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SUNSTONE THEOLOGICAL SYMPOSIUM
Student Union, University of Utah, Salt Lake City
Friday, 27 July 2012, 5:00 p.m.- 6:30 p.m.
“Diagnosing the Seer: An Assessment of the First Vision”
Presenters: Dan Vogel, Mark Thomas, Todd Compton, and John-Charles Duffy

Abstract: Mormons consider Joseph Smith’s first vision one of the most significant events in religious history; it is by far the most controversial of his visions. many Mormons maintain that the accounts of the vision are historically accurate, while critics of Mormonism assert that different accounts are inconsistent and historically inaccurate. This session will summarize the various accounts and give an overview of the evidence for and against the historicity of various parts of the vision, including a summary of eight criteria for assessing historical authenticity. After hearing this summary of evidence, the session audience will vote on the historicity of each major section of the vision. The session will conclude with a tabulation of the voting results by the audience.

Dan, can you list the eight criteria?

grindael wrote:Dan, can you list the eight criteria?

As given to me by Mark Thomas:

OHS=Consistency with Original Historical Setting

AHS= Consistent with the Historical Setting of the Audience of the Story (if a detail matches the setting if the audience of the story but is foreign to 1820, it is more likely fiction. For example, the persecution matches the 1839 audience of Joseph Smith but not the 1820 setting.)

VC=Visionary Consistency (is this consistent with J Smith's other visions? For example, many of his major visions start out pronouncing forgiveness of sins. This gives a possible ring of authenticity to the 1832 account)

CE= Criterion of Embarrassment (it is likely historically true if the detail is embarrassing to Joseph Smith or the

church)

MV= Medical verisimilitude (Do visionaries typically display these physical symptoms? Such as paranoia---evil powers and footsteps, tongue clinging to the roof of the mouth---dry mouth, etc) I do not know that we can address these issues.

PS= Primary Source

SS=Secondary Source

MA=Multiple Attestation---more than one independent source

Thanks a lot.

VC=Visionary Consistency (is this consistent with J Smith's other visions? For example, many of his major visions start out pronouncing forgiveness of sins. This gives a possible ring of authenticity to the 1832 account)

How would consistency lend credence to authenticity? I think this would speak more to authorship, but not to the vision's reality.

grindael wrote:

VC=Visionary Consistency (is this consistent with J Smith's other visions? For example, many of his major visions start out pronouncing forgiveness of sins. This gives a possible ring of authenticity to the 1832 account)

How would consistency lend credence to authenticity? I think this would speak more to authorship, but not to the vision's reality.

Yes, I think you are right. I think Mark is referring to the historicity of the vision; that is, that it wasn't invented later.

If Joseph Smith couldn't make his mind up what he saw (and he was supposed to be there) what chance do we have?