Mormon Handbook - Joseph Smith's First Vision Plagiarized

In the early 1800’s visionary experiences were common in New England, and Joseph Smith’s First Vision was not unusual. Evidence suggests he borrowed from others to create his own story.

In his article “The Visionary World of Joseph Smith”, LDS historian Richard Bushman identified over 33 visionary tales published between 1783 and 1815.
This handbook examines a handful of early tales and other early sources that likely provided material for Joseph’s First Vision.

Norris Stearns

The Religious Experience of Norris Stearns (1815) (full text)

Compare the preface of Stearns’ book to Joseph’s life story:
An illiterate youth
Commanded to write a book
A prophet

The public are here presented with a book written by an illiterate youth, who has been highly favoured of God, and shown many things, which he is now commanded to write. He earnestly solicits the candid attention of every reader, that it may not stand (as the useless Parenthesis) among the other books of the world; for it is written in obedience to the Divine Command, as a Testimony to show his Calling. Care has been taken, that nothing should be written, but by the immediate command of the Lord; whose Servant and Prophet I am. I give account before God, and know that my Testimony is true: My Father and his Holy Angels bear witness of it.

— Norris Stearns

The Religious Experience of Norris Stearns, Preface

	Norris Stearns (1815)	Joseph Smith (1842)
Both near the brink of death	As I lay apparently upon the brink of eternal woe, seeing nothing but death before me	At the very moment when I was ready to sink into despair and abandon myself to destruction
Both interrupted by light	There appeared a small gleam of light in the room above the brightness of the sun	I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head above the brightness of the sun
Both see the Father and Son in bodily form	I saw two spirits.... One was God my maker, almost in bodily shape like a man.... below him stood Jesus Christ my Redeemer, in perfect shape like a man	I saw two personages.... 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
Both struggle to describe the appearance	I could not describe their glory	Whose brightness and glory defy all description
Both use “pillar”	A Pillar and a Cloud	A pillar of light

Elias Smith

The Life, Conversion, Preaching, Travels, and Sufferings of Elias Smith (1816) (full text)

	Elias Smith (1816)	Joseph Smith (1842)
Both enter the woods in the morning	I went into the woods one morning	I retired to the woods to make the attempt. It was on the morning of a beautiful, clear day
Both see light	A light appeared to shine from heaven	I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head
Both claim a divine encounter	My mind seemed to rise in that light to the throne of God and the Lamb, and while thus gloriously led.... And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion	When the light rested on me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description

Charles Finney

Memoirs of Rev. Charles G. Finney (1821) (full text)

Charles visited Joseph Smith’s community in 1831

	Charles Finney (1821)	Joseph Smith (1842)
Both are impressed with 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 enter the woods to be alone to pray	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.... 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 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
Both hear someone approach	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. This I did several times.... just at this moment I again thought I heard someone approach me	*I heard a noise behind me like some person walking towards me, I strove again to pray, but could not, the noise of walking seemed to draw nearer, I sprung up on my feet, and looked around, but saw no person or thing that was calculated to produce the noise of walking This is from Joseph’s 1835 diary entry

Asa Wild

Remarkable Vision and Revelation (1823) (full text)

Asa’s vision was printed in the local newspaper of Joseph Smith’s home town.

	Asa Wild (1823)	Joseph Smith (1842)
Both claim a divine encounter	Realizing in a remarkable manner the majesty, greatness and glory, of that Being	I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description
Both lose capacity	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	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
Both partial to the Methodist church	I joined the Methodist Episcopal Church, which I found had much clearer and more scriptural views	My mind became somewhat partial to the Methodist sect
Both are told all denominations are corrupt	He also told me, that every denomination of professing christians had become extremely corrupt	the Personages who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those professors were all corrupt
Both withhold additional information	Much more the Lord revealed, but forbids my relating it in this way	And many other things did he say unto me, which I cannot write at this time

James G. Marsh

Obituary (1838) (full text)

The obituary of James G. Marsh, published on page 48 in the July 1838 Elders’ Journal is notable:
He was 14-years old.
He was baptized “early in the spring of” 1832
He had a vision, “in which he talked with God the Father and many of the ancient prophets face to face, and beheld the Son of God coming in his glory”.
Joseph Smith was the editor of the Elders’ Journal when this obituary was published.
No church record at this time had yet referred to Joseph’s vision of the Father and Son.

Full Text of Visions

Norris Stearns Vision (1815)

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 a blaze, but had the countenance of fire, being bright and shining. His Father’s will appeared to be his!

— Norris Stearns

The Religious Experience of Norris Stearns, p. 12

Elias Smith Vision (1816)

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 a 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, so 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 me 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.

— Elias Smith

The Life, Conversion, Preaching, Travels, and Sufferings of Elias Smith, pp. 58-59

Charles Finney Vision (1821)

North of the village, and over a hill, lay a piece of woods, in which I was in the almost daily habit of walking, more or less, when it was pleasant weather. It was now October, and the time was past for my frequent walks there. Nevertheless, instead of going to the office, 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 prayer to God.

But still my pride must show itself. As I went over the hill, it occurred to me that some one might see me and suppose that I was going away to pray. Yet probably there was not a person on earth that would have suspected such a thing, had he seen me going. But so great was my pride, and so much was I possessed with the fear of man, that I recollect that I skulked along under the fence, till I got so far out of sight that no one from the village could see me. I then penetrated into the woods, I should think, a quarter of a mile, went over on the other side of the hill, and found a place where some large trees had fallen across each other, leaving an open place between. There I saw I could make a kind of closet. I crept into this place and knelt down for prayer. As I turned to go up into the woods, I recollect to have said, "I will give my heart to God, or I never will come down from there." I recollect repeating this as I went up—"I will give my heart to God before I ever come down again."

But when I attempted to pray I found that my heart would not pray. I had supposed that if I could only be where I could speak aloud, without being overheard, I could pray freely. 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, and those without heart. 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. This I did several times.

Finally I found myself verging fast to despair. I said to myself, "I cannot pray. My heart is dead to God, and will not pray." I then reproached myself for having promised to give my heart to God before I left the woods. When I came to try, I found I could not give my heart to God. My inward soul hung back, and there was no going out of my heart to God. I began to feel deeply that it was too late; that it must be that I was given up of God and was past hope.

The thought was pressing me of the rashness of my promise, that I would give my heart to God that day or die in the attempt. It seemed to me as if that was binding upon my soul; and yet I was going to break my vow. A great sinking and discouragement came over me, and I felt almost too weak to stand upon my knees.

Just at this moment I again thought I heard some one approach me, and I opened my eyes to see whether it were so. But right there the revelation of my pride of heart, as the great difficulty that stood in the way, was distinctly shown to me. 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, that I cried at the top of my voice, and exclaimed that I would not leave that place if all the men on earth and all the devils in hell surrounded me. "What!" I said, "such a degraded sinner I am, on my knees confessing my sins to the great and holy God; and ashamed to have any human being, and a sinner like myself, find me on my knees endeavoring to make my peace with my offended God!" The sin appeared awful, infinite. It broke me down before the Lord.

Just at that point this passage of Scripture seemed to drop into my mind with a flood of light: "Then shall ye go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. Then shall ye seek me and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart." I instantly seized hold of this with my heart. I had intellectually believed the Bible before; but never had the truth been in my mind that faith was a voluntary trust instead of an intellectual state. I was as conscious as I was of my existence, of trusting at that moment in God's veracity. Somehow I knew that that was a passage of Scripture, though I do not think I had ever read it. I knew that it was God's word, and God's voice, as it were, that spoke to me. I cried to Him, "Lord, I take Thee at Thy word. Now Thou knowest that I do search for thee with all my heart, and that I have come here to pray to thee; and thou hast promised to hear me."

— Charles G. Finney

Memoirs of Rev. Charles G. Finney, pp. 14-16

Asa Wild Vision (1823)

Remarkable Vision and Revelation:
as seen and received by Asa Wild, of Amsterdam, (N. Y.)

Having a number of months enjoyed an unusual degree of the light of God's countenance, and having been much favored of the Lord in many respects: and after having enjoyed the sweetest, and most soul ravishing communions with Him; 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, silence, and awe; realizing in a remarkable manner the majesty, presence 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 purport; and in such a manner as I could not describe if I should attempt.—He told me 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.

He told me that all the most dreadful and terrible judgments spoken of in the blessed scriptures, were to be executed within that time; that more than two thirds of the inhabitants of the world would be destroyed by these judgments: some of which are the following—wars; massacres; famine; pestilence; earthquakes; civil, political, and ecclesiastical commotions; and above all, various and dreadful judgments executed immediately by God, through the instrumentality of the Ministers of the Millennial dispensation; which is to exceed in glory every other dispensation; a short description of which may be seen in the last chapter of Isaiah, and in other places.

He also told me, that every denomination of professing christians had become extremely corrupt; many of which had never had any true faith at all; but are guided only by depraved reason, refusing the teaching of that Spirit which indited the scriptures, and which alone can teach us the true meaning of the same; even as the diamond alone can cut its fellow.

He told me further, that he had raised up, and was now raising up, that class of persons signified by the Angel mentioned by the Revelator, xiv. 6, 7, which flew in the midst of heaven; having the everlasting gospel to preach: that these persons are of an inferior class, and small learning: that they will be 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: inasmuch as this is far the most glorious dispensation of divine grace and glory.

Furthermore he said that all the different denominations of professing christians constituted the New Testament Babylon; and that he should deal with them according to what is written of IT, in the book of Revelation: that he is about to call out all his sincere children, who are mourning in Zion, from the oppression and tyranny of this mother of harlots; and that the severest judgments will be inflicted on the false and fallen professors of religion; which will immediately commence in Amsterdam, and has already commenced in different parts of the world, and even in this country. And though their operations at first are gradual, and under cover, yet it will soon be generally seen that it is the immediate execution of divine vengeance upon an ungodly world.

Much more the Lord revealed; but forbids my relating it in this way. But this, I have written and published, by the express and immediate command of God: the truth and reality of which, I know with the most absolute certainty.—Though I have ever been the most backward to believe things of this nature; having been brought up in the Calvinistic system, and having had a thorough understanding of the same, and was fully established in the belief of it for several years after I experienced the love of God in my heart: but finding the Calvinists did not understand the glorious depths of holiness, and conformity to the divine character in heart and practice, which I saw was our privilege and duty, I joined the Methodist Episcopal Church, which I found had much clearer and more scriptural views on these and some other points than the Calvinists; though I soon saw that they as a body, were very corrupt, having departed much from their primitive purity and holiness. I also saw that their first founders did not travel into all that was their privilege; and that vastly greater depths of holiness might have been experienced, even by them. Yet I thank God for what light I have received through their instrumentality, but know that much greater and more glorious light is about to burst upon the world.

— Asa Wild

Wayne Sentinel (1823, Oct. 22), Vol. 1, No. 4, p. 4
Palmyra, New York

James G. Marsh, Obituary (1838)

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 was baptized 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 lay 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.

— Elders’ Journal

(1838, July), Vol. 1, No. 3, p. 48
Editor: Joseph Smith

Conclusion

With no other witnesses to this event, all we have is Joseph Smith’s word.
If this monumental event were true, we would not expect Joseph to wait 22 years to publish it.

And without the ordinances thereof, and the authority of the priesthood, the power of godliness is not manifest unto men in the flesh; For without this no man can see the face of God, even the Father, and live.

— Doctrine and Covenants

84:21-22

Joseph loses credibility when his story keeps changing.
That for over a century the LDS church suppressed and altered Joseph’s earliest First Vision accounts is telling.
With so many similar visionary tales, either God was trying to restore the true church to many throughout New England, or Joseph’s tale is just a copycat among many.

Joseph Smith's First Vision ‐ Plagiarized