THE MISSING PERSON IN JOSEPH SMITH'S FIRST VISION STORY
The first vision story is a key element in the teachings and doctrine of the Mormon Church. It has the following:
...I found myself delivered from the enemy which held me bound. When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the otherThis is My Beloved Son. Hear Him! My object in going to inquire of the Lord was to know which of all the sects was right, that I might know which to join. No sooner, therefore, did I get possession of myself, so as to be able to speak, than I asked the Personages who stood above me in the light, which of all the sects was right (for at this time it had never entered into my heart that all were wrong)and which I should join. I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong; and the Personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those professors were all corrupt; that: "they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof. (Joseph Smith History 1:17-19)
Have you noticed who is missing from this story? The Holy Ghost is missing. Do you know why? I believe the reason is that the Holy Ghost, according to LDS teachings of the time period, was not a personage in 1838 when the first vision story was written. Doctrine and Covenants 130:22, which says the Holy Ghost was a personage, was not written until April 2, 1843, it has:
The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man's; the Son also; but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit. Were it not so, the Holy Ghost could not dwell in us.
Prior to this alleged revelation the following LDS verses were in effect. From the 1835 Doctrine and Covenants we have:
2. 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....And He being the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth, and having overcome, received a fullness of the glory of the Father, possessing the same mind with the Father, which mind is the Holy Spirit, that bears record of the Father and the Son, and these three are one; or, in other words, these three constitute the great, matchless, governing and supreme power over all things; by whom all things were created and made that were created and made, and these three constitute the Godhead, and are one; the Father and the Son possessing the same mind, the same wisdom, glory, power, and fullness...filling all in all; the Son being filled with the fullness of the mind, glory, and power; or, in other words, the spirit, glory, and power, of the Father, possessing all knowledge and glory, and the same kingdom, sitting at the right hand of power, in the express image and likeness of the Father, mediator for man, being filled with the fullness of the mind of the Father; or, in other words, the Spirit of the Father, which Spirit is shed forth upon all who believe on His name and keep His commandments; and all those who keep His commandments shall grow up from grace to grace, and become heirs of the heavenly kingdom, and joint heirs with Jesus Christ; possessing the same mind, being transformed into the same image or likeness, even the express image of Him who fills all in all; being filled with the fullness of His glory, and become one in Him, even as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are one....
It is important to note this last phrase, "Father, Son and Holy Spirit are one." This is one of the evidences that at this time frame (1835) in LDS teachings the term Holy Spirit is used interchangeably with Holy Ghost. They were synonymous then, but not now. Continuing with the above quote, in the question and answer section on page 55 we find:
Q. How many personages are there in the Godhead?
A. Two: the Father and the Son.
Q. How do you prove that there are two personages in the Godhead?
A. By the Scriptures... (Lectures on Faith, Lecture 5, p.5255)
This quote is from the 1835 Doctrine and Covenants (D&C), Fifth Lecture on Faith, and was in the D&C until the 1921 edition. It is consistent with Joseph Smith's first vision story which also relates that two personages visited him.
From the Book of Mormon and the D&C we find that Mormons of the day must NOT have considered the Holy Ghost/Holy Spirit a personage. He was considered and "it". In the Book of Mormon see 2 Nephi 32:3-5; Alma 34:38, 39:6 and in D&C 88:3. Dictionaries of the period make it clear that an "it" is not a personage, neither male nor female.
From all these sources we have our answer as to why the Holy Ghost/Holy Spirit is missing from the first vision story by Joseph Smith. In 1838 there were only two personages in the godhead, not three, as now taught.
John Farkas
Berean Christian Ministries, P.O. Box 1091, Webster, N.Y. 14580