The little stream that runs through the Smith farm has three names:  Crooked Creek, Hathaway Brook and Stafford Creek.

“And the Lord heard my cry in the wilderness, and while in the attitude of calling upon the Lord in the 16^th [15^th?] [1] year of my age, a pillar of light above the brightness of the sun at noon day came down from above and rested upon me.

Looking across the Smith’s fields to the northeast with a view of the cabin at the north end of the property.

“And I was filled with the spirit of God 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. Go thy way.  Walk in my statutes and keep my commandments.  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.  Behold the world lieth in sin at this time and none doeth good no not one.  They have turned aside from the gospel and keep not my commandments.  They draw near to me with their lips while their hearts are far from me.

Lone crow roosts on wooden fence on the south side of the trail that leads to the Sacred Grove.

“And mine anger is kindling against the inhabitants of the earth to visit them according to their ungodliness and to bring to pass that which hath been spoken by the mouth of the prophets and Apostles.  Behold and lo I come quickly, as it is written of me, in the cloud, clothed in the glory of my Father.’

George Edward Anderson took a shot like this in 1907.  This is looking east from just outside the entrance into the Sacred Grove.

“And my soul was filled with love and for many days I could rejoice with great Joy and the Lord was with me but I could find none that would believe the heavenly vision…” [2]

The 1835 Account

“On 9 November 1835 Joseph related his early vision to a visiting Jewish minister [in Kirtland] named Robert Matthews, alias Robert Matthias, who said his priestly name was Joshua. A brief summary of this conversation, which mentioned the First Vision and the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, was recorded in Joseph’s Kirtland diary by one of his scribes, Warren Cowdery.” [3]

The following is the text of the 1835 account of the First Vision:  “Being wrought up in my mind respecting the subject of Religion, and looking at the different systems taught the children of men, I knew not who was right or who was wrong, but considered it of the first importance to me that I should be right, in the matters of such moment, matter involving eternal consequences.

Looking beneath a lovely maple tree towards the south fields of the Smith farm.

“Being thus perplexed in mind, I retired to the silent grove and there bowed down before the Lord, under a realizing sense (if the Bible be true), ‘ask and you shall receive, knock and it shall be opened, seek and you shall find,’ and again, ‘if any man lack wisdom, let [him ask] of God who giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not.’

Looking towards the northeast and the wooden fence that is near the area of the original apple orchard of the Smiths.

“Information was what I most desired at this time, and with a fixed determination to obtain it, I called on the Lord for the first time in the place above stated, or in other words, I made a fruitless attempt to pray.  My tongue seemed to be swollen in my mouth, so that I could not utter, I heard a noise behind me like some one walking towards me.  I strove again to pray, but could not; the noise of walking seemed to draw nearer.  I sprang upon my feet and looked round, but saw no person or thing that was calculated to produce the noise of walking. 

Looking towards the woods on the southwest of the Smith farm.

“I kneeled down again, my mouth was opened and my tongue loosed; I called on the Lord in mighty prayer.  A pillar of fire appeared above my head; which presently rested down upon me, and filled me with unspeakable joy.  A personage appeared in the midst of this pillar of flame, which was spread all around and yet nothing consumed.  Another personage soon appeared like unto the first:  he said unto me, ‘thy sins are forgiven thee.’  He testified also unto me that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.  I saw many angels in this vision.  I was about 14 years old when I received this first communication…” [4]

Join us next week as we take “A Walk Through the Sacred Grove in Fall.”

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All photographs are copyrighted 2003 by Scot Facer Proctor and are protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America and International Copyright laws.  All rights reserved.  No pictures can be used from this essay without express written permission from Meridian Magazine.