Background to "The Vision" -- D&C 76

D&C 76 is perhaps the most important latter-day revelation except for the First Vision.

Joseph Smith spoke of its importance: Nothing could be more pleasing to the Saints upon the order of the Kingdom of the Lord, than the light which burst upon the world through the foregoing vision. Every law, every commandment, every promise, every truth, and every point touching the destiny of man, from Genesis to Revelation, where the purity of the Scriptures remain unsullied by the folly of men, go to show the perfection of the theory (of different degrees of glory in the future life) and witness the fact that the document is a transcript from the records of the eternal world. The sublimity of the ideas; the purity of the language; the scope for action; the continued duration for completion, in order that the heirs of salvation may confess the Lord and bow the knee; the rewards for faithfulness, and the punishments for sins, are so much beyond the narrow-mindedness of men, that every man is constrained to exclaim: “It came from God.”

The heading to D&C 76 provides its historical context, and shows how the Lord schooled Joseph Smith in response to his own questions and circumstances.

Heading to D&C 76 A vision given to Joseph Smith the Prophet and Sidney Rigdon, at Hiram, Ohio, February 16, 1832. HC 1: 245–252. Prefacing his record of this vision the Prophet wrote: “Upon my return from Amherst conference, I resumed the translation of the Scriptures. From sundry revelations which had been received, it was apparent that many important points touching the salvation of man had been taken from the Bible, or lost before it was compiled. It appeared self-evident from what truths were left, that if God rewarded every one according to the deeds done in the body, the term ‘Heaven,’ as intended for the Saints’ eternal home, must include more kingdoms than one. Accordingly, while translating St. John’s Gospel, myself and Elder Rigdon saw the following vision.” It was after the Prophet had translated John 5: 29 that this vision was given.

John 5:29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

D&C 76:18-19 Now this caused us to marvel, for it was given unto us of the Spirit. 19 And while we meditated upon these things, the Lord touched the eyes of our understandings and they were opened, and the glory of the Lord shone round about.

What's amazing to me is that there were others in the room when Joseph and Sidney were seeing the vision.

Philo Dibble had called at the John Johnson home, knowing that the Prophet Joseph Smith was living there with his family. He was directed to an upper room where Joseph, Sidney Rigdon, and several other men were seated. Joseph and Sidney seemed surrounded in magnificent glory, and a sense of power filled the room. Joseph appeared to be dressed in white, though in fact he wore a black suit. Dibble watched for more than an hour. Joseph would say, “What do I see?” and describe what he was seeing. Sidney would reply, “I see the same.” Then Sidney would make a similar statement, and Joseph would reply “I see the same.”

When the vision closed, Joseph sat up straight and was calm, “but Sidney sat limp and pale, apparently as limber as a rag, observing which Joseph remarked, smilingly, ‘Sidney is not used to it as I am.’” Joseph and Sidney stayed up late into the night transcribing a portion of the vision, and their impressions, which became Section 76 of the Doctrine and Covenants -- one of the grandest revelations recorded in all scripture.

What we now have as Section 76 was known simply as “the vision”, and copies circulated among the members of the Church and was used as a missionary tract.

Wilford Woodruff recognized its beauty and depth: When I read these solemn, these eternal declarations made through the mouth of Joseph Smith, my heart swells with gratitude and praise to God, my heavenly Father. I consider that the Doctrine and Covenants, our Testament, contains a code of the most solemn, the most Godlike proclamations ever made to the human family. I will refer to the ‘Vision’ alone, as a revelation which gives more light, more truth, and more principle than any revelation contained in any other book we ever read. It makes plain to our understanding our present condition, where we came from, why we are here, and where we are going to. Any man may know through that revelation what his part and condition will be. For all men know what laws they keep, and the laws which men keep here will determine their position hereafter; they will be preserved by those laws and receive the blessings which belong to them. (The Discourses of Wilford Woodruff, sel. G. Homer Durham [1946], 47–48)

However, the revelation was not initially received well by all members of the church.

Brigham Young: When God revealed to Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon that there was a place prepared for all, according to the light they had received and their rejection of evil and practice of good, it was a great trial to many, and some apostatized because God was not going to send to everlasting punishment heathens and infants, but had a place of salvation, in due time, for all and would bless the honest and virtuous and truthful, whether they ever belonged to any church or not.

Even Brigham Young himself could not understand it at first, but tells us how he finally came to understand and believe it.

Brigham Young: After all, my traditions were such, that when the Vision came first to me, it was directly contrary and opposed to my former education. I said, Wait a little. I did not reject it; but I could not understand it. I then could feel what incorrect tradition had done for me. Suppose all that I have ever heard from my priest and parents–the way they taught me to read the Bible–had been true, my understanding would be diametrically opposed to the doctrine revealed in the Vision. I used to think and pray, to read and think, until I knew and fully understood it for myself, by the visions of the Holy Spirit.