Joseph Smith's First Vision/Doctrine and Covenants 121:28 contradicts vision

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Overview: Summary article Leading up to the vision: Methodist camp meetings in 1820 Joseph became "partial" to Methodists Religious revivals in 1820 Place of residence in 1820 The vision: First Vision accounts (summary) 1832 account (overview) Early understanding of God? No new dispensation? Different age? Different motivation? No persecution? No revival? Not forbidden to convert? Wicked destroyed? Only one Deity? In heaven or earth? Unconditional salvation? Struggle with Satan? 1835 account (overview) Personages were angels? 1838 account (overview) 1820 Revival? "It commenced with the Methodists" Paul's accounts of his vision Scholars solved discrepancies? Can't see God without priesthood? After the vision: No ref in 1830s publications? Seldom mentioned in LDS pubs bef 1877? No ref in non-LDS pubs before 1843? Taught Joseph saw "God" in 1830 pub? No published ref to Father and Son until 1838? Joseph unsure of God in 1823? Lucy joined Presbyterians in 1823? Joined other churches? All churches wrong? Fabricated to bolster authority? Details added over time? Created to offset leadership crisis? Others' accounts: George Q. Cannon Cowdery version of 1834-5? Orson Hyde Andrew Jenson Heber C. Kimball| Orson Pratt George A. Smith Lucy Mack Smith Orson Spencer John Taylor Brigham never spoke of 1st vision? Brigham claimed an angel? Seldom published pre-1877 (short) (long) Moroni's visit: Moroni's visit (summary) Nephi or Moroni in 1823? A "spirit" visited Joseph in 1827? Moroni as an "angel of Satan" Joseph's siblings remained asleep? Other criticisms: D&C 121:28 contradicts vision? Father: Spirit vs. Embodied Personages seen by Joseph
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Joseph Smith, Jr.

Criticism

In 1839 Joseph Smith received a revelation from God in which it was stated that the time would come "in the which nothing shall be withheld, whether there be one God or many gods they shall be manifest" (D&C 121:28). This was an "unnecessary revelation," since according to the official LDS Church First Vision account Joseph Smith supposedly knew that there was more than one God since 1820. This information counts as evidence that the Prophet's story was fraudulent.

See also: Citations to the critical sources for these claims

Summary conclusion

This anti-Mormon argument against the First Vision is built upon a false premise; the material being used as a weapon has been misidentified (it is NOT a revelation from the Lord). Joseph Smith did indeed understand since 1820 that the Father and Son were two separate divine Beings. And he was teaching this concept to the Saints many years before he had the 1839 letters written.^[1]

Supporting Data

This is truly one of the strangest accusations that has ever been made against the veracity of the First Vision story.

A study of the origin of D&C 121 reveals that it consists exclusively of five widely-separated, but sequential, extracts from two letters written by Joseph Smith and others between the 20th and 25th of March 1839 (while they were imprisoned in Liberty, Missouri). The extracts run as follows:

1. DC 121:1-6
2. DC 121:7-25
3. DC 121:26-32
4. DC 121:33
5. DC 121:34-46

The comment about "one God or many gods" is found in extract #3.

Anyone who will read the original letter from whence this extract was taken^[2] will quickly discover that the comment about "one God or many gods" is NOT part of a revelation from the Lord—but is rather part of comments being made by Joseph Smith.

A careful reading of the first letter also reveals that references are made to all three members of the Godhead:

• "God the father"
• "our Lord and savior Jesus Christ"
• "the holy Ghost"

The anti-Mormons who constructed this argument do not seem to be aware of the great inconsistency in their own reasoning. They mention the official LDS Church First Vision account but seem to fail to recognize that it was written by 2 May 1838—about ten and three-quarters months before the D&C 121 extracts were penned. The 1838 First Vision recital clearly differentiates between the Father and the Son as separate divine Beings. Do the detractors of Mormonism really expect others to believe that Joseph Smith was so blinded by his own deceit that he couldn't keep his story straight for less than a year? If they do, then it is time for them to reevaluate their position on this matter.

Endnotes

1. [note]  See DC 76:20-21; NeedAuthor, "A Vision," Evening and Morning Star 1 no. 2 (July 1832), 10. off-siteGospeLink (requires subscrip.)
2. [note]  Joseph Smith, Letter to the Church at Quincy, Illinois (20 March 1839), cited in Dean C. Jessee, The Personal Writings of Joseph Smith, revised edition, (Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book, 2002), 13. ISBN 1573457876. off-site direct off-site