What Were The Similarities Between George Finnny And Joseph Smith

Hopefully, dear reader, you can see the similarities of the above account to that of Charles G. Finney’s revelation in 1821 to Joseph Smith Jr.s recounting his second
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version of his first vision in 1835, fourteen years later. Significantly Charles Finney’s account was printed in 1821 and Joseph Smith had ample opportunity to read it and incorporate it into his own life should he have desired to do so.

When he later recounted about seeing two personages he still did not identify them as one of them being God the Father. So we have his first account where the Lord appears to him, and then in his recounting his story (and this ‘recounting’ occurred after Oliver
Cowdery came on the scene and began writing as if he was Joseph Smith), a second being appears after the first and identifies the first being as Jesus Christ.

So now we have two very different versions of his first vision. Even the historians cannot be certain whether in the circa Summer 1832 version Joseph Smith was introducing this for the first time or was copying from some earlier writings. They give no evidence about any such writings so we are left in the dark as to where Joseph Smith would have obtained
We are left to wonder whether to believe Joseph Smith stating his age “about 14” or Oliver Cowdery stating Joseph Smith was about 16? Or Joseph Smith stating he was in his 16th year making him 15? Refer to Histories Page 56 where Oliver Cowdery in a letter to William W. Phelps said it was in the 17th year of Joseph Smith’s life that the great religious controversies took place and therefore it was in his 17th year that he would have had his first vision