[HiJolly]

Originally Posted by MyDogSkip

This thread is being started to discuss the differences between The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints(LDS) and the Community of Christ(CoC) formerly the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ (RLDS). This topic arose on another thread, and has hence been brought here.

At last count there are at least 100 different sects that utilize the Book of Mormon in their worship services and doctrine. Most agree on the call of the Prophet Joseph to restore the Gospel. As such, many agree with Josephs writings on the First Vision.

I was rather astounded when I was surfing the web one night several years ago, to discover that the Community of Christ web site had refined the First Vison, basically down to a hallucination on the part of the young Joseph.

Let me start with the LDS version of the First Vision:

As Joseph sought truth among the different faiths, he turned to the Bible for guidance. He read, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him” ( James 1:5). Because of this passage, Joseph decided to ask God what he should do. In the spring of 1820 he went to a nearby grove of trees and knelt in prayer. He described his experience: “I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me. . . . 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 other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!” ( Joseph Smith—History 1:16–17). In this vision God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, appeared to Joseph Smith. The Savior told Joseph not to join any of the churches, for they “were all wrong.” The Savior stated, “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 1:19).

Mormon.org - The Restoration of the Gospel

Now the following is the Community of Christ's view of the First Vision:


In the early 1800s, a young boy named Joseph Smith knelt in the woods near his family home in Manchester Township, New York. He felt separated from God; he also wanted to know how he could make his life count for good in a world full of confusion and sin. He wanted to join with God’s people, but he had no idea how to do that. So, in response to the scripture from James, he prayed to God.

How long this first attempt at verbal prayer lasted is not known, but he came to a point of deep despair. At this point, a vision surrounded him with love and mercy. From that light came a voice as clear as his own. As the vision ebbed and the voice faded, Joseph felt that he knew the truth. He felt the healing presence of God within and the forgiving mercy of Christ. He knew that God would be with him.

He struggled through his teen years, trying to balance his experience with God with his desire to be accepted by others in his community. He continued to have significant spiritual experiences, one of which led to the Book of Mormon. He also felt called to establish a church, officially organizing it on April 6, 1830.

Our History - Introduction


As one can read...The Community of Christ has turned its back on the writings of our Prophet Joseph, in favor of a distilled "hallucination" of a young boy.

Additionally...and we can discuss this, the Community of Christ has turned it's back on the divine origins of the Book of Mormon.

I think both accounts are factually correct. Can anyone show a sentence in the CoC version that is incorrect?

I'd also like to point out that of the various recorded versions of the First Vision that we have, ONLY the CoC version agrees with all of them. I think we LDS tend to get a little hide-bound in our view, and refuse to learn of other 'true' accounts of the same event that do not agree entirely with 'our' familiar account.

HiJolly