Kirtland Temple - Visions and Miracles

Visions and Miracles

On January 21, 1836, before the temple was completed, Smith reported the first of several visions received at the temple. As he and his associates performed a feet washing and anointing ritual, he saw "the celestial kingdom of God, and the glory thereof... the blazing throne of God, whereon was seated the Father and the Son." Smith also reported seeing Adam, Abraham, and three family members who had previously died; this experience of Smith was canonized by the LDS Church as revelation and published as such for the first time in 1981.

Not long after the dedication, several more visions were reported. On April 3, Smith had his scribe, Warren Cowdery, write down in his personal journal an account of a personal spiritual experience Smith and Oliver Cowdery had while praying in the pulpits. In this experience Joseph states that he and Oliver saw Jesus Christ "standing upon the breastwork of the pulpit." According to Smith's account, Christ accepted the Church's dedication of the temple, and promised blessings according to their obedience. Following the conclusion of this vision of Christ, the account goes on to tell of Smith and Cowdery then receiving visions of Moses, Elias and Elijah. The account in Joseph Smith's Journal is the only known telling of this occurrence during Smith's lifetime. The LDS Church canonized it as section 110 of their Doctrine and Covenants in 1876.