The 1832 Recital of
the First Vision
Joseph Smith
(Spelling and
punctuation is original. Division into paragraphs is NOT original
but are so divided for ease of reading.)
I
was born in the town of
Charon in the [State] of Vermont North America on the twenty third day
of December A D 1805 of goodly Parents who spared no pains to
instructing
me in [the] christian religion at the age of about ten years my Father
Joseph Smith Siegnior moved to Palmyra Ontario County in the State of
New
York and being in indigent circumstances were obliged to labour hard
for
the support of a large Family having nine chilldren and as it required
the exertions of all that were able to render any assistance for the
support
of the Family therefore we were deprived of the bennifit of an
education
suffice it to say I was mearly instructed in reading and writing and
the
ground [rules] of Arithmatic which constuted my whole literary
acquirements.
At
about the age of twelve years my mind became seriously imprest with
regard to the all importent concerns for the wellfare of my immortal
Soul
which led me to searching the Scriptures believeing as I was taught,
that
they contained the word of God thus applying myself to them and my
intimate
acquaintance with those of differant denominations led me to marvel
excedingly
for I discovered they did not adorn their profession by a holy walk and
Godly conversation agreeable to what I found contained in that sacred
depository
this
was a grief to my Soul thus from the age of twelve years to
fifteen
I pondered many things in my heart concerning the sittuation of the
world
of mankind the contentions and divions the wickeness and abominations
and
the darkness which pervaded the of the minds of mankind my mind become
excedingly distressed for I became convicted of my Sins
<>and
by
searching
the Scriptures I found that mankind not come unto the Lord but that
they
had apostatised from the true and liveing faith and there was no
society
or denomination that built upon the Gospel of Jesus Christ as recorded
in the new testament and I felt to mourn for my own Sins and for the
Sins
of the world for I learned in the Scriptures that God was the same
yesterday
to day and forever that he was no respecter to persons for he was God
for
I looked upon the sun the glorious luminary of the earth and also the
moon
rolling in their magesty through the heavens and also the stars shining
in their courses and the earth also upon which I stood and the beast of
the field and the fowls of heaven and the fish of the waters and also
man
walking forth upon the face of the earth in magesty and in the strength
of beauty whose power and intiligence in governing the things which are
so exceding great and marvilous even in the likeness of him who created
[them] and when I considered upon these things my heart exclaimed well
hath the wise man said the [it is a] fool [that] saith in his heart
there
is no God my heart exclained all all these bear testimony and bespeak
an
omnipotent and omnipreasant power a being who makith Laws and decreeeth
and bindeth all things in their bounds who filleth Eternity who was and
is and will be from all Eternity to Eternity
and when I considered all
these things and that [that]being seeketh such to worship him as
worship
him in spirit and in truth therefore I cried unto the Lord for mercy
for
there was none else to whom I could go and to obtain mercy and the 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 piller of fire light above the
brightness
of the sun at noon day come down from above and rested upon me and I
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 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 asside from the
Gospel
and keep 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 acording to this ungodliness and to bring to
pass that which hath been spoken by the mouth of the prophets and
Apostles
behold and lo I come quickly as it written of me in the cloud clothed
in
the glory of my Father
and my soul was filled with love and for many
days
I could rejoice with great joy and the Lord was with me but could find
none that would believe the hevenly vision. . . .
(From
Dean C. Jessee, BYU
Studies, Vol. 9, No. 3, p.278)