Tuesday, August 13, 2024

Allen J. Stout's Comments on Joseph Smith's "sin" between his First and Second Visions

  

The question as to what sin was committed by the Prophet during the time between his first and second visions was asked of Allen J. S[t]out who had been one of the Prophet's body guards in Nauvoo. Brother Stout answered that he did not know. When asked to tell what he believed it to be, he said, "To tell you what I believe would not get you anywhere on the road to facts. But if I were to guess I would say, it may have been fighting.

 

Then Brother Stout related that he once went to the Prophet with a confession of a weakness of his own that he feared might unfit him for the position he held. It was that of fiery temper and quick to the fight. He said he had that very day threshed a man. In his talk that followed brother Stout's confession, the Prophet told him, that in his own youth he had to learn to fight much against his own will, for his parents had taught their children that quarreling and fighting are sins that are beastly, and whenever had laid his hand in anger on a fellow creature it gave him sorrow and a feeling of shame. Bro. Stout said he remarked further, that at the time they were speaking he knew that he could fight to the death in the cause of Truth and Righteousness or in defense of the innocent, or the weak and helpless.

 

Bro. Stout had heard a story told of a big burly fellow accosting the boy prophet with the accusation that he lied about the vision he claimed to have had, and told him that if he had seen any unnatural being that day in the woods it was the devil. Quick as the lightening the boy struck the man a blow between the eyes that leveled him to the ground. The man did not retaliate when he had gathered himself, and did not trouble the boy again. Brother Stout could not vouch for the truth of this story. He never heard any of the Smith family refer to the incident. (Stories from notebook of Martha Cox, grandmother of Fern Cox Anderson, p. 5, MS 658, Church History Library)

 

This is important also as this series of reminiscences contains the recollections of one "Mrs. Palmer" which makes reference to Joseph's "first" and "second visions" also, and it is clear that in the Stout account, quoted above, the "first" and "second" visions referred to are clearly the 1820 First Vision and the 1823 visitation of the angel Moroni.



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