For all the beautiful truths we might learn from that First Vision, perhaps Joseph’s main takeaway was simply, “I had found the testimony of James to be true—that a man who lacked wisdom might ask of God, and obtain.”

As one scholar noted: “The real resonance of the First Vision today is to know that it’s the nature of God to give to those who lack wisdom. … The God that reveals Himself to Joseph Smith in the sacred grove is a God who answers teenagers in times of trouble.” – Kyle S. McKay, “The Man Who Communed with Jehovah,” Liahona (CR) November 2024