Isn’t this very different than Joseph Smith’s own handwritten account of what transpired? Nowhere does he mention angels appearing to him in his first account. While he doesn’t specifically say he is Jesus Christ, he does say “I am the Lord of glory I was crucified for the world that all those who believe on my name may have Eternal life”, so it would appear we can safely conclude this is Jesus Christ. Nowhere does he mention his tongue being swollen and that he couldn’t utter. Nor does he mention hearing any noise behind him like someone walking.
The second forgiveness of his sins came Sept 21, 1823 by an angel appearing to him. There is serious confusion about the name of this angel as we shall see later on in this study. Is it possible
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It may be helpful to the reader to know some additional information about some of the individuals involved in this study of Joseph Smith Papers.
First let us investigate Joseph Smith from the standpoint of the historian Whitney R. Cross in his book “The Burned-Over District”. Page 142 “The entire family (Smith’s) was at least barely literate. Hyrum had attended a Vermont seminary, and Joseph had some part of a few years’ schooling in Palmyra, possibly increased by brief attendance at Bainbridge in 1826. He had belonged to the young men’s debating society in Palmyra. Though he read easily, his writing was at best halting and he attained only the rudiments of arithmetic.
Probably the family budget had required his labor a good deal of the time when he might have been in school. Despite testimonials to the contrary, it must be concluded that neither Joseph nor any of his family was especially ignorant according to the standards of the place and time. Interest in things marvelous and supernatural they certainly had abundantly, but even this made them differ only in degree from their neighbors. After all, Joseph’s peeping stone attracted loyal followers. The rest of the family, though perhaps not the prophet himself, behaved like others in attending services in revival