Thirteen (1818)
the “vision,” not as it actually happened, but by following the storyline given in the Book of
Mormon when God introduced Christ to the people.^30
The Lesser Portion is Given
The Book of Mormon is the “lesser part of the things which [Jesus] taught the
people.”^31 It was intended for the people “first, to try their faith, and if it shall so be that they
shall believe these things then shall the greater things be made manifest unto them. And if it so be
that they will not believe these things, then shall the greater things be withheld from them, unto their
condemnation.”^32 The presentation of the “First Vision” that Joseph gave in 1842 was
perfectly in line with the Book of Mormon and giving the “lesser portion”^33 to the people.
It will be discussed later how the LDS people hardened their hearts against the
purpose and intent of the Book of Mormon, thus fulfilling its prophecy that
he that will harden his heart, the same receiveth the lesser portion of the word; and he
that will not harden his heart, to him is given the greater portion of the word, until it
is given unto him to know the mysteries of God until he know them in full.^34
In 1842, the people weren’t ready or willing to “know the mysteries of God...in full.” They
wanted the history of their church to match what they already believed, and the concepts in
which they had placed their faith. Accordingly, Joseph gave the people “the lesser portion”
of the real truth, mainly because if he had given them the “greater portion,” they would have
risen up and killed him before advanced beings were ready to have his life taken.
Differing Accounts of the “First Vision”
One would think of these events, which were presumably of such great importance
to the “Saints,” that Joseph would not have withheld a complete disclosure of them—
keeping the people in suspense—but rather, that he would have given a full accounting of
them altogether in one publication of the Times and Seasons. The people of the time,
however, were not in “suspense”; rather, most were completely unaware of the “First
Visitation until they read about it in the 1842 periodical!
Mormon critics are honest and on point when they write of this in their biographical
sketches. For example:
Joseph’s first published autobiographical sketch of 1834...contained no
whisper of an event that, if it had happened, would have been the most soul-
shattering experience of his whole youth. But there are two manuscript
versions of the vision between 1831 and the published account in Orson Pratt’s
Remarkable Visions^35 in 1840 which indicate that it underwent a remarkable
evolution in detail. In the earlier, which Joseph dictated in 1831 or 1832, he
stated that “in the 16th year of my age...the Lord opened the heavens upon me
and I saw the Lord.” By 1835 this had changed to a vision of two “personages”
in “a pillar of fire” above his head, and “many angels.” In the published
version the personages had become God the Father and His son Jesus Christ,
and the angels had vanished. Joseph’s age had changed to fourteen.