Several years ago, our current prophet, Russell M. Nelson was just an Elder. At that time he testified that Joseph Smith’s vision of God and his Son is at “the center from which the very pulse of life for this Church has emanated.” This vision “is at the very heart of our religion.”
Joseph Smith in the sacred grove prayed for the first time out loud to know what church on the earth is the true church. When he did this, he beheld a vision of Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ. Joseph later said “that my telling the story had excited a great deal of prejudice against me among professors of religion, and was the cause of great persecution, which continued to increase; and though I was an obscure boy, only between fourteen and fifteen years of age, and my circumstances in life such as to make a boy of no consequence in the world, yet men of high standing would take notice sufficient to excite the public mind against me” (Joseph Smith–History verse 22).
Regardless of many people persecuting Joseph, he declared: “… it was nevertheless a fact that I had beheld a vision … I had actually seen a light, and in the midst of that light I saw two Personages, and they did in reality speak to me; and though I was hated and persecuted for saying that I had seen a vision, yet it was true” (Joseph Smith History 1:24-25).
Three years later after the wonderful vision Joseph received, an angel named Moroni appeared to Joseph and told him about a writing upon gold plates, written from the former inhabitants that lived on the continent. (Jospeh Smith History 1:34).
After many visits from Moroni, four years later Joseph finally received the gold plates. He was commanded not to show the plates to anyone, but when their existence became widely known, he was continually harassed and pressured to reveal the plates.
Eventually the Prophet Joseph Smith was given permission to invite three men to have the ability to see the golden and ancient plates for themselves. They were Oliver Cowdery, Martin Harris and David Whitmer. All three of them jointly testified “that we have seen the engravings which are upon the plates; and they have been shown unto us by the power of God, and not of man. And we declare with words of soberness, that an angel of God came down from heaven, and he brought and laid before our eyes, that we beheld and saw the plates” (The Testimony of Three Witnesses).
Joseph was relieved that he was no longer the only person to have seen the plates. His mother, recalled that when Joseph returned home one day, he said: “Father, Mother, you do not know how happy I am: the Lord has now caused the plates to be shown to three more besides myself. … I feel as if I was relieved of a burden which was almost too heavy for me to bear, and it rejoices my soul, that I am not any longer to be entirely alone in the world” (“History of Joseph Smith by His Mother Lucy Mack Smith,” page 15).
Not long afterward the three men saw the plates, eight more additional witnesses, had the privilege of seeing the plates, and they jointly testified that “as many of the leaves as the said Smith has translated we did handle with our hands; and we also saw the engravings thereon, all of which has the appearance of ancient work, and of curious workmanship” (Testimony of Eight Witnesses).
Thirty years ago, Elder Spencer J. Condie and his wife were serving on a Church assignment in France. While there, the full-time missionaries would frequently invite a young priest in his ward to join them to their teaching appointments. This particular young man would for some unknown reason come home feeling somewhat saddened. He would say, “Every time we tell people of Joseph Smith’s First Vision they will shake their heads and say: ‘Impossible!’ ”
One evening he came bursting through the front door with a big smile on his face. He said that his missionary companion had invited him to tell those they were teaching about the vision in the sacred grove. As he neared the end of his brief message, he felt a warm prompting and said: “If you want to know for yourselves if Joseph Smith really did see the Father and the Son, just ask God — He was there!”
Ever since that experience, he has never hesitated to describe the first vision and to bear testimony of its truthfulness. The burden of proof rests with the listener when they feel of the Holy Spirit, testify the truth.
Regarding the law of witnesses, Christ declared: “This is my doctrine, and it is the doctrine which the Father hath given unto me: and I bear record of the Father, and the Father beareth record of me, and the Holy Ghost beareth record of the Father and me” (3 Nephi 11:32).
“When we ask our Heavenly Father in the name of His Son Jesus Christ if They truly did appear to young Joseph Smith, I testify that when we pray sincerely, with real intent, the Holy Ghost will bear a strong witness of the truthfulness of this event. If you want to know if Joseph Smith truly did see the Father and the Son, just ask God — He was there!”
— Elder Spencer J. Condie
You can see more about the first Vision by going to this link: https://spiritualcrusade.com/2021/08/did-joseph-smith-make-up-the-first-vision.html
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