Interview, 9 November 1835

and looked around, but saw no person or thing  that was calculated to produce the noise of wal king, I kneeled again my mouth was opened and  my toung liberated, and I called on the Lord in  mighty prayer, a pillar of fire appeared above  my head, it presently rested down upon my  <me> head, and filled me with joy unspeakable, a  personage appeard in the midst, of this pillar  of flame which was spread all around, and yet  nothing consumed, another personage soon appeard  like unto the first, he said unto me thy sins are  forgiven thee, he testifyed unto me that Jesus Christ  is the son of God; <and I saw many angels in this vision> I was about 14. years old  when I recieved this first communication; When  I was about 17 years old I saw another vision of  angels, in the night season after I had retired to  bed I had not been a sleep, when but was me ditating upon my past life and experiance,  I was verry concious that I had not kept the  commandments

Generally, a divine mandate that church members were expected to obey; more specifically, a text dictated by JS in the first-person voice of deity that served to communicate knowledge and instruction to JS and his followers. Occasionally, other inspired texts...

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, and I repented hartily for  all my sins and transgression, and humbled  myself before Him; <whose eyes are over all things>, all at once the room was  iluminated above the brightness of the sun  an angel appeared before me, his hands and  feet were naked pure and white, and he  stood between the floors of the room, clothed <with>  in purity inexpressible, he said unto me I  am a messenger sent from God, be faithful  and keep his commandments in all things,  he told me of a sacred record which was  written on plates of gold, I saw in the vision  the place where they were deposited, he said the  indians, were the literal descendants of Abraham  he explained many things of the prophesies to [p. 24]