One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!

Zion and Jerusalem,  April 13, 2013

One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!

(Pearl of Great Price | JS-History 1:17)

 

Approaching the First Vision Saga

History / Mapping Mormon Issues

By Stephen C. Taysom

Art by Galen Smith

https://www.sunstonemagazine.com/approaching-the-first-vision-saga/

This is a wonderful article. I could not read it all in fear of losing the heavenly impressions to comment that I am feeling right now as I write. But I will read it after I record my testimony. And I record that as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, I never knew that there were more accounts of the first Vision of Joseph Smith other than the one we find in our scriptures. I have heard of them, but until know I had not contemplated them in their factual context. I do not like the descriptions the apostates, the ungodly and the faithless give concerning this issue saying that there are several versions of the first vision instigating doubt and deceit from the brethren and the church to keep us blind folded.  I do not doubt because where doubt is the spirit of God is not. I know that there is only one single and official version of the first which has been canonized.  And the various accounts of the same that may not necessarily agree in all things are all part of it for they came from the same source. And even so, there are many more versions or translations of the Holy Bible and despite its  correctness no one disputes that it is untrue. I hope one day with the aid of GOD we get the First Vision of Joseph Smith perfect. On that day, we will learn by the gift an dpower of GOD that we were kind of omitted from it until we receive our own persona; testimony of the first vision and ask God were where we on that particular day. That is indeed a real challenge and a stumbling block for the faithless.

When I prayed about it for a confirmation of faith or to know about the truthfulness of the first vision, and I did it as a mere formality for the spirit had time and again witnessed it in me, way before I knew that I had to ask for a confirmation; I received the impression that I was there also.  But I was timid for the longest time until today to admit it or to testify of it openly to avoid scorn and fear to give the wrong impression. And I have kept this testimony to myself as a very personal gem of my faith. And God is my witness.  When Joseph Smith received the fist vision, I Miguel Angel was there. I just did not know what last name I would have until I was born. And who can dispute it?

The same thing happened when the LORD atoned for our sins. I wanted to know how the LORD did it and how to better comprehend the mystery of godliness. Since the apostles had fallen asleep and could not witness the integral mechanisms of grave event, I asked the LORD who was there to record his agony. I asked GOD to give me a testimony; and he told me that it is written that an angel was there to give him comfort and to strengthen him.  And I received the same impression that I was there also as in the first vision of Joseph Smith. Butt hat is not all.  I even had a vivid dream in the day of the crucifixion of our LORD Jesus Christ as he approached Golgotha. Before I saw him, I saw the mountain and the skulls and fleshless bones piled up in a shallow cave or so. I did not know where I was. Then I turned my back and I saw the back side of a centurion in front of me as they dressed in those days. And suddenly I realized that it was not my time. Then, I saw a bruised, thirsty and tired man fall into the floor. And I immediately recognized that it was the LORD Jesus Christ.  I was so shocked to see my LORD on the floor that I lowered my self between the open feet of the centurion at rest and asked the LORD in great alarm what was happening to him.  He did not reply to me but extended his hand between the feet of the centurion and grabbed my hand in a very particular grip just as the fighters in a wresting contest do when they are on the floor and cannot get up, they extend the hand to another fighter to continue fighting in his place.  

Now that I read this article, since Joseph Smith mentioned that he perceived that he may have seen angess in addition to the Father and the Son, I felt a spur of joy. And therefore I presume that I was there too, and I assume that I was not the only one. Maybe every one of us who were born in later generations; and have received a true testimony of the first vision were there too. Who knows but we may all have piled up on top of the Gods as spiritual angels?  I do not now about others, but I would not have wanted to miss such a glorious event that in mortality would become a pillar of my faith in GOD.

This is why it is called the First Vision and since there was one; there must have been many others, one of which that I know of, was witnessed not only by him but by others in the Kirtland Temple when the keys of the priesthood where conferred.  And also when they saw him in heaven like the Apostle, Stephen when Joseph Smith said, this is the testimony, last of all which we give of him.  And IF I were given license to prophesy, if not to speculate, I would say that, whether visible or not, the LORD was very much present and up close each and every time Joseph Smith received a revelation as recorded in the book of Doctrine and Covenants today.   

So, if the ungodly and the faithless who oppose us think that there are only seven or twelve accounts and/or versions about Joseph Might Seeing anf communing with God and angels, they are short of the mark. We do not yet know the versions of the prophets and apostles when they saw it centuries or even millenniums before it actually took place from the beginning of the World. I know Adam, Enoch, Mahonry Moriamcumer or the Brother of Jared and Moses, Just to name a few were shown all things. These important events are no secret or local in nature, but universal in nature. To five you all a truhful hint, the knowledge of the first vision of Joseph Smith as well as of the ominous death inflicted upon Joseph Smith and the patriarch Hyrum, and the persecution of all the pioneer saints, which I cannot leave behind, were published in other worlds; and people pthere put their hands in their mouth in shock and awe for the wickedness of the so called Biblically Historical Christian World and the thugs who perpetrated these woeful crimes.  

The Gospel is one, which is Faith in Jesus Christ, Repentance, and Baptism of Immersion for the remission of sin and gift of the Holy Ghost by the lying of hands under those in authority. What we find in Matthew, John, Luke, Peter, Paul; in The Book of Mormon and elsewhere are just different accounts of their personal ministry or testimony of the very same power of God unto salvation. If peradventure, we would not have the account of any of them and ONLY one book of the New Testament of the Bible, had remained intact, or if we did not have the Bible at all and we only had to rely solely on the book of Mormon or even the Doctrine and covenant, we would be no less saved than we are today because the true gosple and the doctrine of the Father; and of the Son; and of the Holy ghost is one and the same.

This may sound unchristian and even umbiblical or hateful to many, but I do not know or understand why all the fuss from our critics, the apostates, the faithless and the ungodly about our faith, when anyone can fit the ENTIRE gospel of Jesus Christ in one single commandment, sentence and verse which says:

Now this is the commandment: Repent, all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day.

(Book of Mormon | 3 Nephi 27:20)

Of this I solemnly testify in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Attentively your from an unworthy servant in the hands of Christ.