In his 1955 address “Profile of a Prophet” LDS Apostle Hugh B. Brown states, about Joseph Smith’s First Vision,

“When Joseph came out of the woods, he had at least four fundamental truths, and he announced them to the world: first, that the Father and the Son are separate and distinct individuals; second, that the canon of scripture is not complete; third, that man was created in the bodily image of God; and fourth, the channel between earth and heaven is open and revelation is continuous.”

Having grown up in the church, I remember many talks and lessons reinforcing this notion that in that single vision, all of the questions about the nature of God and his communication with man were answered in a way that had never before been given since the times of Jesus and his Apostles. A careful review of religious publications that were available to Joseph Smith in the New England area around the time of the publication of the Book of Mormon and the formation of the church demonstrates that such visions were not entirely unique.

There were numerous contemporary accounts by individuals claiming to have had visions or encounters with God – a Theophany. Some of these accounts bear a remarkable similarity with the descriptions that Joseph Smith provided – in some cases using similar descriptive terms and phrases.

The following are relevant excerpts from 16 sources describing theophanies that bear some similarity with Joseph Smith’s first vision. The dates included are the earliest dates at which the accounts would have possibly been available to Joseph Smith in the Palmyra NY area. The actual dates that the various authors state their visions occurred on may be discovered by reading the source texts.

This point alone deserves an entire article, but something to keep in mind is that while Joseph Smith states that his visitation by God the Father and Jesus Christ took place in the early spring of 1820 – there is no record of him writing, telling or otherwise communicating this vision to *anyone* – including his family for over a decade. No journal entries by friends or family members, no anti-smith tracts or journal entries by his enemies, no newspaper expositions and no early church missionary material. It is not until a journal entry in 1832, written by Joseph Smith himself that we find historical documentation that this event took place – 12 years after the event was supposed to have taken place. It would not be for another decade that his account is widely published and known by members of the church in 1842 (22 years after the vision occurred). In the mean time, Joseph Smith wrote the first History of the Church in 1835 and did not include a description of the First Vision.

Here are the accounts:

1786 Catharine Hummer

Catharine Hummer was the daughter of a respected German Baptist preacher in Pennsylvania. She described several visions occurring between 1762 and 1765. She traveled with her father and drew people from all around the York County PA region.[1] While Joseph did not likely encounter her experience in print, it is possible that he heard depictions of it through word of mouth. In any event, the account of Catharine Hummer demonstrates that visions of God the father and Jesus Christ as two separate beings were not unprecedented.

“…and looking about I saw an angel standing at my right hand, who said: “Yes, my friend, it is midnight and late; the hour of midnight is approaching; alas, what shall I sav? love has grown cool among the members. Oh, that this were not so among those who are Brethren in the faith!” … And the Saviour and the Father stood on the other side of the water, and the Saviour called the innocent by name, one after the other, to go in. …These two, the Father and the Son, stood together on the other side. Then they also came to the water and preached, the Father to the godless, the Son to the pious.” Chronicon Ephratense, pp. 268-276 [2]

1794 Richard Brothers

Richard brothers was British religious fanatic and early believer and teacher of Anglo-Israelism – the idea that those of anglo-european descent (particularly the british) were the remnant of the lost tribes of Israel. In 1793 Brothers founded a new religion with himself as Apostle. He published an account of a vision and theophany in 1794.

“I was, to prepare me for the designation of God, carried up to heaven . in a vision, and saw on my right side at a small distance, a beautiful silver white bird in the shape of a Dove, but a little larger; it was the HOLY GHOST, and was the very same that descended on the head of my BLESSED SAVIOUR, when he came up from being baptized in the river Jordan ; he kept between me and Satan who was then revealed that I might witness it and great power given him to visit the Earth, The LORD GOD then spoke to me from the middle of a white shining cloud…

…I was in a Vision and being carried up to heaven the Lord God spoke to me from the middle of a large white cloud, and said in a strong clear voice—-ALL, ALL I pardon London, and all the people in it, for your sake : there is no other man On earth that could stand before me to ask for so great a thing. ”

A REVEALED KNOWLEDGE OF THE PROPHECIES AND TIMES. Book the First., Rishard Brothers, 1794, pp. 29-30[3]

It is notable that Brothers, Like Joseph Smith, claimed a divine calling which included a commandment to bring forth revealed knowledge, establishment of a new religion and apostleship.

1812 David Brainerd

In 1812 David Brainerd’s journal was published, including an account of his own theophany, in which he describes an encounter with God. His encounter is similar to Joseph Smith’s in that it took place in a grove after much spiritual distress, however Brainerd’s description of God is not anthropomorphic:

“…as I was walking in a dark thick grove unspeakable glory seemed to open to the view of my soul: I do not mean any external brightness, nor any imagination of a body of light, or any thing of that nature; but it was a new inward apprehension, or view that I had of God, such as I never had before. I stood still, and admired. I knew that I had never seen before any thing comparable to it for excellency and beauty; it was widely different from all the conceptions that ever I had of God, or things divine. I had no particular apprehension of any one person in the Trinity, either the Father, the Son, or the Holy Ghost; but it appeared to be divine glory that I then beheld: and my soul rejoiced with joy unspeakable to see such a glorious divine Being; and I was inwardly pleased and satisfied that he should be God over all for ever and ever..”

The Life Of David Brainerd, 1812, p. 23[4]

1813 Benjamin Abbott

Rev. Benjamin Abbott published an account of his 1772 vision in 1813. His vision included seeing both God the Father (“Ancient of Days”) and Jesus Christ, as well as a pronouncement that his sins were forgiven:

” …at that instant I awoke, and saw by faith the Lord Jesus Christ standing by me, with his arms extended wide, saying to me, “I died for you.” I then looked up, and by faith I saw the Ancient of Days, and he said to me, “I freely forgive thee for what Christ has done.” At this I burst into a flood of tears, and with joy in my heart cried and praised God, and said, Oh! that there were a minister to give me the Lord’s Supper! Then by faith I saw the Lord Jesus come to me as with a cup in his hand, and he gave it me, and I took it and drank thereof ; It was like unto honey for sweetness. At that moment the scriptures were wonderfully opened to my understanding.”

The Experience, and Gospel Labours, of the Rev. Benjamin Abbott p. 20[5]

Rev. Abbott also recounts persecution he experienced as a result of sharing his visionary experience with a Presbyterian minister:

A few days after, an elder of the presbyterian meeting came to talk with me, to whom I told my experience ; and that I knew that God, for Christ’s sake, had forgiven my sins. He replied, that he had been a member of the church twenty-five years, and never before heard any one say that “he knew his sins were forgiven; and for any one to say that he knew his sins were forgiven, he ought to be burnt; for he made himself as perfect as an angel in heaven: nay, said he, I would help to burn such a man myself.”

The Experience, and Gospel Labours, of the Rev. Benjamin Abbott p. 31[6]

1814 Lorenzo Dow

Lorenzo Dow (October 16, 1777 – February 2, 1834) was an eccentric American preacher, said to have preached to more people than any other preacher of his era. His compiled journal was published in 1814, containing an account of his own heavenly theophany while a young teen boy:

“When past the age of thirteen years… I went out of doors, and was taken up by a whirlwind and carried above the skies : at length I discovered, across a gulph as it were through a mist of darkness, a glorious place, in which was a throne of ivory overlaid with gold, and God sitting upon it, and Jesus Christ at his right hand, and angels, and glorified spirits, celebrating praise — Oh ! the joyful music !” Journal of Lorenzo Dow (1814)[7]

This account is notable for the age of the experience as well as the presentation of God and Jesus as two separate beings.

1815 Norris Stearns

Norris Stearns in 1815 published his own vision in Greenfield, Massachusetts — not far from where the Joseph Smith Senior family lived in Vermont.

“At length, as I lay apparently upon the brink of eternal woe, seeing nothing but death before me, suddenly there came a sweet flow of the love of God to my soul, which gradually increased. At the same time, there appeared a small gleam of light in the room,above the brightness of the sun, then at his meridian, which grew brighter and brighter: As this light and love increased, my sins began to separate, and the Mountain removed towards the east. At length, being in an ecstasy of joy, I turned to the other side of the bed, (whether in the body or out I cannot tell, God knoweth) there I saw two spirits, which I knew at the first sight. But if I had the tongue of an Angel I could not describe their glory, for they brought the joys of heaven with them. One was God, my Maker, almost in bodily shape like a man. His face was, as it were a flame of Fire, and his body, as it had been a Pillar and a Cloud. In looking steadfastly to discern features, I could see none, but a small glimpse would appear in some other place. Below him stood Jesus Christ my Redeemer, in perfect shape like a man—His face was not ablaze, but had the countenance of fire, being bright and shining. His Father’s will appeared to be his! All was condescension, peace, and love!!”

The Religious Experience Of Norris Stearns Written by Divine Command (1815)[8]

The most intriguing aspect of Stearns’ “vision,” is how he described the Father and the Son as two separate, distinct, human personages. LDS faithful have long considered that that was one of the “truths” that had been lost from the world until Joseph Smith’s First Vision. It was a major point in the late apostle Hugh B. Brown’s 1950’s sermon “Profile of a Prophet”

1816 Elias Smith

In 1816 a minister by the name of Elias Smith published a book in which he told of his conversion. There are several features (in bold) which show similarity with Joseph Smith’s later account:

“Not long after these things passed through my mind, I went into the woods one morning after a stick of timber; after taking it on my shoulder to bring it to the house, as I walked along on large log that lay above the snow, my foot slipped and I fell partly under the log, the timber fell one end on the log and the other on the snow, and held me, as that I found it difficult at first to rise from the situation I was then in. While in this situation, a light appeared to shine from heaven, not only into my head, but into my heart. This was something very strange to me, and what I had never experienced before. My mind seemed to rise in that light to the throne of God and the Lamb, and while thus gloriously led, what appeared to my understanding was expressed in Rev. xiv. 1. “And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads.” The Lamb once slain appeared to my understanding, and while viewing him, I felt such love to him as I never felt to any thing earthly. My mind was calm and at peace with God through the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world. The view of the Lamb on mount Sion gave my joy unspeakable and full of glory. It is not possible for me to tell how long I remained in that situation, as every thing earthly was gone from me for some time.”

The Life, Conversion, Preaching, Travel, and Sufferings of Elias Smith, pp 58-59[9]

1821 Charles G. Finney

Charles Finney was a lawyer turned christian revivalist who described a theophany experience with many parallels to Joseph Smith’s first vision. He describes retiring to the woods to pray, being unable to speak, the sensation of footsteps of someone approaching, being seized upon by a wickedness, and later seeing Christ face to face. His full account is lengthy and may be viewed in it’s published form at Archive.org[10]. Here is a comparison of key features in the descriptions:

Charles Finney (1821) Joseph Smith (1842) Both impressed by a passage of scripture Just at that point this passage of Scripture seemed to drop into my mind with a flood of light… I instantly seized hold of this with my heart. Never did any passage of scripture come with more power to the heart of man than this did at this time to mine. It seemed to enter with great force into every feeling of my heart Both entered the woods alone to kneel in prayer I turned and bent my course toward the woods, feeling that I must be alone, and away from all human eyes and ears, so that I could pour out my prayers to God…I crept into this place and knelt down for prayer I retired to the woods to make the attempt… having looked around me, and finding myself alone, I kneeled down and began to offer up the desires of my heart to God Both struggle to pray But when I attempted to pray I found that my heart would not pray… But lo! when I came to try, I was dumb; that is, I had nothing to say to God; or at least I could say but a few words 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 was seized upon by some power which entirely overcame me, and had such an astonishing influence over me as to bind my tongue so I could not speak Both overwhelmed by power An overwhelming sense of my wickedness in being ashamed to have a human being see me on my knees before God, took such powerful possession of me When immediately I was seized upon by some power which entirely overcame me, and had such an astonishing influence over me Both hear someone walking towards them In attempting to pray I would hear a rustling in the leaves, as I thought, and would stop and look up to see if somebody were not coming… Just at this moment I again thought I heard some one approach me, and I opened my eyes to see whether it were so. I heard a noise behind me like some person walking towards me…the noise of walking seemed to draw nearer, I sprung up on my feet, and looked around, but saw no person or thing (1835 diary account) Both fall into despair Finally I found myself verging fast to despair at the very moment when I was ready to sink into despair Both experience weakness I felt almost too weak to stand upon my knees I had no strength; but soon recovering some degree

1821 Benjamin Putnam

Benjamin Putnam of Topsham, Vermont, wrote of a distant revival of religion which impressed his family when he was thirteen years of age. He describes a vision on January 14, 1802,

“I had never as yet attempted to pray . . . I instantly had a view as I thought, of the Lord Jesus Christ with his arms extended in an inviting posture—and at the same time this passage of scripture came forcibly to my mind as though he spoke it, ‘Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me, for of such is the kingdom of heaven.’”

Benjamin Putnam [b. 1788], A Sketch of the Life of Elder Benj. Putnam, Embracing His Christian Experience, Call to the Ministry, Together with An Account of the Religious Changes Through Which He Has Passed . . . Woodstock, [Vermont]: Printed by David Watson, 1821, pp. 15-19[11]

1823 Asa Wild

This account of heavenly communication was published in 1823 in the Wayne Sentinel – the local paper for Palmyra NY.

“the Lord in his boundless goodness was pleased to communicate the following Revelation, having in the first place presented me with a very glorious Vision, in which I saw the same things: In the first place I observe that my mind had been brought into the most profound stillness, and awe; realizing in a remarkable manner the majesty, greatness and glory, of that Being before whom all nations are as the drop of the bucket. It seemed as if my mind, though active in its very nature, had lost all its activity, and was struck motionless, as well as into nothing, before the awful and glorious majesty of the Great Jehovah. He then spake to the following ourport; and in such a manner as I could not describe if I should attempt…” “A Short Sketch of the Religious Experience and Spiritual Travels of Asa Wild, of Amsterdam, N.Y.” excerpt printed in Wayne Sentinel, Palmyra, N. Y., Wednesday, October 22, 1823 [12]

The account goes on to declare that “the Millennium state of the world is about to take place; that in seven years literally, there would scarce a sinner be found on earth; that the earth itself, as well as the souls and bodies of its inhabitants, should be redeemed, as before the fall, and become as the garden of Eden.” – an event which did not take place.

Additionally, this account is sometimes cited by LDS leaders due to it’s condemnation of the Christian sects “He also told me, that every denomination of professing christians had become extremely corrupt;” and it’s declaration that God was “now raising up, that class of persons … having the everlasting gospel to preach, that these persons are of an inferior [social] class, and small learning; that they were rejected by every denomination as a body; but soon, God will open their way, by miracles, judgments, &c. that they will have higher authority, greater power, superior inspiration, and a greater degree of holiness than was ever experienced before” This is seen as a prophetic prediction of the coming of Joseph Smith.[13]

1824 Alexander Campbell (2nd hand)

Alexander Campbell wrote the following on March 1, 1824, concerning a “revival in the state of New York”:

“Enthusiasm flourishes…. This man was regenerated when asleep, by a vision of the night. That man heard a voice in the woods, saying, ‘Thy sins be forgiven thee.’ A third saw hisSavior descending to the tops of the trees at noon day” (The Christian Baptist, Vol. 1, pp.148-49) [14]

This account mirrors the location of the vision (woods) as well as having sins forgiven and Christ descending to the tops of trees.

1825 Billy Hibbard

New York preacher Billy Hibbard published his memoirs in 1825 and included a theophany experience from when he was a young boy of 11:

“…when I came to the place of prayer, had kneeled down and closed my eyes, with my hands uplifted toward the heavens, I saw Jesus Christ at the right hand of God looking down upon me, and God the Father looking upon him. The look of Jesus on me removed the burden of my sins, while he spoke these words, ” Be faithful unto death and this shall be thy place of rest.”

Memoirs of the Life and Travels of B. Hibbard: Minister of the Gospel[15]

His story is notable for a depiction of God and Jesus Christ as separate beings as well as having had his sins forgiven him as part of the vision.

1826 John S Thompson

John S Thompson, a New York universalist minister, published a theophany account in 1826:

“I dreamed Christ descended from the firmament, in a glare of brightness, exceeding ten fold the brilliancy of the meridian Sun, and he came to me saying, ‘I commission you to go and tell mankind that I am come; and bid every man to shout victory.”

The Christian Guide to a Right Understanding of the Sacred Scriptures, John S Thompson, 1826 p. 71[16]

This account is notable for Christ descending from the heavens, the description of the brightness of Christ being greater than the sun and the pronouncement of a divine commission.

1829 Solomon Chamberlain

An account recorded in John Taylor Nauvoo Journal expands upon the experiences of Solomon Chamberlain who describes a heavenly vision occurring in 1816. Solomon had experienced a number of visions which he detailed in a 1929 pamphlet[17] In his journeys he spent time with numerous religious sects, ending up finally among the Mormons in 1829 where he found harmony with his own revelatory experience. He introduced himself to the Smith household by way of sharing his visionary account [18] and was baptized by Joseph Smith.

While his pamphlet does not detail his original 1816 vision and theophany, he provided greater detail to John Taylor which is recorded in Taylor’s Nauvoo journal. It is presumed that he shared this story with the Smith family at their initial encounter.

“The Lord revealed to me in a vision of the night an angel, I thought if I could ask him, he could tell me all I wanted to know. I accordingly asked him if we were right. He said not one of us were right, and that there were no people on earth that were right; but that the Lord would in his own due time raise up a church, different from all others, and he would give power and authority as in the days of Christ; and he would carry it through, and it should never be confounded; and that I should live to see the day, and know the work when it came forth; and that great persecution should follow, and much more after this he told me. I proclaimed it to the world and all people what I had seen and heard; and that all denominations on earth were as John said constituted the great ***** of all the earth.”

John Taylor Nauvoo Journal [19]

Solomon also included a description of this experience in his 1858 autobiography:

“About this time the Lord showed me in a vision, that there were no people on the earth that were right, and that faith was gone from the earth, excepting a few and that all churches were corrupt. I further saw in vision, that he would soon raise up a church, that would be after the Apostolic Order, that there would be in it the same powers, and gifts that were in the days of Christ, and that I should live to see the day, and that there would a book come forth, like unto the Bible and the people would [be] guided by it, as well as the Bible. This was in the year of 1816. I then believed in gifts and miracles as the Latter-day Saints do, for which I was much persecuted and called deluded. This vision I received from an angel or spirit from the eternal world that told me these things.” [20]

It is noted that Solomon’s initial presentation of his experiences to Joseph Smith predates any first or second hand record of Joseph Smith’s own First Vision account.

1838 James G Marsh

This account is unique in that it was given in an obituary published in the Elder’s Journal, an LDS periodical edited by Joseph Smith. It included the fact that James Marsh was 14 years old at the time of his death and that he had experienced a remarkable vision – speaking with God, the Father face-to-face.

OBITUARY. DIED on the 7th of May last, James G. Marsh, second son of Thomas B. Marsh,aged 14 years, 11 months and seven days. From early infancy he manifested a love and reverence towards his Heavenly Father, while his parents diligently taught him the first principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ. And having a thirst for knowledge and a love of good principles, he eagerly embraced the gospel, and wasbaptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of latter day saints, early in the spring of 1832, being between eight and nine years of age. His great love of knowledge led him to take hold of every opportunity to read the most useful books, and as he was a lover of the gospel, he made himself well acquainted with the sacred writings, and even at this early age, he had become well skilled in profane as well as sacred history. It seems that the Lord had respect unto this lover of righteousness, for when he was but about nine years of age, he had a remarkable vision, in which he talked with the Father and many of the ancient prophets face to face, and beheld the Son of God coming in his glory…” (James G. Marsh obituary,Elder’s Journal Vol.1, No.3, p.48, July 1838)[21]

While Joseph Smith had disclosed his own theophany prior to this in a private discussion with Erastus Holmes in 1835, he had not yet published his story at the time of this obituary.

1841 Emanuel Swedenborg

Taken from a swedish account by a close friend, Christian theologian Emanuel Swedenborg relates his visitation from God. This account was first published in english available to the americas in 1841.

‘The following night the same Man appeared to me again. I was this time not at all alarmed. The Man said — ‘ I am God, the Lord, the Creator, and Redeemer of the World. I have chosen thee to unfold to men the Spiritual Sense of the Holy Scripture. I will myself dictate to thee what thou shalt write.’ ‘ The same night the World of Spirits, Hell and Heaven, were convincingly opened to me, where I found many persons of my acquaintance of all conditions. From that day forth I gave up all worldly learning, and laboured only in spiritual things, according to what the Lord commanded me to write. Thereafter the Lord daily opened the eyes of my Spirit to see in perfect wakefulness what was going on in the other World, and to converse, broad awake, with Angels and Spirits.’ [22]

The account is notable for the anthropomorphic depiction of God as well as a declaration of the visionary as one who is specially chosen to receive and write God’s words.

References