Official records and scriptures of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints state that Joseph Smith's historic "First Vision" happened in the Spring of 1820.
Every full-time missionary knows that in particular.
However, why isn't there an exact date?
That loophole is simply because exact records were not kept.
(There is also no exact date for the restoration of the Melchizedek Priesthood either.)
Two LDS researchers, working apart from each other, have checked various calendars, weather records and the usual dates for maple tree production in New York State -- and both have found that Sunday, March 26, was the likely date for Joseph Smith's First Vision.
Based on Joseph's own description of the weather, that's the only date that fits the bill.
John P. Pratt and Dr. John C. Lefgren both came up with that same March 26, 1820 date.
Lefgren in particular, found that April 6, 1820 was cloudy and freezing weather that day. So, it could not have been on that date.
-A detailed account of Dr. Lefgren's weather research was previously published in the Meridian on-line LDS Magazine.
NOTE: This article and all of the NighUntoKolob blog are NOT an official website of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They are the author's conclusions and opinions only.
