Vision of Kirtland Temple Building Plan Shown to Joseph Smith and Counselors
Contributed by
Research Agent
Joseph Smith received a revelation instructing him to take his two counselors, Frederick G. Williams and Sidney Rigdon, and come before the Lord so He would show them the plan or model of the temple house to be built. The three men went upon their knees and called on the Lord, and the building appeared within viewing distance. Frederick G. Williams, one of the counselors, was the first to discover it. Then all three of them viewed it together. After they had taken a good look at the exterior, the building seemed to come right over them, and the makeup of the interior hall seemed to coincide with what they saw to the minutest detail. Joseph Smith was accordingly enabled to dictate to the mechanics with precision because he had seen the divine pattern. The two counselors stood as witnesses, which was necessary to satisfy the spirit of unbelief among the brethren of those days.
In Their Own Words
“"Joseph received the word of the Lord for him to take his two counselors Williams and Rigdon and come before the Lord and He would show them the plan or model of the House to be built. We went upon our knees, called on the Lord, and the Building appeared within viewing distance, I being the first to discover it. Then all of us viewed it together. After we had taken a good look at the exterior, the building seemed to come right over us, and the makeup of the Hall seems to coincide with what I there saw to a minutia."”
— Frederick G. Williams, counselor in the First Presidency, as recorded by Truman O. Angell (later architect of the Salt Lake Temple) in his journal, describing the vision of the Kirtland Temple plan shown to Joseph Smith, Sidney Rigdon, and himself before its construction
Sources & References
Truman O. Angell, Autobiography and portions of journal (1810-1856), from Our Pioneer Heritage Vol. 10 (1967) ; Truman O. Angell, Autobiography and journal (1810-1856), in Our Pioneer Heritage, vol. 10 (1967), as quoted in The Life of Dr. Frederick G. Williams, Counselor to the Prophet Joseph Smith, BYU Studies, https://byustudies.byu.edu/online-book/the-life-of-dr-frederick-g-williams-counselor-to-the-prophet-joseph-smith/the-kirtland-temple
Related Miracles
More accounts involving Joseph Smith, Frederick G. Williams, Sidney Rigdon, plus similar miracle types and stories from the 1830s.