The First Vision - The Sacred Grove

In the Spring of 1820 a young boy in his 15th year desired to know the truth about God and His salvation. Joseph Smith, Jr. was his name and he read in

James 1:5 "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." and continuing in verse 6: "But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering...." Joseph even at that young age he had faith that God would answer his prayer.

He went into the grove of trees by his home and knelt down and uttered his first vocal prayer (though he had prayed many times before silently) and this is what he said,

"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 had rested up 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!"

We were able to visit Joseph Smith's log and frame homes and the Sacred Grove several times


and were able to feel the sacredness of the area and to have the Holy Ghost bore witness to our hearts and mind that it really did happen.

Log Home: This is where Joseph Smith lived when he went into the grove of trees to pray.

This is where Angel Moroni first appeared to him.

The Frame Home: The picture below is what I grew up thinking the frame home looked like but it had been altered by later owners of the home.

When the Church restored the home they were able to use 85% of original materials to return it to how the home originally looked like.


It was in the frame home that Joseph Smith began translating the golden plates. He also received revelations in the upper room.

The frame home is also where he buried the golden plates in the hearth of the fireplace. The copper building to the left was where he buried the golden plates under the floor boards and in the loft.

I remember thinking "Halleluiah!" the heavens were open again and God the Father and Jesus Christ did appear unto Joseph Smith, Jr. and through him Christ Church was restored on the earth again.

I felt like I must have been one of the heavenly host singing praises of joy when that glorious moment occurred.


As we walked the various paths we noticed how clean and beautiful the grove was with ferns and delicate undergrowth under stately trees some 300 years old and others fairly new.

We also became aware as we took the paths that lead away from the grove that the undergrowth was littered with dry, brown leaves and the path was rocky and difficult to traverse because of the tree roots.

There was no longer beauty and feeling of peace. We commented that life was just like the Sacred Grove.

While we were in its midst there was peace (that didn't mean there wasn't opposition like wasps that sting and mosquitoes that bite, and roots to trip us as we walked but we felt the Holy Ghost with us to comfort and guide us). Where as when we took the path back into the "world" away from the Grove, we were left on our own to stumble and fall.

We feel so fortunate to have the Gospel of Jesus Christ in our life, to have been Baptized by Priesthood Authority, to have had the Holy Ghost given to us as we were confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ, as a constant companion if we will repent and be humble and obedient.

We each can have that sacred grove in our hearts if we will choose the path to follow Christ and obey His Commandments.

Joseph Smith, Jr. suffered the remainder of his life because of his vision in the grove. Joseph wrote in his history - "Why persecute me for telling the truth? I have actually seen a vision; and who am I that I can withstand God, or why does the world think to make me deny what I have actually seen? For I had seen a vision; I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I could not deny it, neither dared I do it; at least I knew that by so doing I would offend God, and come under condemnation."