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| {{draft}}
| | #REDIRECT [[Multiple accounts of the First Vision/Orson Pratt's statements regarding the First Vision]] |
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| ==Criticism==
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| Joseph Smith says in the official Church history account of the First Vision that directly before the theophany he had a struggle with Satan. But this struggle is not mentioned in his 1832 recital of the experience. Since this story element is not present in the earliest known written account of the event, but shows up in later retellings, it is evidence that the visionary tale evolved over time - in the way of becoming more dramatic and elaborate.
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| ===Source(s) of the criticism===
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| Mormon Apologetics and Discussion Board (January 2007).
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| ==Response==
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| The following timeline displays the 'struggle' material found in First Vision recitals that were produced during the Prophet's lifetime. The corresponding text from the 1832 document is also provided for purposes of comparison.
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| Several observations about the information presented below may prove useful.
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| * It is obvious that Joseph Smith did not always mention the 'struggle' element of the First Vision story everytime he rehearsed it - even after the official Church history account was written (1838) and published (1842). He opted not to speak about that aspect of the story in the Wentworth Letter (1842), in a speech given before the Saints at the Nauvoo Temple (1843), and also when he conducted an interview with a non-Mormon newspaper editor (1843). Yet, he did refer to that part of the story in a subsequent private conversation with a convert (1844).
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| * A careful comparison of texts indicates that the Prophet's Wentworth Letter was likely constructed by utilizing the contents of Orson Pratt’s ''Interesting Account'' pamphlet. But even though Elder Pratt’s account refers directly to the 'struggle' theme, Joseph Smith chose not to include it in the Wentworth Letter.
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| * Even after Joseph Smith reveals details of his 'struggle' he does not include some of them in later accounts. For instance, in 1835 he talks about hearing somebody walking up behind him but this details doesn't ever appear again in the known recitals.
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| * The inclusion of the "mercy" theme in the Prophet's 1832 account and also in Orson Hyde's 1841 missionary tract points to the possibility that the 1832 text actually ''does'' include an oblique reference to the 'struggle'. Oblique references are a distinct characteristic of the 1832 document (as demonstrated in several FAIR Wiki articles that examine it).
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| '''September–November 1832'''
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| :"<font color="blue">I cried unto the Lord for mercy</font>. . . and while in the attitude of calling upon the Lord . . . a pillar of fire [or] light above the brightness of the sun at noonday came down from above and rested upon me and I was filled with the Spirit of God".
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| '''9 November 1835'''
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| :"I called on the Lord for the first time in the place above stated, or in other words, <font color="red">I made a fruitless attempt to pray. My tongue seemed to be swollen in my mouth, so that I could not utter. I heard a noise behind me like some one walking towards me. I strove again to pray, but could not. The noise of walking seemed to draw nearer. I sprang upon my feet and looked round, but saw no person or thing that was calculated to produce the noise of walking. I kneeled again, my mouth was opened and my tongue loosed.</font> I called on the Lord in mighty prayer. A pillar of fire appeared above my head, which presently rested down upon me and filled me with unspeakable joy".
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| '''2 May 1838'''
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| :"I kneeled down and began to offer up the desires of my heart to God, I had scarcely done so, when <font color="red">immediately I was seized upon by some power which entirely overcame me and had such 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. 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 a marvelous power as I had never before felt in any being, just at this moment of great alarm I saw a pillar of light</font> exactly over my head above the brigtness of the sun, which descended gradually untill it fell upon me. <font color="red">It no sooner appeared than I found myself delivered from the enemy which held me bound</font>".
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| '''September 1840'''
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| :"He therefore, retired to a secret place in a grove, but a short distance from his father's house, and knelt down, and began to call upon the Lord. At first, <font color="red">he was severely tempted by the powers of darkness, which endeavored to overcome him; but he continued to seek for deliverance, until darkness gave way from his mind</font>, and he was enabled to pray in feverency of the spirit, and in faith. And while thus pouring out his soul, anxiously desiring an answer from God, he at length, saw a very bright and glorious light in the heavens above; which, at first, seemed to be a considerable distance. He continued praying, while the light appeared to be gradually descending towards him".
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| '''June 1841'''
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| :"He, therefore, retired to a secret place, in a grove, but a short distance from his father's house, and knelt down and began to call upon the Lord. At first, <font color="red">he was severely tempted by the powers of darkness, which endeavoured to overcome him. The adversary benighted his mind with doubts, and brought to his soul all kinds of improper pictures and tried to hinder him in his efforts and the accomplishment of his goal</font>. However, <font color="blue"> the overflowing mercy of God came</font> to buoy him up, and gave new impulse and momentum to his dwindling strength. <font color="red">Soon the dark clouds disappeared</font>, and light and peace filled his troubled heart. And again he called upon the Lord with renewed faith and spiritual strength. At this sacred moment his mind was caught away from the natural objects with which he was surrounded, and he was enwrapped in a heavenly vision".
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| '''1 March 1842'''
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| :"I retired to a secret place in a grove and began to call upon the Lord, while fervently engaged in supplication my mind was taken away from the objects with which I was surrounded, and I was enwrapped in a heavenly vision".
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| '''11 June 1843'''
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| :"he went into the grove & enquired of the Lord which of all the sects were right".
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| '''29 August 1843'''
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| :"I kneeled down, and prayed, saying, O Lord, what Church shall I join? Directly I saw a light".
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| '''24 May 1844'''
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| :"Went into the Wood to pray, kneels himself down, <font color="red">his tongue was close[d,] cleave[t]h to his roof—could utter not a word, felt easier after awhile</font>—saw a fire toward heaven came near and nearer. . . . the fire drew nigher, rested upon the tree, enveloped him[,] comforted".
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| ==Conclusion==
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| The claim of anti-Mormons that the 1832 First Vision document does not speak of Joseph Smith's struggle with Satan is not as solid as they make it out to be. Furthermore, it is clear from the available documentary evidence that the Prophet did not feel constrained by the arbitrary rule of his critics that he must include every aspect of his story in every single retelling of it.
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| ==Endnotes==
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| ''None''
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| ==Further reading==
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| ===FAIR wiki articles===
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| ===FAIR web site===
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| *FAIR Topical Guide:
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| ===External links===
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| ===Printed material===
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