2008 Priesthood and Relief Society Lessons: “Chapter 1: The First Vision: The Father and the Son Appear to Joseph Smith,” Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, (2007), 26–35

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Comments

[Stan]

One of the things that I learn from the story of Joseph Smith kneeling and praying for an answer is the incredible power and potential of a simple act of faith. He did not know that God and Jesus Christ would visit him. He was simply asking for direction. He did not expect to be told to join none of the churches. He thought he would be directed to the correct one. Do I have faith when I ask God for answers? Do I take the trouble to travel to a quiet place and kneel and pray out loud? Do I believe that I can receive an answer?

Obviously there are some key things that Joseph learned. He learned that God has a body of flesh and blood and so does Christ. These concepts make sense and are consistent with the scriptures, but they are not widely accepted even today. He learned that God and Christ are separate beings, each with a distinct physical body. He learned that God has delegated the work of saving the earth to Christ.

It is a strange thing that Joseph's attempts to share this story are met with such contempt. And yet, if someone came to me and told me a story such as this one, how likely would I be to believe? I hope that I would believe. Perhaps if I am humble enough and sensitive enough to the spirit, I would be able to tell whether the account was true or not.

Upon what do I base my own testimony of this event? How can I know or believe that it really occurred? For me its not analytical. I don't examine the account of the first vision (or even different iterations of the account) and try to reach a conclusion based on this analysis. For me it is also not a specific spiritual confirmation or event. Instead, it is a sense, a feeling that the account makes sense, that it sounds right, that it fits into the history of religion and democracy, that it makes sense from a theological perspective and clears up much of the confusion that existed before (or would otherwise exist without this event). For me, it is an event that had to occur at some point to restore truth. If Joseph didn't have the courage to pray, someone else would have been chosen and received this message.