Discussion Jumpstarter
Study leader reference - not a definitive answer
Question 1
Joseph Smith’s “first vision” account portrays God as calling mainstream Christian creeds “an abomination” and their professors “corrupt”; what picture of God’s holiness, patience, and willingness to judge the visible church is being asserted here, and what would have to be true for that kind of sweeping indictment to be justified?
Another way to ask: Joseph Smith said God called the main Christian churches “an abomination” and their leaders “corrupt.” What kind of God is this describing, and what would need to be true for God to fairly condemn the whole visible church like that?
Discussion Jumpstarter
Direct Answer
Based on the quoted “first vision,” God is portrayed as intensely holy and willing to render a sweeping judgment on the entire visible church, declaring not just errors but corruption and “abomination.” For that indictment to be justified, the vision would need to be a true revelation from God and the churches described would truly be universally corrupt in the specific ways named.
- Joseph describes being told to “join none of them, for they were all wrong.”
- The personage says “all their creeds were an abomination in his sight” and “those professors were all corrupt.”
- The stated charge is moral/spiritual: “they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.”
- The critique is doctrinal: “They teach for doctrines the commandments of men…having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof.”
- The condemnation is comprehensive and repeated: “He again forbade me to join with any of them.”