How Did Orson Pratt Influence Joseph Smith's 1842 First Vision Narrative?​

Title

How Did Orson Pratt Influence Joseph Smith's 1842 First Vision Narrative?​

Publication Type

Podcast

Publication Date

March 21, 2023

Authors

Griffiths, Casey Paul (Primary), and Woodward, Scott (Primary)

Abstract

Did you know that the first time the story of Joseph Smith’s First Vision was ever printed was in a pamphlet written by apostle Orson Pratt and published in Scotland while Pratt was on a mission there in 1840? Intriguingly, Pratt's language from this pamphlet was used by Joseph Smith himself two years later, in 1842, when writing the story of his First Vision for a non-Latter-day Saint newspaper editor named John Wentworth. Pratt’s pamphlet also heavily influenced another insightful telling of Joseph’s vision written by his fellow apostle Orson Hyde which was published in Germany in 1842. In today's episode we dive into all three of these accounts.

Bibliographic Citation

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