Religious Vision

Religious Vision



Religious Vision

Smith said that when he was about twelve (c. 1817-18), he became involved in belief and caused anguish about his sins. He revised the Bible and came to place of adoration, but the anecdotes disagree as to if he very resolute on his own that there was no living belief constructed upon the factual teachings of Jesus or if the concept that all places of adoration were untrue had not "entered his heart" until he skilled the vision. During this time span of devout anxiety, he very resolute to turn to God in prayer. An early account states the reason of this plea was to inquire God for clemency for his sins while subsequent anecdotes focus his yearn to understand which place of adoration he should join. Therefore, as his mother had finished years before when worried about an significant devout inquiry, Smith said he went one jump forenoon to a isolated grove beside his dwelling to pray. He said he went to a stump in a clarifying where he had left his axe the day before and started to offer his first audible prayer.

He said his plea was cut off by a "being from the unseen world" more mighty than any he had before encountered. Smith said the essence initiated his tongue to enlarge in his mouth in order that he could not talk, One account said he learned a disturbance behind him like somebody strolling in the direction of him and then, when he endeavoured to plead afresh, the disturbance increased louder, initating him to jump to his feet and gaze round, but he glimpsed no one. In some of the anecdotes, he recounted being enclosed with a broad darkness and considering that he would be destroyed. At his darkest instant, he knelt a third time to pray  and, as he summoned all his power to plead, he sensed prepared to go under into oblivion. At that instant, he said his tongue was loosed and he glimpsed a vision.

Smith said he glimpsed a pillar of lightweight brighter than the noonday sun that gradually descended on him, increasing in brightness as it descended and lighting the whole locality for some distance. As the lightweight come to the tree peaks, Smith dreaded the trees might apprehend fire. But when it come to the ground and covered him, it made a "peculiar sensation." "[H]is brain was apprehended away from the natural things with which he was surrounded; and he was enwrapped in a fantastic vision."

While experiencing the dream, he said he glimpsed one or more "personages," recounted distinctly in Smith's accounts. In one, Smith said he "saw the Lord." In journal applications, he said he glimpsed a "visitation of Angels" or a "vision of angels" that encompassed "a personage," and then "another personage" who testified that "Jesus Christ is the Son of God," as well as "many angels". In subsequent anecdotes, Smith consistently said that he had glimpsed two personages who emerged one after the ...