Joseph Smith's First Vision and His Conflicting Accounts

References:

LDS owned Joseph Smith Papers
http://josephsmithpapers.org/site/accounts-of-the-first-vision

[A] 1832 - "The Lord" | ‘First Vision', from History, 1832, JosephSmithPapers.org: Joseph Smith Letterbook 1, pp.2,3
[B] 1835, Nov 9 - To Minister | Joseph Smith's Journal November 9-11, 1835
[C] 1835, Nov 14 - To Erastus Holmes | History of the Church, vol. 2, p. 312 | Also found in Joseph Smith Journal November 14th, 1835
[D] 1838 - Adopted as "Official" | Pearl of Great Price, Joseph Smith — History, 1:7-20
[E] All 10 Versions compiled @ http://mit.irr.org/joseph-smiths-changing-first-vision-accounts
[F] All Journal Entries @ JosephSmithPapers.org

See Also:

Watch the BYU-TV Documentary on the First Vision Accounts

1. Part I
2. Part II
3. Part III
4. Part IV
5. Part V

Here is a formatted PDF doublesided ready to print.

Apologetic Response

• http://en.fairmormon.org/Criticism_of_Mormonism/Online_documents/Letter_to_a_CES_Director/First_Vision_Concerns_%26_Questions
• http://en.fairmormon.org/Joseph_Smith's_First_Vision/Accounts

Change Log

06/20/2012 Fixed an error in the 1835 Jewish Minister account.  Mistakenly had Joseph's age listed as 17 when it was actually 14.  I actually fixed this error about a month ago when I had hard copies made and t-shirts but I forgot to update the website here.  That was an oversight and I apologize.

A special thanks to the folks at FAIR for pointing this out.  I welcome any and all future input.

Joseph Smith: Praise to the Man!

References


[1] LDS Hymnbook, "Praise to the man", 1985, Hymn #27

1. Praise to the man who communed with Jehovah!
Jesus anointed that Prophet and Seer.
Blessed to open the last dispensation,
Kings shall extol him, and nations revere.

[Chorus]
Hail to the Prophet, ascended to heaven!
Traitors and tyrants now fight him in vain.
Mingling with Gods, he can plan for his brethren;
Death cannot conquer the hero again.

2. Praise to his mem’ry, he died as a martyr;
Honored and blest be his ever great name!
Long shall his blood, which was shed by assassins,
Plead unto heav’n while the earth lauds his fame.

3. Great is his glory and endless his priesthood.
Ever and ever the keys he will hold.
Faithful and true, he will enter his kingdom,
Crowned in the midst of the prophets of old.

4. Sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven;
Earth must atone for the blood of that man.
Wake up the world for the conflict of justice.
Millions shall know “Brother Joseph” again.

Text: William W. Phelps, 1792–1872

♬♪ Praise to the Man - Joseph Smith ♫♭

[2] Apostle Orson Hyde, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 6, p 154
      "Joseph holds the keys, and none of us can get into the celestial kingdom without passing by him."

[3] Boast, Joseph Smith, History of the Church, Vol. 6, p. 408, 409

      “I have more to boast of than ever any man had. I am the only man that has ever been able to keep a
      whole church together since the days of Adam... Neither Paul, John, Peter, nor Jesus ever did it. I boast
      that no man ever did such work as I. The followers of Jesus ran away from Him; but the Latter-day
      Saints never ran away from me yet.”

[4] Consent, Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, vol. 7, p.289-291
      "No man or woman in this dispensation will ever enter into the celestial kingdom of God without the
      consent of Joseph Smith"

[5] Psalm 9:11 NIV

      "Sing the praises of the Lord, enthroned in Zion;
       proclaim among the nations what he has done."

Do Mormons Really Believe They Can Get Their Own Planet?

Panel Text

Q: Do Mormons really believe they can get their own planet?
A: No!  They believe they'll get their own universe.
"As man is God once was; as God is man may be"


References

[1]     Mormon News Room, "Mormonism 101: FAQ" 
         Do Latter-day Saints believe that they will “get their own planet”?
         No. This idea is not taught in Latter-day Saint scripture, nor is it a doctrine of the Church.
         http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/mormonism-101#C14

[2]     Lorenzo Snow; “The Grand Destiny of Man,” Deseret Evening News, July 20, 1901, 22
          "As man is God once was; as God is man may be"

          This quote is reiterated in the 2012 manual:
          "Teachings of Presidents of the Church", George Albert Smith, Chapter 7

See Also

[Heber C. Kimball] When we escape from this earth, (do) we suppose we are going to heaven? Do you suppose you are going to the earth that Adam came from? that Eloheim came from? where Jehovah the Lord came from? No. When you have learned to become obedient to the Father that dwells upon this earth, to the Father and God of this earth, and obedient to the messengers He sends---when you have done all that, remember you are not going to leave this earth. You will never leave it until you become qualified, and capable, and capacitated to become a father of an earth yourselves. 160 years ago today - Nov 14, 1852

--Journal of Discourses 1:356

Gospel Principles, Chapter 47, Blessings of Exaltation

Those who receive exaltation in the celestial kingdom through faith inJesus Christ will receive special blessings. The Lord has promised, “All things are theirs” (D&C 76:59). These are some of the blessings given to exalted people:

1. 1. 
   They will live eternally in the presence of Heavenly Father and JesusChrist (see D&C 76:62).
2. 2. 
   They will become gods (see D&C 132:20–23).
3. 3. 
   They will be united eternally with their righteous family members and will be able to have eternal increase.
4. 4. 
   They will receive a fulness of joy.
5. 5. 
   They will have everything that our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have—all power, glory, dominion, and knowledge (see D&C 132:19–20). President Joseph Fielding Smith wrote: “The Father has promised through the Son that all that he has shall be given to those who are obedient to His commandments. They shall increase in knowledge, wisdom, and power, going from grace to grace, until the fulness of the perfect day shall burst upon them” (Doctrines of Salvation, comp. Bruce R. McConkie, 3 vols. [1954–56], 2:36; italics in original).

Adam Is Our God, Brigham Young, General Conf. Report, April 1852

If the image appears blurry, Click to Open full screen and zoom full resolution

Reference:
LDS General Conference Report
April 9th, 1852
Journal of Discourses, Vol. 1, Pages 50-51

Full text below or see these links:

http://journalofdiscourses.com/1/8
or
http://www.journalofdiscourses.org/volume-01 [LINK BROKEN 11/8/12]
or
http://jod.mrm.org/1/46#50
or Full Resolution Scan here:
http://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/cdm/compoundobject/collection/JournalOfDiscourses3/id/9599/rec/1

Preview Thumbnail:

Text of Brigham's Speech: (Same as above)

Brigham Young, LDS Prophet
LDS General Conference Report
April 9th, 1852
Journal of Discourses, Vol. 1, Pages 50-51

My next sermon will be to both Saint and sinner.

One thing has remained a mystery in this kingdom up to this day. It is in regard to the character of the well-beloved Son of God, upon which subject the Elders of Israel have conflicting views. Our God and Father in heaven, is a being of tabernacle, or, in other words, He has a body, with parts the same as you and I have; and is capable of showing forth His works to organized beings, as, for instance, in the world in which we live, it is the result of the knowledge and infinite wisdom that dwell in His organized body.
His son Jesus Christ has become a personage of tabernacle, and has a body like his father. The Holy Ghost is the Spirit of the Lord, and issues forth from Himself, and may properly be called God's minister to execute His will in immensity; being called to govern by His influence and power; but He is not a person of tabernacle as we are, and as our Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ are. The question has been, and is often, asked, who it was that begat the Son of the Virgin Mary. The infidel world have concluded that if what the Apostles wrote about his father and mother be true, and the present marriage discipline acknowledged by Christendom be correct, then Christians must believe that God is the father of an illegitimate son, in the person of Jesus Christ! The infidel fraternity teach that to their disciples. I will tell you how it is. Our Father in Heaven begat all the spirits that ever were, or ever will be, upon this earth; and they were born spirits in the eternal world. Then the Lord by His power and wisdom organized the mortal tabernacle of man. We were made first spiritual, and afterwards temporal.
Now hear it, O inhabitants of the earth, Jew and Gentile, Saint and sinner! When our father Adam came into the garden of Eden, he came into it with a celestial body, and brought Eve, one of his wives, with him. He helped to make and organize this world. He is MICHAEL, the Archangel, the ANCIENT OF DAYS! about whom holy men have written and spoken--HE is our FATHER and our GOD, and the only God with whom WE have to do. Every man upon the earth, professing Christians or non-professing, must hear it, and will know it sooner or later.
They came here, organized the raw material, and arranged in their order the herbs of the field, the trees, the apple, the peach, the plum, the pear, and every other fruit that is desirable and good for man; the seed was brought from another sphere, and planted in this earth. The thistle, and thorn, the brier, and the obnoxious weed did not appear until after the earth was cursed. When Adam and Eve had eaten of the forbidden fruit, their bodies became mortal from its effects, and therefore their offspring were mortal. When the Virgin Mary conceived the child Jesus, the Father had begotten him in his own likeness. He was not begotten by the Holy Ghost. And who is the Father? He is the first of the human family; and when he took a tabernacle, it was begotten by his Father in heaven, after the same manner as the tabernacles of Cain, Abel, and the rest of the sons and daughters of Adam and Eve; from the fruits of the earth, the first earthly tabernacles were originated by the Father, and so on in succession.
I could tell you much more about this; but were I to tell you the whole truth, blasphemy would be nothing to it, in the estimation of the superstitious and over-righteous of mankind. However, I have told you the truth as far as I have gone. I have heard men preach upon the divinity of Christ, and exhaust all the wisdom they possessed. All Scripturalists, and approved theologians who were considered exemplary for piety and education, have undertaken to expound on this subject, in every age of the Christian era; and after they have done all, they are obliged to conclude by exclaiming "great is the mystery of godliness," and tell nothing. It is true that the earth was organized by three distinct characters, namely, Eloheim, Yahovah, and Michael, these three forming a quorum, as in all heavenly bodies, and in organizing element, perfectly represented in the Deity, as Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Again, they will try to tell how the divinity of Jesus is joined to his humanity, and exhaust all their mental faculties, and wind up with this profound language, as describing the soul of man, "it is an immaterial substance!" What a learned idea! Jesus, our elder brother, was begotten in the flesh by the same character that was in the garden of Eden, and who is our Father in Heaven. Now, let all who may hear these doctrines, pause before they make light of them, or treat them with indifference, for they will prove their salvation or damnation. I have given you a few leading items upon this subject, but a great deal more remains to be told. Now remember from this time forth, and forever, that Jesus Christ was not begotten by the Holy Ghost.
I will repeat a little anecdote. I was in conversation with a certain learned professor upon this subject, when I replied, to this idea--"if the Son was begotten by the Holy Ghost, it would be very dangerous to baptize and confirm females, and give the Holy Ghost to them, lest he should beget children, to be palmed upon the Elders by the people, bringing the Elders into great difficulties." Treasure up these things in your hearts. In the Bible, you have read the things I have told you to-night; but you have not known what you did read. I have told you no more than you are conversant with; but what do the people in Christendom, with the Bible in their hands, know about this subject? Comparatively nothing.

Christians agree with Moroni 8:18; Why don't Mormons?

References

[1] Moroni 8:18; Book of Mormon
"For I know that God is not a partial God, neither a changeable being; but he is unchangeable from all eternity to all eternity."

[2] Lorenzo Snow; “The Grand Destiny of Man,” Deseret Evening News, July 20, 1901, 22
"As man is God once was; as God is man may be"

[3] Joseph Smith Quote; History of the Church, Vol. 6, Ch. 14, p. 305-6; Joseph Smith, Jr. "King Follet Discourse"
"God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens!  That is the great secret. ...I am going to tell you how God came to be God.  We have imagined and supposed that God was God from all eternity.  I will refute that idea, and take away the veil,..."

See also:

http://WeAgreeWith818.com
Isaiah 44:6,8 
Romans 11:33-36

A Mormon Testimony is 60% "The Church", not Christ Focused

References

[1] Testimony Glove, Liahona, Oct. 2008
[2] John 14:6 NIV

Prescriptive LDS Testimony:

• 1. I know that God is our Heavenly Father and He loves us.
• 2. I know that His Son, Jesus Christ, is our Savior and Redeemer.
• 3. I know that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God. He restored the gospel of Jesus Christ to the earth and translated the Book of Mormon by the power of God.
• 4. I know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord’s Church on the earth today.
• 5. I know that this Church is led by a living prophet who receives revelation.

References:
John 14:6 NIV
http://www.lds.org/liahona/2008/10/testimony-glove