Personages who appeared to Joseph Smith

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General criticisms: Summary page Early Smith history 1820 Revival Joined other churches? Unsure of God in 1823? Early understanding of God All wrong? Details added over time? Personages were angels? No ref in 1830s? Fabricated to bolster authority? Changed by 1838 apostasy? Without priesthood can't see God? 1832 Account: No new dispensation? Different age? Different motivation? No persecution? No revival? Not forbidden to convert? Wicked destroyed? Only one Deity? In heaven or earth? Unconditional salvation? Struggle with Satan? Others' accounts: George Q. Cannon Cowdery version of 1834-5? Orson Hyde Andrew Jenson Heber C. Kimball| Orson Pratt George A. Smith Lucy Mack Smith Orson Spencer John Taylor Brigham never spoke of 1st vision? Brigham claimed an angel? Seldom published pre-1877 (short) (long) LDS Father/Son pre-1838? Non-LDS pre-1843? Other criticisms: D&C 121:28 Father: Spirit vs. Embodied Nephi or Moroni in 1823? A "spirit" visited Joseph in 1827? Personages seen by Joseph
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Joseph Smith, Jr.

The following list includes known personages who appeared to the Prophet Joseph Smith or who were seen by him in vision. The list does not include instances where he only heard supernatural voices, as in D&C 128:20–21.

Abraham	D&C 137:5
Adam (Michael)	D&C 137:5; History of The Church 3:388. GospeLink;History of The Church 5:247. GospeLink
Alvin Smith	D&C 137:5
Elias	D&C 110:12
Elijah	D&C 110:13–16
God the Father	JS—H 1:17; D&C 76:20; 137:3
James	D&C 27:12; 128:20
Jesus Christ	JS—H 1:17; D&C 76:20–24; 110:2–10; 137:3
John the Baptist	D&C 13; 27:8
John the Beloved	D&C 27:12; 128:20
Moroni	JS—H 1:30–49; D&C 20:6; 27:5
Moses	D&C 110:11
Paul	Joseph Smith, Jr., Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, edited by Joseph Fielding Smith (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1976), 180. ISBN 087579243X. off-site
Peter	D&C 27:12; 128:20
Satan	D&C 128:20
Unnamed angel	(concerning wine in sacrament) D&C 27
Unnamed angel	(with three witnesses) History of The Church 1:54–55. GospeLink
Unnamed angel	(accepted dedication of the Kirtland Temple) Life of Heber C. Kimball, p. 106; Temples of the Most High, p. 28

Notes

• Both Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery saw John the Baptist together (D&C 13); Peter, James, and John together (D&C 27:12 and 128:20); Jesus Christ together (D&C 110:2–10); Elijah together (D&C 110:13–16); Moses together (D&C 110:11); and Elias together (D&C 110:12).
• Both Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon saw God the Father and Jesus Christ together (D&C 76:20–24).
• Joseph Smith, Martin Harris, Oliver Cowdery, and David Whitmer saw an unnamed angel together (History of The Church 1:54–55. GospeLink). These were the three witnesses to the Book of Mormon.
• John Taylor claimed that Joseph Smith saw Enoch (JD 21:65. wiki; JD 21:94. wiki), Isaac (JD 21:94. wiki), Jacob (JD 21:94. wiki), Mormon (JD 17:374. wiki and JD 21:163. wiki), Nephi (JD 21:161–163. wiki), Noah (JD 18:326. wiki, JD 21:94. wiki, and JD 23:48. wiki), the 12 Jewish apostles (JD 21:94. wiki), the 12 Nephite apostles (JD 21:94. wiki), "others who lived on this [the American] continent" (JD 17:374. wiki), "others who lived on the Asiatic continent" (JD 17:374. wiki), and an unnamed angel (JD 5:271. wiki).
• George Q. Cannon claimed that Joseph Smith saw Nephi (JD 13:47. wiki).
• Orson Pratt claimed that Joseph Smith saw Nephi (Orson Pratt Letter Box, 3/11/1876).
• Oliver B. Huntington claimed that Joseph Smith saw Eve (Oliver B. Huntington Diary, BYU Library, 2:214).
• Eliza R. Snow claimed that Joseph Smith saw an unnamed angel three times, commanding him to practice polygamy (Biography and Family Records of Lorenzo Snow, (Salt Lake City: Desert News, 1884), 69–70).

Further Reading

FAIR wiki articles

First Vision wiki articles

• First Vision accounts (Summary and index page)
  • Do Greek scholars solve the discrepancies in Paul's vision accounts?
• Religious revivals in 1820
• Conflation of 1824-25 revival?
• Early Smith family history
• Lazy Smiths?
• Contradiction about knowing all churches were wrong
• Joseph Smith did not know if God existed in 1823
• Joseph Smith joined other churches
• 1830 statement about seeing "God"
• First Vision fabricated to give "Godly authority"
• D&C 84 says God not seen without priesthood?
• No reference to First Vision in 1830s publications?
• First Vision story became more detailed and colorful after 1832?
• Controversy Concerning D&C 121:28
• The Father: A Spirit vs. Embodied
• No mention in non-LDS literature before 1843?
• Seldom mentioned in LDS publications before 1877
  • Longer version (timeline)

Claims about the 1832 First Vision account

• Only one Personage appears in the 1832 account
• 1832 account doesn't mention new dispensation
• 1832 account doesn't mention a revival
• 1832 account doesn't forbid joining a church
• 1832 account doesn't mention persecution
• Motivation in 1832 account is different
• Different age provided in the 1832 text
• Struggle with Satan not in the 1832 account
• 1832 says wicked will be destroyed but 1838 doesn't
• 1832 vision set in heaven or on earth?
• Eternal life regardless of church affiliation in 1832 text?

Claims about the 1835 First Vision account

• The "Angels" of the 1835 account

Claims about the 1838 First Vision account

• Lack of contemporary Father and Son vision until 1838?
• 1838 account modified to offset leadership crisis?

Claims about other members and the First Vision

• George Q. Cannon referred to "angels"
• Oliver Cowdery not aware of First Vision in 1834-35
• Orson Hyde referred to "angels"
• Andrew Jenson called personage an "angel"
• Heber C. Kimball denied the Father appeared
• Orson Pratt confused about "angel" or Father-Son
• Parley P. Pratt only said that "God" appeared
• George A. Smith said First Vision was an "angel"
• Lucy Mack Smith claimed "angel"?
• William Smith said First Vision was an "angel"?
• Orson Spencer said an "angel" was the first manifestation?
• John Taylor's understanding of the First Vision
• Wilford Woodruff spoke of an "angel"
• Brigham Young said the Lord didn't appear
• Brigham Young never mentioned the First Vision

Joseph Smith other visionary issues wiki articles

• Joseph Smith's early conception of God
• Moroni as an angel of Satan
• Did Nephi or Moroni appear in 1823?
• Personages who appeared to Joseph Smith
• Swedenborg and three degrees of glory  ^{[needs work]}

God wiki articles

• The Father: A Spirit vs. Embodied
• Corporeality of God
  • God is "not a man"?
• Unchanging Nature of God
• Creatio ex nihilo / Creation out of nothing
  • Creation in Colossians 1:16
  • Creation of spirits
• Downplaying the King Follett discourse?
  • Do Mormons believe they will be "gods of their own planets"?
• Elohim and Jehovah
• Foreknowledge of God
• God is a Spirit
• Godhead and the Trinity
• Heavenly Mother?
  • Latter-day Saints believe in Celestial Sex?
• Infinite regress of Gods?
• Kolob
• "No God beside me" - (includes Isaiah 43-46 issues)
• No man has seen God
• Polytheism - Are Mormons polytheists?
• Spirit bodies for humans and 1 Cor 15
• Theosis or human deification
  • Do Mormons believe they will be "gods of their own planets"?
  • Latter-day Saints believe in Celestial Sex?
  • Primary sources/Theosis

Video

Revised or Unaltered?: Joseph Smith's Foundational Stories, Matthew Brown, 2006 FAIR Conference

• Part 1: Revised or Unaltered?: Joseph Smith's Foundational Stories
• Part 2: Revised or Unaltered?: Joseph Smith's Foundational Stories
• Part 3: Revised or Unaltered?: Joseph Smith's Foundational Stories
• Part 4: Revised or Unaltered?: Joseph Smith's Foundational Stories
• Part 5: Revised or Unaltered?: Joseph Smith's Foundational Stories
• Part 5: Revised or Unaltered?: Joseph Smith's Foundational Stories