200 Years Since the First Vision

Joseph Smith said that he saw Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ in answer to prayer. While no one knows the date, Joseph did say that it was on the morning of a beautiful, clear day, early in the spring of 1820.

We often like to think of it as beautiful green leaves, but they don't come out until the end of May, which is technically not "early" in spring, but we don't know what Joseph considered "early." But the forest does grow lots of blossoms early spring.  (See “I Retired to the Woods”, Joseph Smith Papers First Vision Podcast 3) Weather reports that were kept in a nearby town suggest a few possibilities. Given that those on the farm would have been hard at work making maple sugar, one researcher suggests it could have been March 26th, an especially warm day that would have prevented the sap from running, giving the family a break.

It's amazing to think that the first vision may have happened exactly 200 years ago today. While the exact date doesn't matter--for those of us who believe in the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ, what matters is that it happened.

When I was 14, I began reading the Book of Mormon for the first time.  Jr. High was a hard time for me, and I was struggling emotionally and spiritually.  I had been taught that gaining my own testimony of the Book of Mormon was important, but at the time, I felt that spiritual experiences maybe happen for other people, but not for me.

In the spring of 1998, as I was reading the Book of Mormon, I felt the need to repent.  When I repented, I felt a strong blast from the Spirit.  It was an incredibly peaceful feeling, something I had never felt before, and was like a huge burden was lifted off of me.  It was not at all what I was expecting, and this was not merely an emotional response.  I knew it was the Spirit, that I had been forgiven of my sins.  In that moment, I learned that Jesus Christ was real, and that He is my Savior.

Since that time, I have had many other prayers answered, and I have seen many miracles in my life.  I have been asked before what would it take for me to lose my testimony.  After giving it a lot of thought, my answer is, "severe memory loss."  I've had too many experiences that I cannot explain that I cannot chalk up to coincidence or confirmation bias.  Jesus is real, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints contains Jesus' restored gospel, and this is where He wants me.

I don't always act the way I should, but I do know how to get back on the right path, and I know who to trust and follow.  I'm optimistic about the future, and I can't wait to see what else Heavenly Father has waiting for me!