Lessons from the Doctrine and Covenants 2021
Lesson No. Two
The First Vision, A Marvelous Flood of Light – Joseph Smith History 1: 11-20
The First Vision is the most important event in the last 2,000 years of world history – Since the resurrection of Jesus Christ 2,000 years ago nothing compares with the First Vision in eternal importance. In this vision God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith, and thus began a marvelous and increasing flood of light that blesses all people throughout the entire world.
The world was poor until the First Vision was given in 1820 – Poor Until 1820 is the title of an article in the January 11, 1999 edition of the Wall Street Journal which outlined the world population and economic growth over the last millennium: “Between the years 1000 and 1995, world population increased about 20-fold, per capita income 12-fold and GDP 255-fold. Compare that to the previous millennium, when population rose less than 10%, per capita income fell slightly, and world GDP rose by about 8%.” In 1820 income and population growth began to greatly increase worldwide, especially in North America and Western Europe.
The First Vision brought advances of all kinds - This article did not explain the reasons for such a dramatic improvement beginning in 1820, but for those who understand the importance of what happened “on the morning of a beautiful, clear day, early in the spring of eighteen hundred and twenty” (Joseph Smith History 1:14) the reason is clear. The light first initiated by the First Vision has brought amazing advancements in science, technology, medicine, communications, transportation, manufacturing, and many other ways that blesses mankind.
The First Vision allows people more discretionary time - The marvelous flood of light that started with the First Vision provides many technologies that allow people more discretionary time. Some use this time in meaningless, and even harmful activities, with social media. Others wisely use this time to serve God and His other children.
The most important part of the First Vision is that it ushered in the long-promised “dispensation of the fulness of times” (Ephesians 1:10) – The doctrine of dispensations is unique to the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, and it is defined in the LDS Bible Dictionary, Dispensations: “A dispensation of the gospel is a period of time in which the Lord has at least one authorized servant on the earth who bears the holy priesthood and the keys, and who has a divine commission to dispense the gospel to the inhabitants of the earth. When this occurs, the gospel is revealed anew, so that people of that dispensation do not have to depend basically on past dispensations for knowledge of the plan of salvation."
The marvelous flood of light starting with the First Vision will reveal things in our dispensation that has never been revealed before (see D&C 124:41) – For example, even children in our dispensation understand matters pertaining to the redemption of the dead that have been “kept hid from the wise and prudent” in prior dispensations (D&C 128:18). They know “that the faithful elders of this dispensation, when they depart from mortal life, continue their labors in the preaching of the gospel of repentance and redemption, through the sacrifice of the Only begotten son of God, among those who are in darkness and under the bondage of sin in the great world of the spirits of the dead” (D&C 138:57).
How to gain a testimony of the First Vision – I know from personal experience that if we will read and ponder the account of the First Vision as recorded in Joseph Smith History 1:1-20, and then “ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere hear, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. And by the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things” (Moroni 10:4-5).
I add my testimony, in the words of His living Apostles, about The Restoration of the Fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ that commenced with the First Vision – “With reverence and gratitude, we as His Apostles invite all to know – as we do – that the heavens are open. We affirm that God is making known His will for His beloved sons and daughters. We testify that those who prayerfully study the message of the Restoration and act in faith will be blessed to gain their own witness of its divinity and of its purpose to prepare the world for the promised Second Coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ” (A Bicentennial Proclamation to the World).