The First Vision

I debated what topic to pursue this week. I know I don't want to concentrate on Church history every single week, but then again, this week's lesson is a big one. It's also a very divisive topic -- just to warn you off the bat. But I ultimately decided, I can take this opportunity to showcase this core belief in my church for your education. If anyone ever wants to learn about the "Mormons," this is one of the most important stories to learn, because this is the origin story of the Church.

Here's the short version of the story, usually called "The First Vision," but you can learn much more by reading Joseph's account here.

In 1820, Joseph Smith, 14 years old, went out to the woods behind his farm to pray. He wanted to ask which church to join. He was then visited by God and Jesus who told him to join none of the churches. They would subsequently help Joseph to restore the original Church of Jesus Christ -- hence the full name of our church: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Joseph Smith goes into much more detail ... what God and Jesus looked like, what they said, the scriptures they quoted, what prophecies they uttered, and what instruction they gave.

When I tell this story to most people, it is almost always met with skepticism. "Do you actually believe this?" Some may just say, "Interesting" and nod their heads, but you can still see it in their eyes.

It's because it's a remarkable story -- just like a burning bush talking to Moses, or Jacob wrestling with God, or Jesus healing the sick. And it's a story that's impossible to prove. Was anybody else in the woods to corroborate the story? No. We can only rely on the words of Joseph Smith, himself.

Can one be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and not believe this story? Not really, because the whole Church hinges on this genesis story. If Joseph did not see God and Jesus, then everything else couldn't have happened ... the instruction, the prophecies, the Book of Mormon. In other words, as many people in the world believe, Joseph Smith simply made it all up. On the other hand, if the story is true, then everything else is true, and it would become imperative to investigate this religion. 

And thus comes the source of division.

Indeed, I have no way to prove the story. I can only believe it in faith.

In 2019, I took my family to Palmyra, NY to see the Hill Cumorah Pageant before it ends (maybe this year or the next depending on the Covid19 outbreak). We also visited several church history sites, including the Sacred Grove where this very origin story occurred.

No particular spot has been identified, but I pretended to have found the spot here:

It certainly felt to me that I was in the very place where it happened ... almost like sacred ground. This isn't proof I can use to convince others, but it was certainly special to me.

2020 was to be the big 200th anniversary celebration. In fact, I worked with my composer friend to publish his "First Vision" cantata, hoping it could help in the celebration, and then the pandemic hit. And we weren't alone. Any celebrations to be had were greatly diminished. Perhaps there may be some residual celebrations later this year when things open up much more.

Either way, there you have it ... a small part of me ... a big part of the church I belong to.