"Who of all these parties are right; or, are they all wrong together?" — Joseph Smith, Jr.1
Joseph Smith Jr. was born on December 23, 1805, in Sharon, Vermont, to Joseph Smith Sr. and Lucy Mack Smith.2 He was the fifth of 11 children.3 Joseph grew up during the Second Great Awakening, a period of intense religious revivalism,4 and when Joseph was around 10, the Smith family moved to the Palmyra-Manchester area in western New York. This area was often referred to as the "burned-over district" because of the frequent religious revivals.5
In his early teens, Joseph attended different churches and studied various denominations, trying to figure out which one was right.6 Still troubled, Joseph turned to the Bible for guidance. In James 1:5, he read, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him."7
Joseph decided to ask God directly about which church he should join. In the spring of 1820, he walked into a grove of trees near his home and knelt to pray. Here, Joseph experienced the First Vision and saw Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.8
