for the mormons... a question with backed up proof, i do not understand?

Question

The "First Vision" story in the form presented to you was unknown until 1838, eighteen years after its alleged occurrence and almost ten years after Smith had begun his missionary efforts. The oldest (but quite different) version of the vision is in Smith's own handwriting, dating from about 1832 (still at least eleven years afterwards), and says that only one personage, Jesus Christ, appeared to him. It also mentions nothing about a revival. It also contradicts the later account as to whether Smith had already decided that no church was true. Still a third version of this event is recorded as a recollection in Smith's diary, fifteen years after the alleged vision, where one unidentified "personage" appeared, then another, with a message implying that neither was the Son. They were accompanied by many "angels," which are not mentioned in the official version you have been told about. Which version is correct, if any? Why was this event, now said by the church to be so important,

unknown for so long??
my proof is as follows...
THE "FIRST VISION"
http://www.irr.org/mit/fvision.html The official version, and why it is a fiction
http://www.i4m.com/think/intro/must_believe_vision.htm The church insists that belief in the validity of the "First Vision" is the basis of Mormonism
http://www.irr.org/mit/First-Vision-Accounts.html All of the early (and contradictory) accounts, from Mormon sources
http://utlm.org/topicalindexc.htm#First Vision
http://www.mrm.org/multimedia/text/first-vision.html
http://www.bcmmin.org/firstv.htm and
http://www.bcmmin.org/firstv2.htm
http://www.irr.org/mit/inventbk.html (a review of the book Inventing Mormonism)

A. the sites listed have facts
B. once again the mormons get upset and can not back up the their religion when they have been proven wrong.
C. and with the whole he wasnt asked to write a published book untill 18 or so years after.... thats hog wash. after he got this "vision" he atteneded a methodist church. if his religion was correct why then in that 18 year gap did he go to another??? makes no sense to me

once again about my sites listed above, it is a religous historical site. not an anit-mormon site. a site that gives the history of religions and the study of religions, nto juyst mormons, but religion all together. it just so happens to tell some things that the LDS church does not

Answer 1

Though Mormons deny it, they have changed some things that didn't make sense.

Joseph Smith said conflicting things himself. So also predicted the LORDs return at such & such a place and time, that didn't happen. He told his followers that the Lord God told him so. Obviously he wasn't hearing from the Lord God, because it didn't happen when the prediction said it would.

Joseph Smith was a false prophet. The book of Revelation writes what happens to false prophets.

Answer 2

As a writer myself, I have often rewritten events which have happened to me in my life due to computer glitches, accidentally misplacing stuff, etc. Everything I write is going to be different the next time I write it, either due to time constraints, or whatever I am writing it for, etc. Are you expecting human beings to always have photographic memories and reproduce at will any written account of anything in their lives? It is just not going to happen, not even with prophets, generally speaking.
The reason Joseph Smith may have visited other churches, including the one Emma belonged to, is because you have to go where your blessings are. So if your future wife (if you are not married) is in another church, it is often easier to go where your blessings are than to sit at home and expect them to come to you. It is a question of initiative and going by inspiration. Have a happy day.

Answer 3

Are you saying that every time someone recounts an event in their life, they must include every detail the first time and everytime for it to be true? Have you ever had a history class at all?

The published story most people read came when people asked Joseph Smith to print an "official version" later in his life. But Joseph Smith taught several accounts of this story telling what details he decided at the time. These acounts are readily available to the LDS people.

You anti-Mormon people think you are so coy, so clever, you think you know so much more than the LDS people who study their religion every day. but you know nothing at all.

Answer 4

Really? You really do not understand.

Well, let me enlighten, How many questions you put up just to attack the LDS.
The false accusation you presented is already answer in FairLDS.com, or lightplanet.com. and other positive mormon sites.

Why don't you think of a more original lie to entertain us with, we are getting bore with all this old attacks.

Answer 5

To be honest I think Joseph Smith was demonstrating how easy it is to create a religion with a few gullible towns people.

On the plus side, from what I hear they promote family values.

What's funny though is that other Christians mock Latter-Day Saints as being a religion built on fiction. It's a pot calling the kettle black kinda thing.

Answer 6

Is it surprising that all the sources which you claim to have "the facts" are from anti-mormon web sites? Why not list his story from the church's website? The ACTUAL Joseph Smith history.

http://scriptures.lds.org/en/js_h/1/1-20#1

If any of you want to read the ACTUAL history and Joseph's testimony of the event....go to that webpage. He starts out by saying:
Owing to the many reports which have been put in circulation by evil-disposed and designing persons, in relation to the rise and progress of the Church of Jesus Christ of aLatter-day Saints, all of which have been designed by the authors thereof to militate against its character as a Church and its progress in the world—I have been induced to write this history, to disabuse the public mind, and put all inquirers after truth in possession of the facts, as they have transpired, in relation both to myself and the Church, so far as I have such facts in my possession.

That is the reason he even HAD to write it...just as now, there were many then trying to prove him false. They were so afraid that he was actually a prophet, they could not fathom that God would love us enough to provide a loving and complete way back to him!!
Please, I encourage all who are questioning the validity, to do what Joseph did: (this was before the vision)
While I was laboring under the extreme difficulties caused by the contests of these parties of religionists, I was one day reading the Epistle of James, first chapter and fifth verse, which reads: If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
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. I reflected on it again and again, knowing that if any person needed wisdom from God, I did; for how to act I did not know, and unless I could get more wisdom than I then had, I would never know; for the teachers of religion of the different sects understood the same passages of scripture so differently as to destroy all confidence in settling the question by an appeal to the Bible.
At length I came to the conclusion that I must either remain in darkness and confusion, or else I must do as James directs, that is, ask of God. I at length came to the determination to “ask of God,” concluding that if he gave wisdom to them that lacked wisdom, and would give liberally, and not upbraid, I might venture.

I challenge you all to do just that. Ask of God, read the Book of Mormon, pray about it, ask if it is true. I promise you you will receive a comforting answer, if you are sincere.

Answer 7

Joe Smith was like so many people are today, searching to find or make up a so called religion that would fit the life style they want to lead.

Answer 8

Do not concern yourself. Mormonism is nonsense, based on a work of fiction containing demonstrable errors. The whole thing is a waste of time.

Answer 9

You list your sources as Anti websites, you might as well go to a Nazi website to learn about the Jews.

Answer 10

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaELJgLWWNw