From Lucy's History:
In Joseph's 15th year a revival began. This would make it 1820, and Joseph claimed it was the Spring of 1820.
Joseph saw two persons: God and Jesus. He was told to join no churches since all were wrong.
Joe began his first attempt at autobiography in either 1831 or 1832, dictating to his secretary, Frederick T. Williams. Sometime between 20 July and 27 November 1832 Joseph said,
I cried unto the Lord for mercy, for there was none else whom I could go and obtain mercy, and the Lord heard my cry in the wilderness. And while in the attitude of calling upon the Lord, in the 16th year of my age, a pillar of light above the brightness of the sun at noon day come down from above and rested upon me. And I was filled with the spirit of God and the Lord opened the heavens upon me and I saw the Lord, and he spake unto me saying,
"Joseph, my son, thy sins are forgiven thee. Go thy way, walk in my statutes and keep my commandments. Behold, I am the Lord of glory; I was crucified for the world that all those who believe on my name may have Eternal life. Behold, the world lieth in sin at this time and none doeth good, no not one. They have turned aside from the Gospel and keep not my commandments. They draw near to me with their lips while their hearts are far from me, and mine anger is kindling against the inhabitants of the earth to visit them according to this ungodliness, and to bring to pass that which hath been spoken by the mouth of the prophets and apostles. Behold, and lo I come quickly, as it is written of me, in the cloud clothed in the glory of my Father.”
My soul was filled with love, and for many days I could rejoice with great Joy and the Lord was with me. But [I] could find none that would believe the heavenly vision…
Joseph did not publish this account.
On 9 Nov 1835 Joseph was visited by Robert Matthias, alias "Joshua, the Jewish minister." Joseph told him the story of his "first vision" and the account was recorded in the daily journal by Warren A. Cowdery. After explaining about the visitor, Warren wrote the following:
The conversation soon turned upon the subject of Religion, and after the subject of this narrative [Matthias] had made some remarks concerning the bible, he [Joseph] commenced giving him a relation of the circumstances, connected with the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, which were nearly as follows.
Being wrought up in my mind respecting the subject of Religion, and looking at the different systems taught the children of men, I knew not who was right or who was wrong, but considered it of the first importance to me that I should be right, in matters of so much moment, matter involving eternal consequences. Being thus perplexed in mind I retired to the silent grove and there bowed down before the Lord, under a realizing sense (if the bible be true) ask and you shall receive, knock and it shall be opened, seek and you shall find, and again, if any man lack wisdom, let of God who giveth to all men liberally & upbraideth not. Information was what I most desired at this time, and with a fixed determination to obtain it, I called on the Lord for the first time in the place above stated, or in other words, I made a fruitless attempt to pray. My tongue seemed to be swoolen [sic] in my mouth, so that I could not utter, I heard a noise behind me like some one walking towards me. I strove again to pray, but could not; the noise of walking seemed to draw nearer, I sprang upon my feet and looked round, but saw no person, or thing that was calculated to produce the noise of walking. I kneeled again, my mouth was opened and my tongue loosed; I called on the Lord in mighty prayer. A pillar of fire appeared above my head; which presently rested down upon me, and filled me with unspeakable joy. A personage appeared in the midst of this pillar of flame, which was spread all around and yet nothing consumed. Another personage soon appeared like unto the first: he said unto me thy sins are forgiven thee. He testified also unto me that Jesus Christ is the son of God. I saw many angels in this vision. I was about 14 years old when I received this first communication.
In 1838 Joseph dictated a version of the 1st vision which is the official version. It is in History of the Church, Vol. 1, pp. 5-7. He stated he was 14 and troubled by the religious revivals, and went into the woods to seek guidance from the Lord.
It was the first time in my life that I had made such an attempt, for amidst all my anxieties I had never as yet made the attempt to pray vocally.... I kneeled down and began to offer up the desires of my heart to God. I had scarcely done so, when immediately I was seized upon by some power which entirely overcame me, and had such an astonishing influence over me as to bind my tongue so that I could not speak. Thick darkness gathered around me, and it seemed to me for a time as if I were doomed to sudden destruction. But, exerting all my powers to call upon God to deliver me out of the power of this enemy which had seized upon me, and at the very moment when I was ready to sink into despair and abandon myself to destruction - not to an imaginary ruin, but to the power of some actual being from the unseen world, who had such marvelous power as I had never before felt in any being - just at this moment of great alarm, I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me.
It no sooner appeared than I found myself delivered from the enemy which held me bound. When the light rested upon me I saw two personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name, and said - pointing to the other - 'This is my beloved Son, hear Him.’
My object in going to inquire of the Lord was to know which of all the sects was right, that I might know which to join. No sooner, therefore, did I get possession of myself, so as to be able o speak, than I asked the personages who stood above me in the light, which of all the sects was right - and which I should join. I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong, and the personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in His sight: that those professors were all corrupt; that 'they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; they teach for doctrines the commandments of men: having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof.' He again forbade me to join with any of them: and many other things did he say unto me, which I cannot write at this time. When I came to myself again, I found myself lying on my back, looking up into heaven.
PROBLEMS:
1. Joe's 1834 autobiography did not mention any visions.
2. If vision took place in 1820, why did Joe, Hyrum and Samuel still attend the Presbyterian Church as late as 1828?
3. Lucy's letter to her brother in 1831 gave full details of the Book of Mormon yet never mentioned its origin.
4. There are no contemporary news accounts.
5. 1834 Mormon History published by Joe and Oliver Cowdery mentions no visions until 1823 when the angel Moroni directed Joseph to the hidden plates.
6. From 1823 to 1827 was Joe's most intensive money-digging time.
