Third level of mormon heaven

[goodwithoutgod]

I was wondering if someone could expand on this, or tell me if I got it wrong. From my understanding;

In Mormonism, men and women have the potential of becoming gods. President Lorenzo Snow said, "As god once was, man is. As God is, man may become." In order to reach this exalted state of godhood, a person must first become a good Mormon, pay a full ten percent tithe to the Mormon church, follow various laws and ordinances of the church, and be found worthy. At this point, they receive a temple recommend, whereupon the Mormon is allowed to enter their sacred temples in order to go through a set of secret rituals: baptism for the dead, celestial marriage, and various oaths of secrecy and commitment. Additionally, four secret handshakes are taught so the believing Mormon, upon entering the third level of Mormon heaven, can shake hands with god in a certain pattern. This celestial ritual is for the purpose of permitting entrance into the highest level of heaven.3 For those who achieve this highest of heavens, exaltation to godhood awaits them. Then he or she will be permitted to have his or her own planet and be the god of his own world and the Mormon system will be expanded to other planets.

Is this oversimplification? Exaggeration? Completely wrong? I really want to know because i would hate to misrepresent someones belief in a discussion.

[help3434]

[Replying to post 1 by goodwithoutgod]

I would judge it to be a bit oversimplified but basically right. Mormon theology can be hard to pin down, especially since it changes overtime. There is nothing secret about baptism for the dead other than the fact that it takes place in the temple where only other members with recommends can see it. The handshakes may intended to be taken as being symbolic rather than literal, I was never clear on that. The early LDS prophets talked about lot about exaltation, but the recent ones haven't talked a lot about what exactly it is.

According to the Doctrine and Covenants three are kingdoms of heaven, with the Celestial Kingdom being the highest. Within the Celestial Kingdom there are three levels, with exaltation being the highest. Temple ordinances such as the endowment and temple marriage are not necessary to enter the Celestial Kingdom but they are necessary for exaltation.

[goodwithoutgod]

[Replying to post 1 by goodwithoutgod]

I would judge it to be a bit oversimplified but basically right. Mormon theology can be hard to pin down, especially since it changes overtime. There is nothing secret about baptism for the dead other than the fact that it takes place in the temple where only other members with recommends can see it. The handshakes may intended to be taken as being symbolic rather than literal, I was never clear on that. The early LDS prophets talked about lot about exaltation, but the recent ones haven't talked a lot about what exactly it is.

According to the Doctrine and Covenants three are kingdoms of heaven, with the Celestial Kingdom being the highest. Within the Celestial Kingdom there are three levels, with exaltation being the highest. Temple ordinances such as the endowment and temple marriage are not necessary to enter the Celestial Kingdom but they are necessary for exaltation.

Okay, so I didnt post anything wrong, just a quick shortened view of things...mormon (my father is a mormon priest, but we dont discuss religion). I didnt even get into the special underwear, and other special practices....interesting the things people believe...truly.

[help3434]

[Replying to post 3 by goodwithoutgod]

Mormon priest is not really that descriptive. With the exception of the leaders over the whole church the church has lay clergy. Any male member of the church who has a temple recommend has been ordained to the priesthood.

[goodwithoutgod]

[Replying to post 4 by help3434]

yup, you are correct.

[Overcomer]

I didn't realize that Mormons taught that women could become gods. I thought their only hope was to latch onto a man who became a god and she was a god's wife. Does anybody have any information to that effect?

[help3434]

[Replying to post 6 by Overcomer]

Exaltation comes only through temple marriage. That applies to man and woman.

[Robert H]

[Replying to post 1 by goodwithoutgod]

Hello my friend! I have thoroughly studied every major Christian religion and I have a desire to answer your question here. Mormons are one of the most colorful sects of Christianity and by far the least understood. They are not so understood mainly because people seem to like to just repeat things they have heard without really finding out the facts. In a court of law, that is called hearsay, which cannot be used in rendering any judgment. So I am happy that you have taken the time to ask some questions. It shows that you have wisdom. May you use this gift of yours in all things that you study.

Now, I will discuss the things you said in the order that would flow more smoothly to aid in your understanding of what a Mormon believes. Since your father is one, you just having a correct understanding of their believes (whether you believe them or not) will be very important to your relationship with him.

What you term "Mormon heaven" is really no different that any Christian heaven out there. Basically, it is the place that you will go if you live the rules of your faith. To some churches there are a small number of rules and to others there are a bunch. We don't have time to go into all those, but Mormons tend to be towards the lengthier side of the bunch. The Mormon belief of different levels of heaven comes from the writings of Paul in 1st Corinthians 15:40-42. You should look that up, but it in essence says that in the resurrection there will be different kinds of glories that can be achieved. It mentions a celestial and a terrestrial, but then it describes three types - one like the sun, one like the moon, and another like the stars. On a side note, Paul mentions in 2 Coronthians 12:2 that he knew a man that got caught up into the 3rd heaven. I point these out to show you that Mormons have a reason for believing this stuff, it didn't just come out of nowhere.

The rest of your comments have to do with the Mormon temple experience. Mormons prepare themselves for this experience by doing a few things. First, they gain faith in Jesus Christ, repent of their sins, get baptized, and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. (A lot of Christians do this). They then believe in keeping the commandments and obeying the rules of the church. You mention tithing here, almost as if someone paying a full 10% tithing is weird. The tithing concept comes early on with Abraham and then is later mentioned in Malachi 3:8-9. It isn't something that the Mormons invented. You should know that the word tithe means 10%, so literally someone cannot truly pay a tithing unless they give 10%. You should also know that the Christian church at the time of the Apostles in the New Testament required the members give ALL THAT THEY POSSESSED to the church and the church would give them back only what they needed. But anyway, the Mormons believe paying tithing is a commandment. In preparing to go to the temple, Mormons are required to be keeping all the commandments.

The temple experience itself is a series of symbolic washings, anointings, clothing, symbols, and tokens that help prepare the person for entering into the presence of God. The same things were done in the Old Testament temples. You can read about them in oh, I think Exodus 27 - 29 I believe. The basics are, you prepare yourself by committing to God, you keep the commandments, you go to the temple to be symbolically cleansed to prepare yourself to be with God. Usually this kind of stuff is found in all temple worships throughout the ages.

So, the Mormons really aren't as crazy as someone has made them sound to you. As far as special underwear, you should realize that most religions have some sort of weird clothing, like long flowing robes, or a strange collar, or a weird hat. They usually just serve as a reminder to the person of the position they have or the promises they have made. Mormons wear clothing under their normal clothes as a reminder of the promises of the temple.

Finally, the Mormon concept of becoming a god. They aren't the only religion or civilization that has that thought. The idea being that we are children of God and as His children we can become like Him. Jesus told us to be perfect like His Father (Matthew 5:48) and there are many instances where we learn we can be joint-heirs with Christ. That's all in Romans and Revelation. In other words, it's a biblical concept that denotes becoming one with God and His Son. We can inherit all that God has, so Mormons think this may mean his authority. They think they can be like Him, which really isn't that far fetched.

In my studies, I have found that Mormons are usually very sincere, they live their religion, and everything they teach has a biblical source.

[goodwithoutgod]

[Replying to post 1 by goodwithoutgod]

Hello my friend! I have thoroughly studied every major Christian religion and I have a desire to answer your question here. Mormons are one of the most colorful sects of Christianity and by far the least understood. They are not so understood mainly because people seem to like to just repeat things they have heard without really finding out the facts. ......

So, the Mormons really aren't as crazy as someone has made them sound to you........

Finally, the Mormon concept of becoming a god. They aren't the only religion or civilization that has that thought......

In my studies, I have found that Mormons are usually very sincere, they live their religion, and everything they teach has a biblical source.

ah, very interesting, perhaps I failed to share that I am far more educated on Mormon than you may be aware of. My parents on one side are Mormons and I have spent some time researching "behind the curtain" so to speak. But maybe you could share some light on the following?

First vision, or not?

The Mormon Church relies and heavily uses what is referred to as the "First Vision." The First Vision is an account of Joseph Smith, a 14 year old boy, who puzzled over which church to join, knelt in a grove of trees in 1820 and prayed for an answer. According to the Mormon Church First Vision, God the Father and Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith and told him that all churches were corrupt and that Joseph would be called to bring forth the "True Church Of God." The Mormon Church continues to publish and preach this version of the First Vision to current membership and to potential converts.

Gordon B. Hinckley - the current Prophet of the Mormon Church stated the following: "We declare without equivocation that God the Father and His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, appeared in person to the boy Joseph Smith. When I was interviewed by Mike Wallace on the 60 Minutes program, he asked me if I actually believed that. I replied, "Yes, sir. That's the miracle of it." That is the way I feel about it. Our whole strength rests on the validity of that vision. It either occurred or it did not occur. If it did not, then this work is a fraud. If it did, then it is the most important and wonderful work under the heavens." (General Conference Oct. 2002)

There are many problems associated with the First Vision. While Joseph Smith had his First Vision in 1820, there is no documented proof of the First Vision until 1835. This includes newspaper accounts, journals, diaries, affidavits, letters or any other account of record prior to 1835. It was not until 1842 that the account of the First Vision was actually published. For fifteen years not a single document contains anything concerning the First Vision. According to Mormon Church History, Joseph Smith repeatedly told his story of the First Vision, first to his parents, and then to clergy in "apostate" churches. As detailed in Mormon Church History, Joseph Smith received severe persecution from these clergy for his "outlandish" story. Regardless, not a single piece of evidence exists concerning Joseph's First Vision prior to 1835, fifteen years after receiving it.

In the Mormon book, "The Pear Of Great Price", Joseph Smith writes "I soon found, however, that my telling the story had excited a great deal of prejudice against me among professors of religion, and was the cause of great persecution, which continued to increase; and though I was an obscure boy, only between fourteen and fifteen years of age, and my circumstances in life such as to make a boy of no consequence in the world, yet men of high standing would take notice sufficient to excite the public mind against me, and create a bitter persecution;" proving that he indeed told many people about his First Vision.

In 1835, Joseph Smith wrote the History of the Church yet he failed to make any mention of the First Vision.

Joseph Smith's mother Lucy Mack Smith carefully documented Joseph Smith's early visions as well as Joseph Smith Sr.'s dreams and visions. In all of the documents prior to 1835, Lucy Mack Smith makes no mention at all of the first Vision. In a book published by Lucky Mack Smith an account is given of the First Vision, however, this was added in later by Orson Pratt and the original manuscript of the book does not contain it.

In the Journal of Discourses - a group of heavy sermons by Brigham Young - Brigham was very aware of the official version of the First Vision, however, Brigham never mentions that Joseph Smith saw God the Father and Jesus Christ in a grove in 1820. The closest that Brigham Young comes to even mentioning the First Vision is here: "The Lord did not come with the armies of heaven, in power and great glory, nor send His messengers panoplied with aught else than the truth of heaven, to communicate to the meek, the lowly, the youth of humble origin, the sincere enquirer after the knowledge of God. But He did send His angel to this same obscure person, Joseph Smith jun., who afterwards became a Prophet, Seer, and Revelator, and informed him that he should not join any of the religious sects of the day, for they were all wrong; that they were following the precepts of men instead of the Lord Jesus; that He had a work for him to perform, inasmuch as he should prove faithful before Him" (Journal of Discourses, Volume 2, Page 171)

The Mormon Church claims the First Vision event is "unique, singular, and remarkable event is the pivotal substance of our faith" as quoted by the Mormon Prophet Gordon B. Hinckley. The First Vision told to modern day Mormons is that Joseph Smith, as a boy, knelt in a sacred grove of trees in upstate New-York to pray concerning the validity of the churches of his time. During his prayer the heavens opened and God and Jesus Christ appeared to him. This is the story that is told to all new converts or prospective converts of the church. What church members don't know, and what the church won't tell, is that there were multiple versions of the first vision. The first vision continued to change again and again through the 1800's until the version told today.
"A testimony begins with the acceptance by faith of the divine mission of Jesus Christ, the head of this Church; and the prophet of the Restoration, Joseph Smith. The gospel as restored by Joseph Smith is either true or it is not."

"No one was with the boy Joseph Smith in the Sacred Grove in Palmyra, New York, when God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, appeared. Yet even those who do not believe it happened may find it difficult to explain away. Too much has happened since it occurred to deny that it ever took place." - Elder James E. Faust, General Conference, October 2003 Saturday Morning Session

In 1834

"You will recollect that I mentioned the time of a religious excitement, in Palmyra and vicinity to have been in the 15th year of our brother J. Smith Jr.'s age - that was an error in the type - it should have been in the 17th. - You will please remember this correction, as it will be necessary for the full understanding of what will follow in time. This would bring the date down to the year 1823... while this (religious) excitement continued, he continued to call upon the Lord in secret for a full manifestation of divine approbation, and for, to him, the all important information, if a Supreme being did exist, to have an assurance that he was accepted of him."

"On the evening of the 21st of September, 1823, previous to retiring to rest, our brother's mind was unusually wrought up on the subject which had so long agitated his mind, all he desired was to be prepared in heart to commune with some kind of messenger who could communicate to him the desired information of his acceptance with God. While continuing in prayer for a manifestation in some way that his sins were forgiven; endeavoring to exercise faith in the scriptures, on a sudden a light like that of day, only of a purer and far more glorious appearance and brightness burst into the room. It is no easy task to describe the appearance of a messenger from the skies. But it may be well to relate the particulars as far as given - The stature of this personage was a little above the common size of men in this age; his garment was perfectly white, and had the appearance of being without seam. Though fear was banished from his heart, yet his surprise was no less when he heard him declare himself to be a messenger sent by commandment of the Lord, to deliver a special message, and to witness to him that his sins were forgiven, and that his prayers were heard;" - Oliver Cowdery with Joseph Smith's help, Messenger and Advocate, Kirtland, Ohio, Dec. 1834, vol.1, no.3

In 1854

"Some one may say, 'If this work of the last days be true, why did not the Saviour come himself to communicate this intelligence to the world?' Because to the angels was committed the power of reaping the earth, and it was committed to none else." - Apostle Orson Hyde, General Conference Address, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 6, p.335

In 1855

Church President and Prophet Brigham Young taught on Feb. 18, 1855: "...so it was in the advent of this new dispensation... The messenger did not come to an eminent divine...The Lord did not come with the armies of heaven,...But He did send His angel to this same obscure person, Joseph Smith jun., who afterwards became a Prophet, Seer, and Revelator, and informed him that he should not join any of the religious sects of the day,..." ( Journal of Discourses, vol.2, p.171)

(It is certain Young is speaking of the First Vision for he says the angel told Smith to join no church for they were all wrong. This is the very question the official version of the story states Smith asked of the Father and the Son in the Sacred Grove.)

A few days later Apostle Wilford Woodruff declared: "That same organization and Gospel that Christ died for, and the Apostles spilled their blood to vindicate, is again established in this generation. How did it come? By the ministering of an holy angel from God,... The angel taught Joseph Smith those principles which are necessary for the salvation of the world;... He told him the Gospel was not among men, and that there was not a true organization of His kingdom in the world,... This man to whom the angel appeared obeyed the Gospel;..." (Journal of Discourses, Vol.2, pp.196-197)

In 1857

Church Apostle Heber C. Kimball, speaking Nov. 8th, 1857, seemed to be oblivious to any vision where Smith saw God and Christ: "Do you suppose that God in person called upon Joseph Smith, our Prophet? God called upon him; but God did not come himself and call, but he sent Peter to do it. Do you not see? He sent Peter and sent Moroni to Joseph, and told him that he had got the plates." (Journal of Discourses, vol.6, p.29)

In 1863

Church Apostle John Taylor explained in a sermon March 1, 1863: "How did this state of things called Mormonism originate? We read that an angel came down and revealed himself to Joseph Smith and manifested unto him in vision the true position of the world in a religious point of view." (Journal of Discourses, Vol. 10, p.127)

Church Apostle George A. Smith, Nov. 15th, 1863, preached: "When Joseph Smith was about fourteen or fifteen years old,...he went humbly before the Lord and inquired of Him, and the Lord answered his prayer, and revealed to Joseph, by the ministration of angels, the true condition of the religious world. When the holy angel appeared, Joseph inquired which of all these denominations was right and which he should join, and was told they were all wrong,..." (Journal of Discourses, Vol.12, pp.333-334)

In 1869

Five years later Apostle Smith again referred to Smith's first vision: "He sought the Lord by day and by night, and was enlightened by the vision of an holy angel. When this personage appeared to him, of his first inquiries was, 'Which of the denominations of Christians in the vicinity was right?' " (Journal of Discourses, Vol. 13, p.77-78 June 20, 1869 )

Nowdays the church insists that the validity of the church rests on the latest First Vision story being literally true

"Our entire case as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints rests on the validity of this glorious First Vision. ... Nothing on which we base our doctrine, nothing we teach, nothing we live by is of greater importance than this initial declaration. I submit that if Joseph Smith talked with God the Father and His Beloved Son, then all else of which he spoke is true. This is the hinge on which turns the gate that leads to the path of salvation and eternal life." - Prophet Gordon B. Hinckley, Ensign Mag., Nov. 1998, pp.70-71

"As I see it, there are four great foundation stones on which this Church stands, irremovable. The first, the great First Vision, the visit of the Father and the Son to the boy Joseph Smith, the opening of the heavens in this the dispensation of the fullness of times, the great bringing together of all of the work of God in all the past dispensations throughout the history of the world. The curtain was parted with that First Vision, and it stands as an absolute fundamental in the Church and its history and its well-being. - Prophet Gordon B. Hinckley, Ensign, Aug. 1998, 72

Church leader and Prophet, Gordon B. Hinckley, has said the same thing several times before. Now he said it again in the latest General Conference:

"Permit me to name a few of many doctrines and practices which distinguish us from all other churches, and all of which have come of revelation to the youthful Prophet. They are familiar to you, but they are worth repeating and reflecting on. The first of these, of course, is the manifestation of God Himself and His Beloved Son, the risen Lord Jesus Christ. This grand theophany is, in my judgment, the greatest such event since the birth, life, death, and Resurrection of our Lord in the meridian of time. We have no record of any other event to equal it."

"And upon the reality and truth of this vision rests the validity of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."
- Prophet Gordon B. Hinckley, "The Great Things Which God Has Revealed" Spring Conference 2005

In response, I would ask the church and anyone with a sane mind, these simple questions:

If the official First Vision story was so important, why did it go unpublished until 1842?

Smith supposedly had his vision in 1820. Yet it took over seven private revisions and another 22 years to have it first published.

Why didn't Joseph Smith write the "official" version of the First Vision?

In fact, the Joseph Smith History in the Pearl of Great Price was written by a scribe, James Mulholland, and went unpublished for years. There are earlier versions of the First Vision story in Joseph Smith's own handwriting, but they are not considered "official" and are relatively ignored by the church.

If Joseph Smith saw and heard God in 1820, why did he pray in his room in 1823 to find out "if a Supreme being did exist?"

In the first history of Mormonism in the LDS periodical Messenger and Advocate, Kirtland, Ohio, Feb. 1835, Joseph Smith says that in September 1823 he began praying in his bed to learn "the all important information, if a Supreme being did exist." How could that possibly make sense if Smith had already seen God face-to-face some three years earlier in 1820?
See: http://www.irr.org/mit/First-Vision-Sca ... 34-35.html

Why does the "official" First Vision story contradict Joseph Smith's own handwritten testimony?

In Joseph Smith's first handwritten testimony of the first vision in 1832, he says he already knew all other churches were false before he prayed. Smith testified: "by searching the scriptures I found that mankind did not come unto the Lord but that they had apostatised from the true and living faith and there was no society or denomination that built upon the gospel of Jesus Christ."
See: http://www.irr.org/mit/First-Vision-Sca ... -1832.html

Yet in the "official" story written years later by a scribe has Joseph Smith saying: "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."

In fact, looking at all the versions of the first vision story, you see a pattern of contradictions and evolution, not a pattern of mere elaboration on a single original experience.

If Jesus Christ and God the Father really told Joseph Smith in 1820 that all churches were an abomination, then why did he try joining the Methodist church in June of 1828?

Records show that in June of 1828, Joseph Smith applied for membership in his wife's Methodist Church. He also joined Methodist classes taught there. (The Amboy Journal, Amboy, IL, details Smith's activity in the Methodist Church in 1828. April 30, 1879 p. 1; May 21, 1879 p.1; June 11, 1879, p.1; July 2, 1879 p.1.)

If Joseph Smith could not deny that he saw God, then why did his own handwritten accounts deny it?

In the other First Vision accounts, including one handwritten by Joseph Smith himself, he does not say that he saw God the Father. Instead, his earlier accounts refer to an angel, a spirit, many angels, or the Son. Yet in the "official" account, it says Joseph Smith saw God and knew God knew it, and therefore despite persecution, he dared not deny or change his story.
See: http://www.irr.org/mit/First-Vision-Sca ... -1832.html

Why did Joseph Smith fail to mention his First Vision when he first wrote a church history in 1835?

Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery wrote and published a history of the church that supposedly covered all of the important points related to its beginnings. However, Joseph Smith records a different story than the "official" one later published in 1842. In Joseph Smith's own 1835 published history of the church, he says that his first spiritual experience was in 1823 after a religious revival in Palmyra that same year. Smith testified that he prayed while in bed in order to discover if God existed, when he was visited by an angelic messenger (Nephi/Moroni) that forgave him his sins. Elements of this narrative are similar to the later "official" version except the "official" version has different dates, locations, visitors and purposes for Smith's first spiritual experience.
See: http://www.irr.org/mit/First-Vision-Sca ... 34-35.html

If Joseph Smith's First Vision was the most important historical event since the atonement, then why didn't early church members know about it?

The early church all but ignored this "greatestest event since the birth, life, death, and Resurrectionon" of Jesus Christ:

"As far as Mormon literature is concerned, there was apparently no reference to Joseph Smith's first vision in any published material in the 1830's. Joseph Smith's history, which was begun in 1838, was not published until it ran serially in the Times and Seasons in 1842. The famous "Wentworth Letter," which contained a much less detailed account of the vision, appeared March 1, 1842, in the same periodical. Introductory material to the Book of Mormon, as well as publicity about it, told of Joseph Smith's obtaining the gold plates and of angelic visitations, but nothing was printed that remotely suggested earlier visitations."

"In 1833 the Church published the Book of Commandments, forerunner to the present Doctrine and Covenants, and again no reference was made to Joseph's first vision, although several references were made to the Book of Mormon and the circumstances of its origin."

"The first regular periodical to be published by the Church was The Evening and Morning Star, but its pages reveal no effort to tell the story of the first vision to its readers. Nor do the pages of the Latter-day Saints Messenger and Advocate, printed in Kirtland, Ohio, from October, 1834, to September, 1836. In this newspaper Oliver Cowdery, who was second only to Joseph Smith in the early organization of the Church, published a series of letters dealing with the origin of the Church. These letters were written with the approval of Joseph Smith, but they contained no mention of any vision prior to those connected with the Book of Mormon."

"In 1835 the Doctrine and Covenants was printed at Kirtland, Ohio, and its preface declared that it contained "the leading items of religion which we have professed to believe." Included in the book were the "Lectures on Faith," a series of seven lectures which had been prepared for the School of the Prophets in Kirtland in 1834-35. It is interesting to note that, in demonstrating the doctrine that the Godhead consists of two separate personages, no mention was made of Joseph Smith having seen them, nor was any reference made to the first vision in any part of the publication."

"The first important missionary pamphlet of the Church was the Voice of Warning, published in 1837 by Parley P. Pratt. The book contains long sections on items important to missionaries of the 1830's, such as fulfillment of prophecy, the Book of Mormon, external evidence of the book's authenticity, the resurrection, and the nature of revelation, but nothing, again, on the first vision."

"The Times and Seasons began publication in 1839, but, as indicated above, the story of the vision was not told in its pages until 1842. From all this it would appear that the general church membership did not receive information about the first vision until the 1840's and that the story certainly did not hold the prominent place in Mormon thought that it does today."
- Dialogue, Vol.1, No.3, p.31 - p.32

If it really happened, why couldn't Joseph Smith tell a consistent story about such a powerful experience as meeting with God and Jesus Christ face-to-face?

How many people forget their first sexual experience, even decades after the event? How many forget who they were with and what happened? If teenagers can remember details such as year, circumstance and partners involved in their first sexual experience, why couldn't Joseph Smith consistently recall his incredible First Vision?

Why did Joseph Smith's own mother, in the extensive history of her son's life, not mention Joseph ever having a vision from God and Jesus Christ, or that he was persecuted for it?

According to the official story, Joseph Smith told his mother about his first vision story. Although Lucy Mack Smith, the mother of Joseph Smith Jr., wrote a lot of details about her son during the early 1820s, in her history of Joseph's life she did not mention Joseph ever having a visitation from God and Jesus Christ. Nor does she mention any persecution.

You would think that Lucy would mention such an astounding event in her son's life. This was a bigger event than a big foot sighting; this was a visit from God and Jesus Christ! But apparently despite Joseph telling his mother, it was not significant enough for her to mention it in the extensive biography she wrote about her son.

The only element of the first vision story that Lucy mentions is religious revivals around Palmyra, yet she dates them to 1823, not 1820. Historical records of the time corroborate Lucky Mack Smith's dating of revivals in 1823 and none in Palmyra during 1820.

I look forward friend to your answers

[help3434]

[Replying to post 9 by goodwithoutgod]

The first written account of the first vision was in 1832. http://josephsmithpapers.org/paperSumma ... r-1832?p=1