Claim 9 of 9 · Case 11 · Mormonism
Joseph Smith left several different accounts of his First Vision, and the differences are significant enough that the church addresses them directly.
One claim from the free evidence repository at apologetics.pro.
The First Vision, in which Joseph Smith said God the Father and Jesus Christ appeared to him, is foundational to the church. Smith left at least four firsthand accounts written between 1832 and 1842, plus others recorded by contemporaries. They differ on important points: how many beings appeared, whether it was God, or Jesus, or angels, and what was said. The earliest, from 1832, mentions one figure, the Lord; the canonized 1838 account describes two, the Father and the Son. The church has published these accounts and an essay acknowledging the differences while arguing they reflect retelling over time rather than invention.
Backed by 1 piece of evidence
The church’s essay and the 1832 and 1838 accounts
The church itself made these documents public and wrote the essay, so the existence of the differences is not in dispute. What remains is how to weigh them, which is the honest place for the conversation.