The Earliest Accounts of Joseph Smith's First Vision

The direct, primary historical sources pertaining to Joseph Smith's First Vision that are now known amount to ten accounts in thirteen documents—eight documents produced or reported in the first person by or from the Prophet himself, and five contemporary reports by others who heard him relate his experience and recorded what he said in the third person. The purpose of this essay is to identify and present these accounts and to consider the context in which each was created.