1835

An account given by Joseph Smith to Joshua, a Jewish Minister which was written in Joseph Smith's diary on Nov. 9th, 1835.

Also found in Personal Writings of Joseph Smith, by Dean C. Jessee, pages 75 - 77.

“being wrought up in my mind, respecting the subject of religion and looking at the different systems taught the children of men, I knew not who was right or who was wrong and I considered it of the first importance that I should be right, in matters that involve eternal consequences; being thus perplexed in mind I retired to the silent grove and bowed down before the Lord … I called upon the Lord for the first time, in the place above stated or in other words I made a fruitless attempt to pray … I called on the Lord in mightly prayer, a pillar of fire appeared above my head, it presently rested down upon me, and filled me with Joy unspeakable, a personage appeard in the midst of this pillar of flame which was spread all around, and yet nothing consumed, another personage soon appeard like unto the first, he said unto me thy sins are forgiven thee, he testified unto me that Jesus Christ is the Son of God; and I saw many angels in this vision, I was about 14 years old when I received this first communication;”

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Account given by Joseph Smith to Erastus Holmes on November 14, 1835.

Originally published in the Deseret News on Saturday May 29, 1852.

Also published in the History of the Church, vol.2, page 312.

“This afternoon, Erastus Holmes, of Newbury, Ohio, called on me to inquire about the establishment of the church, and to be instructed in doctrine more perfectly. I gave him a brief relation of my experience while in my juvenile years, say from six years old up to the time I received the first visitation of angels, which was when I was about fourteen years old; also the revelations that I received afterwards concerning the Book of Mormon, and a short account of the rise and progress of the church up to this date.”