Misplaced Pages

#656343

110-495: According to the account Smith told in 1838, he went to the woods to pray about which church to join but fell into the grip of an evil power that nearly overcame him. At the last moment, he was rescued by two shining "Personages" (implied to be God the Father and Jesus) who hovered above him. One of the beings told Smith not to join any of the existing churches because they all taught incorrect doctrines. Smith wrote several accounts of

220-584: A First Vision narrative. The fair copy of the autobiography, prepared under Lucy's direction by the scribe who had also penned the rough draft, includes in the narrative a copy of the 1838 version of the First Vision from Times and Seasons . Late in his life, Smith's brother William gave two accounts of the First Vision, dating it to 1823, when William was twelve years old. William said the religious excitement in Palmyra had occurred in 1822–23 (rather than

330-460: A Methodist minister who responded "with great contempt, saying it was all of the devil, that there was no such thing as visions or revelations in these days; that all such things had ceased with the apostles, and that there never would be any more of them." He also said that the telling of his vision story "excited a great deal of prejudice against me among professors of religion, and was the cause of great persecution, which continued to increase." There

440-483: A brilliant light which eclipsed the sun at noon-day." Smith said he was told that no religious denomination "was acknowledged of God as his church and kingdom" and that he was "expressly commanded to 'go not after them.'" In the rough draft of her autobiography, Smith's mother, Lucy Mack Smith, describes her son being visited in 1823 by an angel, who told him "...there is not a true church on the Earth," but does not include

550-544: A farm just outside the town of Palmyra , New York. In the first several decades of American society in the 1800s, there was a proliferation of religious options. During the Second Great Awakening , revivals occurred in many communities in the northeastern United States . The religious environment in the region where the Smith family lived was so intense it is referred to today as the burned-over district . In

660-533: A fifty-mile radius of Smith's home: "Church records, newspapers, religious journals, and other contemporary sources clearly reveal that great awakenings occurred in more than fifty western New York towns or villages during the revival of 1819–1820 .... Primary sources also specify that great multitudes joined the Methodist, Presbyterian, and Calvinist Baptist societies in the region of country where Joseph Smith lived." Richard Lloyd Anderson has pointed out that there

770-481: A grove to pray but that his tongue seemed swollen in his mouth and that he had been interrupted twice by the sound of someone walking behind him. Finally, as he prayed, he said his tongue was loosed, and he saw a pillar of fire in which an unidentified "personage" appeared. Then another unidentified personage told Smith his sins were forgiven and "testified unto [Smith] that Jesus Christ is the Son of God." An interlineation in

880-569: A number of dreams or visions between 1811 and 1819, the first of which occurring when his mind was "much excited upon the subject of religion." The first of Joseph Sr.'s visions confirmed to him the correctness of his refusal to join any organized religious group. Smith's father additionally joined the local masonic lodge, with Smith's older brother Hyrum sometime shortly after arriving in Palmyra. Smith's older brother Alvin did not join any organized religion. Lucy said that after Alvin died in late 1823, she sought comfort in religion, and formally joined

990-416: A pillar of light brighter than the noonday sun that slowly descended on him, growing in brightness as it descended and lighting the entire area for some distance. As the light reached the tree tops, Smith feared the trees might catch fire. But when it reached the ground and enveloped him, it produced a "peculiar sensation." "[H]is mind was caught away from the natural objects with which he was surrounded; and he

1100-492: A private safe in the custody of Apostle Joseph Fielding Smith . In 1952, General Authority Levi E. Young met with amateur historian LaMar Peterson and told him of a "strange account" in Joseph's handwriting that did not mention God the Father. In 1964, Peterson told Jerald and Sandra Tanner about the account, and they subsequently asked permission from Joseph Fielding Smith to see it, but were denied. In 1964, Smith authorized

1210-445: A secluded grove near his home to pray. He said he went to a stump in a clearing where he had left his axe the day before and began to offer his first audible prayer. He said his prayer was interrupted by a "being from the unseen world." Smith said the being caused his tongue to swell in his mouth so that he could not speak. One account said he heard a noise behind him like someone walking towards him and then, when he tried to pray again,

SECTION 10

#1732772564657

1320-424: A separate one regarding the plates on September 22, 1822. Cowdery's account also differs from Smith's 1842 account, which includes a First Vision in 1820 and a second vision on September 22, 1823. On November 9, 1835, Smith dictated an account of the First Vision in his diary after telling it to a stranger who had visited his home earlier that day. Smith said that when perplexed about religions matters, he had gone to

1430-549: A timeless and spiritual family/lineage of good or bad people in the New Testament, and that this is the case also for the second coming discourse in Matthew 24 . In contrast to Larsen however, he argues that the word genea here denotes the "bad kind of people", because Jesus had used the word in that pejorative sense in the preceding context (chapter 23). He also lists the main competing translation alternatives, and some of

1540-515: Is seated at the right hand of the Father . He will come again in his glory to judge the living and the dead , and his kingdom will have no end. ... We look for the resurrection of the dead , and the life of the world to come . A 2010 survey showed that about 40% of Americans believe that Jesus is likely to return by 2050. This varies from 58% of white evangelical Christians, through 32% of Catholics to 27% of white mainline Protestants. Belief in

1650-637: Is "generation", which led some to conclude that the Second Coming was to be witnessed by the people living in the same generation as Jesus. According to historian Charles Freeman , early Christians expected Jesus to return within a generation of his death, and the non-occurrence of the second coming surprised them. N. T. Wright disputes this. In most German Bibles, genea is instead translated as "family/lineage" (Geschlecht). Likewise for Danish, Swedish and Norwegian (slægt, släkte and slekt, respectively). The Danish linguist Iver Larsen argues that

1760-520: Is a distinction between the cosmic Christ, or Christ without, and the Christ within. According to this tradition, the Christ within is regarded as the true Saviour who needs to be born within each individual in order to evolve toward the future Sixth Epoch in the Earth's etheric plane , that is, toward the "new heavens and a new earth": the New Galilee . The Second Coming or Advent of the Christ

1870-410: Is accurate, then the first vision would have taken place in 1824. However, this conclusion requires ignoring both Joseph's statement that the first vision occurred during his fifteenth year and Lucy's chronology in the fair copy. Alternatively, D. Michael Quinn says that Joseph Smith's account is a conflation of events over several years, a typical biographical device for streamlining the narrative. In

1980-655: Is considered to be a Messenger of God and the masih (messiah) who was sent to guide banī isrā'īl (the Israelites) with a new scripture, the Injīl (Gospel). The belief in Jesus (and all other messengers of God) is required in Islam , and a requirement of being a Muslim . However, Muslims believe that Jesus was never crucified or resurrected, instead ascending directly into heaven. Additionally, they do not recognize Jesus as

2090-504: Is explained in a magazine article stating that the most likely exact date for the First Vision was the morning of Palm Sunday, March 26, 1820. Mark Staker, an expert on the sacred grove site, states that early spring would be "sometime in most likely March, April, or the beginning weeks of May." The importance of the First Vision within the Latter Day Saint movement evolved over time. There is little evidence that Smith discussed

2200-544: Is in the generation of the righteous". According to Larsen, the Oxford Universal Dictionary states that the latest attested use of genea in the sense of "class, kind or set of persons" dates from 1727. Larsen concludes that the meaning of "generation" in the English language has narrowed considerably since then. Bible scholar Philip La Grange du Toit argues that genea is mostly used to describe

2310-462: Is no extant evidence from the 1830s for this persecution beyond Smith's own testimony. None of the earliest anti-Mormon literature mentioned the First Vision. Smith also said he told others about the vision during the 1820s, and some family members said that they had heard him mention it, but none prior to 1823, when Smith said he had his second vision. Joseph's mother recorded the 1820-23 persecution of Joseph in her memoir, stating "From this time until

SECTION 20

#1732772564657

2420-580: Is not in a physical body, but in the new soul body of each individual in the etheric plane of the planet where man "shall be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air." The "day and hour" of this event is not known. The esoteric Christian tradition teaches that first there will be a preparatory period as the Sun enters Aquarius , an astrological concept, by precession: the coming Age of Aquarius . In Islam, Jesus (or Isa ; Arabic : عيسى ʿĪsā )

2530-575: Is now disclosed. ... This Second Coming of the Lord is effected by means of a man to whom the Lord has manifested Himself in Person, and whom He has filled with His Spirit, that he may teach the doctrines of the New Church from the Lord by means of the Word. ... That the Lord manifested Himself before me. His servant, and sent me to this office, ... I affirm in truth." In Max Heindel 's teaching, there

2640-492: Is recognized by "all of Israel", and it will be followed by a final and ultimate temptation to sin – in this case, apostasy – caused by the antichrist . Yet there are three things that hasten the second coming: the celebration of the Eucharist ; Christians living with the mind of Jesus; and Christians praying for the Second Coming. Like many Christian denominations, the church considers this second coming of Christ to be

2750-573: The Age of Enlightenment ) was an age of darkness and doubt for the Christian church. Historian Marguerite Beck Block writes, Now therefore it was time for a new church to be founded upon the earth, and for this purpose it was necessary for the Lord Himself to make his Second Coming to the sons of men. "The night is followed by a morning which is the coming of the Lord. ... The prevailing opinion in

2860-634: The Evangelical Methodist Church Conference teaches, with regard to the Second Coming of Christ: We believe that the coming of our Lord is to be personal and pre-millenial, also that it is imminent. We must distinguish between the Rapture—His coming in the air to receive his saints, which may occur at any moment, and the Revelation—His coming down to earth with His saints, the latter of which will not occur until after

2970-618: The Latter Day Saint movement ; Smith's experience was published in 1842 and canonized in 1880 but not emphasized in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) until the early 20th century. For Latter-day Saints, the First Vision corroborates distinctive doctrines such as the bodily nature of God the Father and the uniqueness of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ as the only true path to exaltation . Smith wrote or dictated several versions of his vision story, and told

3080-654: The Mystery of Faith in their liturgies: "Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again." Methodist denominations teach that the Second Coming is connected with the Last Judgment, as professed in the Creeds. Methodist denominations differ on the nature of the Second Coming. For example, the United Methodist Church does not teach that there will be a " rapture ". On the other hand,

3190-575: The Second Advent or the Parousia ) is the Christian and Muslim belief that Jesus Christ will return to Earth after his ascension to Heaven (which is said to have occurred about two thousand years ago). The idea is based on messianic prophecies and is part of most Christian eschatologies . Other faiths have various interpretations of it. Several different terms are used to refer to

3300-746: The Son of God , as they believe God has no equals, but rather that he was a prophet. The Quran states that Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary . Muslims believe that Jesus performed all the miracles in the Gospels (with God's permission). The pertinent verses in Sura An-Nisa 4:157 reads "And for their saying, 'Indeed, we have killed the Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary, the messenger of Allah.' And they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him; but another

3410-462: The resurrection and promise of eternal life . A competing view is that it is Jesus' coming in power on the mountain that provides the correct interpretative frame for the "not taste death" statement. The author of Second Peter describes the event: For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received honor and glory from God

First Vision - Misplaced Pages Continue

3520-415: The 1832 account that it had occurred "in the 16th year of [his] age" or 1821. In the 1838 account, Smith said the vision took place "early in the spring of eighteen hundred and twenty." In both his 1835 and 1842 account, Smith wrote that it occurred when "about fourteen years of age." Historians have looked at contextual clues from the accounts to further narrow down the date. In the 1838 account Smith noted

3630-579: The 1838 account Smith said that this vision occurred "on the morning of a beautiful, clear day, early in the spring of eighteen hundred and twenty." Two Latter-day Saints independently determined the date to be March 26, 1820. Dr. John Pratt, an expert on the Enoch calendar , used the calendar to calculate the date. Later, Dr. John Lefgren researched weather reports and maple sugar production records to arrive at that same date. The two collaborated their findings which are detailed on their website. Lefgren's research

3740-458: The 21st of Sep. 1823, Joseph continued as usual to labor with his father; and nothing during this interval occurred of very great importance; though he suffered, as one would naturally suppose every kind of opposition and persecution from the different orders of religion." In September 1840, Orson Pratt published a version of the First Vision in England. This version states that after Smith saw

3850-558: The Apostle ) and once referring to the "coming of the lawless one ". Gustav Adolf Deissmann (1908) showed that the Greek word parousia occurred as early as the 3rd century BC to describe the visit of a king or dignitary to a city – a visit arranged in order to show the visitor's magnificence to the people. In Islam, the term Rajʽa ( Arabic : الرجعة , romanized :  al-rajʿah , lit.   'Return') refers to

3960-567: The Bible. They also teach that When the Savior comes again, He will come in power and glory to claim the earth as His kingdom. His Second Coming will mark the beginning of the Millennium. The Second Coming will be a fearful, mournful time for the wicked, but it will be a day of peace for the righteous. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its leaders do not make predictions of

4070-477: The Biblical sources ( Matthew 25:31 – 46 ), the conjunction of the Last Judgment and the works of mercy is very frequent in the pictorial tradition of Christian art . It is the traditional view of Orthodox Christians , preserved from the early Church, that the Second Coming will be a sudden and unmistakable incident, like "a flash of lightning". They hold the general view that Jesus will not spend any time on

4180-606: The Father and Jesus . In two accounts, Smith said that the Lord told him his sins were forgiven, that he should obey the commandments, that the world was corrupt, and that the Second Coming was approaching. Later accounts say that when the personages appeared, Smith asked them "O Lord, what church shall I join?" or "Must I join the Methodist Church?" In answer, he was told that "all religious denominations were believing in incorrect doctrines, and that none of them

4290-609: The Father when that voice was conveyed to him by the Majestic Glory, saying, "This is my Son, my Beloved, with whom I am well pleased." We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven, while we were with him on the holy mountain. The position associating the Second Coming with 1st century events such as the destruction of Jerusalem and of the Jewish Temple in AD 70 is known as Preterism. Some Preterists see this "coming of

4400-459: The First Vision publicly prior to 1830. Mormon historian James B. Allen notes that: The fact that none of the available contemporary writings about Joseph Smith in the 1830s, none of the publications of the Church in that decade, and no contemporary journal or correspondence yet discovered mentions the story of the first vision is convincing evidence that at best it received only limited circulation in those early days. In June 1830, Smith provided

4510-536: The First Vision, later published in three issues of Times and Seasons . This version was later incorporated into the Pearl of Great Price , which was canonized by the LDS Church in 1880, as Joseph Smith–History . Thus, it is often called the "canonized version" of the First Vision story. This version differs from the 1840 version because it includes the proclamation, "This is My Beloved Son, hear Him" from one of

First Vision - Misplaced Pages Continue

4620-455: The First Vision. Smith said that he had been "about fourteen years of age" when he had received the First Vision. Like the Pratt account, Smith's Wentworth letter said that his "mind was taken away from the objects with which I was surrounded, and I was enwrapped in a heavenly vision." and had seen "two glorious personages who exactly resembled each other in features, and likeness, surrounded with

4730-481: The LDS Church, his family's decision to join the Presbyterian Church occurs in the same year as his First Vision. The draft copy of Lucy Mack Smith's history does not mention the first vision at all. However, the fair copy , penned by the same scribe as the draft copy, and which was in the possession of Lucy and on which she registered a copyright, includes in the narrative a copy of the 1838 version of

4840-521: The Manchester side of the Palmyra–Manchester township line. The latter interpretation would lend support for dating the First Vision to 1820. Richard Bushman wrote that Smith "began to be concerned about religion in late 1817 or early 1818, when the aftereffects of the revival of 1816 and 1817 were still being felt." Milton V. Backman wrote that religious outbreaks occurred in 1819–20 within

4950-409: The Palmyra area itself, large multi-denominational revivals occurred in 1816–17 and 1824–25. Within eight miles of the Smith family farm, at least four Methodist , three Presbyterian , two Baptist , and several Quaker groups held regular meetings. Despite the large number of congregations however, only about 11% of Palmyra residents belonged to any organized religion in 1820, which was in line with

5060-494: The Presbyterian church in either 1824 or 1825 along with her children Hyrum, Samuel and Sophronia. Smith never gave a specific date of his reported vision, but said it occurred in the early 1820s, when he was in his early teens. In the 1832 account Smith says that from age twelve to fifteen he was pondering the situation of the world in his heart, placing the vision in 1821. Smith's scribe Frederick G. Williams inserted into

5170-498: The Second Coming of Christ: In the New Testament , the Greek word ἐπιφάνεια ( epiphaneia , appearing) is used six times to refer to the return of Christ. The Greek New Testament uses the Greek term parousia (παρουσία, meaning "arrival", "coming", or "presence") 24 times, seventeen of them concerning Christ. However, parousia has the distinct reference to a period of time rather than an instant in time. At Matthew 24:37 ,

5280-538: The Second Coming was popularised in the US in the late nineteenth century by the evangelist Dwight L. Moody and the premillennial interpretation became one of the core components of Christian fundamentalism in the 1920s. Jesus told his disciples , Truly I tell you, this generation [greek: genea ] will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. The most common English translation of genea

5390-482: The Second Coming. The term is most commonly used by Shia Muslims . Views about the nature of the Second Coming vary among Christian denominations and among individual Christians. Many specific dates have been predicted for the Second Coming, some now in the distant past, others still in the future. Most English versions of the Nicene Creed include the following statements: ...he ascended into heaven and

5500-472: The Smith property in 1823. Because the tax assessment of the Smiths' Manchester land rose in 1823, critics argue that the Smiths completed their Manchester cabin in 1822, which suggests an approximate date of 1824 for the First Vision. Joseph Smith Sr. was first taxed for Manchester land in 1820. In 1821 and 1822, the land was valued at $ 700, but in 1823, the property was assessed at $ 1000, which may indicate "that

5610-403: The Smiths had completed construction of their cabin and cleared a significant portion of their land". In response, some Mormon apologists argue that in 1818, the Smiths mistakenly constructed a cabin 59 feet north of the actual property line (which would have been in Palmyra rather than Manchester) and the 1823 increase in the property assessment was related to the completion of a wood frame home on

SECTION 50

#1732772564657

5720-403: The Son of Man in glory" primarily fulfilled in Jesus's death on the cross. They believe the apocalyptic signs are already fulfilled including " the sun will be dark ", the "powers ... will be shaken", and "then they will see". Yet some critics note that many are missing, such as "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and

5830-535: The actual date of 1824–25); that it was stimulated by the preaching of a Methodist, the Rev. George Lane, a "great revival preacher"; and that his mother and some of his siblings had then joined the Presbyterian church. William Smith said he based his account on what Joseph had told William and the rest of his family the day after the First Vision: [A] light appeared in the heavens, and descended until it rested upon

5940-522: The actual date of the Second Coming. Mormons believe Jesus appeared to his "new world disciples" in the Americas sometime after his crucifixion. This is a central tenet of the religion. Latter-day Saints have particularly distinct and specific interpretations of what are considered to be signs stated in the Book of Revelation . According to the teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,

6050-476: The angels, saints, or demons know when it will occur). It will cause the fullness of the reign of God and the consummation of the universe and mankind. The fullness of the reign of God means God fully manifests the victory he won over his enemies (sin, suffering, and Satan) on the Cross. Just as God gradually revealed himself to Israel until the birth of Jesus, so also God gradually manifests his victory through

6160-525: The beginning. A reference to the second coming is contained in the Nicene Creed and Apostles Creed , which is recited during the Lutheran and Anglican liturgies: "He [Jesus] shall come again in glory to judge the living and the dead; and His kingdom shall have no end." An analogous statement is also in the biblical Pauline Creed ( 1 Corinthians 15:23 ). The Lutheran and Anglican churches proclaim

6270-401: The blink of an eye: the living will die, the universe will be transfigured, and the dead will be resurrected, judged, and recompensed. After this single instant or moment, the church does not know what will happen for the rest of eternity – only that the damned will continue to be in hell and the saved will continue to experience the beatific vision . The second coming is suspended until Jesus

6380-417: The church's sacraments (baptism, forgiving sin, exorcising Satan, holy unction, relieving suffering, etc.), until the moment when he will fully manifest his victory through the consummation of the universe and mankind, e.g., by granting the universe and mankind a share in Jesus' resurrection (the universe being transfigured and the dead being resurrected, judged, and recompensed). The church does not believe

6490-410: The churches at the present day is, that when the Lord shall come for the last judgment. He will appear in the clouds of heaven with angels and the sound of trumpets, etc.," but this opinion is erroneous. The Second Coming of the Lord is not a coming in person, but in spirit and in the Word, which is from Him, and is Himself. ... Heretofore it has not been known that 'the clouds of heaven' mean the Word in

6600-547: The competing denominations was correct and whether "a Supreme being did exist." In response, an angel appeared and granted him forgiveness of his sins. The remainder of the story roughly parallels Smith's later description of a visit by an angel in 1823 who told him about the golden plates . Thus, Cowdery's account, containing a single vision, differs from Smith's 1832 account, which contains two separate visions, one in 1821 prompted by religious confusion (the First Vision) and

6710-552: The earth in ministry or preaching, but come to judge mankind. They teach that the ministry of the Antichrist will take place right before the Second Coming. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church , a part of the Oriental Orthodox communion of churches, teaches that the second coming of Jesus will be radically different from his first coming, which "was to save the lost world". Orthodox layman Alexander Kalomiros explains

SECTION 60

#1732772564657

6820-499: The elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up." And "Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory." According to the Catholic Church , the second coming will happen in a single moment, suddenly and unexpectedly (not even

6930-619: The final and eternal judgment by God of the people in every nation resulting in the glorification of some and the punishment of others. The concept is found in all the Canonical gospels , particularly the Gospel of Matthew . A decisive factor in this Last Judgment during the second coming of Christ will be the question of whether the corporal and spiritual works of mercy were practised or not during lifetime. They rate as important acts of mercy, charity and justice. Therefore, and according to

7040-459: The final battle of Armageddon . Other biblical expressions they correlate with this period include "the time of the end" ( Daniel 12:4 ), "the conclusion of the system of things" ( Matthew 13:40 , 49 ; 24:3 ) and "the last days" ( 2 Timothy 3:1 ; 2 Peter 3:3 ). Witnesses believe Christ's millennial reign begins after Armageddon. Emanuel Swedenborg , an 18th-century scientist turned theologian, taught that his time (that historians have called

7150-500: The first clear record of a significant personal religious experience prior to the visit of the angel Moroni . At that time, Smith and his associate Oliver Cowdery were establishing the Church of Christ , the first Latter Day Saint church. In the "Articles and Covenants of the Church of Christ," Smith recounted his early history, noting "For, after that it truly was manifested unto [Smith] that he had received remission of his sins, he

7260-403: The first vision, beginning with Joseph's words "I was at this time in my fifteenth year." After the first vision account, Lucy continues with "From this time until the 21st of Sep. 1823, Joseph continued as usual to labor with his father; and nothing during this interval occured [ sic ] of very great importance..." At this point Lucy describes the visitations of Moroni and the promise of

7370-477: The following events: Each of these details have been the subject of significant research and debated widely among historians, critics, apologists and polemicists , sparking a variety of historical and theological interpretations. In the fall of 1967 the Reverend Wesley P. Walters published a pamphlet asserting that the "unusual excitement" Joseph Smith wrote of matched the Palmyra revival of 1824, and

7480-432: The fourteen-year-old Smith went to the woods near his home, knelt, and began his first vocal prayer. Almost immediately he was confronted by an evil power that prevented speech. A darkness gathered around him, and Smith believed that he would be destroyed. He continued the prayer silently, asking for God's assistance though still resigned to destruction. At this moment a light brighter than the sun descended towards him, and he

7590-498: The frontier at the beginning of the 19th century, Smith and his family believed in visions, dreams, and other communications with God . In 1811, Smith's maternal grandfather, Solomon Mack , described a series of visions and voices from God that resulted in his conversion to Christianity at the age of seventy-six. Joseph Smith's mother, Lucy Mack Smith , had a "believers baptism" early in her marriage, but did not formally join to any denomination early in her marriage. Joseph Smith Sr.

7700-400: The gathering of Israel, the manifestation of Antichrist, and other prophesied events. Ezek. 36:24, 37:21; Matt. 24:27; 25:13; 26-29; Acts 1:9-11; I Thess. 4:14-17; II Thess. 2:8-10; Rev. 19:20; 20:4; 22:12 The standard works of the largest denomination in the Latter Day Saint movement , The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), say that Christ will return, as stated in

7810-412: The glory of my Father ...." Unlike Smith's later accounts of the vision, the 1832 account emphasizes personal forgiveness and mentions neither an appearance of God the Father nor the phrase "This is my beloved Son, hear him." In the 1832 account, Smith also stated that before he experienced the First Vision, his own searching of the scriptures had led him to the conclusion that mankind had "apostatized from

7920-479: The golden plates, followed by the death of Alvin , in November 1823. Lucy then states that she and some of her children sought comfort in the religious revival after Alvin's death. This statement has been taken to refer to her and three of the children ( Hyrum , Samuel , and Sophronia) joining the Presbyterian church. If so, and if Joseph's statement that they joined this church in the same year as his first vision

8030-417: The gospel and keep not <my> commandments they draw near to me with their lips while their hearts are far from me and mine anger is kindling against the inhabitants of the earth to visit them according to th[e]ir ungodliness and to bring to pass that which <hath> been spoken by the mouth of the prophets and Ap[o]stles behold and lo I come quickly as it [is] written of me in the cloud <clothed> in

8140-539: The gospel. The Saviour's coming will be literal, personal, visible, and worldwide. When He returns, the righteous dead will be resurrected, and together with the righteous living will be glorified and taken to heaven, but the unrighteous will die. The almost complete fulfillment of most lines of prophecy, together with the present condition of the world, indicates that Christ's coming is imminent. The time of that event has not been revealed, and we are therefore exhorted to be ready at all times. Jehovah's Witnesses rarely use

8250-724: The light above the trees in the grove, he fell unconscious for an undetermined amount of time, after which he awoke and heard "the personage whom he saw" speak to him. This is a incompleate list of various accounts of the first vision. (German) Latter-day Saint theology Too Many Requests If you report this error to the Wikimedia System Administrators, please include the details below. Request from 172.68.168.133 via cp1102 cp1102, Varnish XID 541088898 Upstream caches: cp1102 int Error: 429, Too Many Requests at Thu, 28 Nov 2024 05:42:44 GMT Second Coming The Second Coming (sometimes called

8360-497: The light, "his mind was caught away, from the natural objects with which he was surrounded; and he was enwrapped in a heavenly vision." Pratt's account referred to "two glorious personages who exactly resembled each other in their features or likeness". In 1842, two years before his death, Smith wrote to John Wentworth , editor of the Chicago Democrat , outlining the basic beliefs of his church and including an account of

8470-398: The national average. Besides organized religion, the Smith family was exposed to a number of other belief systems. A large ill-defined group of early Americans have been lumped into the term "seekers". This group held a heterogeneous set of beliefs; including that religion with creeds were unnecessary and the apostolic church no longer was on the earth. Cunning folk traditions or folk magic

8580-427: The noise grew louder, causing him to spring to his feet and look around, but he saw no one. In some of the accounts, he described being covered with a thick darkness and thinking that he would be destroyed. At his darkest moment, he knelt a third time to pray and, as he summoned all his power to pray, he felt ready to sink into oblivion. At that moment, he said his tongue was loosed and he saw a vision. Smith said he saw

8690-578: The original Church's position regarding the Second Coming in River of Fire and Against False Union , stating that those who contend that Christ will reign on earth for a thousand years "do not wait for Christ, but for the Antichrist". The idea of Jesus returning to this earth as a king is a heretical concept to the Church, equated to "the expectations of the Jews who wanted the Messiah to be an earthly King." The Church instead teaches that which it has taught since

8800-456: The other. These personages "exactly resembled each other in their features or likeness." The first personage had "light complexion, blue eyes, a piece of white cloth drawn over his shoulders, his right arm bare." In later accounts, one of the personages called Smith by name "and said, (pointing to the other), 'This is my beloved Son, hear him.'" Although Smith did not explicitly identify the personages, most Latter Day Saints infer that they were God

8910-605: The personages, whereas the 1840 version does not. The canonized version says that in the spring of 1820, during a period of "confusion and strife among the different denominations" following an "unusual excitement on the subject of religion", Smith had debated which of the various Christian groups he should join. While in turmoil, he read from the Epistle of James : "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." One morning, deeply impressed by this scripture,

9020-493: The restored gospel will be taught in all parts of the world prior to the Second Coming. Church members believe that there will be increasingly severe wars, earthquakes, hurricanes, and other man-made and natural disasters prior to the Second Coming. Fundamental Belief #25 of the Seventh-day Adventist Church states: The second coming of Christ is the blessed hope of the church, the grand climax of

9130-474: The scholars who support the different views: Jesus is also recorded as saying, there are some standing here, which shall not taste death, till they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom. He makes similar predictions in five other places in the Gospels. In religious sceptic Victor J. Stenger 's view, when the coming did not happen within the life-times of his disciples, Christianity changed its emphasis to

9240-448: The second coming will happen via a catastrophe (such as a nuclear war or extinction event ), reincarnation (such as someone claiming to be Jesus), social or technological progress (such as mankind abolishing slavery or curing disease), or ascendancy (such as the church having political power). Nor does the church believe in double predestination . At the moment of Jesus' arrival, three events will happen all at once in an instant, in

9350-415: The sense of the letter, and that the 'glory and power' in which He is then to come, mean the spiritual sense of the Word, because no one as yet has had the least conjecture that there is a spiritual sense in the Word, such as this sense is in itself. But as the Lord has now opened to me the spiritual sense of the Word, and has granted me to be associated with angels and spirits in their world as one of them, it

9460-456: The showing of the account to Paul R. Cheesman, a BYU student working on his master's thesis. The Tanners obtained a copy of the thesis transcript and the account was published for the first time in 1965. [T]he Lord heard my cry in the wilderness and while in <the> attitude of calling upon the Lord <in the 16th year of my age> a pillar of fire light above the brightness of the sun at noon day come down from above and rested upon me and I

9570-402: The story to another visitor, Erastus Holmes. In his journal, Smith said that he had recited his life story "up to the time I received the first visitation of angels, which was when I was about fourteen years old." In 1838, Smith began dictating a history, introduced as "I have been induced to write this history ... in relation both to myself and the Church." This history included a new account of

9680-404: The story to others who later published what they remember hearing. Taken together, these accounts set forth the following details: Smith said that when he was about twelve (c. 1817–18), he became interested in religion and distressed about his sins. He studied the Bible and attended church, but the accounts differ as to whether he determined on his own that there was no existing religion built upon

9790-549: The subject testified that his sins had been forgiven. The earliest extant account of the First Vision was handwritten by Smith in 1832 in a letter book, but its existence was not known outside the Church History department until it was published in 1965. Sometime around 1930, the pages on which the account was written were torn from the letter book, removed from the Church Historian's collection and placed into

9900-462: The subsequent response has framed the historical debate. Local moves of the Smith family have been used in attempts to identify the date of the vision. Smith wrote that the First Vision occurred in "the second year after our removal to Manchester." The evidence for the date of this move has been interpreted by many believers as supporting 1820 and by non-believers as supporting 1824. Manchester land assessment records show an increase in assessed value of

10010-403: The term "second coming", preferring the term "presence" as a translation of parousia . They believe that Jesus' comparison of "the presence of the Son of man" with "the days of Noah" at Matthew 24:37–39 and Luke 17:26–30 suggests a duration rather than a moment of arrival. They also believe that biblical chronology points to 1914 as the start of Christ's "presence", which continues until

10120-463: The text notes, "and I saw many angels in this vision." Smith said this vision occurred when he was 14 years old and that when he was 17, he "saw another vision of angels in the night season after I had retired to bed" (referring to the later visit of the angel Moroni who showed him the location of the golden plates ). Smith identified none of these personages or angels with "the Lord" as he had in 1832. A few days later, on November 14, 1835, Smith told

10230-438: The trees where he was. It appeared like fire. But to his great astonishment, did not burn the trees. An angel then appeared to him and conversed with him upon many things. He told him that none of the sects were right; but that if he was faithful in keeping the commandments he should receive, the true way should be made known to him; that his sins were forgiven, etc. In an 1884 account, William also stated that when Joseph first saw

10340-553: The true and living faith and there was no society or denomination that built upon the Gospel of Jesus Christ as recorded in the new testament." In several issues of the Mormon periodical Messenger and Advocate (1834–35), Oliver Cowdery wrote an early biography of Smith. In one issue, Cowdery explained that Smith was confused by the different religions and local revivals during his "15th year" (1820), leading him to wonder which church

10450-427: The true teachings of Jesus or whether the idea that all churches were false had not "entered his heart" until he experienced the vision. During this period of religious concern, he determined to turn to God in prayer. An early account says the purpose of this prayer was to ask God for mercy for his sins while later accounts emphasize his desire to know which church he should join. Smith said he went one spring morning to

10560-490: The vision between 1832 and 1842, two of which were published in his lifetime. Consistency of the accounts is a subject of debate, whether variations are indicators of significant shifts in Smith's theology or are simply changing emphasis of minor details. The First Vision is revered in Latter-day Saint theology as the first step in the Latter Day Saint restoration , but it was relatively unknown to early adherents to

10670-425: The vision to his mother in 1820, telling her the day it happened that he had "learned for [him]self that Presbyterianism is not true." Lucy did not mention this conversation in her memoirs in her own words, but included the narrative from Joseph's 1838 account directly. Smith wrote he "could find none that would believe" his experience. He said that shortly after the experience, he told the story of his revelation to

10780-399: The word parousia is used to clearly describe the period of time in which Noah lived. The Greek word eleusi s, which means "coming", is not interchangeable with parousia . So this parousia or "presence" would be unique and distinct from anything that had occurred before. The word is also used six times referring to individuals ( Stephanas , Fortunatus and Achaicus , Titus , and Paul

10890-611: The word "generation" as it was used in the King James Version of the Bible (1611) had a wider meaning than it has today, and that the correct translation of genea in the context of the second coming is "kind of people" (specifically the "good" kind of people; the disciple's kind of people, who, like the words of Jesus, will endure through all the tribulations). In Psalm 14 , the King James version uses "generation" in this wide and outdated sense, when it declares that "God

11000-415: Was the true one . In the next issue of the biography, Cowdery explained that reference to Smith's "15th year" was a typographical error, and that actually the revivals and religious confusion took place in Smith's "17th year." Therefore, according to Cowdery, the religious confusion led Smith to pray in his bedroom, late on the night of September 23, 1823, after the others had gone to sleep, to know which of

11110-452: Was a Methodist Camp Meeting in Palmyra in 1818, with about 400 in attendance, that is verified by a contemporary journal. This agrees with the three-year time frame of his pondering on religion mentioned in Smith's 1832 account. Backman cited evidence of a Methodist Camp Meeting in Palmyra in June 1820. In the 1838 version of the First Vision (first published in 1842) that has been canonized by

11220-489: Was a combination of deist and seeker, who was skeptical of organized religion, but not irreligious. Before Smith was born, Lucy went to a grove near her home in Vermont and prayed about her husband's repudiation of evangelical religion. That night she said she had a dream which she interpreted as a prophecy that Joseph Sr. would later accept the "pure and undefiled Gospel of the Son of God." She also stated that Smith Sr. had

11330-461: Was acknowledged of God as his church and kingdom." All churches and their professors were "corrupt", and "all their creeds were an abomination in his sight." Smith was told not to join any of the churches, but that the fullness of the gospel would be made known to him at a later time. After the vision withdrew, Smith said he came to and found himself sprawled on his back. Smith was born on December 23, 1805, in Vermont , and in 1816, his family moved to

11440-464: Was also prevalent in Palmyra; intertwined and considered congruous with Christianity. Deism , the belief that God exists but does not intervene in earth, also had a growing hold in American culture with the publication of Thomas Paine 's popular book The Age of Reason . Richard Bushman has called the spiritual tradition of the Smith family "a religious melee." Like many other Americans living on

11550-474: Was anachronistic to the 1820 setting. Walters' pamphlet created a stir, and provoked a strong response from scholars at Brigham Young University (BYU). By spring of 1968 BYU Professor Truman G. Madsen organized around three dozen scholars to respond to Walters, and wrote to the First Presidency of the LDS Church that the "first vision has come under severe historical attack." Walters's thesis and

11660-399: Was delivered from the evil power. In the light, Smith "saw two personages standing in the air". One pointed to the other and said, "This is My Beloved Son, hear Him." Smith asked which religious sect he should join and was told to join none of them because all existing religions had corrupted the teachings of Jesus Christ. In his 1838 account, Smith wrote that he made an oblique reference to

11770-449: Was entangled again in the vanities of the world, but after truly repenting, God visited him by an holy angel ... and gave unto him power, by the means which was before prepared that he should translate a book." No further explanation of this "manifestation" is provided. Although the reference was later linked to the First Vision, its original hearers would have understood the manifestation as simply another of many revival experiences in which

11880-533: Was enwrapped in a heavenly vision." While experiencing the vision, he said he saw one or more "personages", described differently in Smith's accounts. In his earliest written account, Smith said he "saw the Lord." In diary entries, he said he saw a "visitation of Angels" or a "vision of angels" that included "a personage," and then "another personage" who testified that "Jesus Christ is the Son of God," as well as "many angels". In later accounts, Smith consistently said that he had seen two personages who appeared one after

11990-476: Was filled with the spirit of god and the <Lord> opened the heavens upon me and I saw the Lord and he spake unto me saying Joseph <my son> thy sins are forgiven thee. go thy <way> walk in my statutes and keep my commandments behold I am the Lord of glory I was crucifyed for the world that all those who believe on my name may have Eternal life <behold> the world lieth in sin and at this time and none doeth good no not one they have turned aside from

12100-527: Was made to resemble him to them. And indeed, those who differ over it are in doubt about it. They have no knowledge of it except the following of assumption. And they did not kill him, for certain." 4:158 continues "rather, Allah raised him to Himself. And ever is Allah Exalted in Might and Wise." The Quran refers to a conversation between Jesus and God on judgement day in Sura Al-Ma'idah 5:116, 5:117. Jesus

#656343