Brigham You ng U niversity Studies Vol. 9 N o. 3 – Spring 1969
Aw aken in gs in the Burn ed-ov er District:
New Light o n the Historic al Settin g o f the First Vision
by M ilton V. Backman, Jr.
301
Th e six decades preceding the C ivil W ar were years of intense religious activity in m any sections of the
U nited Sta tes. D u r i n g this second great awakening, sporadic spiritual quickenings erupted throughout the
new n a t i on ; a n d m a n y A m e r i ca n s l i v i n g i n t h e r u g g ed fr o n t i er c o m m u n i t i es , i n t h e rapidly grow ing urb an
are as, and in the villages and towns of northern and southern U nited States turned their attention to
organ ized religion. Subsequently, church m embership and religiou s zeal soared. Although in 1800 there
were f ew e r c h urch m em ber s in th is coun try than in an y oth er C hri stian lan d and act ive chu rch
memb ership had dro pp ed t o ab ou t sev en p erc ent of th e po pu lat io n, th e lo w est in the history of this land,
this decline w as arrested; and in 1850, 17 percent o f the Am ericans were chu rched. By 1860, membership
in religious societies increased to about 23 percent of the rapidly expanding A merican population. 1
O n e of the regions in the new nation that was in an almost constant state of revivalism was western
N ew Y o r k . D u r i n g th e first hal f of th e ni net een th cen tu ry , re vi val s w ere so h abi tu al a nd po w erfu l i n t h e
area w est of the C atski ll and Ad iron dack Mo unt ains th at histo rian s have lab eled this ecclesiastical storm
center the "Bur ned-over District." 2
A s in Kentu cky , the w inter of 1799-1800 w a s t h e e r a o f a "Great Revival" in western New York .
Since an innumerable series of spiritual quickenings followed this first major w ave o f enthusiasm, this
p o w e r fu l awak ening initiated a new religious epoch in that region of Am erica. Although one can locate
eviden ce of spirit ual en liven men t in a n um ber of N ew Y or k com m un iti es eve ry y ear of th e ear ly 1800 's,
peak periods occurred when revivals erupted in more than the customary num ber of tow ns and v illages
a n d u n p r ec ed e nt e d n u m b ers joined the popular churches of that age. One of these apexes of religious
fervor follow ed the low ebb w hich occur red durin g the W ar of 1812. Be t w een 1816 and 1821, revivals
were repor ted in mo re tow ns and a gr eater n um ber of settler s joined churches than in any previous period
of New York history. 3 A fter a brief calm in w hi ch a w ak eni ngs c on tin ued in a less spectacular manner,
the grand climax in the "series of crests in religious zeal" occurred between 1825 and 1837. 4
Joseph Sm ith in t he Bur ned-over Di strict
302
O n e who w as spiritually qu i c k e n ed w h i le living in the Burned-over District was Joseph Smith, the
Morm on Prop het. J oseph b ecame k eenly inter ested in or ganiz ed r e l ig i o n du r i n g o ne of the h igher w aves
of revivalism which sw ept across western New York . Appro ximately eighteen years after witnessing this
spiritual phenomenon, Joseph recalled his experience from a distant van tage poin t. T he Pr oph et asserted
that in t h e se co n d year after his removal to Manchester (a town, or sometimes called township in some
stat es, w hich in th e period imm ediately preceding the spring of 1820 had not been separated from the
town of Farm ingt on), 5 an "unusual excitement on the subject of religion" occurred in "the place" where
h e lived. "It commenced," he said, "with the M ethodists, but soon became general among all the sects in
that region of country." T hen probably placing this religious quickening in an enl arged histori cal setting,
Joseph declared, "Indeed, the whole district of country seemed affected by it, an d great m ulti tudes u nited
them selves to the different religio us parties." 6
303
Al thou gh the tools of a historian cannot be employed either to ver ify or challenge Joseph's testimony
c o n ce r n i n g t h e rem arkable vision which occurred during this awakening, records of the past can be
exam ined to determine the reliability of J o se p h ' s d e sc r i pt i o n r eg a r di n g th e hi sto ri cal se tti ng o f th e Fi rst
V i s io n .
Joseph Smith stated that the M ethod ists init iated th e religio us excit emen t w hich took place i n t h e
neighborhood w h e r e h e l i v ed d u r i ng t h e m o n t h s pr e ce d in g th e Fi rst Vision. A t that tim e, Meth odism w as
rep laci ng t he B apt ist f ai t h a s t h e largest religious society in A merica, numerically speaking, and was the
fastest g r o w i n g re l ig i o n in t h e early republic. These ambitious Protestants had initiated the most effective
missionary prog ram existent in th e y oun g nati on. T hey , in part, solved the problem of the shortage of
ministers by not req ui ri ng t hei r p rea che rs t o b e col lege gra du ate s, a n d a g r ea t m a n y d e di c at e d A m e r i c a n s
sacrificed m a n y c o m f o r t s o f li fe t o se r v e a s M e t h o d i st i t in e r an t s. T h e Methodists, moreover, d i v i de d th e
country into conferen ces and distr icts and t hen su bdiv ided th e di str ict s in to stat io ns a nd cir cu it s. In areas
where there was a Methodist meetinghouse, stationed preachers were appo inted w ho in mo st instan ces
derived much of their support from their own
304
In 1821 Farmington Town w as divided. One approximate six mile square area retained the nam e
Farm ington and the oth er section w as called Burt Tow n and w as renamed M anchester Tow n in 1822.
In 1823 Macedon Tow n was formed from the western section of Palmy ra Town.
305
industry. Bu t m ost com m un iti es, such as the town s of Palmy ra and Farmington, w ere served by traveling
ministers w h o had n o secular emp loy men t. Pr eachin g locati ons w ere determ ined w i t h i n t h e c i r cu i t s, a n d
i t i n er a n t ministers were appointed to preach regul arly in th e designated p laces of worship. The circuits
were called two-week circuits, three-week circuits, or four-week circuits depending on the per iod r equir ed
to preach at each location. Ministers were usually assigned to a ci r cu it for only one or at the most two
y ear s, and the presiding elders of each distr ict w ere usual ly assigned t o a r e gi o n fo r n o lo n g er t h an f ou r
y ear s. By this ingeniou s system, vast nu mber s of Ameri cans living in r ural com mu nities received regular
spiritual edification. 7
Palmy ra M ethodists U ntil 1823
Since t h ere were no Methodist meetinghouses in the towns of Palmy ra and Farmington prior to
1823, M e t h o d i st s r e si d i n g i n t h e neigh bor hoo d w here Jo seph liv ed w orshi ped in the h om es of th e sett ler s,
i n sc h o o l b u i l d in g s, a n d in and nea r t he b eau tifu l v irg in gro ves. 8 A bo ut ever y tw o w eek s, a M eth odi st
i t i n er a n t w oul d cont act the settl ers in th e tow ns of Palm y ra and Farm ingto n and w oul d preach , exhort,
a n d c o u n se l th o s e w h o g a t h er e d . T h e S m i t h fa r m w a s lo c at e d n e a r t h e b o r d er o f t h e O n t a ri o a n d L y o n s
Circuits (probably within the Ontario C ircuit) of the O ntar io D istrict o f th e G en e se e C o n f e r en c e, a n d
from t h e s u m m e r o f 1819 to th e sum m er o f 1820 th ese ci rcu its w ere serv ed b y tw o ac tiv e it in era nt s;
W i l l i a m S n o w a n d A n d r e w P e ck v i s it e d t h e p eo p l e r e si d i n g i n t h e O n t a r i o C i r c u it , a n d R a l p h L a n ni n g
a n d I sa a c G r a n t tr a v el e d t h e L y o n s Circuit. 9 S i n ce J o se p h Sm i t h c o n si d er e d jo i n i n g t h e M e th o d i st c h u r ch ,
h e probably listened to one or mor e of these minis t ers preach and was impressed by the message of
salvation wh ich they proclaimed.
306
O n e o f th e most effective missionary program s adopted by the M ethodists to prom ulgate their faith was
t h e cam p m eeti ng. A lth ou gh B apt ists, Pr esby ter ian s, an d m em ber s of o th er r eli gio us so ciet ies al so
sponsor ed such meetings and wh ile Christian s of various faiths participated in these gatherings, the
Methodists in western New York conducted more camp meetings in the early nineteenth century than
did mem bers of any oth er den ominatio n. T hese m eeti ngs w ere usu all y hel d on th e edg e of a b eau tifu l
grove o f tr e es o r i n a sm a l l cl e ar i n g in th e midst of a forest. After traveling many miles along dusty or
w ater-logged roads, the settlers would locate their wagons and pitch their t e n ts o n t h e o u t sk i r t s o f th e
encampment. Farmers' markets and grog or liquor shops o f te n sp r u n g u p n ea r t h e camp grounds, thereby
p r o v i di n g some farmers with unusual economic oppor tunities. The meetings frequently contin ued for
several day s, an d som eti m es on e sessio n w ou ld l ast n ear ly all day and in to th e ni ght . M in iste rs w o u l d
rotate preach ing assignm ents so th at on e mi nister w ould im med iately be follo w ed by another, and at t im es
two or three ministers would preach simultaneously in different parts of the camp ground. Ministers not
only p r e ac h ed l en g t h y sermons but devoted much of their time in coun seling an d direct ing p ray er circl es
and grou p singing. 10
T h e num bers w ho att ended cam p m eetings held in New Y ork about 1820 varied considerably. There
were times when only a few hu ndred gathered, and on other occasions thousands witnessed the
pr ocee din gs. 11 In a cam p m eeting h eld in Palm y ra in 1 826 on e repor ter estim ated th at 10,000 p eop le
gathered on th e grounds to b ehold the spiri tual dram a. 12
307
In some sectio ns of early Am erica, cam p m eetings frequ ently erup ted in to exci ting spect acles in w hich
enthusiasts demo nstrat ed t h e i r em o t i o n a l asp i rat i o n s w i t h a v a ri e ty o f p h y s i ca l de m o n st r a t io n s . D u r i n g
th ese exu ber ant m eeti ngs, people went into trances, jerked, rolled and crawled on the ground, barked like
dog s, and fell to the ground as though they had been hit by a piercing cannon ball, r e m a in i n g u n c o n sc i ou s
for mi nut es or even somet im es for hours. In western New York , however, at the time of t h e F ir s t V i s io n ,
phy sical demo nstrat ions w ere rar ely man ifest, except for the occasio nal p ractice of falling to t h e gr o u n d
a n d crying out for mercy. N evertheless, some settlers w ho w ere atten ding t hese N ew York m eetings for
t h e first time w ere alarm ed by the piercing, dissonant commotions that would occasionally erupt. Some
view ed w ith m ixed emot ions th e weepi ng, t h e c r y i n g, t h e m o u r n i n g, a n d t h e s ig h i n g w h i c h cr e at e d l o u d
noises in the encam pmen t. 13
C a m p meetings and other types of religious services were conducted regularly by M e t h o d i st s i n t h e
commu nity wh ere Joseph Sm ith li ved dur ing th e era of the Fir st Vision , and m any of these meetin gs
undoubtedly could have b een con sidered by an att ender su ch as Joseph Smi th as th e b e g in n i n g o r t h e
continuation of an u n u su a l re l ig i ou s excitement. On Jun e 19, 1818, for example, a camp m eeting was held
n e a r P a l m y r a w h i c h , a c co r d i n g t o o n e report, resulted in twenty baptisms and forty conversions to the
Methodist society. 14 The following summ er, many memo rable M eth odi st ser vi ces w ere hel d in Ph elp s,
a town located near Manchester. These meetings precipitated a powerful spiritual awakening i n t h at
section of western New York .
T h e historic gatheri ngs wh ich led to a great reviv al and creat ed such an impression on the settlers
in the town of Phelps began in July 1819, when the Methodists of the G enesee Conference held their
annual meetin gs in Phelp s village w hich w as then cal led Vi enna. Ap pro xim ately one h und red Methodist
ministers gathered in this small village during that summer to deliberate, to develop programs, to resolve
con tr ov ersi es, and to receive edification, instruction, and annual appointm ents. The sessions of this
conferen ce were held in a yellow clapbo ard m eetingh ouse, a n ew ly com pleted M ethod ist chu rch w hich
w as p a i n te d w i t h y e l lo w o c h r e an d c r ow n e d w i t h a diminutive cupola. A lthough this bui ldin g cont ained
n o classrooms, carpets, or cushions, fairly comfortable seats with backs were i n st a l le d sh o r t l y b e fo r e th e
conference began. 15
308
In additi on t o th e special serv ices wh ich w ere held in connecti on w ith th is conference, cam p m eetings
were conducted following the deliberations; and during the ensuing twelve months (from the summer of
1819 to th e sum mer of 1820) a "fl a m i n g s p ir i t u a l a d v an c e" o cc u r r ed i n t h at r e gi o n . In t h e 18 8 0' s , on e
convert of th at i m pr essiv e rev iv al, M rs. Sarepta Marsh Baker, d e sc r i be d th i s m o m e n t o u s a w a k e n i n g i n a
man ner that resembled Joseph's testimony . The revival, she observed, w a s a " r eligio us cy clone w hich
swept ov er the w hole region roun d about an d the ki ngdom of darkn ess was terribly shaken." 16
Since the boundaries of the Genesee Conference stretched from the Catskill Moun tains in the east
to Detroit in t h e west, a distance of about five hundred miles, and from Upper C anada in the north to
central P e n n sy l v a n i a in t h e so u t h , a d is t an c e o f ab o u t t h r ee h u n d r ed m i l e s, m a n y i t i n er a n t preachers--from
western New Yor k, n orthw estern Pennsy lvania, po rtion s of Canad a, Ohio , and other western
region s--trav eled through or near Palmy ra and Farmington in the summer of 1819. It was common for
th ose m i n i s te r s t o p r ea c h an d p a r t ic i p at e in c a m p m e et i n g s w h i l e t h ey w e r e t r a v el i n g t o a n d from their
annual conferences. It is not u nreasonab le, therefor e, to assume t hat Jo seph Smi th m ight have at tended
meetin gs conv ok ed by m inisters of this conference held immediately before, during, or shortly after the
d e li b e ra t i on s wh ich took place in Phelps; and it m ight have been i n conn ection w ith thi s event that Joseph
S m i t h t u r n ed h i s a t t en t i o n t o o r g an i z ed r e li g i on .
A contemporary of J o se p h Sm i t h , O r sa m u s Tu rner, con cluded that th e Mor mon Proph et became
excited about religion wh ile he w as attending a cam p m eeting h eld " a w a y d o w n i n t h e w o o d s , o n t h e
V i e n n a r o a d, " a r o a d t h at led from Phelps village. 17 This report of Joseph's catching a "spark of
Methodist fire" w hile at tendi ng a cam p m eeting n ear Ph elps, has been r ep e at e d b y s e v er a l to w n a n d
county hi sto ri ans a nd in ter pr eted as a m eeti ng h eld in and nea r P hel ps an d in O ak s C o r n ers, a small
comm unity located southeast of Phelps village in t he tow n of Phelps. 18
309
In the neighbo rhood wh ere Joseph lived, cam p m e e t in g s a n d other services conducted by M ethodists were
held s o fr e q u en t l y a t t h e tim e of the Fi rst Vi sion th at no tices of such gat herin gs seldom appear ed i n t h e
local newspapers except w h e n a n u n u su a l ev e n t oc cu r r e d i n c on n e ct i o n w i t h a p a r t ic u l ar . m e et i n g . I n Ju n e
1820, the Palmy ra Register reported on a Methodist camp m eeting in the vicinit y of Palmy ra because an
I r is h m a n , James Cou ser, died the day after attending the gathering at wh ich he became intoxicated. "It is
supposed," the editor com men ted, th at C ouser "obtained his liquor, which w as no doubt the cause of his
d e at h , at t h e C a m p -g r o u nd , w h e re i t i s a n o to r i o u s fact, the in tem perate, the lewd and dissolute part of
commu nity too freq uent ly resort for no b ett e r object, than to gratify t heir base propen sities." 19 A
quasi-apologetic clarification of this report was printed in a later edition of this paper in which the editor
stated th at w hen he w rote that C ouser "obtain ed his liquor at the C amp-groun d," he did not mean th at
t h e Irishman "obtained it within the enclosure of their [Methodist] place of w orshi p, or that h e procu red
it of them, but at the grog-shops which w ere established at, or near if y ou please, their cam p-ground." 20
Records Reveal Religious Excitement
N o t only is historical evidence available to s u p po r t J o se p h Sm i t h ' s t es t im o n y t h a t a n u n u su a l ex c i te m e n t
on the subject of religion commenced w ith the Methodists in the vicinity w h e r e h e l iv e d , b u t m a n y
records als o reveal that the excitement "soon became general among all the sects in that region of
country ." T h e r e w e r e t h r e e P r e sb y t e r i an c h u r ch e s i n t h e towns of F a r m i n gt o n a n d P a l m y r a i n 18 2 0: o n e
located in or n ear the village of Farm ington , one in East Palmy r a , an d a n o th e r i n P a l m y r a v i l la g e. T h e
Western Presby terian C hur ch w as th e on ly m eeti ngh ou se located in the village of Palmy ra at the time of
t h e First V ision an d w as the con gregatio n w ith w hich Lucy , Samuel, H yrum , and Sophronia were
affiliated un til sho rt ly befo re T he C hu rch of Je sus C hr ist o f Lat ter -day Sain ts w as or ga n i z ed . 21 T h ere
were also two Baptist meetinghouses in that area in 1820: one was located two m iles west of Palmyra
village ( t h e Palm y ra Baptist C hur ch) and on e near M anchester vi llage (the F arm ingt on B apti st C hu rch).
Members of the Society of Friends had erected three meetinghouses, one nort h of Palm y ra vill age and two
near t h e v il l a ge o f F a r m i n gt o n . T h e Met hodi sts had on e hou se of wo rship , a chu rch w hich they pur chased
from the Episcopalians in the village of C lift on Spr in gs, an d M eth odi st classes were being h eld in or n ear
Palmyra and M anchester villa ges at that tim e. In adjoi nin g tow ns, oth er P r o t es t an t denom inati ons such
as the Freewil l Baptists, Episcopalians, Con gregationalists, and Eastern C hristians w ere wo rshiping. 22
310
A n examination of Presby terian chur ch reco rds reveal s that b etw een th e sum mer of 1819 and the sum mer
of 1820 its m emb ers part icipated in the upsurge of spiritual fervor which took place in the region of
country w her e th e Sm ith family lived. In the fall of 1819 a great awakening erupted in the village of
Geneva, a comm unity l o c at e d n e a r P h e l ps an d a dj a ce n t to S en e ca L a k e. W h e r e as th e average increase in
memb ership of the Presbyterian Church in Geneva by examination (admission of new conv erts) had b een
only nine ann ually from 1812 to 1819, the increase in membership by examination from July 1819 to July
1820 w as eighty . In Septem ber 1819 tw enty -three adul ts w ere bapt ized, an d in O ctober 1819
approximately fifty new members (who had not previously been Presbyterians) were received into this
church. 23
311
A n examination of the session r ecords of th e Presby terian C hur ch locat ed at O aks C orn ers pro vides
furth er e v i de n ce t h at a n u n u su a l aw a k e n i n g w as occu r r i n g i n t h e r e gi o n w h e r e J o se p h l iv e d du r i n g th e
m o n t h s imm ediately preceding the First Vision. The average annual increase in m emb ership of this ch urch
betw een 1 8 06 a n d 1819 had been only five, with no more than nine new members being admitted by
profession i n a n y s in g l e y e a r p r i or t o 1 82 0 . I n 18 2 0, h o w e v er , se v en w e re admi t t ed by pr ofession in
January, f if t ee n i n A p r i l, si x i n A u g u st , a n d two in No vember, mak ing a total of thirty additions to this
small congregatio n. 24
Revivals among Presbyterians not only erupted in the village of Geneva and the town of Phelps in
1819 and 1820 , but dur ing th ese year s awak enin gs occurr ed in Penfield, Rochester, Lima, W est Bloomfield
a n d Ju ni us, to w ns o r v ill ages l oca ted w ith in a ra diu s of tw ent y -five m ile s of the Smit h f ar m . W i t h i n a
r a di u s of f o rty -five mil es of Joseph' s log cabin hom e, other significant "ingath erings" of Presbyt erians
occur red in C ayu ga, Au burn , Au rora, Tr um ansbu rg (U ly sses), O g d e n , E as t a n d W e st R i g a , B e rg e n , a n d
L e Roy ; and prospects o f re v i va l s w e r e r ep o r t ed i n W a t er l o o an d Can andaigua, m eaning that i n these areas
there w as probably an unu sual religious excitem ent. 25
Al thou gh member sh ip reco rds of the P resby terian C hur ch of Far mi ngto n and Palm y ra vil lages
d a t in g back to 1820 h ave no t been pr eserv ed an d m em ber shi p fig ur es ar e no t av ail abl e for th e M eth odi st
classes h eld in the n eighborhood w here Joseph lived, presbytery records and reports of growth in
Methodist circuits are available. When representatives of
[im ages]
314
t h e Presby terian churches assembled in Phelps in February 1820 members of the presbytery of Geneva
repor ted t h a t "D u r i n g the past year more have been received into the com mu nion o f the Ch urches than
perhaps i n a n y f or m e r y e a r ," a n d th e w or d "p erh aps" has been crossed out in the original record. At this
m e e t in g it was also reported that two hundred were added to the churches by examination and eighty-five
by certificate (transfer of membership), and only sixteen of the twenty-three churches in this presbytery
reported, Palm y ra and Farm ingto n bein g tw o of the s ev e n c h u r ches w hich failed to r eport . 26 Even
thou gh M eth odi st r ecor ds in dic ate th at t her e w as no in cre ase in the O ntario C ircuit in 1820, in that y ear
mem bership in t he Ly ons C ircuit do ubled, in creasing from 374 to 654. 27
Eviden ce that Baptists in th e region of country w here Joseph lived prospered from the religious
stirrin gs is found in the membership reports of t he Bapt ist C hur ch of Far mi ngto n loca ted a few mi les
south of the S m i t h farm. Baptist Church m embership figures indicate that twenty-two converts were
added to th is co ngr egat io n i n 18 19, w hi ch w as a sig ni fican t gr ow th for a ch ur ch c on sist ing of only 8 7
mem bers in 1818. 28
Freewill Bap tist s also reported a.n advancement of spiritual sensitivity in the vicinity of New York
where Joseph l ived at t he t ime of the Fir st Vision. A quarterl y meeting o f memb ers of this society w as
held in Phelp s in July 1819 at wh ich tim e "a profitable season was enjoyed" and five were added to their
society. A few m onths later Freewill Bap tist s in Ju ni us, a to w n l oca ted east o f Ph elp s, reported a revi val
in t h e ir c o m m u n i t y ; a n d in th e au tu m n o f 1820 fifte en w ere add ed t o t hei r so ciet y . St ri fe a n d co n t e n ti o n ,
however, erupted among these Protestants; and some of the newly awakened souls were dismissed from
the Baptist society, forming a nondenominational church in Junius and "taking the Scriptures for their
only rule of faith and pr actice." 29
In the fall o f 1819, Bisho p Joh n H enry H obar t, an Ep iscopali an bi shop, visited w estern N ew York
a n d rece iv ed "e nco ur agi ng r epo rt s" fro m m issio nar ies la bo ri ng i n P hel ps, W aterloo, Bergen, L e Roy , and
man y other to wn s of western N ew Y ork . 30
315
Eastern Christians also benefited from the increased religious fervor wh ich excited many settlers in
western New York following the War of 1812. One of the leaders of this restorationist movement, David
Millar d, preached frequently in W est Bloomfield and or ganized a chur ch in th at village in O ctober 1818
with sixteen m emb ers. A few m ont hs after the inception of this religio us society , m emb ership increased
to abou t fifty. 31
Revival is Conversion From Darkness to Light
Al thou gh membership records provide one indication of r e l ig i o u s a c ti v i t y i n a comm unity , occasionally
an unu sual rel igiou s excitem ent occu rred in a ne igh bo rh oo d w ith ou t r esul tin g in an i m m edi ate in cre ase
in church mem bership. Periodically, th ere w as a ren ew al o f rel igi ou s ferv or am on g ch ur ch m em ber s.
Som etim es m a n y s ee k e r s w e r e co n v e r te d to t h e basic teachings of Christianity bu t postponed uniting with
o n e of th e rel igi ou s soci eti es lo cat ed n ear th eir ho m es, an d so m e c o n v er t s n ever di scovered w hat th ey
regarded a s G o d ' s t r u e church. Some "outpourings of the Spirit" have vanished from mank ind's memory
beca use a c on t e m p o r ar y f a i le d to r e co r d t h e "extension of the power of godliness" or because the primary
source was not preserved. As one A merican of the early R epublic asserted, a "revival of religion" is "the
t r a n sl a t io n " of a considerable num ber of souls in th e sam e con gre gat io n o r n eigh bo rh oo d "fr om dar k ness
to light, and from bondage of iniquity to the glorious liberty of the sons of God," which is "attended with
an a w a k e n i n g sense of sin and with a change of temper and conduct, which cannot be easily concealed."
32
M a n y valu able ecclesiastica l records datin g back to th e early nin eteenth centu ry have al so been
preserv ed th at v in dic ate Jo seph Sm ith 's te st i m o n y c o n c er n i n g th e " w h o l e d i st r i ct o f c o u n t ry " b e i n g
affected by the spiritu al awak ening of 1819 -1 8 20 a n d " g re a t m u l t i t u d es " u n i t i n g " t h em s e lv e s t o t h e
d i ff er e n t religious parties." A careful reading of the Proph et's account in dicates that the great increase in
memb ership occurred in "the whole district of coun try ," m eanin g possibly w estern N ew York or eastern
a n d western New York and not necessarily Palmy ra, Farm ingt o n , o r ju s t th e n ei g h b or h o o d w h e r e h e
lived. J o se p h u n do u b t ed l y l e ar n e d th a t m a n y r e v iv a l s w e r e o cc u r r i ng i n N e w Y o r k i n 1819 and 1820.
Acco u nt s of the most impressive and productive religious quickenings were widely circulated by
pr each ers, travel ing m erchan ts and n ew spapers. In th e sum mer and ear ly fall of 1820, for exam ple,
descriptive accounts of awak enings occurring in central and u pstate N e w Y o r k w e r e p u b l i sh e d in t h e
Palmy ra Register, a paper w hich accordin g to O rsamus T urner the Smit h family obtained r egularly . 33
T h e June 7, 1820 , issu e car ri ed a b ri ef rep or t o f "Gr eat R evi val s in R eli gio n" i n t he e aster n p art of t h e
state. T hi s rev iv al w as m or e fu ll y rep or ted on in a la ter issu e. In t h is later rep ort t he Pal my ra pap er
a n n o u n ce d th a t "t h e face o f th e cou nt ry has b een w on der ful ly cha nge d of l ate ." L ast summer as a result
of a pow erful r evival forty w ere added to th e ch ur ch a t Sa rat oga Spr in gs. S h o r tl y t h e r ea ft e r an a w a k e n i n g
ki ndled the settlers of Malta and Stillwater, where in the lat ter tow n about tw o hundr ed were converted.
A t Bal lsto n, 118 w ere add ed t o t he c hu rch du ri ng t w o co m m un io n ser vi ces. A t East Galw ay, w i th in tw o
m o n t h s , at l east 150 were "hopefully" converted; at Amsterdam, fifty m embers had been added recently
to t h e ch u r c h ; an d , t h e report concluded, at Nassau, thirty settlers had been con verted in less than thr ee
week s. 34 And in still a different article the readers of the Palmy ra Register learned that more than two
hun dred peo pl e ha d be en c on ver ted sin ce th e fir st of the y ear durin g a great spiritual vital izatio n w hich
was anim ating the settlers of H omer . 35
316
Presby terian Church records provide o ne o f the mo st valuable insights int o the extent and num erical
consequ ences of the great awak ening which transformed N ew Y ork into an ecclesiastical storm center
d u r i n g the years following the termination of the War of 1 8 12 , i n cl u d i n g t h e y ears 1819 and 1820. A fter
delegates f r om P r e sb y t e r i an ch urches located throughout th e United States gathered in Philadelphia in
M ay , 1820, they prepared their annual report on the state of religion for the preceding year. "It is with
gratitude and heart-felt joy," the delegates asserted, that "the past has b een a y ear of sig nal and alm ost
unpreceden ted mer cy " as far as "genuin e religio us revi vals" are co ncern ed. W hen t he com mi ttee
enum erated t h e a r ea s w h e r e "t h e m o st c op i o u s of these effusions of the Spi rit" h ad been ex perien ced, they
specified eight pres-by ter ies, six o f w h i c h w e r e lo c at e d i n N e w Y o r k . T h e n t h e y d e sc r i be d th e
c o n gr e ga t i on s w h e r e t h e m o s t si g n i fi c an t r e vi v a ls w e r e o c cu r r i n g . T w e n t y - t w o c o n gr e ga t i on s were listed,
nin eteen of w hich were located in N ew Y ork, in cluding Geneva, H omer, Sm ithfield, Utica, Whitesboro,
N ew Hartford, Clinton, C o operstow n, Sherbu rne, Pleasant Val ley, Stillw ater, M alta, Ballstow n, Galw ay,
Schenectady , Am sterdam, M arlboro , and H opew ell. 36
Reviv al "Fruit s" in 1820
317
T h e r e p o rt o f t h e General Assembly for the y ear ending 1820 indicates that th e great New Yor k revi val
conti nued during the year of the First Vision. In fact, the "fruits" o f the 1820 reviv als w ere con sidered
more "nu m ero us, extensive, and blessed" than in any previous year. A w a k e n i n g s o c cu r r i n g i n fi ft y - fo u r
c o n gr e ga t i on s in New York were specifically m entioned, and this enum eration did n ot inclu de a special
report on the revivals in the presbytery of Albany w here "one thousand four h u n d r e d" w e r e a d de d to t h e
Presby terian chu rches. 37
Presby terian C h u r c h m e m b e r sh i p fi g u r es co m p i l ed b y t h e General Assembly also reveal that there
w as n o t o n l y a si g n i fi c an t i n cr e as e i n m e m b e r sh i p i n N ew Y ork in 1819, b ut th at ther e w as a greater
in cre ase there than in any other state. During the year preceding the First Vision, the natio nal in cre ase
in Presbyterian Church m embership was approximately 6,500, and the increase in New York state alone
w as 2,250, representing 35 percent o f the national t otal. But w hat is most significant here is the fact that
more t h a n 67 p er c en t o r 1 ,5 1 3 o f th e 2 ,2 5 0 N e w Y o r k c o n v e r t s c a m e f r om t h e Burned-over District. This
is 23 percent of the nation al total. 38
318
Mem bership summaries for t h e Presbyterian C hurch in w estern N ew Y ork for 1820 indicate a decline in
membership; the decline is probably due to failure of man y Presby terian ch urch es to report . A ltho ugh
Meth odi st reports for the region show a decline in 1819, probably because of the reorganization of the
Methodist circuits, Methodist m em ber shi p fig ur es for 1820 , in dic ate th at d ur in g th e y ear of th e Fi rst
Vision there was an increase of 2,256 members in western New York . This was the lar gest a nn ua l in cre ase
repor ted by this grou p for th at region of Am erica. 39
The Baptists were also increasing rapidly in m embership in w estern New Yor k at the time Joseph
beheld his remarkable vision. At a triennial meeting of the Baptists held in P h i l ad e lp h i a in 1 8 20 , 83 o f t h e
145 association s repor ted bap tism s for the y ear 1819. A ltho ugh only ten associati ons or 12 percen t o f th e
allian ces of chur ches w hich reported were located in New Y ork, these groups recorded 26 percent of the
bap tism s. In the Em pire St ate, the most significant increases were noted by associations located west of
t h e Catskill M ountains. Madison disclosed 506 bap tism s (mo re th an an y oth er Bap tist associ atio n);
C a y u g a , 474; H o l l a n d Pur chase, 262; F rank lin, 183; and Genesee, 147. C onsequ ently , in fiv e w estern N ew
Yor k Bapti st associations, ther e was an incr ease of mor e than 1,500 for the y ear 1819. 40
W hen Calvinist Baptists described the reg i o n w here som e of the m ost pow erful r evival s occurr ed
in 1 8 20 , t h ey r e p o r t ed a p ro f ou n d e n h an c em e n t o f r e li g io u s sensitivity in M adison, Onan daga, Cortlan d,
a n d Chenango counties, where Baptists of central New York h ad formed the Madison Association. About
January 1, a spiritual e n l i v enm ent com menced in Ho mer an d continu ed during m uch of the y ear. By
August, mor e than on e hundr ed converts had join ed t h e Baptist soci ety in H om er, abo ut o ne hu ndred
had uni ted w i t h t h e Ba p t is t s i n T r u x t o n , an d o t h er s ig n i fi c an t a dd i t io n s w ere m ade in t he societi es located
in N elson, V irgil , Preb le, and Scipio . A not her "ex tensive r evival " w hich r e ac h ed a p ea k i n t h e spring of
1820 took place in the town of Smithfield, w here eighty -four joi ned the Baptist society in Peterbo ro and
fifty-four in Silo am. T he Baptists also repo rted th at man y conver ts wer e joinin g C o n g r e ga t i on a l an d
Presby terian churches located in central New Y ork. The Seventh-day Baptists noted that great numbers
wer e joining th eir society in Alfred, a com mu nity located southw est of Joseph's hom e. 41
319
O n e w itn ess of t he great aw akening w hich erupted in H omer w rote a colorful description of this
mov ement in wh ich he testified that all classes in society w ere affected by the great and powerful work
w hich had brok en forth. Som e, he said, wh o had previously m ade a confession of religion again search ed
their he a r ts, resulting in second rebir th. O thers for the first time "fell un der the pow er of truth and
exclaimed, ' W hat shall w e do?' O f this class," he observed, "were a great company of the you th of both
sexe s. The principal means of a w a k e n i n g, " h e c o n t in u e d , w e r e t h e " e xh o r t a ti o n s o f th e pious, the pathetic
e x p o st u l a ti o n s of young converts, and the preaching of the Gospel." Th e revival, he added, w as
distin guished by its great sol emn ity and or der, for there w as "scarce a feature of enthusiasm or blind zeal
visible . . . It ought to b e recorded," this w itness concluded, "to the h onor o f Divine grace, that i n m a n y
instan ces pray er" was "m ost signally and speedily answered; w hether it w as for the conversion of a sinner,
or the com fort of a sain t un der pecu liar t rials. It h as been full y man ifested, that tho se wh o ask e t h ,
receiveth." 42
Chu rch record s, new spapers, rel igiou s journ als, and o ther contemporary sources clearly reveal that
great awakenings occurred in more than fifty w estern New York towns or villages during the revival of
1819-1820. Primary sources also specify that great multitudes joined the Methodist, Pres b y t e ri a n , a n d
C alv in ist Baptist societ ies in the region of country w here Joseph Smith lived; and significant additions
were also made in w estern New Yor k com mu nities by the C ongregation al church, the C hristian
denom ination , the Freew ill and Seventh -day Baptist societies, and other Pr otestant faiths. 43
Summary
320
W hile summarizin g the spiritual quickenings that awakened Am erica into a new realit y o f the divinity
of C hri st, one edi tor d eclared in 1820 th at ther e we r e cu r r e n tl y m o r e r ep o r t s o f r e v iv a l s i n r el i gi o u s
p u b l i ca t i on s than in any previou s era. 44 Al thou gh this spir itua l phen om enon w as certain ly not lim ited
to N e w Y o rk , this state, especially the area stretchin g from A lbany to Buffalo, w as the ecclesiastical storm
center of Am erica at the time one of the most rem arkable visions w as unfolded to mank ind.
T h e most reliable sources of the early nineteenth century show that Joseph Smith's brief description
of the historical setting of the First Vision is in harmony w ith other contemporary accounts of the
r e li g io u s excitem ent w hich took place in the ar ea w here h e lived an d of the gr eat revi val w hich conti nued
in New York in 1819 and 1820. Indeed, t h e Mo rmo n Prop het penned a r eliable description of an
a w a k e n i n g which occurred in the Burned-over Di st r i c t at the time he launched his quest for religious
truth.
Dr. Backm an is associate professor of history and religion at Brigham Yo ung U niversity. H is Am erican
Religions and the R ise of Mormon ism (1965) is a landmark in the field.
N otes
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
Mil ton V. Back man, J r., A meri can Rel igion s and the R ise of Mor moni sm (Salt La ke C ity , 1965), pp. 283, 308-309.
Whi tney R. C ross, Th e Burned-over Distri ct (Ithaca, 1950), pp. 3-4.
Ibid., pp. 9-11; P. H. Fowler, H istorical Sketch of Presbyterianism Within th e Bounds of the Synod of Central New York
(Utica, 1877), pp. 167-68. Presbyterian church membership in western New York (based on the membership reports of the
Geneva, Cay uga, Oneida, Onandoga, Ontario, Niagara, Rochester, Genesee, and Bath presbyteries) increased slowly from
1812 to 1816, the average annual increase being about five hundred members per year. In 1816, Presbyterian membership
in western N ew Yor k incr eased 1,050; in 1817, t he incr ease was 1,989; i n 1818, 1,516; and in 1819, the reported increase was
1,513. Since the report for 1819 did not include the membership of the Genesee presbytery , the increase in 1819 was
probably greater than any previous year except for 1817. Methodist increase in membership in approximately the same
region (based on membership reports of the Chenango, Oneida, and Genesee districts and the districts formed from these
bodi es) indicates that there was an increase in membership in 1816 of 1,873; of 1,613 in 1817; and of 2,154 in 1818. After a
major realignment occurred in the districts in 1819, membership reports reveal that during the year 1820 another significant
incr ease in mem bership took place, there b eing an in crease of 2,256. Minutes of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian
Church in the Uni ted States of America from its Or ganization A .D. 1789 to A.D. 1820 inclusive (Philadelphia, n.d.), pp.
516, 574-75, 634-35, 667, 696, 742; Minutes Taken at the Several A nnual C onferences of the Meth odist Episcopal C hurch
(New York, 1816), p. 34, her eafter refer red t o as M etho dist M inu tes; Methodi st Minu tes (1817), p. 29; Methodist M inutes
(1818), p. 30; Met hodist M inut es A1819), p. 36; M ethodi st Min utes (1820), p. 27; M ethodi st Min utes (1821), pp. 27-28.
Cr oss, Burned-over Distri ct, p. 13.
The town of Manchester was formed from Farmington on March 31, 1821. It was originally named "Burt," but the name
was changed to Manchester on A pril 16, 1822. Horatio Gates Spafford, A Gazett eer of the State of New York (Albany,
1824), pp. 302-303; Hamilton C hild, Gazetteer and Business Directory of Ont ar io C ou nt y , N ew Yo rk , for 1867-8 (Syracu se,
1867), p. 49.
Pearl of Great Pr ice (Salt L ake C ity : The C hurch of Jesus Ch rist of Lat ter-day Saints, 1952), p. 46.
An excellent description of the Methodist circuit rider system is found in an article relating the history of Methodism in
Connecticut. The program adopted in Connecticut was similar to the system existent in New York at the t im e of the Fir st
Vision. See William Thacher, "A Sketch of the Hi story and P resen t Stat e of Me thod ism i n C onne ctic ut, " Th e Met hodi st
Magaz ine, V ol. 5 (Jan uary , 1822), pp. 33-38.
Palmyra C ourier, August 17, 1866; Palmyr a: Wayne C ounty (Rochester , 1907), p. 51; G. A. Tuttle, "H istorical Sketch of
the Palmyra Methodist Episcopal Church," copy located in the Palmyra King's Dau ghters Free Library; Files of the
Shortsville Enterprise Press, November 24, 1883; December 19, 1902, located in Shortsville, New York.
Meth odist M inut es (1819), p. 51. From July 1820, to July 1821, the Ontario Circuit was supplied by Thomas Wright and
Elihu N ash. Met hodist M inut es (1820), p. 44.
Cha rles Giles, Pioneer: A Narrative of the Nativity, Experiences, Travels, and Ministerial Labours of Revelati on Ch arles
Giles (New York, 1844), pp. 266-270; "Religious and M issio nar y In tell igen ce," T he M etho dist Magazine, Vol. 2 (December,
1819), pp. 474-476; Eben Smith, "Progress of the Work of God on Hudson-River District," The Methodist Magazine, Vol.
5 (December , 1822), pp. 474-475; Palm yr a Regi ster, Ju ne 28, 1820; Jul y 5, 1820.
Theophilus Ar men ius , "A ccou nt o f the R ise a nd P rog ress of the Work of God in the West ern C oun try ," T he M etho dist
Magazine, Vol. 2 (July, 1819), p. 272; Thomas Madden, "Good Effects of C amp meet ings, " Th e Met hodi st Magazine, Vol.
1 {1818), pp. 152-153.
"Genesee C onference, " The M ethodi st Magaz ine, V ol. 7 (A ugust, 1826), p. 313.
Gil es, Pioneer, p. 268; R. Smith, Recollections of Nettl eton, an d the Grea t Revi val of 1820 (A lbany , 1848), pp. 31-33, 71,
74, 123; T. Spicer, "A Short Sketch of the R evival of R eligion i n the C ity of Troy , A.D. 1816," T he Method ist Magazi ne,
Vol. 1 (1818), pp . 152-153.
M. P. Blakeslee, "Notes for a History of Methodism in Phelps, 1886," p. 7, copy located in the Brigham Young University
library.
Ibid., pp. 6-7; "Journal of the Genesee Conferen ce, 1810 to 1828," pp. 76-84, copy located in the Brigham Young University
library; Helen P ost Ridl ey, W hen Phelps W as Young (Phel ps, 1939), p. 55; [W. H . McIntosh], H istory of Ontari o Co., New
York (Phil adelphi a, 1876), p. 170.
Blakesl ee, "Hi story of Metho dism i n Phel ps," pp. 7-8.
O. Turner, H istory of the Pio neer Settl ement o f Phelps and G orham 's Pu rchase, an d Mor ris' Reserve (Rochester , 1852 ),
p. 214.
Ch ild, Ga zetteer , p. 52; M abel E. Oa ks, H istory of Oak s Cor ners C hurch and C omm unit y (Ph elps, 1954), p. 11.
Palm yr a Regi ster, Ju ne 28, 1820.
Ibid., Ju ly 5, 1820.
"Records of the Session of th e Presby teria n chur ch in P almy ra," Vo l. 2, pp. 11-12, located in the Western Presbyterian
Church, Palmy ra, New Y ork; Pearl of Great Price, p. 47; [Sarah Lines], One Hundred and Twenty-Five Years of the
Wester n Presby teria n C hurch (Palm yr a, 1942), pp. 1-2; McInto sh, Hi story of Ontar io C ounty , p. 195.
Minu tes of the Fifty-Eighth Anniversary of the Ontario Baptist Association (Canandaigua, 1871), pp. 13-16; Wayne County
Journal, June 6, 1872; Fred G. Reynolds, One Hundred Years' History of the First Baptist Church of Macedon, N.Y.
(Macedon, n. d.), pp. 4-5; McIntosh, Hist ory of Ontar io C ounty , pp. 111-113, 176, 180-182, 194, 221, 264; Marilla Mark s ed.,
Mem oirs of th e Life of Davi d Mar ks (Dover , N.H ., 1846), p. 26.
Records of the C hur ch of C hri st in Genev a, Sta te of New York ," pp. 146-156, 158-159, 136-138, lo cated in t he Fi rst
Presbyterian Church, Geneva, New York; "Mi nutes of the Session, 1819-1826," pp. 260-286, located in the First Presbyterian
Church, Geneva, New York.
"Sessio n Book of the F irst Presbyterian Church i n Phelps," Book II, pp. 11-19, located in the Presbyterian C hurch, Oaks
Corners, New York.
Extracts from the Minutes of the Gener al A ssembly , of the Presby terian C hurch, i n the U nited States of Am erica
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
43.
44.
(Philadelphia, 1821), p. 22; "Records of the Sy nod of Geneva (1812-1835)," pp. 183, 220-221, copy located in the Brigham
Young Un iver sity lib rar y; "Re cord s of the Presbytery of Geneva," Book C, p. 37, copy located in the Brigham Young
Un iversi ty libr ary ; J. Jem ain Po rter, Hist ory of the Presby tery of Geneva 1805-1889 (Geneva, 1889), p. 25.
"Recor ds of the Presby tery of Geneva," Boo k C , pp. 37-38.
Meth odist M inut es (1820), p. 27; Meth odist M inut es (1821), p. 27.
Minutes of the Ontar io Baptist A ssociation (C anandaigua , 1818), p. 3; Minu tes of the Ontar io Baptist A ssociation (New
York , 1819), p. 2.
Mark s, Mem oirs of th e Life of Davi d Mar ks, p. 26.
Ch arles W ells H aye s, The Di ocese of Wester n New York (Rochester , 1904), p. 53.
McIntosh, Hist ory of Ontar io C ounty , p. 221.
Wm . Nei ll, "T hought s on Revi vals of Re ligi on," T he C hristi an H erald, Vol. 7 (A pril 7, 1821), pp. 708-711.
Tur ner, H istory of the Pio neer Settl ement, p. 214.
Palm yr a Regi ster, Septem ber 13, 1820.
Ibid., A ugust 16, 1820.
Extracts from the Mi nutes of the General Assembl y (1820), pp .321-322.
Extracts from the Mi nutes of the General Assembl y (1821), pp .22-23.
Min utes of the Gen eral A ssembly (1820), pp.742-743.
Alth ough there w ere signi ficant i ncreases in 1820 in the O nondaga and Oneida presbyteries, the report of the General
Assembly for that year indicates a combined decline of more than 2,584 in the Cay uga and Geneva presbyteries with only
a reduction of two churches in these presbyteries, indicating that many churches in these presbyt eries failed to submit
reports in 1821; and tw o presby teries, Genesee and Niagara, failed to report. Minutes of the General Assembly (1820), p.
742; Minutes of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A., from A.D. 1821 to A.D. 1835 Inclusive
(Phil adelphi a, n.d.), p. 4; Met hodist M inut es (1821), pp. 27-28.
Proceedings of the Baptist General Conventi on in the United States, at their Second Triennial Meeting, and the Sixth Annual
Repor t of the Boar d of Mana gers (Phil adelphi a, 1820), pp. 308-309.
"Revivals of Religion," The Western New York Baptist Magazine, Vol. 3 (1820), pp. 60, 90-94, 119-123; Minutes of the
Seventh-day Baptist Gen eral C onference (N ew Bru nswi ck, 1820), p. 5; "Revivals of Religion," Religious Intelligencer, Vol.
4 (Februa ry -May, 1820), pp. 570, 668, 699, 717, 751, 770, 822-823; Vol . 5 (September , 1820), pp. 218, 222.
Alfred Bennet, "R evival of Reli gion i n Ho mer," The W estern N ew Y ork Baptist M agazin e, Vol. 3 (Novem ber, 1820), pp.
119-121.
For additional information on the Great Reviv al of 1819-1820 in New York see R. Smith, Recollections of Nettleton; P. H.
Fowler, Histor ical Sket ch of Presbyterianism; Joshua Bradley, Accounts of Religious Reviv als in ma ny parts of the U nited
States from 1815 to 1818 (Albany, 1819); and James H. Hotchk in, History of the Purchase and Settlement of Western New
York (New York , 1848).
"Revi vals of Re ligi on," T he W estern N ew Y ork Baptist M agazin e, Vol. 3 (Augu st, 1820), p. 91.