaching incorrect doctrines and was promised that the fulness of the gospel would be revealed to him. As he walked from the sacred grove in western New York, he was endowed with a peace and joy that he had never previously experienced and a responsibility that was distinct among men of the early nineteenth century.

On four different occasions Joseph Smith wrote or dictated a detailed account of this marvelous and sacred experience of 1820. Three of these recitals were referred to in Chapter One: the autobiography and history written in 1832 (which is the only account of the First Vision in Joseph's handwriting, the others being dictated by scribes), the history of the Church which was initiated in 1838, and the Wentworth Letter. A fourth history is the record of a conversation between Joseph Smith and a visitor to Kirtland, Ohio, a man named Matthias. This latter account was recorded in Joseph Smith's Kirtland diary by his scribe, Warren Cowdery, under the date Monday, November 9th, 1835.

As one reads the full text of the four accounts of the First vision, he should remember that the accounts are of various lengths, were prepared under different circumstances at different periods in the life of the Prophet, and were addressed to different audiences. It is not surprising, therefore, that each of them emphasize different aspects of his experience. When Latter-day Saints today explain this remarkable vision to others, their descriptions often vary according to the audience of circumstances that prompt such recitals. If one were relating the incident to a group of high priests, for example, he would undoubtedly tell it somewhat differently than he would to individuals who had never heard of Joseph Smith or the restoration of the gospel.

One can better understand and appreciate the different emphasis in Joseph's four recitals of the First Vision by examining their individual historical setting, by considering Joseph's efforts to write history, and by noting his attempts to improve the form in which the basic message of the restoration was conveyed to others.