The first vision and forgiveness of his (Joseph Smith’s) sins came when he was 14 (or 15? Or 16?), in the early spring of 1820 (or 1821) when at a later date he remembers this heavenly vision (12 years later?).
The reason these different ages and dates are shown here are due to the many versions Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery gave regarding the occurrence of his first vision.
Let us record for this study Joseph Smith’s handwritten version of his first vision as found in the book “Histories”, pages 11-14. (Note: I have copied it as exactly as I could, complete with the misspellings and lack of punctuation)
Version number one as written “largely in his own hand”.
I was born in the town of Charon (Sharon) in the (State) of Vermont North
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The idea of being bound by some mysterious dark power binding his tongue didn’t become part of the first vision account until some time after Charles G. Finney came out with his account of a vision he had of the Lord in 1821 wherein he tells about a dark power binding his tongue and a rustling in the leaves behind him, etc. which now becomes part of Joseph Smith’s first vision according to Oliver Cowdery. It is confusing to read it, as it reads as if Joseph Smith himself is telling this yet in reality it is Oliver Cowdery composing and publishing this particular account.
There is no mention made of any angels present during his vision.
There is no mention made of any other personage, such as God the Father, appearing at this time and telling him to listen to his son. The idea of seeing both God the Father and Jesus Christ was related by a Norris Stearns in 1815 in a vision he claimed he had. Neither Norris Stearns nor Joseph Smith could account for the many scriptures saying nobody could see the face of God and live. They didn’t seem to feel it was necessary to explain this predicament at all, not at all.
Nowhere does the Lord tell him not to join any of the churches around