2nd Great Awakening

What did you learn about the Second Great Awakening that helps you appreciate or understand Joseph Smith's first vision?

With regards to the Restoration, it might be easy to isolate it from the times in which it occurred. The longer time continues, the further we get from that wonderful occurrence. The Restoration did not happen in a vacuum, however, and learning about the environment in which it did occur provided me with a better understanding of what prompted Joseph Smith to seek answers to prayer, and also helped me to see what type of climate our Heavenly Father chose for the commencement of the final dispensation.

In the Pearl of Great Price account given by Joseph Smith, he relates that he felt himself in a “tumult” of words, in a sort of religious battleground. While this has registered with me prior to learning to about the Second Great Awakening, I did not quite grasp the extent of his struggle. For me, I thought it was more akin to the situation that people of the current generation find themselves in. For example, today, there are many faiths and churches, and many of them compete with actively compete with each other. This was also the case in Joseph Smith’s time, but it was much more energetic than what we experience today. There was almost a craze, a fanatic preoccupation with religion. While many people today define himself or herself by the religion they adhere to, people also define themselves by many other meters, such as occupation, regional affiliations, hobbies, schools, music, etc. In Smith’s time, it appears, at least in certain areas, that the church to which he or she belonged determined one’s identity.

What is most interesting is that God chose to restore his Church in such a climate. In some regards, this makes sense: people were seeking to learn about religion, there was a great deal of excitement about it, and people were willing to dedicate their lives entirely to their faith. For some of the same reasons, it seems almost counterintuitive to restore the Church at this time. If a Five Guys, Smash Burger, and In and Out Burger all open up in 1 mile radius, it doesn’t seem like the best time or place to open up a start-up hamburger joint. God works in mysterious ways, I guess.