Joseph Smith and His First Vision

Joseph Smith and His First Vision PDF

Author: Alexander Baugh

Publisher:

Published: 2020-05-10

Total Pages:

ISBN-13: 9781950304080

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Joseph Smith's First Vision of the Father and the Son in 1820 was the first of many visions the Prophet and early Church members experienced. This volume brings together some of the finest presentations from the 2020 BYU Church History Symposium honoring the bicentennial of the First Vision. Explore the influence of the First Vision, as well as teachings of other visionaries.

Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young

Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young PDF

Author: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Publisher: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Published:

Total Pages: 470

ISBN-13: 1465103074

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The prophet Brigham Young taught the restored gospel of Jesus Christ in a basic, practical way that gave inspiration and hope to the Saints struggling to build a home in the wilderness. Though more than a century has now passed, his words are still fresh and appropriate for us today as we continue the work of building the kingdom of God. President Young declared that as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints we possess the “doctrine of life and salvation for all the honest-in-heart” (DBY, 7). He promised that those who receive the gospel in their hearts will have awakened “within them a desire to know and understand the things of God more than they ever did before in their lives” and will begin to “inquire, read and search and when they go to their Father in the name of Jesus he will not leave them without a witness” (DBY, 450). This book reflects the desire of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles to deepen the doctrinal understanding of Church members and to awaken within them a greater desire to know the things of God. It will inspire and motivate individuals, priesthood quorums, and Relief Society classes to inquire, read, search, and then go to their Father in Heaven for a witness of the truth of these teachings. Each chapter contains two sections—“Teachings of Brigham Young” and “Suggestions for Study.” The first section consists of extracts from Brigham Young’s sermons to the early Saints. Each statement has been referenced, and the original spelling and punctuation have been preserved; however, the sources cited will not be readily available to most members. These original sources are not necessary to have in order to effectively study or teach from this book. Members need not purchase additional references and commentaries to study or teach these chapters. The text provided in this book, accompanied by the scriptures, is sufficient for instruction. Members should prayerfully read and study President Young’s teachings in order to gain new insights into gospel principles and discover how those principles apply to their everyday lives. By faithfully and prayerfully studying these selections, Latter-day Saints will have a greater understanding of gospel principles and will more fully appreciate the profound and inspired teachings of this great prophet. The second section of each chapter offers a series of questions that will encourage thoughtful contemplation, personal application, and discussion of President Young’s teachings. Members should refer to and carefully reread his words on the principle being discussed. Deep and prayerful study of these teachings will inspire members to greater personal commitment and will help them resolve to follow the teachings of the Savior, Jesus Christ. If individuals and families prayerfully follow the principles in this book, they will be blessed and inspired to greater dedication and spirituality, as were the early Saints who heard these words directly from the lips of the “Lion of the Lord” (HC, 7:434)—the prophet, seer, and revelator, President Brigham Young.

First Vision

First Vision PDF

Author: Steven C. Harper

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2019-07-15

Total Pages: 288

ISBN-13: 0199329494

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This is the biography of a contested memory, how it was born, grew, changed the world, and was changed by it. It's the story of the story of how the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints began. Joseph Smith, the church's founder, remembered that his first audible prayer, uttered in spring of 1820 when he was about fourteen, was answered with a vision of heavenly beings. Appearing to the boy in the woods near his parents' home in western New York State, they told Smith that he was forgiven and warned him that Christianity had gone astray. Smith created a rich and controversial historical record by narrating and documenting this event repeatedly. In First Vision, Steven C. Harper shows how Latter-day Saints (beginning with Joseph Smith) and others have remembered this experience and rendered it meaningful. When and why and how did Joseph Smith's first vision, as saints know the event, become their seminal story? What challenges did it face along the way? What changes did it undergo as a result? Can it possibly hold its privileged position against the tides of doubt and disbelief, memory studies, and source criticism-all in the information age? Steven C. Harper tells the story of how Latter-day Saints forgot and then remembered accounts of Smith's experience and how Smith's 1838 account was redacted and canonized. He explores the dissonance many saints experienced after discovering multiple accounts of Smith's experience. He describes how, for many, the dissonance has been resolved by a reshaped collective memory.

Rescue for the Dead

Rescue for the Dead PDF

Author: Jeffrey A. Trumbower

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2001-09-27

Total Pages: 224

ISBN-13: 0190286385

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Christianity is a religion of salvation in which believers have always anticipated post-mortem bliss for the faithful and non-salvation for others. Here, Trumbower examines how and why death came to be perceived as such a firm boundary of salvation. Analyzing exceptions to this principle from ancient Christianity, he finds that the principle itself was slow to develop and not universally accepted in the Christian movement's first four hundred years. In fact, only in the West was this principle definitively articulated, due in large part to the work and influence of Augustine.

The First Vision - The Joseph Smith Story

The First Vision - The Joseph Smith Story PDF

Author: Jim Whitefield

Publisher: Lulu.com

Published: 2011

Total Pages: 48

ISBN-13: 1447812565

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The Mormon Church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) admits that it stands or falls on the validity or otherwise of Joseph Smith's claimed First Vision. This booklet examines each aspect of Smith's official account and compares it with historical evidence, including his own earlier versions of events, along with all Smith's other writings - to arrive at the only possible conclusion. Was the vision a first time, first hand, divine experience or was it made up as Smith went along and just part of an elaborate hoax? This work is made available in the interest of truth and integrity for those who want to know or share the truth which is supported by hard evidence. A PDF eBook version is also available (click on 'Author's Spotlight' for more details) which may be copied and shared (see copyright conditions). This booklet is also available to read free as an article at: www.themormondelusion.com. Click on 'The First Vision' tab on the side bar of the home page.