The First Vision (1976) User Reviews

Great Account

[mountain91 · 9/10 · 18 October 2003]

This short LDS film is a great account of the prophet Joseph Smith telling what he saw in the sacred grove near his home in Palmyra, New York. I remember watching this movie in primary and seminary. I liked it how Joseph did a lot of research before he went to pray and read the Epistle of James 1:5. The narrator repeats the verses out from JSH (Joseph Smith History). I am about to serve a mission for the LDS church and it is one dream for me someday to actually go to the sacred grove and see where Joseph Smith saw the first vision.

This short film a great for learning about the history of the LDS church and how it all began.

Dated but solid version of the First Vision of the Mormon Prophet

[mike-ryan455 · 8/10 · 9 March 2008]

This film is a dramatization of Joseph Smith's account of his first vision.

Whether you believe the story or not, there is no denying that Joseph Smith and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints have strongly marked American history. Even to this day, being a member of this religion is a lightning rod for questions and examination. For example, Mitt Romney was grilled about his religion during the 2008 Presidential election. Yet who knows or even cares what the religion is of John S. McCain or Hillary Rodham Clinton or Barack Hussein Obama?

As the film is over 30 years old and it was no doubt filmed on a shoestring budget, it looks dated in many ways. It's easy to find fault with the film when comparing it to Hollywood productions. The Mormon Church didn't hire Sir Laurence Olivier to star or Akira Kurosawa to direct it. Yet it is a good, light introduction to the story that is very fundamental to the belief of Mormons. It's worth seeing by everyone just to know about this uniquely American religion, just as everyone should attend a Catholic Mass and visit a mosque to widen their horizons.

There are two versions of the film, an original longer one and an edited one. I prefer the longer one because I am a fan of shaped note singing and a scene with it was one of those cut.

Faithful Account of the Boy Prophet 's First Visitation

[MightyCaptain · 8/10 · 23 April 2005]

This short film is a very pleasing and accurate depiction of what the young boy Joseph Smith experienced during his search for the truth about which church to join in the early 1800s. What followed was a visitation of such magnitude and importance that it nearly overshadows the great things that followed it. The Father and the Son did appear to him in a grove and gave him spiritual instruction and insight that has eluded mankind for ages. This film is a beautiful re-enactment of the experience from this remarkeable young man's point of view, he who would later mature and become known as the first prophet and leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints as well as bringing to light a translation of an ancient record-the Book of Mormon.

I recommend this film to all who are curious about the man as well as those who admire the Prophet Joseph's teachings today. It will edify you and give you something to think about.

Words cannot describe it.

[demonslayer06 · 10/10 · 15 August 2004]

People often say that it is impossible for someone to have had a vision at any other time besides when the Bible was written.But this movie goes to show you that is not true.The story of the Prophet Joseph Smith is second only to the story of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,and is just as true.For someone who is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints,this movie holds that and also the power of prayer to be some of the plain and precious truths of all time.People who are looking for some good old spiritual film,will be delighted to put this back in the VCR and watch it again.Maybe for Family Home Evening as well.I look forward to full-length feature based on the life of Joseph Smith.

Sight of the eternal?

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 25 December 2014]

Young Stewart Petersen who had a brief career as a star of G-rated family films in the late Seventies stars as young Joseph Smith who if you believe as so many Mormons do today got a first vision of God when he was a mere 15 years old.

Palmyra, New York was in the heart of what was called the 'burned over' district on account of their were so many scorching religious revivals there. People in those days did not have much in the way of entertainment as we do know. Those traveling circuit riding preachers were entertainment of a sort. Many religions and other types of crusades sprung from there. At the same time Smith was growing his church the anti-Mason movement was also gathering fervor from the same area.

Questions of religion were in the minds of many and none more so than young Smith. Was he granted a glimpse of the eternal? A question that no single answer will satisfy.

Produced directly by the church itself, The First Vision is tastefully done for a kid's audience of young Sunday school LDS members.