How Many First Vision Accounts Did Joseph Smith Give?

LDS Perspective

Joseph Smith produced four firsthand accounts of the First Vision between 1832 and 1842, with at least five additional secondhand accounts recorded by contemporaries who heard him relate the experience. The four primary accounts written or dictated by Joseph himself include the 1832 history (the earliest extant version, written in his own hand), the 1835 account (recorded in his journal after he related the vision to a visitor named Robert Matthews), the 1838 account (the canonical version now found in the Pearl of Great Price), and the 1842 account (published in the *Times and Seasons* as part of the Wentworth Letter). Each of these narratives varies in length, emphasis, and detail, reflecting the different purposes for which they were recorded and the audiences for whom they were intende

Historical Perspective

Joseph Smith provided several accounts of his First Vision, with four primary documented versions that differ in detail and emphasis: 1. **The 1832 Account**: This is the earliest known account of Joseph Smith's First Vision and was recorded in his own handwriting. In this account, Smith describes a quest for forgiveness from sins and identifies a single divine personage, generally understood as Jesus Christ, who assured him of forgiveness. The account lacks any mention of a religious revival leading to his vision. Source: [Source 3: The Lost book of Abraham](http://mit.irr.org/changing-first-vision-accounts-1832-first-vision-account-joseph-smith-jr). 2. **The 1835 Account**: Given to Erastus Holmes, this account differs by mentioning a vision of angels and includes more details about Sm