.�?. . . I asked the personages who stood above me in the light, which of all the sects was right, . . . I was answered that I must join none of them [churches] for they were all wrong; and the Personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those professors were all corrupt; that: “they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof�? . . He again forbade me to join with any of them: and many other things did he say unto me which I cannot write at this time.�?(from Times and Seasons, vol. 3, pp.728, 748; Joseph Smith History vs. 7, 14-19 and other resources).

If all the churches and creeds and doctrines are wrong according to Smith’s visitor from heaven than the church must have been obeying and worshipping a completely different Jesus than the one he met. This they admit. But I want us to pause and think about this. No church on earth was teaching correctly, none. How could this be? We know that many churches taught the Bible and held to what the historic church had always taught. We know this because of the facts of history. Jesus also said the gates of hell would not prevail against the church, which would be the case if there was no one left. The only way this would be possible is for one to reject the Bibles revelation and replace it with another. This is exactly the intent of the visitation by whatever spirit being this was.

Also we need to take notice what is said to Smith is said only twice in Scripture, and each occasion had a purpose. The first was at Jesus�?baptism which He was introduced to Israel and identified to John the baptiser. The 2nd time was just before he went to the cross and he reveals his real nature to his closest disciples away from the other disciples, Moses and Elijah are summoned and converse with Jesus about his soon coming death. God the Father speaks from heaven identifying Jesus as his son in human flesh. Both of these events took place in Israel, both involved his followers who knew him in the flesh. Both are recorded in Scripture. Paul says he is the last of the apostles to see Jesus recorded in Acts 9 described in 1 Corinthians 15:5-8.

Smith says in inquiring�?..Who of all these parties are right, or, are they all wrong together? (It is interesting to note that just eight verses later Smith said: �?..for at this time it had never entered into my heart that all were wrong...�?Joseph Smith-History 1:18.) Yet he said, if any one of them be right, which is it, and how shall I know it?�?(Joseph Smith-History 1:10.) These questions we are told are raised in Joseph's mind by �?..an unusual excitement on the subject of religion�? A religious revival had allegedly occurred and four members of Joseph's family had joined the Presbyterian Church, his mother Lucy, his brothers Hyrum and Samuel Harrison, and his sister, Sophronia (Joseph Smith-History, 1:7.) Joseph wanted to know which church he personally should join. His purpose was not to start a new Church.

Using Presbyterian and Methodist Church records and other historical sources the Reverend Wesley P. Walters in his 26 page booklet New Light on Mormon Origins records that there was no revival in the Palmyra, New York, area in the 1820 time period and shows that the revival actually to occur in 1824 four years later. If this is an accurate count then logically to have the numerous events described in the First Vision story to the 1830 publication of the Book of Mormon would become suspicious. History bear this out Joseph Smith his 1838 account, stated that his mother, sister and two brothers were led to join the local Presbyterian Church as a result of that 1820 revival. Joseph's mother, Lucy, tells us that the revival which led her to join the church took place after the death of her son, Alvin who died on November 19, 1823 (First draft of Lucy Smith's History, p. 55, LDS Church Archives). Joseph says that in 1823, three years after the 1820 First Vision, he was visited by the angel Moroni. Moroni tells Joseph about the gold plates but Joseph must wait four more years before obtaining them. Joseph gets the gold plates in 1827 and three years later (1830) publishes the Book of Mormon. But Joseph identifies the time of the First Vision in relation to the religious revival in the Manchester-Palmyra area. If these 4 extra years are added to Joseph waiting to get the plates, this would make it the year 1831, before he actually printed the book of Mormon. (this was first published by the Utah Christian Tract Society, P.O. Box 725, La Mesa, CA 92041, 1967. also Inventing Mormonism (by H. Michael Marquardt and Wesley P. Walters) (Salt Lake City, Smith Research Associates, 1994, distributed by Signature Books, pages 15-41.)

The first edition of the B. of M. has a copyright date of June 11,1829 (D.KC. Vol. 1, p. 58 found in the page prior to the preface in the original 1830 Book of Mormon). If Smith did not even get the "gold plates" until September, 1829, how could the B. of M. have a copyright date of June 11, 1829?

                Clint710  <(((>(