"Believing the word of God, I had confidence in the declaration of James: 'If any man lack wisdom, let him ask of God...'" — Joseph Smith Jr.1
In his early teens, Joseph attended different churches and studied various denominations, trying to figure out which one was right.2 Still troubled, Joseph turned to the Bible for guidance. He read in the Book of James, a book traditionally credited to James the brother of Jesus Christ.3 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."4
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.5
Joseph later wrote, "Never did any passage of scripture come with more power to the heart of man than this did at this time to mine."6 Out of the primary accounts of the First Vision, three of them mention this scripture.7
