“The Desires of My Heart”
"Leaning into the Light" by Stanley J. Watts, 1996 “I felt to mourn for my own sins and for the sins of the world. . . .Therefore, I cried unto the Lord for mercy, for there was none else to whom I could go and obtain mercy.”
— Joseph Smith, First Vision account, circa summer 1832
"The Sacred Grove" by Frank Magleby, 1995 
"If Any of You Lack Wisdom" by Walter Rane, 2004 
"The Forces of Light and Dark" by Warren Floyd Luch, 1990
"Joseph Smith’s First Vision" by Kenneth Riley, circa 1965 
"The Desires of My Heart" by Walter Rane, 2004
"The First Vision" by J. Leo Fairbanks, preliminary study, year unknown “And the Lord opened the heavens upon me and I saw the Lord. And he spake unto me, saying, ‘Joseph, my son, thy sins are forgiven thee.’”
—Joseph Smith, First Vision account, circa summer 1832
"Joseph Smith’s First Vision" by William Lee Hill, year unknown 
"Joseph Smith’s First Vision" by Avard T. Fairbanks, 1982 
"First Vision" by David Chapman Lindsay, 2013
"I Returned to My Father in the Fields" by Howard Post, 2008 “My soul was filled with love, and for many days I could rejoice with great joy.”
—Joseph Smith, First Vision account, circa summer 1832
"After the First Vision" by George W. Handrahan, 1989
"Two Glorious Personages"
“Nothing like it had ever happened before. One is led to wonder why it was so important that both the Father and the Son appear. I think it was because They were ushering in the dispensation of the fulness of times, the last and final dispensation of the gospel.”
—Gordon B. Hinckley, 2007
"Our Heritage of Faith" by Jeronimo Lozano, Peru, 2006 
"Joseph Smith’s First Vision" by Cuna Indians of the San Blas Islands, Panama, year unknown 
"Joseph Smith’s First Vision" by Emile Wilson, Sierra Leone, 1992
"First Vision" by Ted Henninger, 1975 “Behold, I am the Lord of glory. I was crucified for the world, that all those who believe on my name may have eternal life.”
—Joseph Smith, First Vision account, circa summer 1832
"Joseph Smith’s First Vision" by Dale Kilbourn, year unknown 
"First Vision" by Paul Forster, 1980 
"First Vision" by Gary Ernest Smith, 1979
"First Vision of Joseph Smith" by Trevor Southey, year unknown 
"The First Vision of the Restoration" by Michael Bedard, 2008
"Face to Face (1820)" by Dee Jay Bawden, circa 2001 
Detail of "Face to Face (1820)" by Dee Jay Bawden, circa 2001 “The appearance of God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ to the boy Prophet is the greatest event that has occurred in this world since the Resurrection of the Master.”
—Ezra Taft Benson, 1964
“That Faith Also Might Increase in the Earth”
“Wherefore, I the Lord, knowing the calamity which should come upon the inhabitants of the earth, called upon my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., and spake unto him from heaven, and gave him commandments. . . . That faith also might increase in the earth”
—Doctrine and Covenants 1:17, 21
Discover more!
These resources on history.lds.org can enrich your study of Joseph Smith’s First Vision:
1. The First Vision Theater: Make reservations to experience the First Vision Theater at the Church History Museum, where you can see the First Vision beautifully depicted on a 240-degree semicircular screen in a short film that draws from all nine existing accounts recorded during Joseph’s lifetime.
2. Journey to the Sacred Grove: Enjoy this insightful and immersive multimedia presentation of Joseph’s experiences leading up to the First Vision.
3. First Vision Accounts: Read about the various accounts of the First Vision given by Joseph Smith and his contemporaries in this Gospel Topics essay, or go to josephsmithpapers.org to examine the original documents yourself.
4. Different Accounts for Different Audiences: Watch in these four videos as historians share insights gained from studying the various accounts of the First Vision.
5. First Vision Narrative: This article integrates details from all of the First Vision accounts into a single storyline.
6. The Sacred Grove: Learn about the 10 acres of woods now known as the Sacred Grove and how the Church maintains this historic site today.
