The First Vision Goes Global

Want the whole story? Differing accounts of Joseph Smith’s First Vision are now available in 10 languages. Contrary to popular belief, the First Vision account included in the scriptures is not the only version available. At least four accounts were written by Joseph Smith or recorded at his request. Five more… Continue reading

Joseph Smith’s Handwritten Account of the First Vision

portrait of Joseph Smith Jr.

Joseph Smith’s 1832 account of the First Vision preserves personal and intimate details that are not recorded elsewhere. The only known account in Joseph Smith’s own handwriting of his early spiritual experiences—including the First Vision—are included in his 1832 personal history. This unique history can be read on The Joseph… Continue reading

A Trial of Faith: The Beginning of Plural Marriage in Nauvoo

Nauvoo temple

Joseph Smith’s Nauvoo journals include brief references to the revelation about plural marriage that tried his faith and the faith of the Saints. How can we make sense of plural marriage or explain it to others? One place to begin is the introduction to Joseph Smith’s Nauvoo journals found on… Continue reading

The Book of Mormon: Worth More than Gold

Oliver Cowdery explains in a letter the true worth of the gold plates that were translated into the Book of Mormon. In 1827, Joseph Smith learned from an angel named Moroni that a record of ancient inhabitants of the Americans was hidden in a hill in Manchester, New York. He… Continue reading

The What, When, and How of the Book of Moses

The Book of Moses came to Joseph Smith as a revelation from God, eventually sparking the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible. Why is it that only The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a book of scripture named after Moses? Doesn’t the world already have books of… Continue reading

What John Whitmer’s History Tells Us

Picture of a field with trees

John Whitmer’s history of the Church shows ordinary people working through real-world difficulties. When John Whitmer was commanded in 1831 to record the history of the Church, he simply said, “I would rather not do it.” Regardless, he obeyed, and as Joseph Smith promised, his history has become “a choice record in Israel.”… Continue reading

Joseph Smith: Just Another Treasure Seeker?

landscape with river

Why would Joseph Smith have hunted for Spanish treasure? What did he find as a result? Have you ever found yourself prompted to do something that you normally wouldn’t do? Perhaps you’ve accepted a job that takes you out of your comfort zone. Or maybe you’ve felt like you should… Continue reading