The first vision’s message was very powerful and like many of gods messages to man it has many meanings. I will list just a few of the obvious messages in this Vision.1. The trinity is a false doctrine. (because Joseph smith saw two personages who were distinct from each other.)
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The first vision's message...
To which of Joesph Smith's accounts of the first vision do you refer; the suppressed 1832 account where he only mentions Jesus appearing to him or the 1835 account which mentions "angels" but not God or Jesus?
...because Joseph Smith saw...
You believe in the credibility of a man who said:
"Come on! ye prosecutors! ye false swearers! All hell, boil over! Ye burning mountains, roll down your lava! for I will come out on top at last. I have more to boast of than ever any man had. I am the only man that has ever been able to keep a whole church together since the days of Adam. A large majority of the whole have stood by me. Neither Paul, John, Peter, nor Jesus ever did it. I boast that no man ever did such a work as I. The followers of Jesus ran away from Him; but the Latter-day Saints never ran away from me yet...When they can get rid of me, the devil will also go."
(History of the Church, Vol. 6, p. 408, 409)
...two personages who were distinct from each other.
A flesh and bone Father, or a Father who is a personage of spirit?
Written by Joseph Smith in 1835, why was the following deleted in 1921?
There are two personages who constitute the great, matchless, governing and supreme power over all things - by whom all things were created and made, that are created and made, whether visible or invisible; whether in heaven, on earth, or in the earth, under the earth, or throughout the immensity of space - They are the Father and the Son: The Father being a personage of spirit, glory and power: possessing all perfection and fullness: The Son, who was in the bosom of the Father, a personage of tabernacle, made, or fashioned like unto man, or being in the form and likeness of man, or, rather, man was formed after his likeness, and in his image;... and is called the Son because of the flesh
(Lectures on Faith, Lecture Fifth, p. 53).
Since that was written in 1835 why does LDS today teach that that Joseph Smith discovered that both God the Father and the Son have bodies of flesh and bone when he saw them in his First Vision in 1820, and why did the LDS delete the passage in 1921?
The trinity was the creation of a pagan emperor named Constantine, who called the frist council at Nicea and with a combination of bribes, and threats got the church to agree on a creed that all of Rome could unite behind.
Why would anyone be inclined to accept a characterization of ancient church history from people who can't even get their own comparatively recent history straight?
Cordially,
Uh oh, NOW YOU’VE DONE IT! The poster has raised the issue of the trinity being a fabrication/creation of Constantine because the poster must sow seeds of doubt in Orthodox Christianity (but the poster swears he never attacks Christianity so we ought not highlight the heresies in Mormonism) in an effort to give credibility to the fabrications of Joe and company. Put your padded ear plugs on for the ridicule, condescension, and arrogant smothering of your offering. But personally, I like you beautiful three verse offering which highlights that the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are one as shown with the resurrection.