Joseph Smith

1771 - 1840  (69 years)  Submit Photo / Document    Has more than 100 ancestors and more than 100 descendants in this family tree.

• Name	Joseph Smith
  Birth	12 Jul 1771	Topsfield, Essex, Massachusetts, United States
  Gender	Male
  Death	14 Sep 1840	Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois, United States
  Burial	15 Sep 1840	Smith Family Cemetery, Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois, United States
  Initiatory (LDS)	10 Apr 1877	SGEOR
  FamilySearch ID	KWJR-TC1
  Headstones	Submit Headstone Photo
  Person ID	I50821	mytree
  Last Modified	25 Feb 2024

  
  

  Father	Asael Smith,   b. 7 Mar 1744, Topsfield, Essex, Massachusetts, United States d. 31 Oct 1830, Stockholm, St. Lawrence, New York, United States (Age 86 years)
  Mother	Mary Elizabeth Duty,   b. 11 Oct 1743, Rowley, Essex, Massachusetts, United States d. 27 May 1836, Kirtland, Lake, Ohio, United States (Age 92 years)
  Marriage	12 Feb 1767	Topsfield, Essex, Massachusetts, United States
  Family ID	F18896	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Lucy Mack,   b. 8 Jul 1775, Gilsum, Cheshire, New Hampshire, United States d. 14 May 1856, Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois, United States (Age 80 years)
  Marriage	24 Jan 1796	Tunbridge, Orange, Vermont, United States
  Children	1. Son Smith,   b. 1797, Tunbridge, Orange, Vermont, United States d. 1797, Tunbridge, Orange, Vermont, United States (Age 0 years)   2. Daughter Smith,   b. 1797, Tunbridge, Orange, Vermont, United States d. 1797, Tunbridge, Orange, Vermont, United States (Age 0 years)   3. Alvin Smith,   b. 11 Feb 1798, Tunbridge, Orange, Vermont, United States d. 19 Nov 1823, Palmyra, Wayne, New York, United States (Age 25 years) + 4. Hyrum Smith,   b. 9 Feb 1800, Tunbridge, Orange, Vermont, United States d. 27 Jun 1844, Carthage, Hancock, Illinois, United States (Age 44 years) + 5. Sophronia Smith,   b. 17 May 1803, Tunbridge, Orange, Vermont, United States d. 28 Oct 1876, Colchester, McDonough, Illinois, United States (Age 73 years) + 6. Samuel Harrison Smith,   b. 13 Mar 1808, Tunbridge, Orange, Vermont, United States d. 30 Jul 1844, Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois, United States (Age 36 years)   7. Ephraim Smith,   b. 13 Mar 1810, Tunbridge, Orange, Vermont, United States d. 24 Mar 1810, Royalton, Windsor, Vermont, United States (Age 0 years) + 8. William B Smith,   b. 13 Mar 1811, Royalton, Windsor, Vermont, United States d. 13 Nov 1893, Osterdock, Clayton, Iowa, United States (Age 82 years) + 9. Katherine Smith,   b. 28 Jul 1813, Lebanon, Grafton, New Hampshire, United States d. 1 Feb 1900, Fountain Green, Hancock, Illinois, United States (Age 86 years) + 10. Don Carlos Smith,   b. 25 Mar 1816, Norwich, Windsor, Vermont, United States d. 7 Aug 1841, Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois, United States (Age 25 years) + 11. Lucy Smith,   b. 18 Jul 1821, Manchester, Ontario, New York, United States d. 9 Dec 1882, Colchester, McDonough, Illinois, United States (Age 61 years) + 12. Joseph Smith, Jr,   b. 23 Dec 1805, Sharon, Windsor, Vermont, United States d. 27 Jun 1844, Carthage, Hancock, Illinois, United States (Age 38 years)
  Family ID	F18895	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	2 Jun 2024

  
  

• Event Map

  Birth - 12 Jul 1771 - Topsfield, Essex, Massachusetts, United States Marriage - 24 Jan 1796 - Tunbridge, Orange, Vermont, United States Death - 14 Sep 1840 - Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois, United States Burial - 15 Sep 1840 - Smith Family Cemetery, Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois, United States Initiatory (LDS) - 10 Apr 1877 - SGEOR  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Notes

  The following is the account that Joseph Smith gives of his early backgr o und and history related to the founding of the Church of Jesus Chris t o f Latter-Day Saints, as published in the Pearl of Great Price: Joseph Smith tells of his ancestry, family members, and their early abod e s—An unusual excitement about religion prevails in western New York—H e de termines to seek wisdom as directed by James—The Father and the So n appea r, and Joseph is called to his prophetic ministry. (Verses 1–20.) 1 Owing to the many reports which have been put in circulation by evil- d isposed and designing persons, in relation to the rise and progress o f Th e Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, all of which have bee n des igned by the authors thereof to militate against its character a s a Churc h and its progress in the world—I have been induced to write th is history , to disabuse the public mind, and put all inquirers after tru th in posse ssion of the facts, as they have transpired, in relation bot h to myself a nd the Church, so far as I have such facts in my possession . 2 In this history I shall present the various events in relation to th i s Church, in truth and righteousness, as they have transpired, or as th e y at present exist, being now [1838] the eighth year since the organiza ti on of the said Church. 3 I was born in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fiv e , on the twenty-third day of December, in the town of Sharon, Windsor c ou nty, State of Vermont. … My father, Joseph Smith, Sen., left the Stat e o f Vermont, and moved to Palmyra, Ontario (now Wayne) county, in the S tat e of New York, when I was in my tenth year, or thereabouts. In abou t fou r years after my father’s arrival in Palmyra, he moved with his fam ily in to Manchester in the same county of Ontario— 4 His family consisting of eleven souls, namely, my father, Joseph Smit h ; my mother, Lucy Smith (whose name, previous to her marriage, was Mac k , daughter of Solomon Mack); my brothers, Alvin (who died November 19t h , 1823, in the 26th year of his age), Hyrum, myself, Samuel Harrison, W il liam, Don Carlos; and my sisters, Sophronia, Catherine, and Lucy. 5 Some time in the second year after our removal to Manchester, there w a s in the place where we lived an unusual excitement on the subject of r el igion. It commenced with the Methodists, but soon became general amon g al l the sects in that region of country. Indeed, the whole district o f coun try seemed affected by it, and great multitudes united themselve s to th e different religious parties, which created no small stir and di vision a mongst the people, some crying, a“Lo, here!” and others, “Lo, th ere!” Som e were contending for the Methodist faith, some for the Presbyt erian, an d some for the Baptist. 6 For, notwithstanding the great love which the converts to these diffe r ent faiths expressed at the time of their conversion, and the great ze a l manifested by the respective clergy, who were active in getting up a n d promoting this extraordinary scene of religious feeling, in order t o ha ve everybody converted, as they were pleased to call it, let them jo in wh at sect they pleased; yet when the converts began to file off, som e to on e party and some to another, it was seen that the seemingly goo d feeling s of both the priests and the converts were more pretended tha n real; fo r a scene of great confusion and bad feeling ensued—priest con tending aga inst priest, and convert against convert; so that all their g ood feeling s one for another, if they ever had any, were entirely lost i n a strife o f words and a contest about opinions. 7 I was at this time in my fifteenth year. My father’s family was prose l yted to the Presbyterian faith, and four of them joined that church, na me ly, my mother, Lucy; my brothers Hyrum and Samuel Harrison; and my sis te r Sophronia. 8 During this time of great excitement my mind was called up to serio u s reflection and great uneasiness; but though my feelings were deep an d o ften poignant, still I kept myself aloof from all these parties, thou g h I attended their several meetings as often as occasion would permit . I n process of time my mind became somewhat partial to the Methodist se ct , and I felt some desire to be united with them; but so great were th e co nfusion and strife among the different denominations, that it was im possi ble for a person young as I was, and so unacquainted with men and t hings , to come to any certain conclusion who was bright and who was wron g. 9 My mind at times was greatly excited, the cry and tumult were so gre a t and incessant. The Presbyterians were most decided against the Baptis t s and Methodists, and used all the powers of both reason and sophistr y t o prove their errors, or, at least, to make the people think they wer e i n error. On the other hand, the Baptists and Methodists in their tur n wer e equally zealous in endeavoring to establish their own tenets an d dispro ve all others. 10 In the midst of this war of words and tumult of opinions, I often sa i d to myself: What is to be done? Who of all these parties are right; o r , are they all wrong together? If any one of them be aright, which is i t , and how shall I know it? 11 While I was laboring under the extreme difficulties caused by the co n tests of these parties of religionists, I was one day reading the Epist l e of James, first chapter and fifth verse, which reads: If any of you l ac k wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and up bra ideth not; and it shall be given him. 12 Never did any passage of scripture come with more power to the hea r t of man than this did at this time to mine. It seemed to enter with gr ea t force into every feeling of my heart. I reflected on it again and ag ain , knowing that if any person needed wisdom from God, I did; for how t o ac t I did not know, and unless I could get more wisdom than I then had , I w ould never know; for the teachers of religion of the different sect s unde rstood the same passages of scripture so differently as to destro y all co nfidence in settling the question by an appeal to the Bible. 13 At length I came to the conclusion that I must either remain in dark n ess and confusion, or else I must do as James directs, that is, ask o f Go d. I at length came to the determination to “ask of God,” concludin g tha t if he gave wisdom to them that lacked wisdom, and would give libe rally , and not upbraid, I might venture. 14 So, in accordance with this, my determination to ask of God, I retir e d to the woods to make the attempt. It was on the morning of a beautifu l , clear day, early in the spring of eighteen hundred and twenty. It wa s t he first time in my life that I had made such an attempt, for amids t al l my anxieties I had never as yet made the attempt to pray vocally. 15 After I had retired to the place where I had previously designed t o g o, having looked around me, and finding myself alone, I kneeled dow n an d began to offer up the desires of my heart to God. I had scarcely d one s o, when immediately I was seized upon by some power which entirel y overca me me, and had such an astonishing influence over me as to bin d my tongu e so that I could not speak. Thick darkness gathered around me , and it se emed to me for a time as if I were doomed to sudden destructi on. 16 But, exerting all my powers to call upon God to deliver me out of t h e power of this enemy which had seized upon me, and at the very momen t wh en I was ready to sink into despair and abandon myself to destructio n—no t to an imaginary ruin, but to the power of some actual being from t he un seen world, who had such marvelous power as I had never before fel t in an y being—just at this moment of great alarm, I saw a pillar of lig ht exact ly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descende d gradual ly until it fell upon me. 17 It no sooner appeared than I found myself delivered from the enemy w h ich held me bound. When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages , wh ose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me i n the a ir. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, point ing to t he other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him! 18 My object in going to inquire of the Lord was to know which of all t h e sects was right, that I might know which to join. No sooner, therefor e , did I get possession of myself, so as to be able to speak, than I ask e d the Personages who stood above me in the light, which of all the sec t s was right (for at this time it had never entered into my heart that a l l were wrong)—and whicHishould join. 19 I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wron g ; and the Personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were a n a bomination in his sight; that those professors were all corrupt; that : “t hey draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from m e, th ey teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of go dlines s, but they deny the power thereof.” 20 He again forbade me to join with any of them; and many other thing s d id he say unto me, which I cannot write at this time. When I came t o myse lf again, I found myself lying on my back, looking up into heaven . When t he light had departed, I had no strength; but soon recovering i n some deg ree, I went home. And as I leaned up to the fireplace, mothe r inquired wh at the matter was. I replied, “Never mind, all is well—I a m well enough o ff.” I then said to my mother, “I have learned for mysel f that Presbyteri anism is not true.” It seems as though the adversary wa s aware, at a ver y early period of my life, that I was destined to prov e a disturber and a n annoyer of his kingdom; else why should the power s of darkness combin e against me? Why the opposition and persecution tha t arose against me, a lmost in my infancy? Some preachers and other professors of religion reject the account of t h e First Vision—Persecution is heaped upon Joseph Smith—He testifies o f th e reality of the vision. (Verses 21–26.) 21 Some few days after I had this vision, I happened to be in company w i th one of the Methodist preachers, who was very active in the before me nt ioned religious excitement; and, conversing with him on the subject o f re ligion, I took occasion to give him an account of the vision whic h I ha d had. I was greatly surprised at his behavior; he treated my comm unicati on not only lightly, but with great contempt, saying it was all o f the de vil, that there were no such things as visions or revelations i n these da ys; that all such things had ceased with the apostles, and tha t there wou ld never be any more of them. 22 I soon found, however, that my telling the story had excited a gre a t deal of prejudice against me among professors of religion, and was t h e cause of great persecution, which continued to increase; and thoug h I w as an obscure boy, only between fourteen and fifteen years of age , and m y circumstances in life such as to make a boy of no consequence i n the wo rld, yet men of high standing would take notice sufficient to ex cite th e public mind against me, and create a bitter persecution; and th is was c ommon among all the sects—all united to persecute me. 23 It caused me serious reflection then, and often has since, how ver y s trange it was that an obscure boy, of a little over fourteen years o f age , and one, too, who was doomed to the necessity of obtaining a scan ty mai ntenance by his daily labor, should be thought a character of suff icien t importance to attract the attention of the great ones of the mos t popul ar sects of the day, and in a manner to create in them a spirit o f the mo st bitter persecution and reviling. But strange or not, so it wa s, and i t was often the cause of great sorrow to myself. 24 However, it was nevertheless a fact that I had beheld a vision. I ha v e thought since, that I felt much like Paul, when he made his defense b ef ore King Agrippa, and related the account of the vision he had when h e sa w a light, and heard a voice; but still there were but few who belie ved h im; some said he was dishonest, others said he was mad; and he wa s ridicu led and reviled. But all this did not destroy the reality of hi s vision . He had seen a vision, he knew he had, and all the persecutio n under hea ven could not make it otherwise; and though they should perse cute him unt o death, yet he knew, and would know to his latest breath, t hat he had bo th seen a light and heard a voice speaking unto him, and al l the world co uld not make him think or believe otherwise. 25 So it was with me. I had actually seen a light, and in the midst o f t hat light I saw two Personages, and they did in reality speak to me ; an d though I was hated and persecuted for saying that I had seen a vis ion , yet it was true; and while they were persecuting me, reviling me, a nd s peaking all manner of evil against me falsely for so saying, I was l ed t o say in my heart: Why persecute me for telling the truth? I have ac tuall y seen a vision; and who am I that I can withstand God, or why doe s the w orld think to make me deny what I have actually seen? For I had s een a vi sion; I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I could not de ny it, ne ither dared I do it; at least I knew that by so doing I would o ffend God , and come under condemnation. 26 I had now got my mind satisfied so far as the sectarian world was co n cerned—that it was not my duty to join with any of them, but to contin u e as I was until further directed. I had found the testimony of Jame s t o be true—that a man who lacked wisdom might ask of God, and obtain , an d not be upbraided. Moroni appears to Joseph Smith—Joseph’s name is to be known for good a n d evil among all nations—Moroni tells him of the Book of Mormon and o f th e coming judgments of the Lord and quotes many scriptures—The hidin g plac e of the gold plates is revealed—Moroni continues to instruct th e Prophet . (Verses 27–54.) 27 I continued to pursue my common vocations in life until the twenty-f i rst of September, one thousand eight hundred and twenty-three, all th e ti me suffering severe persecution at the hands of all classes of men , bot h religious and irreligious, because I continued to affirm that I h ad see n a vision. 28 During the space of time which intervened between the time I had t h e vision and the year eighteen hundred and twenty-three—having been for bi dden to join any of the religious sects of the day, and being of ver y ten der years, and persecuted by those who ought to have been my friend s an d to have treated me kindly, and if they supposed me to be deluded t o hav e endeavored in a proper and affectionate manner to have reclaime d me—I w as left to all kinds of temptations; and, mingling with all kind s of soci ety, I frequently fell into many foolish errors, and displaye d the weakne ss of youth, and the foibles of human nature; which, I am so rry to say, l ed me into divers temptations, offensive in the sight of Go d. In making t his confession, no one need suppose me guilty of any grea t or malignant s ins. A disposition to commit such was never in my nature . But I was guilt y of levity, and sometimes associated with jovial compa ny, etc., not cons istent with that character which ought to be maintaine d by one who was ca lled of God as I had been. But this will not seem ver y strange to any on e who recollects my youth, and is acquainted with m y native cheery temper ament. 29 In consequence of these things, I often felt condemned for my weakne s s and imperfections; when, on the evening of the above-mentioned twenty -f irst of September, after I had retired to my bed for the night, I beto o k myself to prayer and supplication to Almighty God for forgiveness o f al l my sins and follies, and also for a manifestation to me, that I mi ght k now of my state and standing before him; for I had full confidenc e in obt aining a divine manifestation, as I previously had one. 30 While I was thus in the act of calling upon God, I discovered a alig h t appearing in my room, which continued to increase until the room wa s li ghter than at noonday, when immediately a personage appeared at my b edsid e, standing in the air, for his feet did not touch the floor. 31 He had on a loose robe of most exquisite whiteness. It was a whitene s s beyond anything earthly I had ever seen; nor do I believe that any ea rt hly thing could be made to appear so exceedingly white and brilliant . Hi s 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 h ead and neck were also bare. I could discover that he had no othe r clothi ng on but this robe, as it was open, so that I could see into hi s bosom. 32 Not only was his robe exceedingly white, but his whole person was gl o rious beyond description, and his countenance truly like lightning. Th e r oom was exceedingly light, but not so very bright as immediately arou nd h is person. When I first looked upon him, I was afraid; but the fea r soo n left me. 33 He called me by name, and said unto me that he was a messenger sen t f rom the presence of God to me, and that his name was Moroni; that Go d ha d a work for me to do; and that my name should be had for good and e vil a mong all nations, kindreds, and tongues, or that it should be bot h good a nd evil spoken of among all people. 34 He said there was a book deposited, written upon gold plates, givi n g an account of the former inhabitants of this continent, and the sour c e from whence they sprang. He also said that the fulness of the everlas ti ng Gospel was contained in it, as delivered by the Savior to the ancie n t inhabitants; 35 Also, that there were two stones in silver bows—and these stones, fa s tened to a breastplate, constituted what is called the Urim and Thummim —d eposited with the plates; and the possession and use of these stones w er e what constituted c“seers” in ancient or former times; and that God h a d prepared them for the purpose of translating the book. 36 After telling me these things, he commenced quoting the prophecie s o f the Old Testament. He first quoted part of the third chapter of Mal achi ; and he quoted also the fourth or last chapter of the same prophecy , tho ugh with a little variation from the way it reads in our Bibles. In stea d of quoting the first verse as it reads in our books, he quoted i t thus: 37 For behold, the day cometh that shall burn as an oven, and all the p r oud, yea, and all that do wickedly shall burn as stubble; for they tha t c ome shall burn them, saith the Lord of Hosts, that it shall leave the m ne ither root nor branch. 38 And again, he quoted the fifth verse thus: Behold, I will reveal un t o you the Priesthood, by the hand of Elijah the prophet, before the com in g of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. 39 He also quoted the next verse differently: And he shall plant in t h e hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hear t s of the children shall turn to their fathers. If it were not so, the w ho le earth would be utterly wasted at his coming. 40 In addition to these, he quoted the eleventh chapter of Isaiah, sayi n g that it was about to be fulfilled. He quoted also the third chapte r o f Acts, twenty-second and twenty-third verses, precisely as they stan d i n our New Testament. He said that that prophet was Christ; but the da y ha d not yet come when “they who would not hear his voice should be cu t of f from among the people,” but soon would come. 41 He also quoted the second chapter of Joel, from the twenty-eighth ve r se to the last. He also said that this was not yet fulfilled, but was s oo n to be. And he further stated that the fulness of the Gentiles was so o n to come in. He quoted many other passages of scripture, and offered m an y explanations which cannot be mentioned here. 42 Again, he told me, that when I got those plates of which he had spok e n—for the time that they should be obtained was not yet fulfilled—I sho ul d not show them to any person; neither the breastplate with the Urim a n d Thummim; only to those to whom I should be commanded to show them ; i f I did I should be destroyed. While he was conversing with me abou t th e plates, the vision was opened to my mind that I could see the plac e whe re the plates were deposited, and that so clearly and distinctly th at I k new the place again when I visited it. 43 After this communication, I saw the light in the room begin to gath e r immediately around the person of him who had been speaking to me, an d i t continued to do so until the room was again left dark, except jus t arou nd him; when, instantly I saw, as it were, a conduit open right u p into h eaven, and he ascended till he entirely disappeared, and the roo m was lef t as it had been before this heavenly light had made its appear ance. 44 I lay musing on the singularity of the scene, and marveling greatl y a t what had been told to me by this extraordinary messenger; when, i n th e midst of my meditation, I suddenly discovered that my room was aga in be ginning to get lighted, and in an instant, as it were, the same hea venl y messenger was again by my bedside. 45 He commenced, and again related the very same things which he had do n e at his first visit, without the least variation; which having done , h e informed me of great judgments which were coming upon the earth, wi th g reat desolations by famine, sword, and pestilence; and that these gr ievou s judgments would come on the earth in this generation. Having rela ted th ese things, he again ascended as he had done before. 46 By this time, so deep were the impressions made on my mind, that sle e p had fled from my eyes, and I lay overwhelmed in astonishment at wh a t I had both seen and heard. But what was my surprise when again I behe l d the same messenger at my bedside, and heard him rehearse or repeat ov e r again to me the same things as before; and added a caution to me, tel li ng me that Satan would try to tempt me (in consequence of the indigen t ci rcumstances of my father’s family), to get the plates for the purpos e o f getting rich. This he forbade me, saying that I must have no othe r obje ct in view in getting the plates but to glorify God, and must no t be infl uenced by any other motive than that of building his kingdom; o therwis e I could not get them. 47 After this third visit, he again ascended into heaven as before, a n d I was again left to ponder on the strangeness of what I had just expe ri enced; when almost immediately after the heavenly messenger had ascend e d from me for the third time, the cock crowed, and I found that day wa s a pproaching, so that our interviews must have occupied the whole of th at n ight. 48 I shortly after arose from my bed, and, as usual, went to the necess a ry labors of the day; but, in attempting to work as at other times, I f ou nd my strength so exhausted as to render me entirely unable. My father , w ho was laboring along with me, discovered something to be wrong wit h me , and told me to go home. I started with the intention of going to t he ho use; but, in attempting to cross the fence out of the field where w e were , my strength entirely failed me, and I fell helpless on the groun d, an d for a time was quite unconscious of anything. 49 The first thing that I can recollect was a voice speaking unto me, c a lling me by name. I looked up, and beheld the same messenger standing o ve r my head, surrounded by light as before. He then again related unto m e a ll that he had related to me the previous night, and commanded me t o go t o my father and tell him of the vision and commandments which I ha d recei ved. 50 I obeyed; I returned to my father in the field, and rehearsed the wh o le matter to him. He replied to me that it was of God, and told me t o g o and do as commanded by the messenger. I left the field, and went t o th e place where the messenger had told me the plates were deposited; a nd ow ing to the distinctness of the vision which I had had concerning it , I kn ew the place the instant that I arrived there. 51 Convenient to the village of Manchester, Ontario county, New York, s t ands a hill of considerable size, and the most elevated of any in the n ei ghborhood. On the west side of this hill, not far from the top, unde r a s tone of considerable size, lay the plates, deposited in a stone box . Thi s stone was thick and rounding in the middle on the upper side, an d thinn er towards the edges, so that the middle part of it was visible a bove th e ground, but the edge all around was covered with earth. 52 Having removed the earth, I obtained a lever, which I got fixed und e r the edge of the stone, and with a little exertion raised it up. I loo ke d in, and there indeed did I behold the plates, the Urim and Thummim , an d the breastplate, as stated by the messenger. The box in which the y la y was formed by laying stones together in some kind of cement. In th e bot tom of the box were laid two stones crossways of the box, and on th ese st ones lay the plates and the other things with them. 53 I made an attempt to take them out, but was forbidden by the messeng e r, and was again informed that the time for bringing them forth had no t y et arrived, neither would it, until four years from that time; but h e tol d me that I should come to that place precisely in one year from th at tim e, and that he would there meet with me, and that I should continu e to d o so until the time should come for obtaining the plates. 54 Accordingly, as I had been commanded, I went at the end of each yea r , and at each time I found the same messenger there, and received instr uc tion and intelligence from him at each of our interviews, respecting w ha t the Lord was going to do, and how and in what manner his kingdom wa s t o be conducted in the last days. Joseph Smith marries Emma Hale—He receives the gold plates from Moroni a n d translates some of the characters—Martin Harris shows the character s an d translation to Professor Anthon, who says, “I cannot read a seale d book .” (Verses 55–65.) 55 As my father’s worldly circumstances were very limited, we were und e r the necessity of laboring with our hands, hiring out by day’s work a n d otherwise, as we could get opportunity. Sometimes we were at home, a n d sometimes abroad, and by continuous labor were enabled to get a comfo rt able maintenance. 56 In the year 1823 my father’s family met with a great affliction by t h e death of my eldest brother, Alvin. In the month of October, 1825, I h ir ed with an old gentleman by the name of Josiah Stoal, who lived in Che nan go county, State of New York. He had heard something of a silver min e hav ing been opened by the Spaniards in Harmony, Susquehanna county, St ate o f Pennsylvania; and had, previous to my hiring to him, been digging , in o rder, if possible, to discover the mine. After I went to live wit h him, h e took me, with the rest of his hands, to dig for the silver min e, at whi ch I continued to work for nearly a month, without success in o ur underta king, and finally I prevailed with the old gentleman to ceas e digging aft er it. Hence arose the very prevalent story of my having be en a money-dig ger. 57 During the time that I was thus employed, I was put to board wit h a M r. Isaac Hale, of that place; it was there I first saw my wife (hi s daugh ter), Emma Hale. On the 18th of January, 1827, we were married, w hile I w as yet employed in the service of Mr. Stoal. 58 Owing to my continuing to assert that I had seen a vision, persecuti o n still followed me, and my wife’s father’s family were very much oppos e d to our being married. I was, therefore, under the necessity of takin g h er elsewhere; so we went and were married at the house of Squire Tarb ill , in South Bainbridge, Chenango county, New York. Immediately after m y ma rriage, I left Mr. Stoal’s, and went to my father’s, and farmed wit h hi m that season. 59 At length the time arrived for obtaining the plates, the Urim and Th u mmim, and the breastplate. On the twenty-second day of September, one t ho usand eight hundred and twenty-seven, having gone as usual at the en d o f another year to the place where they were deposited, the same heave nl y messenger delivered them up to ame with this charge: that I should b e r esponsible for them; that if I should let them go carelessly, or thro ug h any neglect of mine, I should be cut off; but that if I would use al l m y endeavors to preserve them, until he, the messenger, should call fo r th em, they should be protected. 60 I soon found out the reason why I had received such strict charge s t o keep them safe, and why it was that the messenger had said that wh e n I had done what was required at my hand, he would call for them. Fo r n o sooner was it known that I had them, than the most strenuous exerti on s were used to get them from me. Every stratagem that could be invente d w as resorted to for that purpose. The persecution became more bitter a nd s evere than before, and multitudes were on the alert continually to g et th em from me if possible. But by the wisdom of God, they remained saf e in m y hands, until I had accomplished by them what was required at m y hand. W hen, according to arrangements, the messenger called for them , I delivere d them up to him; and he has them in his charge until this d ay, being th e second day of May, one thousand eight hundred and thirty-e ight. 61 The excitement, however, still continued, and rumor with her thousa n d tongues was all the time employed in circulating falsehoods about m y fa ther’s family, and about myself. If I were to relate a thousandth pa rt o f them, it would fill up volumes. The persecution, however, became s o int olerable that I was under the necessity of leaving Manchester, an d goin g with my wife to Susquehanna county, in the State of Pennsylvania . Whil e preparing to start—being very poor, and the persecution so heav y upon u s that there was no probability that we would ever be otherwise— in the mi dst of our afflictions we found a friend in a gentleman by th e name of Ma rtin Harris, who came to us and gave me fifty dollars to ass ist us on ou r journey. Mr. Harris was a resident of Palmyra township, Wa yne county, i n the State of New York, and a farmer of respectability. 62 By this timely aid was I enabled to reach the place of my destinati o n in Pennsylvania; and immediately after my arrival there I commenced c op ying the characters off the plates. I copied a considerable number o f the m, and by means of the Urim and Thummim I translated some of them , whic h I did between the time I arrived at the house of my wife’s fathe r, in t he month of December, and the February following. 63 Sometime in this month of February, the aforementioned Mr. Martin Ha r ris came to our place, got the characters which I had drawn off the pla te s, and started with them to the city of New York. For what took plac e rel ative to him and the characters, I refer to his own account of th e circum stances, as he related them to me after his return, which was a s follows: 64 “I went to the city of New York, and presented the characters whic h h ad been translated, with the translation thereof, to Professor Charle s An thon, a gentleman celebrated for his literary attainments. Professo r Anth on stated that the translation was correct, more so than any he ha d befor e seen translated from the Egyptian. I then showed him those whic h were n ot yet translated, and he said that they were Egyptian, Chaldaic , Assyria c, and Arabic; and he said they were true characters. He gave m e a certif icate, certifying to the people of Palmyra that they were tru e characters , and that the translation of such of them as had been trans lated was als o correct. I took the certificate and put it into my pocket , and was jus t leaving the house, when Mr. Anthon called me back, and as ked me how th e young man found out that there were gold plates in the pl ace where he f ound them. I answered that an angel of God had revealed i t unto him. 65 “He then said to me, ‘Let me see that certificate.’ I accordingly to o k it out of my pocket and gave it to him, when he took it and tore i t t o pieces, saying that there was no such thing now as ministering of a ngel s, and that if I would bring the plates to him he would translate th em . I informed him that part of the plates were sealed, and that I was f orb idden to bring them. He replied, ‘I cannot read a sealed book.’ I lef t hi m and went to Dr. Mitchell, who sanctioned what Professor Anthon ha d sai d respecting both the characters and the translation.” · · · · · · · Oliver Cowdery serves as scribe in translating the Book of Mormon—Jose p h and Oliver receive the Aaronic Priesthood from John the Baptist—The y ar e baptized, ordained, and receive the spirit of prophecy. (Verses 66 –75.) 66 On the 5th day of April, 1829, Oliver Cowdery came to my house, unt i l which time I had never seen him. He stated to me that having been tea ch ing school in the neighborhood where my father resided, and my fathe r bei ng one of those who sent to the school, he went to board for a seas on a t his house, and while there the family related to him the circumsta nce s of my having received the plates, and accordingly he had come to ma ke i nquiries of me. 67 Two days after the arrival of Mr. Cowdery (being the 7th of Apri l ) I commenced to translate the Book of Mormon, and he began to write f o r me. · · · · · · · 68 We still continued the work of translation, when, in the ensuing mon t h (May, 1829), we on a certain day went into the woods to pray and inqu ir e of the Lord respecting baptism for the remission of sins, that we fo un d mentioned in the translation of the plates. While we were thus emplo yed , praying and calling upon the Lord, a messenger from heaven descende d i n a cloud of light, and having laid his hands upon us, he ordained us , sa ying: 69 Upon you my fellow servants, in the name of Messiah, I confer the Pr i esthood of Aaron, which holds the keys of the ministering of angels, a n d of the gospel of repentance, and of baptism by immersion for the remi ss ion of sins; and this shall never be taken again from the earth unti l th e sons of Levi do offer again an offering unto the Lord in righteous ness. 70 He said this Aaronic Priesthood had not the power of laying on han d s for the gift of the Holy Ghost, but that this should be conferred o n u s hereafter; and he commanded us to go and be baptized, and gave us d irec tions that I should baptize Oliver Cowdery, and that afterwards he s houl d baptize me. 71 Accordingly we went and were baptized. I baptized him first, and aft e rwards he baptized me—after which I laid my hands upon his head and ord ai ned him to the Aaronic Priesthood, and afterwards he laid his hands o n m e and ordained me to the same Priesthood—for so we were commanded.* 72 The messenger who visited us on this occasion and conferred this Pri e sthood upon us, said that his name was John, the same that is called Jo h n the Baptist in the New Testament, and that he acted under the directi o n of Peter, James and John, who held the keys of the Priesthood of Melc hi zedek, which Priesthood, he said, would in due time be conferred on us , a nd that I should be called the first Elder of the Church, and he (Oli ve r Cowdery) the second. It was on the fifteenth day of May, 1829, tha t w e were ordained under the hand of this messenger, and baptized. 73 Immediately on our coming up out of the water after we had been bapt i zed, we experienced great and glorious blessings from our Heavenly Fath er . No sooner had I baptized Oliver Cowdery, than the Holy Ghost fell up o n him, and he stood up and prophesied many things which should shortl y co me to pass. And again, so soon as I had been baptized by him, I als o ha d the spirit of prophecy, when, standing up, I prophesied concernin g th e rise of this Church, and many other things connected with the Chur ch, a nd this generation of the children of men. We were filled with th e Holy G host, and rejoiced in the God of our salvation. 74 Our minds being now enlightened, we began to have the scriptures la i d open to our understandings, and the true meaning and intention of the i r more mysterious passages revealed unto us in a manner which we neve r co uld attain to previously, nor ever before had thought of. In the mea ntim e we were forced to keep secret the circumstances of having receive d th e Priesthood and our having been baptized, owing to a spirit of pers ecuti on which had already manifested itself in the neighborhood. 75 We had been threatened with being mobbed, from time to time, and thi s , too, by professors of religion. And their intentions of mobbing us we r e only counteracted by the influence of my wife’s father’s family (und e r Divine providence), who had become very friendly to me, and who wer e op posed to mobs, and were willing that I should be allowed to continu e th e work of translation without interruption; and therefore offered an d pro mised us protection from all unlawful proceedings, as far as in the m lay.