“And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.” 1 Corinthians 3:1-2
Joseph Smith actually didn’t know that much after the First Vision, it was a great comfort to him, but the lessons that it taught him didn’t click with him until he got older. That’s why there are so many “different accounts” (see Avahr: Appendix). Each account varies in information, because as Joseph progressed spiritually, new understandings of the First Vision were opened up to him. It’s the same with us right? When we read scripture, we can read it over and over again and each time (if we’re reading it trough spiritual eyes) we will get new things from it, or new lessons will be taught to us. It’s the same thing with Joseph Smith and his first Vision.
Now, sadly most Latter Day Saints have turned the First Vision into a dogmatic creed, and many, in fact most, have totally misunderstood the meaning, and the true lesson of the First Vision. The First Vision is teaching us that we can all have our Higher God Selves opened up, and we can all walk and talk with God. I will not go into details spiritually about the First Vision and what Joseph Smith truly saw, as many will totally reject it and I don’t want to cause contention in Zion, but I encourage all to prayerfully ask God to reveal His mysteries to you and He will.
Joseph Smith knew that he couldn’t even tell the Apostles the Celestial truths that he had grown to learn since restoring the Church.
“If I revealed all that has been made known to me, scarcely a man on this stand ([in the temple] would stay with me… Brethren, if I were to tell you all I know of the kingdom of God, I do know that you would rise up and kill me.” – Joseph Smith to his Apostles
So, what were those things? Joseph Smith never said anything to the Apostles, and after his death various Apostles started their own churches (The Mormon branches or Restoration churches we have today). And none of them knew what Joseph new. So I ask again, what were those teachings that Joseph knew that were so so significant that even his own people would turn against him, and some would have tried to kill him?
There is a way to know what Joseph Smith knew, and the way to obtain that knowledge and more, is by actually following Joseph Smith (as a Prophet) properly, and that is by gaining revelation for ourselves, and line-upon-line, receiving the fullness, which is all the mysteries of God, and becoming a Celestial Being, just as Christ taught us to become.
I believe that the reason why some of the Apostles would have become enraged had Joseph taught them the Higher Truths, is because they would have still been looking at the teachings from the level they were at spiritually, and would not have understood them, and they would have thought that Joseph Smith had lead them astray. Remember those men had literally given up everything for the Restoration. Most of the prophets of old were all killed because they taught the Higher Celestial truths, and the people just couldn’t see it, because their spiritual eyes were shut.
That’s why we must pick up where Joseph Smith left off, we must obtain those teachings for ourselves, no man, women, or anyone or anything can give them to us, as the knowledge only comes through divine revelation. We should all be gaining our own First Visions (awakenings) and striving to become the gods that we true are, at one in all things, with the One Joseph Smith couldn’t tell them, just as Paul couldn’t tell the people in Corinthians.
Joseph Smith and Paul (as well as all true prophets and messengers) will only give the milk (the milk is teaching people how to receive the meat), but the meat is only given directly by God. Sadly, many trust in the arm of flesh and hearken onto man, waiting to be taught or given a the meat by humans. No matter how spiritual someone is, we can never get the Celestial teachings from them. It must and does only come from God. I invite you all to truly ponder on the First Vision, and see what God teaches you. Someday, if you get yourself on a Higher Spiritual plane (forsake the world and the flesh) then you may even find out who God truly is, and God resides way way closer than you think. Amen