Joseph Smith's Vision of God and Jesus Christ

I am grateful for the vision Joseph Smith had - now known as the First Vision. Joseph was born in 1805 in the state of Vermont in the United States. As a youth, there was a great deal of excitement on the topic of religion in his community. Joseph and his family sought to find which church they should join. While studying in The Holy Bible, Joseph read, "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." (James 1:5) He decided to follow this counsel and pray to ask God which church he should join.

Joseph, just 14 years old, on an early Spring morning in 1820 went to a wooded area near his home and prayed out loud. Joseph later recorded, "I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me. When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other - This is my Beloved Son. Hear Him!

Joseph went on to talk to our Savior Jesus Christ and learned many great things from Him. Through this great experience and others, Joseph Smith was called to be a prophet - like Moses or Isaiah who were prophets anciently.

How grateful I am to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and their visit to the prophet Joseph Smith in 1820. I have learned so much about Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and their plan for us because of Joseph's vision, what he learned, and what he was able to teach us about this and other special experiences he had.

To learn more about Joseph Smith and his experiences, please visit www.mormon.org or www.lds.org.