As a boy, Joseph Smith was surrounded by various churches which, though they disagreed with on another, each claimed to teach the truth. This caused him much serious reflection. He wanted to know which church was right. One day he read a passage in the Bible which says, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him” (James 1:5). Joseph decided to accept the invitation to ask God.
In the spring of 1820, Joseph went to a grove of trees near his home and prayed to learn which church he should join. In answer to his prayer, Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, appeared to him. Joseph wrote: “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!” Joseph was told to join none of the churches that existed at that time as the priesthood authority and Church as Jesus Christ had organized it when He was on the earth had been lost over the centuries.
Joseph Smith’s First Vision marked the beginning of the Restoration of Jesus Christ’s Church to the earth. Joseph’s written account of this event is a powerful testimony of what he saw and experienced. (Joseph Smith’s History chapter 1 verses 8-17.)
The first vision generally denotes the first direct experience with God of the boy prophet, Joseph Smith. It occurred because Joseph had the confidence to believe what he read in the bible about turning to God for wisdom while attempting to answer gospel questions.
It is important for two reasons. 1) The fact that God responded in a fashion that would clarify several bible questions, and 2) as examples go, it is unbeatable regarding who to turn to for spiritual related knowledge and wisdom. It should be noted that it was not just some frivolousness Joseph engaged in that day, but that he had pondered the question and wanted sincerely to know which way to go. He wanted to know how to proceed with his life and intended to follow the knowledge received. We can do like-wise. We can have our personal first experience with turning to God if we properly prepare. We should not expect to have a repeat of the vision the boy Joseph received but we can expect to be informed through the Holy Ghost that the path we have studied out and intend to follow is truth. If we seek answers without the preparation, or real intent, our search will be in vain. Or if we have intended a wrong way we will get nothing. That is also guidance in a way but will require a lot of humility to decipher.
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The First Vision is an experience Jospeh Smith had as a young man. He prayed to Heavenly Father to know which church was true. He prayed in a Grove of trees near by his house and he explains he experience in the following way "I saw a pillar of light above the brightness of the sun, which decended gradually until it fell upon me. When the light rested upon me, I saw two personages. Whose brightness and glory defy all description. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other "This is my beloved son. Hear Him!"
God the Father and Jesus Christ appeared to Jospeh Smith in the spring of 1820. That is the First Vision.
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The First Vision is what we call Joseph Smith's remarkable experience in having God the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ, appear to him in a grove of trees near his farmhouse home. Joseph had been praying to know which church to join because he didn't seem to find one that had the truth. God and Jesus Christ appeared to him as two separate Beings and spoke to him, called him by name, and told him not to join any of the churches because the church that Jesus Christ had established while on the earth had been lost. The authority of the Church in Christ's time had died with the Apostles.
Joseph Smith was informed that he would be the prophet to restore, through Jesus Christ, the true Church again upon the earth. It is a miracle that this happened because he was only 14. I am so grateful for his faith and willingness to serve the Lord. Because of his decision to follow the Lord, I am now blessed to be a member of the true Church of Jesus Christ.
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The First Vision was the response Joseph Smith got to his prayer about which church was true and which one he should join. God and Jesus Christ appeared to him and God told Joseph Smith that he should join none of the existing churches. After that the work of restoring the full gospel and the one true church upon the earth began.
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The First Vision is considered the foundational event for the founding of the modern Church of Jesus Christ. A young man, by the name of Joseph Smith in the early nineteenth century was confused about religion. He wanted to know which church to join. He described his own confusion by noting that the different churches understood the same Bible verses so differently, this, he observed, weakened the ability to resolve any question by looking to the Bible. At 14 years of age, he sought to understand some basic questions, he sought to know God's will for him. He wanted to know which church to join.
Joseph Smith decided to ask God after reading in the Bible, James 1:5, which explained that anyone who does not have answers can ask God. And that God would answer. Joseph believed this. He went to a grove of trees and kneeled and asked God. I always found this interesting, He asked God which church to join. He did not anticipate the answer.
While he prayed, he saw a pillar of light. It rested over his head and he saw two personages. One of them, said, pointing to the other, "this is my beloved Son, hear him." This is the First Vision. Joseph saw God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. In that moment, questions about the plagued Christianity for centuries about the nature of God were answered: they were separate personages, but one in purpose. In that appearance, God the Father told Joseph to join none of the churches.
The First Vision is the appearance of God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ to Joseph Smith. This is significant, because it helps us to know that God did not forget about His children, that He still speaks and cares deeply for us His children.
I had payed for several years to come to know this for myself. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, I know that this event did happen. Knowing this helps me understand that God knows me, that He knows and cares about me. About me!
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The First Vision is how we refer to Joseph's Smith's vision as a young man in 1820. At the time, Joseph Smith had attended a variety of different church denominations and sects and only become confused by the differences in doctrines and practices. During his scripture studies he came across James 1:5 which reads "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." Taking this counsel to heart and applying it literally, Joseph Smith decided to ask God which church he should join so he went off on his own to pray.
In response to his prayer, Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith and spoke with him. He describes this experience in Introduction of the Book of Mormon.
In the visit, Heavenly Father explained to Joseph Smith that while many of the churches teach about Christ and the gospel, they don't have the fullness of the truth any more. Joseph was told not to join any church until the actual Church of Jesus Christ had been re-established on the earth. Over then next 10 years, Joseph Smith was chosen as a modern prophet to restore that church back to the earth. That "First" Vision" the Joseph Smith has become a key moment in the history of the church and the world. From that moment, the work of God in re-establishing His church and spreading the full and complete Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the earth began.
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As a boy, Joseph Smith was surrounded by various churches which, though they disagreed with on another, each claimed to teach the truth. This caused him much serious reflection. He wanted to know which church was right. One day he read a passage in the Bible which says, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him” (James 1:5). Joseph decided to accept the invitation to ask God.
In the spring of 1820, Joseph went to a grove of trees near his home and prayed to learn which church he should join. In answer to his prayer, Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, appeared to him. Joseph wrote: “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!” Joseph was told to join none of the churches that existed at that time as the priesthood authority and Church as Jesus Christ had organized it when He was on the earth had been lost over the centuries.
Joseph Smith’s First Vision marked the beginning of the Restoration of Jesus Christ’s Church to the earth. Joseph’s written account of this event is a powerful testimony of what he saw and experienced. (Joseph Smith’s History chapter 1 verses 8-17.)
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In the early 1800's a young boy by the name of Joseph Smith lived in an area of New York where there was a time of great religious excitement with various churches seeking converts to their faiths. Joseph attended many of these religious meetings seeking to find the truth if he could, but felt confused by what seemed to be conflicting teachings or various ways of interpreting scripture. Joseph turned to the Bible and read a verse in James which said that if any man lacked wisdom, he could ask of God, and it would be given him. This scripture had a great impact on young Joseph, for he realized that he did lack wisdom. Joseph decided to do as this scripture admonished, & went out into a grove of trees where he could be alone to offer up a prayer to God. The First Vision is the name we give to the event prompted by Joseph's prayer. A light descended upon him and in the light he saw God the Father & His Son Jesus Christ. God the Father spoke to Joseph to introduce His Son saying; "This is my Beloved Son, hear Him." Jesus Christ then informed Joseph that the true church that He himself had set up during His mortal ministry had been lost from the earth, but that it would soon be restored. This was the first of many revelations & visions that Joseph received as he became the chosen prophet of the restoration of the true church & gospel to the earth. That is why we call it the First Vision.
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The First Vision is what members of the church believe to be the first time God spoke to the prophet Joseph Smith. Joseph was a 14 year old boy at the time and he was struggling to know which church he should join. He decided to follow the counsel in James 1:5 that encouraged him to pray about it. Joseph sought his answer in a grove of trees near his home where he could pray without any distractions. While praying to know what he should do he was visited by two glorified personages, Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. He was told not to join any of the choices and that in the near future he would receive more direction.
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In the 1800's a boy named Joseph Smith wanted to join a church. Since there were many churches around, he wasn't sure which church to join. He read in the Bible, James 1:5, which said if you don't know something, ask of God, or pray. He decided to pray and God and His Son, Jesus Christ appeared to him. That was called the First Vision.
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