A few days ago, someone messaged me on Instagram with the suggestion: “Why don’t you create content that aligns with the Come Follow Me program?” ...or at least that's what I took away from it.
Honestly, I was a little bummed I didn’t think of it first, but it’s such a great idea that I decided to dive in. With both an LDS and ex-Mormon following, and my ongoing deep dives into church history, it makes perfect sense to keep my content aligned with what people in the church are already discussing.
This week’s lesson was a particularly interesting one—the First Vision. As an ex-Mormon, this topic always gets my heart racing a little because it’s such a hot-button issue. If you check the comments on almost any Mormon video, you’ll find debates between Mormons and ex-Mormons about the various accounts of the First Vision. This lesson, therefore, seemed like the perfect opportunity for some spirited analysis.
When I opened the Come Follow Me materials, I was surprised—and a bit impressed—at how much emphasis the lesson placed on the multiple accounts of the First Vision. As someone who has spent years critiquing how church narratives often gloss over inconvenient details, it was refreshing to see this aspect included. That said, I couldn’t resist diving deeper to see how the church was framing this.
For those unfamiliar, between 1832 and 1844, Joseph Smith and his close associates recorded at least nine different accounts of his First Vision, each with variations. During my time in the church, we’d always read the 1838 version which is considered the official account.
15 After I had retired to the place where I had previously designed to go, having looked around me, and finding myself alone, I kneeled down and began to offer up the desires of my heart to God. I had scarcely done so, when immediately I was seized upon by some power which entirely overcame me, and had such an astonishing influence over me as to bind my tongue so that I could not speak. Thick darkness gathered around me, and it seemed to me for a time as if I were doomed to sudden destruction.
16 But, exerting all my powers to call upon God to deliver me out of the power of this enemy which had seized upon me, and at the very moment when I was ready to sink into despair and abandon myself to destruction—not to an imaginary ruin, but to the power of some actual being from the unseen world, who had such marvelous power as I had never before felt in any being—just at this moment of great alarm, I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me.
17 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.”
20 He again forbade me to join with any of them; and many other things did he say unto me, which I cannot write at this time. When I came to myself again, I found myself lying on my back, looking up into heaven. When the light had departed, I had no strength; but soon recovering in some degree, I went home. And as I leaned up to the fireplace, mother inquired what the matter was. I replied, “Never mind, all is well—I am well enough off.” I then said to my mother, “I have learned for myself that Presbyterianism is not true.” It seems as though the adversary was aware, at a very early period of my life, that I was destined to prove a disturber and an annoyer of his kingdom; else why should the powers of darkness combine against me? Why the opposition and persecution that arose against me, almost in my infancy? (Joseph Smith—History 1:15–20)
So, when the lesson openly acknowledged the existence of these multiple versions, I was both intrigued and skeptical.
I watched the accompanying video in the lesson, which claimed to draw upon all the First Vision accounts for “additional perspectives and insights.”
However, it became clear that the video still heavily leaned on the familiar 1838 narrative. For example, it showed a pillar of light descending, a detail that aligns with the standardized account, but completely ignores details found in the two earlier ones.
For example, In Joseph’s 1832 account, he originally described a “pillar of fire” but later crossed out the word “fire” and replaced it with “light.”
History, circa Summer 1832, p. 3, The Joseph Smith Papers, accessed January 16, 2025, https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/history-circa-summer-1832/3
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 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 asside from 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 acording to thir 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 the glory of my Father and my soul was filled with love and for many days
By contrast the 1835 account explicitly describes a “pillar of fire” that spread around without consuming anything, along with the presence of angels—details notably absent from the video. This shift might seem minor, but it’s a fascinating example of how the narrative evolved over time.
It is also unfortunate that they provided no depictions of the angels that Joseph Claimed to see as well in his 1835 account... which almost seems to have been added as an afterthought?
It’s hard not to wonder why these vivid elements were left out when they could have easily been included to provide a fuller picture.
One theory I have is that these omissions aim to avoid unsettling modern audiences. For instance, if the video depicted a “pillar of fire” instead of the familiar “pillar of light,” it might challenge members’ deeply ingrained perceptions of the event, and thus, raise questions.
I personally couldn’t help but feel a bit let down. Including these details would have added so much depth and nuance to the story.
- Mason
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