Lack of contemporary Father and Son vision until 1838?

Criticism

There is no mention of Joseph Smith seeing the Father and Son in any “contemporary” newspaper, diary, LDS publication, or writing of any kind until the year 1838.

Source(s) of the criticism

• Christian Research and Counsel, “Documented History of Joseph Smith’s First Vision,” full-color pamphlet, 10 pages. [There is a notation within this pamphlet indicating that research and portions of text were garnered from Utah Lighthouse Ministry]

Response

Even the currently-available contemporary documents demonstrate that this charge against the First Vision story cannot be upheld with any degree of confidence.

• Mormon missionaries were teaching in November 1830 that Joseph Smith “had seen God . . . personally” (The Reflector, vol. 2, no. 13, 14 February 1831).
• The 1832 First Vision account – which is in Joseph Smith’s own handwriting – states explicitily that the Prophet saw Jesus Christ personally, in vision, BEFORE he saw an angel several years later and learned about the golden plates of the Book of Mormon. Furthermore, it is demonstrated in the article attached to this link that the Father's presence is obliquely referred to in the 1832 history.
• Sometime during the week of 17–23 February 1833 Joseph Smith told an audience in Newburg, Ohio that he had “seen Jesus Christ” and spoken with Him (Rev. Richmond Taggart to Rev. Jonathan Goings, 2 March 1833, 2, Jonathan Goings Papers, American Baptist Historical Society, Rochester, New York [quoted in Prince, 1995, 8]).
• On 31 May 1835 Joseph Smith spoke for 3.5 hours on the theme: “This is my Beloved Son, hear Him” and unfolded many “mysteries” in the course of his talk (William W. Phelps to Sally Phelps, 2 June 1835, Journal History, LDS Church Archive, Salt Lake City, Utah).
• In the Joseph Smith diary entry for 9 November 1835 he spoke of the two personages who appeared to him BEFORE he was visited by a single angel who told him about the Book of Mormon plates. There are several clues in this text that help to more clearly identify the two personages:

#1 – the “pillar of flame which was spread all around, and yet nothing consumed” is a biblical theme connected directly with the presence of Diety (see Exodus 13꞉21; 1 Kings 8:10–11).

#2 – the two personages were said to be “like unto” each other. This is another biblical theme which is associated directly with the Father and the Son (see Hebrews 1꞉3).

#3 – one of the personages told Joseph Smith that his sins were forgiven. In the 1832 history Joseph Smith explicitly identified the personage who did this as Jesus Christ.

#4 – one personage told Joseph Smith that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. In the 1838 history Joseph Smith explicitly identified the personage who said this as God the Father.

• On 13 November 1836 Joseph Smith told a standing-room-only crowd inside the Kirtland Temple about “his first visions, etc.” (Parley P. Pratt to the Elders and Brethren of the Church of Latter-day Saints in Canada, 27 November 1836, MS, LDS Church Archives, Salt Lake City, Utah). Exactly one year previous (November 1835) the Prophet had related the story of the two personages he saw before the single angel who told him about the plates. Therefore, he likely told his November 1836 audience of the same event—since it came first in sequence.

Conclusion

There is plenty of contemporary evidence pointing toward a Father/Son vision before the 1838 Church history document was composed. The idea that before 1838 a First Vision story which told of the visit of both the Father and the Son was being told is on safe ground. Such a contention is strengthened considerably with the addition of eyewitness reminiscences for the time period in question.

Endnotes

None