The official version of Joseph Smith’s first vision reads, in part:
Joseph Smith said, “After I had retired to the place where I had previously designed to go, having looked around me, and finding myself alone, I kneeled down and began to offer up the desires of my heart to God. I had scarcely done so, when immediately I was seized upon by some power which entirely overcame me, and had such an astonishing influence over me as to bind my tongue so that I could not speak. Thick darkness gathered around me, and it seemed to me for a time as if I were doomed to sudden destruction. But, exerting all my powers to call upon God to deliver me out of the power of this enemy which had seized upon me, and at the very moment when I was ready to sink into despair and abandon myself to destruction—not to an imaginary ruin, but to the power of some actual being from the unseen world, who had such marvelous power as I had never before felt in any being—just at this moment of great alarm, I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me. It no sooner appeared than I found myself delivered from the enemy which held me bound. When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!” (JS-H 1: 15-17)
Joseph wrote other accounts of his first vision, in which the pillar of light was described instead as a “pillar of fire” or “pillar of flame.”
When Moroni appeared to Joseph the first time, this is how he described the visit:
Joseph Smith said, “While I was thus in the act of calling upon God, I discovered a light appearing in my room, which continued to increase until the room was lighter than at noonday, when immediately a personage appeared at my bedside, standing in the air, for his feet did not touch the floor. He had on a loose robe of most exquisite whiteness. It was a whiteness beyond anything earthly I had ever seen; nor do I believe that any earthly thing could be made to appear so exceedingly white and brilliant. His hands were naked, and his arms also, a little above the wrist; so, also, were his feet naked, as were his legs, a little above the ankles. His head and neck were also bare. I could discover that he had no other clothing on but this robe, as it was open, so that I could see into his bosom. Not only was his robe exceedingly white, but his whole person was glorious beyond description, and his countenance truly like lightning. The room was exceedingly light, but not so very bright as immediately around his person. When I first looked upon him, I was afraid; but the fear soon left me. ” (JS-H 1: 30-32)
Plasma discharges in three ways, or modes. There is the glow mode, which is how the Sun operates. There is the arc mode, which is how lightning discharges. And then there is the dark mode, which is a discharge that does not give off visible light. The way the First Vision is described, it sounds like glow mode discharging was taking place. The way Moroni’s angelic visit is described, it sounds like arc mode discharging was taking place. And the way Satan’s visit was described, it sounds like dark mode discharging was taking place. (Read The Electric Universe: Part II Discharges and Scars for more information on the three modes of plasma currents.)
Interestingly enough, Joseph’s description of both a pillar of fire and a pillar of light are typical of the glow mode of plasma. We all readily admit that the Sun appears to be glowing, but if you take a close look at it through modern equipment, it also looks like fire. In fact, it looks like pillars or tornadoes of fire. (See the article Solar Tornadoes on the Thunderbolts.info web site and the latest SOHO images to see the Sun’s fiery appearance.)
To get an idea of just how bright plasma discharges in the glow mode can be, check out the following YouTube videos:
European Sulphur Plasma 1300W+
SULPHUR PLASMA THE SUN ON EARTH
Sulphur Plasma 1st in Switzerland
Next Plasma Theology article: Introducing another LDS plasma theologue
Previous Plasma Theology article: The Noachian Flood, Part Three: Oceans above, below and within
LDS Anarchy 