Extracts from the History of Joseph Smith, the Prophet
History of the Church, Volume 1, Chapters 1-5
Scripture Mastery
JS-H 1:8-10 Joseph Smith=s Confusion
JS-H 1:11-12 Joseph Smith explains the significance of James 1:5-6 in his 1820 experience.
JS-H 1:15-20 Joseph Smith=s First Vision
The Joseph Smith-History is an extract taken from a larger work, variously entitled The History of the Church, Joseph Smith's History of the Church, or the Documentary History of the Church. For a history of the development of this larger work, see the supplemental article, Joseph Smith's History of the Church. This is a supplemental article appended to Learning to Love the Doctrine and Covenants.
In 1842 the editor of the Times and Seasons in Nauvoo began to serialize the history of the Church for the paper's subscribers. Joseph and his scribes had begun this historical account in 1838 (again, see the aforementioned supplemental article). Some of the missionaries carried copies of the Times and Seasons to England. In 1850, as Franklin D. Richards began to pull together those gems to make up the Pearl of Great Price, he decided to include a portion of the history published in the newspaper. He entitled it "Extracts from the History of Joseph Smith." The material Richards used came from the 15 March 1842 through the 1 August 1842 issues of the Times and Seasons. These documented the history of Joseph Smith from his birth to the time of Joseph and Oliver's baptism and their continued work translating the Book of Mormon. The entire history contained in the Times and Seasons was eventually published in a special edition of the Millennial Star in England late in 1852, the year after the Pearl of Great Price came off the press.
The name of this extracted segment of history remained the same until 1902, when James E. Talmage created a general heading entitled "Writings of Joseph Smith" that included what is now Joseph Smith-Matthew and the Joseph Smith-History. He designated the portion under discussion as "II Extracts from the History of Joseph Smith." In 1921 he changed the Roman numerals to the Arabic "2." For the 1927 edition, the apostle changed the title to "Joseph Smith 2." This section retained that title until 1978, when the church's Scripture Committee changed the name to the "Joseph Smith-History."
Joseph's Purpose in Writing the History (verses 1-2)
1 Owing to the many reports which have been put in circulation by evil-disposed and designing persons, in relation to the rise and progress of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, all of which have been designed by the authors thereof to militate against its character as a Church and its progress in the world-I have been induced to write this history, to disabuse the public mind, and put all inquirers after truth in possession of the facts, as they have transpired, in relation both to myself and the Church, so far as I have such facts in my possession.
verse 1 "many reports" The anti-Mormon publications during Joseph's lifetime were not only "many," but they began early as well. From the first year of the organization of the Church both oral and written reports began to circulate concerning Joseph Smith, his family, and the Church. By 1838 when Joseph was writing the early parts of this history, a large amount of written, anti-Mormon material was in circulation, all of it purporting to tell the "real" history of the Church.
"evil-disposed and designing persons" Several ill-disposed detractors of the Church wrote and spoke malicious accounts intending to denigrate Joseph, his family, the Church, and the saints. These were reproduced in books, pamphlets, and newspaper articles. Some of them have been mentioned in Learning to Love the Doctrine and Covenants. The interested reader is invited to search that volume for the surnames of Eber D. Howe, Philastus Hurlbut, Symonds Ryder, and Ezra Booth, to learn about their efforts to damage the Church. In 1838 John Corrill, a disaffected former member of the Church, completed a mean-spirited book against the Church, Brief History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Commonly Called Mormons), and he published it the following year. In Missouri, a Reverend Pixly printed a number of pamphlets against the Church that played a role in fueling mobocracy.
"I have been induced to write this history" Though Joseph had been trying to construct an accurate history of the Church from its inception in 1830, the volume of derogatory materials circulating by 1837-38 compelled him to begin again.
2 In this history I shall present the various events in relation to this Church, in truth and righteousness, as they have transpired, or as they at present exist, being now [1838] the eighth year since the organization of the said Church.
verse 2 "in truth and righteousness" Joseph Smith assures his readers that his purpose in writing this history was to tell the unvarnished truth about the beginnings of the Church.
The Early History of the Smith Family (verse 3-4)
3 I was born in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and five, on the twenty-third day of December, in the town of Sharon, Windsor county, State of Vermont . . . My father, Joseph Smith, Sen., left the State of Vermont, and moved to Palmyra, Ontario (now Wayne) county, in the State of New York, when I was in my tenth year, or thereabouts. In about four years after my father's arrival in Palmyra, he moved with his family into Manchester in the same county of Ontario-
verse 3 "My father, Joseph Smith, Sen., left the State of Vermont" Poor farming conditions in Vermont, coupled with three years of crop failure, left the family destitute. Further, sickness had plagued the Vermont area for a few years. Upstate New York was considered to have a milder climate and more fertile land. In 1816, Joseph Smith Sr. went on ahead of the family to find land and a home for his family. Upon finding a suitable place to rent in the village of Palmyra, he sent for his family. The trip proved arduous-most of the early portion taking place through snow and under trying conditions. Joseph himself was still recovering from surgery, making walking difficult (see the Explanatory Introduction at the beginning of the commentary on the Doctrine and Covenants, under the date of 1812). Nevertheless, the Smith family members persevered and were united with their father.
"In about four years after my father's arrival in Palmyra, he moved with his family into Manchester" The family's next move was not, in fact, in "about four years," but rather was two years following their move from Vermont to Palmyra Village. In 1818 they began purchasing a hundred-acre, heavily wooded tract of land in Farmington Township, two miles south of Palmyra Village. In 1821 or 1822 the village and township of Manchester were formed, and the Smith farm was then located in Manchester Township immediately adjacent to the line between Palmyra and Manchester Townships. Before moving from the village of Palmyra, the Smiths built a small four-room log cabin on this farm, and in 1818 all ten members of the Smith family-eight children and two parents-moved into this snug log house.
4 His family consisting of eleven souls, namely, my father, Joseph Smith; my mother, Lucy Smith (whose name, previous to her marriage, was Mack, daughter of Solomon Mack); my brothers, Alvin (who died November 19th, 1823, in the 26th year of his age), Hyrum, myself, Samuel Harrison, William, Don Carlos; and my sisters, Sophronia, Catherine, and Lucy.
verse 4 "His family consisting of eleven souls" Here Joseph mentions all nine of the children of Joseph Smith, Sr. and Lucy Mack Smith. At the time the family first moved to their farm in Farmington Township (later Manchester Township), there were only eight children. Joseph's youngest sibling, his sister Lucy, was not born until July 18, 1824.
Joseph's Search for the True Church (verses 5-13)
5 Some time in the second year after our removal to Manchester, there was in the place where we lived an unusual excitement on the subject of religion. It commenced with the Methodists, but soon became general among all the sects in that region of country. Indeed, the whole district of country seemed affected by it, and great multitudes united themselves to the different religious parties, which created no small stir and division amongst the people, some crying, "Lo, here!" and others, "Lo, there!" Some were contending for the Methodist faith, some for the Presbyterian, and some for the Baptist.
verse 5 "an unusual excitement on the subject of religion" Immigrants moving into northwestern New York during the 1770s brought very little religion with them. During the period of the Late 1700s, formal religion in America was at its lowest ebb, with only 7 percent registered as active in any church (Milton V. Backman, Joseph Smith's First Vision, [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft 1971], 53-54). The percentage would reflect only adult white males. Just after the turn of the century, a number of sects began earnest missionary labors. By the second decade of the nineteenth century, a number of religious groups were flourishing in western New York. The Baptists found camp meetings a very effective way to evangelize an area. Before long the Presbyterians and Methodists were following suit. Some of these camp meetings drew large crowds, some estimated at as many as ten thousand souls (Ibid., 73). Religious fervor swept back and forth across western New York to such an extent that later historians called it the "Burned-Over District" (Ibid., 76). Many in Joseph Smith's area came to feel an unusual excitement about religion.
"It commenced with the Methodists" During this era, Methodists were rapidly replacing the Baptists as the dominant religion in America. Between 1819 and 1821, the Methodists sponsored a number of ministers working in western New York (Milton V. Backman, "Awakenings in the Burned-Over District," BYU Studies 9, no. 3 [Spring 1969b], 76). One of the foremost was Reverend George Lane, an effective speaker whose "manner of communication was peculiarly calculated to awaken the intellect of the hearer, and arouse the sinner to look about him for safety" (Messenger and Advocate, vol. 1 [October 1834-September 1835], 42). The success of the Methodists inspired other denominations to proselytize the area.
"some crying, 'Lo here!' and others, 'lo there!" The word lo means "behold," "look," or "see," and is usually used as an expression of surprise.
6 For, notwithstanding the great love which the converts to these different faiths expressed at the time of their conversion, and the great zeal manifested by the respective clergy, who were active in getting up and promoting this extraordinary scene of religious feeling, in order to have everybody converted, as they were pleased to call it, let them join what sect they pleased; yet when the converts began to file off, some to one party and some to another, it was seen that the seemingly good feelings of both the priests and the converts were more pretended than real; for a scene of great confusion and bad feeling ensued-priest contending against priest, and convert against convert; so that all their good feelings one for another, if they ever had any, were entirely lost in a strife of words and a contest about opinions.
verse 6 "it was seen that the seemingly good feelings of both the priests and the converts were more pretended than real" The spirit of ecumenism (interdenominational unity) that played a large part in religious movements in the last half of the twentieth century was absent a century before. Ecumenism can go forward only when churches are willing to give up key dogmas. The ministers on the early frontier clung to theirs. Though ministers initially cooperated in spreading the word of God, their good feelings quickly evaporated when it came to getting lambs into the fold. Not only was there strife between sects, but there was often strife within sects as well. A number of new converts, for example, not far form where Joseph lived, were dismissed from the Baptist society because of their insistence on a different understanding of certain doctrinal points. These people quickly formed their own nondenominational church, taking only the scriptures as their guide (Milton V. Backman, "Awakenings in the Burned-Over District," BYU Studies 9, no. 3 [Spring 1969b], 314).
7 I was at this time in my fifteenth year. My father's family was proselyted to the Presbyterian faith, and four of them joined that church, namely, my mother, Lucy; my brothers Hyrum and Samuel Harrison; and my sister Sophronia.
verse 7 "I was at this time in my fifteenth year" The time of these events was 1820.
8 During this time of great excitement my mind was called up to serious reflection and great uneasiness; but though my feelings were deep and often poignant, still I kept myself aloof from all these parties, though I attended their several meetings as often as occasion would permit. In process of time my mind became somewhat partial to the Methodist sect, and I felt some desire to be united with them; but so great were the confusion and strife among the different denominations, that it was impossible for a person young as I was, and so unacquainted with men and things, to come to any certain conclusion who was right and who was wrong.
9 My mind at times was greatly excited, the cry and tumult were so great and incessant. The Presbyterians were most decided against the Baptists and Methodists, and used all the powers of both reason and sophistry to prove their errors, or, at least, to make the people think they were in error. On the other hand, the Baptists and Methodists in their turn were equally zealous in endeavoring to establish their own tenets and disprove all others.
10 In the midst of this war of words and tumult of opinions, I often said to myself: What is to be done? Who of all these parties are right; or, are they all wrong together? If any one of them be right, which is it, and how shall I know it?
verse 10 "this war of words and tumult of opinions" The various sects argued about a whole range of doctrinal issues: when and how to baptize, whether or not infant baptism was necessary, and the nature of humankind. Two items proved particularly sticky.
1. The first was the place of grace in the salvation process. There were (and still are) two broad camps in terms of how they regard the concept of grace. Calvinists, following the legacy of sixteenth-century Reformer John Calvin, stress the grace and sovereignty of God. Calvinists are known for their famous theological acronym-T.U.L.I.P.-five fundamental affirmations: (1) Total depravity-Humans are sinful and are wholly unable to merit salvation on their own merits. (2) Unconditional election-God has already chosen (elected or predestined) those who will be saved. (3) Limited atonement-Christ died only for the elect. (4) Irresistible grace-Once God's Spirit begins to draw an elect person, he or she will inevitably respond with saving faith. (5) And Perseverance of the saints-Those who have been truly saved can never lose that salvation. They will "persevere" to the end.
The second camp is typified by Jacob Arminius, a Dutch Reformer who came after Calvin. He rejected all five points of the T.U.L.I.P., stressing the need of works in addition to faith.
Calvinism has influenced Presbyterian thought, while Arminianism played a major role in the Methodist movement founded by John Wesley in the 1700s. Many Protestant denominations have aligned themselves with one or the other. Today, the intellectual wing of Evangelicalism is predominantly Calvinist-especially in its colleges and publishing houses. For this reason, Evangelicalism is often equated with Calvinism. But at the grassroots level, Arminianism is deeply entrenched in American Christianity. For a more complete discussion of the issue of grace versus works, see Ye Shall Know of the Doctrine, volume 4, chapter 11, Grace and Works.
2. The second issue was the place of the Bible and personal revelation in gaining salvation. Some sects insisted on the need for ongoing and personal revelation, while other insisted that the Bible contained the full will of God and all authority. Therefore, further revelation was unnecessary. For further discussion of this issue see the section titled "Scripture" in Ye Shall Know of the Doctrine, volume 4. This material is considered in chapters 7, 8, and 9.
11 While I was laboring under the extreme difficulties caused by the contests of these parties of religionists, I was one day reading the Epistle of James, first chapter and fifth verse, which reads: If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
verse 11 "I was one day reading the Epistle of James, first chapter and fifth verse" According to William Smith, Joseph's younger brother, Joseph attended a camp meeting in which the forceful and convincing Reverend George Lane, a Methodist, "preached a sermon on 'What church should I join?' And the burden of his discourse was to ask God, using as text, 'If any man lack wisdom let him ask of God who given to all men liberally.' And of course when Joseph went home and was looking over the text he was impressed to do just what the preacher had said, and going out into the woods with child like, simple trusting faith believing that God meant just what he said, kneeled down and prayed" (Deseret News, 1894, 11). William Smith's recollection, coming in 1893, is very late. Joseph himself does not mention George Lane in any of his accounts. He does mention, however, that a certain Methodist minister was actively associated with revivals in the area. Because a number of Methodist preachers were working at the time, we cannot be certain Joseph had Reverend Lane in mind. Even so, the Reverend Lane did preach several times not too far from the Smith home (Larry C. Porter, "Reverend George Lane-'Good Gifts,' Much 'Grace,' and 'Marked Usefulness,'" BYU Studies 9, no. 3 [Spring 1969], 321-40).
12 Never did any passage of scripture come with more power to the heart of man than this did at this time to mine. It seemed to enter with great force into every feeling of my heart. I reflected on it again and again, knowing that if any person needed wisdom from God, I did; for how to act I did not know, and unless I could get more wisdom than I then had, I would never know; for the teachers of religion of the different sects understood the same passages of scripture so differently as to destroy all confidence in settling the question by an appeal to the Bible.
verse 12 "Never did any passage of scripture come with more power to the heart of man than this did at this time to mine." This statement is rather hyperbolic, but does indicate that the Spirit bore powerful witness of the pertinence, importance, and timeliness of this passage to the boy Joseph Smith.
13 At length I came to the conclusion that I must either remain in darkness and confusion, or else I must do as James directs, that is, ask of God. I at length came to the determination to "ask of God," concluding that if he gave wisdom to them that lacked wisdom, and would give liberally, and not upbraid, I might venture.
verse 13 "I at length came to the determination to 'ask of God'" This expression indicates that Joseph was not quick to retire into the woods. Though the Spirit spoke to his soul, the message did not move him to act immediately. He "reflected on it again and again" (verse 12), and finally decided to put the scripture to the test.
At this point in the historical narrative, it is certainly pertinent to mention that Joseph, for his age, had an unusual, even precocious concern and interest in religious matters. His mother has written that, until he was fourteen, there was nothing really exceptional about Joseph's childhood. He was a "remarkably quiet, well-disposed child" (Lucy Mack Smith, Biographical Sketches of Joseph Smith the Prophet and His Progenitors for Many Generations [Liverpool: S. W. Richards, 1953], 67). She further wrote that Joseph "seemed much less inclined to perusal of books than any of the rest of the children, but far more given to meditation and deep study" (Ibid., 82). The picture painted here is of a young man who had little interest in the superficial. His inclination was depth, especially in religious matters. Milton V. Backman wrote that, starting at the age of about twelve, his "mind became seriously impressed with regard to the all important concerns of the welfare of my immortal Soul" (Joseph Smith's First Vision [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1971], 156). For the next two or three years, he found himself pondering on the situation of humankind. From his youthful point of view, there were divisions, contentions, wickedness, and spiritual darkness everywhere. There came to be a dissonance between his own sober feelings and the confusion surrounding him. This caused him to reach to God for answers. He did not go to God immediately; rather his account reveals the accepting attitude of a child willing to listen to trusted adults for answers. During the period, he also looked at the Bible in an attempt to extract from its pages the answers he sought. It was not until the adults in his life failed him that he resolved to follow the Bible's admonition and the Spirit's confirmation.
"not upbraid" The reader should keep in mind that Joseph was a poorly educated, obscure boy, who was of poor financial means. When it came to approaching God directly, he may well have felt quite insecure and inadequate. The prospect of approaching God directly in vocal prayer would surely have been intimidating to him. Not only was he concerned about which church he should join, but the fiery sermons of the various preachers had caused the boy to fear that his soul might be in danger. It must have been of comfort to him that the passage in James reassured him that God would not upbraid him. To upbraid is to criticize, find fault, or express disapproval.
The First Vision (verses 14-20)
14 So, in accordance with this, my determination to ask of God, I retired to the woods to make the attempt. It was on the morning of a beautiful, clear day, early in the spring of eighteen hundred and twenty. It was the first time in my life that I had made such an attempt, for amidst all my anxieties I had never as yet made the attempt to pray vocally.
verse 14 "I retired to the woods" Eight accounts of the First Vision were written before the Prophet's death. See chapter 10 in volume 3 of Ye Shall Know of the Doctrine, Joseph Smith's First Vision.
The "woods" may have been an uncleared area not too far from the Smith home. In one account, Joseph said he went to an area the family had been clearing, and near a stump where he had been working, he knelt and prayed. Joseph never said why he decided to pray away from his home, but he likely knew that it was a practice of his mother when she was in particular need of spiritual communion (Lucy Mack Smith, Biographical Sketches of Joseph Smith the Prophet and His Progenitors for Many Generations [Liverpool: S. W. Richards, 1951], 43, 144).
"It was on the morning of a beautiful, clear day" Though admittedly it contains much speculation, a thoughtful article by John C. Lefgren is compelling and most interesting to consider. The article analyzes the possible dates on which the first vision may have occurred. Based upon an analysis of the available records of weather in the Palmyra/Manchester area in early 1820 ("the morning of a beautiful, clear day") and based also upon the known work habits of those involved in the maple sugar business, Brother Lefgren suggests a probably date of Sunday, March 26, 1820 for the first vision ("Oh, How Lovely Was the Morning: Sun 26 Mar 1820?" Meridian Magazine, 2002).
"early in the spring of eighteen hundred and twenty" Only in the 1838 account does Joseph give the year of his First Vision experience. In 1832, he spoke of his being troubled by all the religious confusion from the time he was twelve until he was fifteen. In his 1835 account and again in the Wentworth Letter (1842), he put his age as "about fourteen." When he dictated the more full account in 1838, he gave the year showing that he was, indeed, fourteen or, as he says, in his "fifteenth year." Some detractors have made a fuss over the statement in the printed version of the 1832 account where Joseph states that he was "in the 16th year of my age" when he called upon the Lord. In the manuscript the phrase is actually inserted above the line, and the six is not clearly written. It could easily be a five.
"I had never as yet made the attempt to pray vocally" The Smiths were a deeply religious family, and Lucy Mack's history shows that they prayed often. As in many families, however, the parents said the prayers, usually Joseph Sr. The Prophet does not mention praying in any of his accounts before going into the grove. His wording, however, suggests that he did pray at times, but silently. It is hard to believe that a person so interested in and moved by religious matters would not have prayed. The admission that he had never prayed vocally suggests that doing so was no small matter to him. It may have been an impediment he had to overcome, and that he was willing to do so emphasizes just how much he wanted to know which church was true.
15 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.
verse 15 "having looked around me, and finding myself alone" The phrase may reveal Joseph's determination to be completely alone as he attempted to pray vocally for the first time. There is, however, another possibility. In his 1835 account, the Prophet noted, "I heard a noise behind me like someone walking towards me. I strove again to pray, but could not; the noise of walking seemed to draw nearer, I sprang upon my feet and looked round, but saw no person or thing that was calculated to produce the noise of walking." Upon satisfying himself that he was alone, he again attempted to pray. It may have been this noise that caused him to look around.
"I could not speak" We may draw two conclusions from this phrase. First, the adversary had the power to affect Joseph physically. In his 1835 account, Joseph said, "My tongue seemed to be swollen in my mouth." In the 1838 account he notes that his tongue was bound so that he was mute. Second, the adversary tried to stop Joseph from praying aloud. Vocal prayer seems to have been the issue, although the text gives no hint as to why that was the case. It may have been Joseph's determination to do it that made it an issue. Joseph may have felt that only vocal prayer would do, and, therefore Satan attacked him on that front. The devil, however, could not stop him from praying silently. Satan could bind Joseph's tongue but not his mind.
The various historical accounts available to us suggest that the devil was working using means from the subtle and quiet to the overt and obvious in order to stop Joseph form inquiring of the Lord. On Joseph's way to the grove, according the Orson Hyde and Orson Pratt, the adversary threw at him doubt and discouragement; then came severe temptations and "improper pictures" (Milton V. Backman, Joseph Smith's First Vision [Salt Lake City Bookcraft, 1971], 174). When Joseph fought through these and was about to lift his voice to God, the devil tried to scare him away with footfalls. Finally, because nothing else worked, Satan, throwing off all subtlety, attacked the boy directly. He smothered the youth in blackness and, for a time, bound his tongue. It is interesting that the devil did all he could to frighten Joseph away before he finally had to reveal himself directly. There is little wonder. Is it not profoundly true that the reality of Satan is a backdoor testimony to the reality of God. Satan's overt attack on Joseph did bear witness that Satan was real and evil, but it also revealed the greater power of the God, for the light no sooner appeared than the enemy fled.
16 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.
verse 16 "the power of some actual being from the unseen world" Before Joseph came to personally know the Father and the Son, he came to know the power of Satan. The attack of Satan was reality in its most furious and terrifying form.
"such marvelous power as I had never before felt" The word marvelous here means surprising, incredible, exceeding natural power.
"I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head" In each of Joseph's dictated accounts (1832, 1835, 1838, and 1842), Joseph uses the term "pillar" to describe the shape of the light. His words suggest that the light had the appearance of a shaft; in other words, the beam was confined and cylindrical. His word shows it to be neither a ray of light nor a sunbeam, which, though somewhat defined, are still rather diffuse. In attempting to describe the degree of brightness of the light he could only say that it was "above the brightness of the sun" and, in the Wentworth latter, that it "eclipsed the power of the sun at noon-day." Clearly, Joseph was trying to describe the ineffable and even the unimaginable.
He saw the light some distance away. It grew closer and brighter some moments before it enveloped him. At its first appearance, according to the 1835 account, his tongue was loosed and he was able to pray with fervency. One reason for the intensity of his prayer, according to Orson Pratt, was that Joseph feared he could not endure the rapidly approaching fire. As the light touched the tops of the trees, Joseph expected them to burst into flame. As it sifted down, however, he saw that the trees were unharmed, and he found courage. Joseph seems to have tried to accurately describe for his readers the character of the light but failed, perhaps because he could not fully comprehend it himself. Describing what he saw as fire and light that eclipsed the power of the sun, he appeals to our imagination to fill in the scene his words could not convey.
17 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!
verse 17 "I saw two Personages" From what the Prophet said in three other accounts, it appears that God the Father appeared first and seems to have briefly addressed Joseph. Shortly thereafter, the Savior appeared. Joseph was greatly impressed that the two personages looked exactly alike.
"whose brightness and glory defy all description" Our God dwells in eternal fire. The apostle Paul wrote, "For our God is a consuming fire" (Hebrews 12:29). The sense of these statements is that when the Father or the Son appear in their glory, flesh and blood cannot tolerate their presence, for all corruption is devoured by the fire.
"This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!" Taking the accounts together, it would appear that the Father first addressed Joseph, telling him his sins were forgiven. Then the Savior appeared. God testified that Jesus was his Son and, at that point, had Joseph address all questions to the Savior.
18 My object in going to inquire of the Lord was to know which of all the sects was right, that I might know which to join. No sooner, therefore, did I get possession of myself, so as to be able to speak, than I asked the Personages who stood above me in the light, which of all the sects was right (for at this time it had never entered into my heart that all were wrong)-and which I should join.
19 I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong; and the Personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those professors were all corrupt; that: "they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof."
verse 19 "they were all wrong" With the exception of the 1835 account, all the versions agree that Joseph was forbidden to join any of the churches. In the Wentworth letter and Orson Pratt's account, the reason is because "all religious denominations were believing in incorrect doctrines." Perhaps for missionary purposes, the language in the other accounts is much less harsh than that in the 1838 edition.
"those professors were all corrupt" Here the title professor implies no academic rank. Rather the word simply refers to those who profess the doctrines of the apostate churches of Joseph's day. Apparently the Lord's concern was not so much with the members of the Protestant churches, but rather with the leaders-the preachers, the professors. Their preachings were successfully blinding the spiritual eyes of their congregations. While they were ostensibly characterized by pious speaking and behavior, they were actually seeking for vainglory.
"they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me" Here the Lord paraphrases Isaiah 29:13. Again, the focus of the Lord's rebuke, as he spoke to Joseph in the Grove, was not the Christian faithful but the "professors." They were the ones who were guilty of seemingly pious preaching and behavior but were actually seeking for self aggrandizement.
As in Isaiah's day, the Lord is again preparing to do "a marvelous work and a wonder" (Isaiah 29:14).
In the grove, Joseph had been blessed to bask in God's presence-in his light. Not only did he receive verbal instruction from the Lord, but he learned from the Lord something more. In his 1832 account he states, "My soul was filled with love and for many days I could rejoice with great joy and the Lord was with me" (Backman, 1971, 157). He learned for himself the reality of John the Beloved's dual testimony of God: first, that "God is light, and in him is no darkness at all" (1 John 1:5) and second, that "God is love," and that "every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God (1 John 4:7-8; John 4:16).
20 He again forbade me to join with any of them; and many other things did he say unto me, which I cannot write at this time. When I came to myself again, I found myself lying on my back, looking up into heaven. When the light had departed, I had no strength; but soon recovering in some degree, I went home. And as I leaned up to the fireplace, mother inquired what the matter was. I replied, "Never mind, all is well-I am well enough off." I then said to my mother, "I have learned for myself that Presbyterianism is not true." It seems as though the adversary was aware, at a very early period of my life, that I was destined to prove a disturber and an annoyer of his kingdom; else why should the powers of darkness combine against me? Why the opposition and persecution that arose against me, almost in my infancy?
Reactions to Joseph Smith's Testimony (verses 21-28)
21 Some few days after I had this vision, I happened to be in company with one of the Methodist preachers, who was very active in the before mentioned religious excitement; and, conversing with him on the subject of religion, I took occasion to give him an account of the vision which I had had. I was greatly surprised at his behavior; he treated my communication not only lightly, but with great contempt, saying it was all of the devil, that there were no such things as visions or revelations in these days; that all such things had ceased with the apostles, and that there would never be any more of them.
verse 21 "one of the Methodist preachers" It is possible that Joseph was referring to Reverend George Lane, mentioned above (see verses 5 and 11), who was very active during this time. If William Smith's recollection is true that the reverend was the one who set Joseph on the track to the First Vision, it is not unreasonable to believe that Joseph would have sought him out to confirm the reality of James's testimony in James 1:5-6.
The total rejection of Joseph's testimony seems to have startled the young prophet. He likely expected praise for his successfully putting to the test James 1:5-6. Instead the rebuffs were unexpected and biting.
"it was all of the devil . . . there were no such things as visions or revelations in these days" In his naiveté, Joseph did not realize that his experience threatened a cherished belief shared by many Christian leaders. They insisted that the heavens were sealed, that God no longer spoke to people, and that all truth was found in the Bible alone. Centuries before Joseph's time, some professing Christianity had carefully shut the door on revelation. In doing so, they put themselves forth permanently as the keepers of and final authorities of his word. Once trained for the ministry, they insisted, a preacher could speak for the dead prophets. It is ironic that they venerated the dead prophets and piously insisted that if they had lived in the days of the prophets, they would never have sought the blood of the prophets. "But to ask men to believe that that same God had spoken in their own day, and to a plain man who walked their streets-that was simply too much to take-more especially, if it was a poor boy" (Hugh Nibley, The World and the Prophets [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1974], 7). There were those who did admit to the possibility of visions and revelations, but they would obviously have objected to an obscure boy's being privileged to see the Father and Son.
One of the implications of Joseph's story, if in fact at that early date he related seeing two separate anthropomorphic personages, is that his account flew in the face of the trinity doctrine held so firmly by most of the clergy. Second, of course, he testified that the Lord had told him that the creeds and those who promulgated them were abominable in God's sight.
22 I soon found, however, that my telling the story had excited a great deal of prejudice against me among professors of religion, and was the cause of great persecution, which continued to increase; and though I was an obscure boy, only between fourteen and fifteen years of age, and my circumstances in life such as to make a boy of no consequence in the world, yet men of high standing would take notice sufficient to excite the public mind against me, and create a bitter persecution; and this was common among all the sects-all united to persecute me.
verse 22 "my telling the story had excited a great deal of prejudice" The consequences of Joseph's naive trust was an immediate conflagration of feelings. The news, like fire in dry grass, spread rapidly, generating a good deal of emotional heat. The attack against him came primarily from the "professors of religion" and "the great ones of the most popular sects of the day" (see verse 23), spreading from there to "men of high standing." The result was "bitter persecution."
"all united to persecute me" Attacks against Joseph and his vision did not come from only one sect or denomination. He had stepped on the sacred garment of all, and they all reacted in kind. Exactly to what extent the ministers were able to turn the community against Joseph and his family is not stated in any documents. They were likely not welcomed into some circles, but Joseph, as we will see below, did have friends and no lack of potential employers. From others' involvement with him, we gather that neither he nor his family was entirely ostracized from the local society.
23 It caused me serious reflection then, and often has since, how very strange it was that an obscure boy, of a little over fourteen years of age, and one, too, who was doomed to the necessity of obtaining a scanty maintenance by his daily labor, should be thought a character of sufficient importance to attract the attention of the great ones of the most popular sects of the day, and in a manner to create in them a spirit of the most bitter persecution and reviling. But strange or not, so it was, and it was often the cause of great sorrow to myself.
verse 23 "an obscure boy" Though Joseph's family belonged to that class who were eking out a living and therefore could easily have been written off, it is notable many people of influence did not ignore or dismiss Joseph and his story. Even though he eventually retreated from sharing his experience, there were those who kept the persecution alive.
A mature Joseph Smith would later come to recognize the role of the adversary in his early persecutions. The devil obviously had much to lose through the restoration of the gospel through the prophet Joseph.
"doomed to the necessity of obtaining a scanty maintenance" The Smith family worked hard on the farm to make a living and get enough money to keep the mortgage paid. They engaged in a number of other financial activities to bring in money. At local gatherings, even revivals, they sold Lucy's hand painted tablecloths, food, and drinks. The boys were often employed by other farmers. Even so, the income came very slowly to the family.
24 However, it was nevertheless a fact that I had beheld a vision. I have thought since, that I felt much like Paul, when he made his defense before King Agrippa, and related the account of the vision he had when he saw a light, and heard a voice; but still there were but few who believed him; some said he was dishonest, others said he was mad; and he was ridiculed and reviled. But all this did not destroy the reality of his vision. He had seen a vision, he knew he had, and all the persecution under heaven could not make it otherwise; and though they should persecute him unto death, yet he knew, and would know to his latest breath, that he had both seen a light and heard a voice speaking unto him, and all the world could not make him think or believe otherwise.
verse 24 "defense before King Agrippa" Joseph refers to the story in Acts 26 where Paul makes his defense before King Agrippa. It is likely that Joseph's analogy reveals more about the conditions under which Joseph, not Paul, labored. The Bible nowhere suggests that any of the rulers accused Paul of being dishonest or mad. Joseph's words suggest that his detractors used one of two primary accusations in their attempts to attack and discredit Joseph's story. One was that Joseph was simply a liar of gigantic proportions. The other-that he was utterly insane.
25 So it was with me. I had actually seen a light, and in the midst of that light I saw two Personages, and they did in reality speak to me; and though I was hated and persecuted for saying that I had seen a vision, yet it was true; and while they were persecuting me, reviling me, and speaking all manner of evil against me falsely for so saying, I was led to say in my heart: Why persecute me for telling the truth? I have actually seen a vision; and who am I that I can withstand God, or why does the world think to make me deny what I have actually seen? For I had seen a vision; I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I could not deny it, neither dared I do it; at least I knew that by so doing I would offend God, and come under condemnation.
26 I had now got my mind satisfied so far as the sectarian world was concerned-that it was not my duty to join with any of them, but to continue as I was until further directed. I had found the testimony of James to be true-that a man who lacked wisdom might ask of God, and obtain, and not be upbraided.
27 I continued to pursue my common vocations in life until the twenty-first of September, one thousand eight hundred and twenty-three, all the time suffering severe persecution at the hands of all classes of men, both religious and irreligious, because I continued to affirm that I had seen a vision.
28 During the space of time which intervened between the time I had the vision and the year eighteen hundred and twenty-three-having been forbidden to join any of the religious sects of the day, and being of very tender years, and persecuted by those who ought to have been my friends and to have treated me kindly, and if they supposed me to be deluded to have endeavored in a proper and affectionate manner to have reclaimed me-I was left to all kinds of temptations; and, mingling with all kinds of society, I frequently fell into many foolish errors, and displayed the weakness of youth, and the foibles of human nature; which, I am sorry to say, led me into divers temptations, offensive in the sight of God. In making this confession, no one need suppose me guilty of any great or malignant sins. A disposition to commit such was never in my nature. But I was guilty of levity, and sometimes associated with jovial company, etc., not consistent with that character which ought to be maintained by one who was called of God as I had been. But this will not seem very strange to any one who recollects my youth, and is acquainted with my native cheery temperament.
verse 28 "mingling with all kind of society" Joseph was not without friends. Given his fun-loving nature, it is little wonder he attracted associates. Joseph's statement that he "mingl[ed] with all kinds of society" suggests that some of his friends may have been of a more rough-and-tumble nature. Some of those who knew Joseph as a youth said he was "good natured, very rarely if ever indulging in any combative spirit toward anyone." "He had a jovial, easy, don't care way with him," one said, that "made him a lot of friends" (James B. Allen and Glen M. Leonard, The Story of the Latter-day Saints [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1992], 26). He was involved in many of the activities enjoyed by the youth of his day, including participation in the young people's debate club (Ibid.). Thus we see that persecution did not drive Joseph into seclusion.
"displayed the weakness of youth" There was a downside to Joseph's native jovial nature. Some of his associates were inclined to light-mindedness and too much levity. In a letter to Oliver Cowdery some years later, Joseph explained that he had never been guilty of the "gross and outrageous violations of the peace and good order of the community" that some of his enemies claimed. He told Oliver he had never been "guilty of wronging or injuring any man or society of men." He readily admitted that he was not perfect, but he noted that his sins consisted of a "light, and too often, vain mind, exhibiting a foolish and trifling conversation" (William E. Berritt and Alma P. Burton, Readings in L.D.S. Church History, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1953], 11).
The Vision of Moroni (verse 29-50)
verses 29-50 These verses contain Joseph's account of his initial visits with the prophet Moroni on the night of September 21, 1823. During his lifetime, Joseph wrote or dictated four existing accounts of his visit from Moroni (Dean C. Jessee, ed., The Personal Writings of Joseph Smith [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1984], 4-6, 74-79). Additional information was preserved by Oliver Cowdery, who wrote a history he published in the Messenger and Advocate in February, March, and April, 1835. Orson Pratt, while in Scotland in 1840, published his recollections in a thirty-one-page pamphlet.
Moroni's appearance began the formal process of divinely-directed education that would last for years. From this point on, Joseph would be continually schooled in the things of the Spirit. It is of note that, though he prayed to find out his standing before God, he received not only forgiveness of sins, but also a marvelous introduction to his life's work.
29 In consequence of these things, I often felt condemned for my weakness and imperfections; when, on the evening of the above-mentioned twenty-first of September, after I had retired to my bed for the night, I betook myself to prayer and supplication to Almighty God for forgiveness of all my sins and follies, and also for a manifestation to me, that I might know of my state and standing before him; for I had full confidence in obtaining a divine manifestation, as I previously had one.
verse 29 "In consequence of these things" It was during a prayer for "forgiveness of . . . sins and follies" that the revelation came. Joseph was disarmingly honest in admitting that it was fear of condemnation that drove him to his knees the evening of September 21, 1823. He was genuinely concerned that he might have fallen from God's grace. All accounts of this period suggest that Joseph was a good and wholesome boy, but a boy nonetheless. Also, the knowledge of his future obligations never left him. He must have felt a tremendous weight as he anticipated the future. His forthcoming duties may have made him acutely sensitive to his weaknesses and heightened his remorse over his sins. His inability to live up to his personal expectations motivated him to seek God for comfort and direction. It may well be that the Spirit of the Lord was working upon the young Prophet, bringing him to needed humility and repentance. When Moroni appeared, he reassured Joseph that his sins had been forgiven.
"I had retired to my bed" Joseph, with his brothers, slept in the upper room of the Smith's log cabin. The law garret (attic room) was divided into two compartments or rooms. Which one Joseph slept in is unknown, but he would not have been alone. He seems to have prayed from the comfort of his bed, not kneeling beside it, in order to be out of the way when his brothers retired.
"I betook myself to prayer" Apparently Joseph's prayer was prolonged. He did not give up when an answer did not come immediately. He "had full confidence in obtaining a divine manifestation as [he] previously had one." According to Oliver Cowdery's account, Moroni came some time after the family retired. That would put the event around eleven o'clock (William E. Berrett and Alma P. Burton, Readings in L.D.S. Church History, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1953], 24). If that was the case, Joseph had been praying for two or three hours prior to Moroni's appearance.
30 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.
verse 30 "I discovered a light" A light, like that which preceded the appearance of the Father and the Son, introduced the coming of the angel. There is a slight discrepancy between this account and those given in 1835 and 1842.
The 1835 account reports, "All at once the room was illuminated above the brightness of the sun [and] an angel appeared before me."
In 1842 Joseph said, "On a sudden a light like that of day, only of a far purer and more glorious appearance, and brightness burst into the room, indeed the first appearance produced a shock that affected the whole body." Though all accounts emphasize the brilliance of the light, the 1835 and 1842 accounts note that the light appeared suddenly. Taking all three accounts together, it would seem that the initial advent of the light was quite sudden and startling but not full. It gradually increased in intensity until the room was brighter than noonday. One may wonder why the light's intensity and Moroni's long instruction did not awaken the others in the room. It seems they did not see or hear anything. Joseph was caught up in a heavenly vision. It seems likely that the vision was intended for and visible only to Joseph.
"standing in the air" Room in the small garret was very tight. There was barely space for a person to stand. That Joseph saw the angel suspended above the floor suggests that the vision opened up a wider realm than the garret in which Joseph slept. What happened here seems similar to the appearance of the Savior at the Kirtland Temple, where he stood before Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery on a breastwork of the pulpit on "a paved work of pure gold" (D&C 110:1-2). In both instances, the Prophet's eyes were enabled to see the celestial realm as it intersected the telestial earth.
31 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.
32 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.
verse 32 "fear soon left me" The sudden appearance of the light seems to have done more than merely startle the young prophet. As he reported in 1842, the shock affected his whole body. Oliver Cowdery reported that the shock was, however, "followed with a calmness and serenity of mind and an overwhelming rapture of joy that surpassed understanding" (Messenger and Advocate [February 1835], 79-80).
33 He called me by name, and said unto me that he was a messenger sent from the presence of God to me, and that his name was Moroni; that God had a work for me to do; and that my name should be had for good and evil among all nations, kindreds, and tongues, or that it should be both good and evil spoken of among all people.
verse 33 "my name should be had for good and evil" Moroni left no doubt in the Prophet's mind that there would be a price to pay as Joseph labored on the Lord's errand. According to Oliver Cowdery's extended version, Moroni said the pure in heart would rejoice over the message, but those who drew near to God only with their mouths would seek to overthrow the work. It was these people who would make Joseph's name a "hiss and a byword" (Ibid.).
34 He said there was a book deposited, written upon gold plates, giving an account of the former inhabitants of this continent, and the source from whence they sprang. He also said that the fulness of the everlasting Gospel was contained in it, as delivered by the Savior to the ancient inhabitants;
verse 34 "fulness of the everlasting Gospel" In this commentary we have discussed previously the issue of the Book of Mormon's containing the fulness of the gospel. Please see the discussion of this question in the introductory commentary for 2 Nephi 31 (In Learning to Love the Book of Mormon).
35 Also, that there were two stones in silver bows-and these stones, fastened to a breastplate, constituted what is called the Urim and Thummim-deposited with the plates; and the possession and use of these stones were what constituted "seers" in ancient or former times; and that God had prepared them for the purpose of translating the book.
verse 35 "constituted what is called the Urim and Thummim" For a detailed discussion of the process of translation of the Book of Mormon plates, and for a thorough discussion of the Urim and Thummim, see The Process of Translating the Book of Mormon in Ye Shall Know of the Doctrine, volume 2, Appendix A.
36 After telling me these things, he commenced quoting the prophecies of the Old Testament. He first quoted part of the third chapter of Malachi; and he quoted also the fourth or last chapter of the same prophecy, though with a little variation from the way it reads in our Bibles. Instead of quoting the first verse as it reads in our books, he quoted it thus:
verse 36 "He first quoted part of the third chapter of Malachi" The likely verses in Malachi 3 were 1-3:
Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts. But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap: And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.
From this passage we learn that Moroni quoted these verses just as they are found in the King James Version of the Bible. This fact is in accordance with the Lord's pattern of speaking to people in their own language (see D&C 1:24). The verses quoted by Moroni speak of a latter-day appearance of the Lord at his temple. This prophecy did not have reference to the Lord's appearance to Oliver Cowdery and Joseph Smith in the Kirtland Temple on April 3, 1836 (see D&C 11), but rather to an appearance near the time of the Lord's second coming when the people will be living together as a Zion people (see D&C 42:36; D&C 42:133:2).
"he quoted also the fourth or last chapter of the same prophecy" This statement suggests that Moroni recited all six verses of Malachi 4. Actually he did not quote all six verses in the chapter. Rather, he quoted verses 1, 5, and 6. Verse 1 is quoted in verse 37 below, and verses 5 and 6 are quoted in verses 38 and 39 below. These three verses are quoted with some differences when compared with the KJV.
37 For behold, the day cometh that shall burn as an oven, and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly shall burn as stubble; for they that come shall burn them, saith the Lord of Hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
verse 37 "they that come shall burn them" This phrase is worded differently than the corresponding phrase in the KJV (Malachi 4:1) which renders it, "the day that cometh shall burn them up." It is not entirely clear that Joseph authorized this change. Let's look at the evidence. The wording used in the KJV is also found in 3 Nephi 25:1 and also in the James Muholland manuscript, the earliest source for Joseph's dictated History of the Church. James Muholland was Joseph's scribe when he dictated this portion of the history. This manuscript was later revised, some of it after the Prophet's death, and became the source for Joseph Smith's History of the Church and the material in the Pearl of Great Price. It is in this later material that we find the phrase "they that come shall burn them." It is not possible to know if Joseph Smith or a later editor made the change.
We do learn in D&C 38:12 and 63:54 that angels will participate in the burning of the wicked, so perhaps the wording here in the JS-H is appropriate.
38 And again, he quoted the fifth verse thus: Behold, I will reveal unto you the Priesthood, by the hand of Elijah the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.
verse 38 "I will reveal unto you the Priesthood" This prophecy was fulfilled on April 3, 1836, when Elijah appeared to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery in the Kirtland Temple and restored the keys of the sealing power (D&C 110:13-16). For a discussion of what the sealing power really is, see the commentary on D&C 110:14-15. See also The Sealing Power in Ye Shall Know of the Doctrine, volume 2, chapter 11.
An interesting and rather surprising contrary opinion is expressed by Richard D. Draper, S. Kent Brown, and Michael D. Rhodes in their book, The Pearl of Great Price, A Verse-by-Verse Commentary, (354-55). These brethren maintain that Elijah did not actually return the keys of sealing as indicated by the section heading for D&C 110 and by D&C 110:114-16. They comment: "Note Malachi's wording, that Elijah will reveal the priesthood, not restore any keys. Peter, James, and John restored the sealing keys in 1829. Joseph Smith understood this and taught as early as 1831 that the order of the High Priesthood was 'that they have power given to them to seal up the Saints unto eternal life' (Journal History, October 25, 1831). After he organized the Church, Joseph began sealing Saints into heaven. He did this in accordance with the Savior's instructions that 'of as many as the Father shall bear record, to you shall be given power to seal them up unto eternal life' (D&C 68:12)." These same authors then continue on to explain Elijah's role in 1836: "Elijah expanded the Prophet's understanding, revealing how families both on earth and in heaven could be sealed together in preparation for eternal glory. If this work did not get done, according to Malachi, the whole purpose of the earth would be wasted."
39 He also quoted the next verse differently: And he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers. If it were not so, the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming.
40 In addition to these, he quoted the eleventh chapter of Isaiah, saying that it was about to be fulfilled. He quoted also the third chapter of Acts, twenty-second and twenty-third verses, precisely as they stand in our New Testament. He said that that prophet was Christ; but the day had not yet come when "they who would not hear his voice should be cut off from among the people," but soon would come.
verse 40 "he quoted the eleventh chapter of Isaiah, saying that it was about to be fulfilled" For a discussion of Isaiah 11, see the introductory commentary and verse commentary for 2 Nephi 21 in Learning to Love the Book of Mormon.
"He quoted also the third chapter of Acts, twenty-second and twenty-third verses" As this verse teaches, Moroni quoted these two verses just as they are found in the KJV. These verses contain the apostle Peter's account of a prophecy made by the prophet Moses (see Deuteronomy 18:15-19). Peter wrote, "For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people." Peter applied this prophecy to his own time period implying that it referred to Jesus Christ. Moroni indicates that the prophecy also applies to the Lord's second coming in this final dispensation.
41 He also quoted the second chapter of Joel, from the twenty-eighth verse to the last. He also said that this was not yet fulfilled, but was soon to be. And he further stated that the fulness of the Gentiles was soon to come in. He quoted many other passages of scripture, and offered many explanations which cannot be mentioned here.
verse 41 "He also quoted the second chapter of Joel, from the twenty-eighth verse to the last" Moroni quoted Joel 2:28-32: "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call." These verses describe Joel's prophecies of the signs and wonders which will occur prior to the Lord's second coming.
"he further stated that the fulness of the Gentiles was soon to come in" For an explanation of "the fulness of the Gentiles" see the commentary for 1 Nephi 15:13 in Learning to Love the Book of Mormon.
"He quoted many other passages of scripture" Joseph does not say what other scriptures Moroni quoted, but Oliver Cowdery in his Messenger and Advocate account (February and April 1835) Lists quite a number of scriptures that the angel presumably either quoted or paraphrased. Introducing the material, Oliver states, "I have thought best to give a farther [sic.] detail of the heavenly message, and if I do not give it in precise words, [but] shall strictly confine myself to the facts in substance (Messenger and Advocate, [April 1835], 109). Oliver also admits, "I may have missed an arrangement in some instances, but the principle is preserved." So what he states must be taken with caution, especially with the April issue, because, though it is the longest and most detailed, he did not use quotation marks. As a result, it is impossible to determine which references belong to Oliver Cowdery and which to Moroni. Even so, thirty-five scriptures can be identified as having been used by Moroni, and they all pertain to the last days. It is also of note that all of them come from the Old Testament (except Acts 3:22-23 which is a paraphrase of Deuteronomy 18:15-19).
42 Again, he told me, that when I got those plates of which he had spoken-for the time that they should be obtained was not yet fulfilled-I should not show them to any person; neither the breastplate with the Urim and Thummim; only to those to whom I should be commanded to show them; if I did I should be destroyed. While he was conversing with me about the plates, the vision was opened to my mind that I could see the place where the plates were deposited, and that so clearly and distinctly that I knew the place again when I visited it.
verse 42 "I should not show them to any person" The record does not explain why the Lord forbade Joseph from showing the records to anyone except those whom he would later identify. History, however, suggests a partial answer. Rumor alone was enough to set mobs searching for the plates. Had their existence actually been verified, it might have been impossible for Joseph to withstand the mobs that would have arisen to take them from him.
"I could see the place where the plates were deposited" A major purpose of Moroni's coming was to reveal to Joseph where the plates of the Book of Mormon were hidden. Though it is not a huge hill, the Hill Cumorah is sufficiently large that it would present a challenge to anyone trying to find one small spot without specific directions. Moroni, however, was able to show the Prophet exactly where it was so that Joseph could go right to it.
43 After this communication, I saw the light in the room begin to gather immediately around the person of him who had been speaking to me, and it continued to do so until the room was again left dark, except just around him; when, instantly I saw, as it were, a conduit open right up into heaven, and he ascended till he entirely disappeared, and the room was left as it had been before this heavenly light had made its appearance.
verse 43 "I saw . . . a conduit open right up into heaven" The "conduit" referred to here is reminiscent of the "pillar of light" which Joseph described in his account of the First Vision.
44 I lay musing on the singularity of the scene, and marveling greatly at what had been told to me by this extraordinary messenger; when, in the midst of my meditation, I suddenly discovered that my room was again beginning to get lighted, and in an instant, as it were, the same heavenly messenger was again by my bedside.
45 He commenced, and again related the very same things which he had done at his first visit, without the least variation; which having done, he informed me of great judgments which were coming upon the earth, with great desolations by famine, sword, and pestilence; and that these grievous judgments would come on the earth in this generation. Having related these things, he again ascended as he had done before
verse 45 "He . . . related the very same things which he had done at his first visit" In all, Joseph would have a similar experience with Moroni four different times. By this repetition, Joseph learned the content of Moroni's visit so well that he could recall the important points of the message years later.
"he informed me of great judgments" The second time the angel appeared to Joseph, he did more than repeat the previous material. Moroni expanded on his first message, adding prophetic insight into the judgments that were to "come on the earth in this generation." The intent seems to have been twofold: to show Joseph the importance of the work he was doing in the context of the last days, and to motivate him to quickly move the Lord's cause forward.
46 By this time, so deep were the impressions made on my mind, that sleep had fled from my eyes, and I lay overwhelmed in astonishment at what I had both seen and heard. But what was my surprise when again I beheld the same messenger at my bedside, and heard him rehearse or repeat over again to me the same things as before; and added a caution to me, telling me that Satan would try to tempt me (in consequence of the indigent circumstances of my father's family), to get the plates for the purpose of getting rich. This he forbade me, saying that I must have no other object in view in getting the plates but to glorify God, and must not be influenced by any other motive than that of building his kingdom; otherwise I could not get them.
verse 46 "Satan would try to tempt me" During the third appearance, in addition to repeating what he had said before, Moroni left the Prophet with a warning. Satan knew the Prophet's sympathies for the financial circumstances of his indigent family. Through these, Satan would tempt Joseph to use the plates for material advantage and thus frustrate God's purposes.
47 After this third visit, he again ascended into heaven as before, and I was again left to ponder on the strangeness of what I had just experienced; when almost immediately after the heavenly messenger had ascended from me for the third time, the cock crowed, and I found that day was approaching, so that our interviews must have occupied the whole of that night.
verse 47 "day was approaching" The three instruction periods took the entire night, suggesting that each lasted up to two hours. That being the case, Joseph's account gives us only the highlights of the angel's message.
48 I shortly after arose from my bed, and, as usual, went to the necessary labors of the day; but, in attempting to work as at other times, I found my strength so exhausted as to render me entirely unable. My father, who was laboring along with me, discovered something to be wrong with me, and told me to go home. I started with the intention of going to the house; but, in attempting to cross the fence out of the field where we were, my strength entirely failed me, and I fell helpless on the ground, and for a time was quite unconscious of anything.
verse 48 "I found my strength so exhausted" There were factors operative here other than merely the loss of a night's sleep. Apparently visionary experiences are enervating, that is they cause weakness and destroy vigor. This vision experience left him with the same state of weakness he had experienced after seeing the Father and the Son three years earlier. It is interesting to note that Joseph likely overcame this tendency to become enervated following his visionary experiences. One delightful anecdote is attributed to Philo Dibble, a close friend and boyhood pal of the Prophet (Juvenile Instructor, May 15, 1892). It occurred while Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon were receiving section 76 of the Doctrine and Covenants, known as "The Vision":
During the time that Joseph and Sidney were in the Spirit and saw the heavens open, there were other men in the room, perhaps twelve. Among whom I was one [the names of the others are not recorded]. During a part of the time-probably two-thirds of the time-I saw the glory and felt the power but did not see the vision. The events and conversation, while they were seeing what is written (and many things were seen and related that are not written), I will relate as minutely as necessary. Joseph would at intervals say "What do I see?" as one might say while looking out the window and beholding what all in the room could not see. Then he would relate what he had seen or what he was looking at. Then Sidney replied, "I see the same." Presently Sidney would say, "What do I see?" and would repeat what he had seen or was seeing, and Joseph would reply, "I see the same." This manner of conversation was repeated at short intervals to the end of the vision, and during the whole time not a word was spoken by any other person, not a sound or motion made by anyone but Joseph and Sidney, and it seemed to me that they never moved a joint or limb during the time I was there, which I think was over an hour, and to the end of the vision. Joseph sat firmly and calmly all the time in the midst of a magnificent glory, but Sidney sat limp and pale, apparently as limber as a rag, observing which Joseph remarked, smilingly, "Sidney is not used to it as I am."
49 The first thing that I can recollect was a voice speaking unto me, calling me by name. I looked up, and beheld the same messenger standing over my head, surrounded by light as before. He then again related unto me all that he had related to me the previous night, and commanded me to go to my father and tell him of the vision and commandments which I had received.
50 I obeyed; I returned to my father in the field, and rehearsed the whole matter to him. He replied to me that it was of God, and told me to go and do as commanded by the messenger. I left the field, and went to the place where the messenger had told me the plates were deposited; and owing to the distinctness of the vision which I had had concerning it, I knew the place the instant that I arrived there.
verse 50 "He replied to me that it was of God" According to the account in the History of the Church, Joseph was initially afraid to tell his father. Very likely, the abuse he had received from outside the family made him overly cautious about sharing sacred experiences. Nonetheless, Moroni insisted that the youth tell Joseph Sr. what had happened. By relating the events to his faith-filled father, Joseph Smith secured an important ally.
When Moroni was through instructing the Prophet, Joseph knew there would be a restoration of the gospel; a temple built; the gathering of the elect, including the lost children of Abraham; a general destruction of the wicked; the purification of the righteous, and a new and important book of scripture, the Book of Mormon. He also knew that Zion would be established as the place of refuge from the wrath of God that was soon to be poured out upon the earth, that Christ would soon come again, and that the Lord would move the earth into the millennial period. The scriptures used by Oliver Cowdery (with one exception that deals with the scattering of Israel) all fit into one or more of these headings. Thus, Moroni gave to Joseph Smith a panoramic view of the last days and the foundation that the Prophet would be expected to lay.
The Developmental Years (verses 51-68)
51 Convenient to the village of Manchester, Ontario county, New York, stands a hill of considerable size, and the most elevated of any in the neighborhood. On the west side of this hill, not far from the top, under a stone of considerable size, lay the plates, deposited in a stone box. This stone was thick and rounding in the middle on the upper side, and thinner towards the edges, so that the middle part of it was visible above the ground, but the edge all around was covered with earth.
verse 51 "a hill of considerable size" Moroni gave no name to the hill, but over time it became known as Cumorah-after the hill in which the large plates of Nephi were buried in Book of Mormon lands. The hill Cumorah in New York was about two miles south of the Smith farm. It is, as one commentator pointed out, "the most conspicuous land mark in that section of New York" (B. H. Roberts, A Comprehensive History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Century 1, 6 vols. [Provo, Utah: Brigham Young University Press, 1965], 1:75). Viewed from the north, it rises abruptly from the level of the surrounding country. The slope of both the east and west faces being about equal, one might think when viewed in that way, the hill would be conical. However, once one gets to the top or views the hill from either the east or west sides, it is easy to see that the narrow northern ridge gradually widens and lowers toward the south until, about half a mile away, it melds into the undulating country. At the time Joseph climbed it, the hill was under heavy timber.
"a stone box" In vision Moroni had shown Joseph precisely where on the hill to look, so the Prophet was able to quickly locate the stone that marked the hiding place. After clearing the grass and dirt from the sides of the stone and using a lever, he was successful in sliding the covering back enough to see inside the stone box and view its contents. The box itself had been put together with cement, thus sealing the interior from the weather. The box was large enough to hold not only the plates but also a breastplate with the Urim and Thummim.
52 Having removed the earth, I obtained a lever, which I got fixed under the edge of the stone, and with a little exertion raised it up. I looked in, and there indeed did I behold the plates, the Urim and Thummim, and the breastplate, as stated by the messenger. The box in which they lay was formed by laying stones together in some kind of cement. In the bottom of the box were laid two stones crossways of the box, and on these stones lay the plates and the other things with them.
verse 52 "two stones crossways" The contents of the box did not lie on its floor. Probably out of caution against water damage, Moroni had placed two stones across the bottom of the box and laid the divine objects on top of these.
53 I made an attempt to take them out, but was forbidden by the messenger, and was again informed that the time for bringing them forth had not yet arrived, neither would it, until four years from that time; but he told me that I should come to that place precisely in one year from that time, and that he would there meet with me, and that I should continue to do so until the time should come for obtaining the plates.
verse 53 "I made an attempt to take them out" When Joseph attempted to take the records out of the box, he received a substantial shock, not an electrical jolt but a divine rap. Though the 1838 account does not explain why, Oliver Cowdery's does. Oliver reported that Joseph's mind became sidetracked on his way to the hill. He began to consider using the gold to buy his family out of their poverty. The thoughts, though charitable, Cowdery informs us, were satanically inspired. They so crowded the seventeen-year-old's mind that he completely forgot the real importance of the records (William E. Berrett and Alma P. Burton, Readings in L.D.S. Church History, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1953], 24-25). Thus, a shock forbade him access to the holy records. Not to be thwarted, Joseph tried two more times to get the plates, receiving a more severe shock with each attempt. Finally he exclaimed, "Why can I not obtain this book?" It was then that Moroni appeared and rebuked him for his thoughts. Moroni had warned Joseph not only the night before but also as recently as that morning that Satan would try to tempt him away from his duty. Joseph had succumbed. According to his mother: "While Joseph remained here, the angel showed him, by contrast, the difference between good and evil, and of both obedience and disobedience to the commandments of God, in such a striking manner, that the impression was always vivid in his memory until the very end of his days; and in giving a relation of this circumstance, not long prior to his death, he remarked, that ever afterwards he was willing to keep the commandments of God" (Lucy Mack Smith, History of Joseph Smith by His Mother [Salt Lake City: Stevens & Wallis, Inc., 1945], 81). Oliver Cowdery stated that Moroni opened to Joseph a vision of the adversary and his terrible hosts so that Joseph would never again be overcome by the powers of evil.
"the time . . . had not yet arrived" Moroni did not explain to Joseph why a delay was necessary, but sources do indicate that the angel informed the young Prophet that he would not get the plates for another four years. History does not give us insight into the reasons for the delay, but we do see the Prophet maturing and learning both by divine and earthly means during the interval.
54 Accordingly, as I had been commanded, I went at the end of each year, and at each time I found the same messenger there, and received instruction and intelligence from him at each of our interviews, respecting what the Lord was going to do, and how and in what manner his kingdom was to be conducted in the last days.
verse 54 "I . . . received instruction and intelligence" Each year on September 22nd, Joseph returned to the hill. There he was tutored by Moroni. John Taylor wrote that Moroni was not the only one involved: "When Joseph Smith was raised up as Prophet of God, Mormon, Moroni, Nephi, and others of the ancient Prophets who formerly lived on this continent . . . came to him and communicated to him certain principles pertaining to the Gospel and of the Son of God" (JD, 17:374). Joseph's mother stated that her son had a solid knowledge of Lehite civilization. "He would describe the ancient inhabitants of this continent," she informs us, "their dress, mode of traveling, and the animals upon which they rode; their cities, their buildings, with every particular; their mode of warfare; and also their religious worship. This he would do with as much ease, seemingly, as if he had spent his whole life among them" (Lucy Mack Smith, History of Joseph Smith by His Mother [Salt Lake City: Stevens & Wallis, Inc., 1945], 82-83). Clearly the Lord was preparing Joseph for the translation process.
55 As my father's worldly circumstances were very limited, we were under the necessity of laboring with our hands, hiring out by day's work and otherwise, as we could get opportunity. Sometimes we were at home, and sometimes abroad, and by continuous labor were enabled to get a comfortable maintenance.
verse 55 "worldly circumstances were very limited" The basic income for the Smith family was the annual wheat crop, supplemented by additional work, and selling homemade goods. Even so, the family knew little of luxury or ease.
"hiring out by day's work" The family's meager financial circumstances forced the male members to seek employment where they could. There was often a need in the area for day laborers, which the family was happy to fill. However, when employment failed near home, the boys were forced to travel many miles-"abroad"-to find work.
56 In the year 1823 my father's family met with a great affliction by the death of my eldest brother, Alvin. In the month of October, 1825, I hired with an old gentleman by the name of Josiah Stoal, who lived in Chenango county, State of New York. He had heard something of a silver mine having been opened by the Spaniards in Harmony, Susquehanna county, State of Pennsylvania; and had, previous to my hiring to him, been digging, in order, if possible, to discover the mine. After I went to live with him, he took me, with the rest of his hands, to dig for the silver mine, at which I continued to work for nearly a month, without success in our undertaking, and finally I prevailed with the old gentleman to cease digging after it. Hence arose the very prevalent story of my having been a money-digger.
verse 56 "the death of my eldest brother, Alvin" The death of the eldest Smith son occurred on November 15, 1823, was a major blow not only emotionally but financially as well. Alvin had been the primary mover in building a nice frame house for the family so that, as he said, "his father and mother [could be] once more comfortable and happy" (Lucy Mack Smith, History of Joseph Smith by His Mother [Salt Lake City: Stevens & Wallis, Inc., 1945], 85).
"Josiah Stoal" This well-respected and financially well-off farmer visited the Smith family during the fall of 1825 desiring to have Joseph work for him. Mr. Stowell (spelled Stoal in Joseph's account) lived in South Bainbridge (now Afton), New York. He also had extensive property holdings, including a farm, on the Susquehanna River near South Bainbridge, New York and also near Harmony, Pennsylvania. He had heard that Joseph possessed the ability to "discern things invisible to the natural eye" and, believing that Spanish treasure was hidden in some of the caves around Harmony, Pennsylvania, he wanted to use Joseph's power. The Prophet agreed to work for him for a while. The two got along well, and he visited the Smiths a couple of times thereafter. In fact, he was staying with the Smiths the night Joseph brought home the gold plates. He later converted to the Church and though he never came to Kirtland or Nauvoo, he died full in the faith on May 12, 1844.
"Hence arose the very prevalent story of my having been a money-digger." Mr. Stowell hired Joseph and others to dig in some old mines for the Spanish treasure from early to mid-November 1825. After several failed attempts, Joseph persuaded the elderly gentleman that the whole idea was fruitless, and they retired to Stowell's farm near Harmony, Pennsylvania. It is likely that Joseph had misgivings about this project from the beginning. From this experience, Joseph gained the reputation as a "money-digger." That this reputation followed him to his death is interesting, given the fact that, with the exception of the gold plates, Joseph was never credited with finding any kind of earthly treasure.
57 During the time that I was thus employed, I was put to board with a Mr. Isaac Hale, of that place; it was there I first saw my wife (his daughter), Emma Hale. On the 18th of January, 1827, we were married, while I was yet employed in the service of Mr. Stoal.
verse 57 "Mr. Isaac Hale" It was with the Hale family that Joseph and Josiah Stowell boarded while seeking the Spanish gold. Isaac was a successful farmer in Harmony, Pennsylvania, and had the room to put up lodgers. He was a devout Methodist and therefore did not accept Joseph's prophetic calling.
He would later allow the Prophet and Emma to stay on his property while Joseph finished translating the plates, but in 1830, because of heavy persecution, he invited the two to leave. Isaac Hale and the prophet Joseph were never reconciled before the death of Mr. Hale in 1842.
"Emma Hale" The seventh daughter of Isaac Hale, she met Joseph while he was staying with her family. The two fell in love, and though her father opposed the marriage, she was willing to elope with Joseph. The newlyweds moved in with Joseph's family. On September 21, 1827, she drove Joseph to the Hill Cumorah and waited for him to bring down the plates. Because of pressures in New York, they returned to her parents' home in Harmony, Pennsylvania, where she acted for a while as Joseph's scribe-initially and then only intermittently-as he began to translate the book of Lehi. Later the couple moved to Kirtland, Ohio, where she compiled the first hymnal of the Church. In Nauvoo, she became the first president of the Relief Society. Having lost three children shortly after their births, she was comforted by the patriarchal blessing given by her father-in-law, Joseph Smith Sr., in which he assured her that she would have a family. She later bore six children, of whom four lived to adulthood. After Joseph's death, she remained in Nauvoo to take care of the Prophet's aging mother. Later, she married Lewis A. Bidamon, and they lived together for thirty years. Bidamon was unfaithful to her, and her love remained with Joseph. Her last words were "Joseph, yes, yes, I'm coming!"
58 Owing to my continuing to assert that I had seen a vision, persecution still followed me, and my wife's father's family were very much opposed to our being married. I was, therefore, under the necessity of taking her elsewhere; so we went and were married at the house of Squire Tarbill, in South Bainbridge, Chenango county, New York. Immediately after my marriage, I left Mr. Stoal's, and went to my father's, and farmed with him that season.
verse 58 "my wife's father's family were very much opposed to our being married" The Prophet's mother, Lucy Mack Smith, was delighted when Joseph told her of his desire to marry Emma Hale. Though the two had never met, Lucy was sure the match would be good and even invited Joseph to bring his bride into their home. The same feelings did not exist on the Hale side. As noted above, Isaac Hale did not believe in Joseph's divine calling. For that reason, he refused to consent to the marriage, thus forcing Emma to elope. To escape the bitterness, Emma accepted Lucy's warm invitation and moved with Joseph to Palmyra. Isaac Hale's feelings did ameliorate after a while, and he allowed Joseph and Emma to stay with him on his property in Harmony while Joseph worked on the translation of the Book of Mormon. Unfortunately, the stay did not mend the rift, so Joseph and Emma were later invited to move.
Joseph Takes Possession of the Plates (verses 59-65)
59 At length the time arrived for obtaining the plates, the Urim and Thummim, and the breastplate. On the twenty-second day of September, one thousand eight hundred and twenty-seven, having gone as usual at the end of another year to the place where they were deposited, the same heavenly messenger delivered them up to me with this charge: that I should be responsible for them; that if I should let them go carelessly, or through any neglect of mine, I should be cut off; but that if I would use all my endeavors to preserve them, until he, the messenger, should call for them, they should be protected.
verse 59 "the time arrived for obtaining the plates" During the four years between the first appearance of Moroni and September 1827, Joseph had matured not only physically but spiritually as well. No longer a seventeen-year-old whom Satan could tempt through the lust for gold, Joseph was ready to begin the divine work. A number of helpful events came together just at this time. For example, Josiah Stowell and Joseph Knight visited the Smiths that very day, staying overnight. This enabled Joseph to borrow Knight's horse and wagon for the purpose of retrieving the plates. That made it easier for Joseph to take Emma with him to the hill and successfully obtain the plates.
60 I soon found out the reason why I had received such strict charges to keep them safe, and why it was that the messenger had said that when I had done what was required at my hand, he would call for them. For no sooner was it known that I had them, than the most strenuous exertions were used to get them from me. Every stratagem that could be invented was resorted to for that purpose. The persecution became more bitter and severe than before, and multitudes were on the alert continually to get them from me if possible. But by the wisdom of God, they remained safe in my hands, until I had accomplished by them what was required at my hand. When, according to arrangements, the messenger called for them, I delivered them up to him; and he has them in his charge until this day, being the second day of May, one thousand eight hundred and thirty-eight.
verse 60 "the most strenuous exertions were used to get them from me" Joseph's fifth annual visit to Cumorah was on September 22, 1827. Instead of going during the day as had become his annual custom, he arrived there just after midnight of September 21, in the first hours of September 22. This was done to throw off meddlers who knew of the date. On this visit he was given possession of the plates, the breastplate, and the Urim and Thummim. Rather than taking the plates home immediately, he concealed them in the woods in a hollow birch log. When he finally did pick them up the following day, he quickly learned that it was necessary to maintain a constant vigil in order to keep the plates safe, since many evil and conspiring men sought almost continually to wrest the plates from him. Joseph's sister Catherine, who was at home when Joseph arrived carrying the plates, provides us with a colorful reminiscence: "He came in running and burst though the door carrying the plates. His hand was injured from striking one of the villains [who had chased him]. He told her that he had jumped over a rail fence. When one of the villains grabbed for the plates, he knocked him down with his right fist while carrying the plates under his left arm clasped to his body. Then he ran the gauntlet with several more, and when he came in the house she said he was completely out of breath. She took the plates from him and laid them on the table temporarily, and helped revive him until he got breathing properly and also examined his hand, and treated it for the bruises on his knuckles, where he had struck the villain and thus defended himself and the plates" (Interview by I.B. Ball of H. S. Salisbury, grandson of Catherine Smith Salisbury, August 31, 1954, 2).
Even though the Smiths had been careful not to tell anyone the exact time the plates were to be retrieved, it was apparent that several people suspected that Joseph did have them in his possession. Among these was Willard Chase, a Methodist class leader. He was able to organize a group of interested men who were willing to do whatever was necessary to get the gold. Chase employed two clairvoyants, one coming from sixty miles away and the other his sister, to help locate the plates. Both used peepstones and got close on a couple of occasions. Their exertions forced the Prophet to re-hide the plates from time to time in order to keep them safe.
"by the wisdom of God, they remained safe in my hands" Joseph was well acquainted with Willard Chase. In 1822, before Moroni's first visit, Chase hired Joseph to dig a well for him. In the process Joseph found a smooth, dark-colored stone about the size of a hen's egg. This became Joseph's seerstone which he often kept with him. In 1827 he showed it to his mother, telling her it was the means "by the use of which he could in a moment tell whether the plates were in any danger" (Lucy Mack Smith, Biographical Sketches of Joseph Smith the Prophet and His Progenitors for Many Generations [Liverpool: S. W. Richards, 1953], 107). She stated that through this means, "he could also ascertain, at any time, the approach of danger, either to himself or the record" (Ibid., 110).
"I delivered them up to him" Once the translation was completed, Joseph returned the plates to Moroni. Apparently Joseph did not rebury the plates but gave them to the angel. We assume that Moroni is in charge of them to this day.
61 The excitement, however, still continued, and rumor with her thousand tongues was all the time employed in circulating falsehoods about my father's family, and about myself. If I were to relate a thousandth part of them, it would fill up volumes. The persecution, however, became so intolerable that I was under the necessity of leaving Manchester, and going with my wife to Susquehanna county, in the State of Pennsylvania. While preparing to start-being very poor, and the persecution so heavy upon us that there was no probability that we would ever be otherwise-in the midst of our afflictions we found a friend in a gentleman by the name of Martin Harris, who came to us and gave me fifty dollars to assist us on our journey. Mr. Harris was a resident of Palmyra township, Wayne county, in the State of New York, and a farmer of respectability.
verse 61 "The persecution . . . became so intolerable that I was under the necessity of leaving Manchester" Because of unrelenting mob pressure, Emma made arrangements for the family to stay with her parents in Harmony.
"a friend . . . by the name of Martin Harris" A true friend to the Prophet, Harris was born May 18, 1783 in New York and was thus more than twenty-two years older than Joseph. He was a respected farmer known to be upright, honest, sincere, and generous. He was religiously devout but had never joined any church prior to this time. The reason, he said, was that he "was inspired by the Lord and taught of the Spirit that [he] should not join any church" (interview by Edward Stevenson, 1870). He befriended the Smith family and became a close confidant, learning as early as 1824 about Moroni's visit to Joseph. In 1827, he gave the Prophet fifty dollars, which helped Joseph and Emma relocate to Harmony. He acted as scribe from April 12, to May 14, 1828, assisting Joseph in completing the book of Lehi, comprising 116 pages of manuscript. He took the 116 pages with him on a three-week trip home. In the process, they became lost. Lucy Harris, his spiteful and unbelieving wife, claimed that she burned the manuscript, but section 10 of the Doctrine and Covenants suggests otherwise.
In 1829 Martin, along with Oliver Cowdery and David Whitmer, became the three witnesses of the Book of Mormon. They were shown the plates by an angel and received divine confirmation of the truth of the Book of Mormon. Martin willingly mortgaged his house and farm for $3,000 to act as security for the printing of the book. He remained ever faithful to his testimony of the sacred nature of the book. He died in Clarkston, Utah in 1875.
62 By this timely aid was I enabled to reach the place of my destination in Pennsylvania; and immediately after my arrival there I commenced copying the characters off the plates. I copied a considerable number of them, and by means of the Urim and Thummim I translated some of them, which I did between the time I arrived at the house of my wife's father, in the month of December, and the February following.
verse 62 "the place of my destination in Pennsylvania" Isaac Hale's attitude toward Joseph seems to have softened a bit by this time. Joseph and Emma had visited her parents in August 1827 for the purpose of obtaining her dowry. At that time the Hales invited them to stay with them. Joseph deferred the invitation for the time being. By December, however, it became obvious that attempts to get the plates and general persecution were not going to let up in Manchester. Therefore, the couple accepted the invitation and prepared to move. Hale sent one of his sons, Alva, to assist Joseph and Emma. Since the move was more than a hundred fifty miles under wintry conditions, the journey required considerable preparation and some financial support.
"I commenced copying the characters off the plates" Lucy Smith reports that before Joseph left Manchester, he received instructions to make copies of some of the characters with a translation and have them taken to some of the most learned men in New York for verification. She does not say who gave Joseph the instructions, but it seems likely it was Moroni. Before he left the Palmyra/Manchester area, Joseph made arrangements with Martin Harris to take the characters to the East. That winter, Harris made the trip to Harmony and then to New York, where he visited with some of the most renowned linguists of the day, among them Samuel L. Mitchill and Charles Anthon.
63 Sometime in this month of February, the aforementioned Mr. Martin Harris came to our place, got the characters which I had drawn off the plates, and started with them to the city of New York. For what took place relative to him and the characters, I refer to his own account of the circumstances, as he related them to me after his return, which was as follows:
64 "I went to the city of New York, and presented the characters which had been translated, with the translation thereof, to Professor Charles Anthon, a gentleman celebrated for his literary attainments. Professor Anthon stated that the translation was correct, more so than any he had before seen translated from the Egyptian. I then showed him those which were not yet translated, and he said that they were Egyptian, Chaldaic, Assyriac, and Arabic; and he said they were true characters. He gave me a certificate, certifying to the people of Palmyra that they were true characters, and that the translation of such of them as had been translated was also correct. I took the certificate and put it into my pocket, and was just leaving the house, when Mr. Anthon called me back, and asked me how the young man found out that there were gold plates in the place where he found them. I answered that an angel of God had revealed it unto him.
verse 64 "Professor Charles Anthon" A professor of Greek and Latin studies at Columbia College (now Columbia University), Anthon was considered one of the leading scholars of the day. He is known to have written one book a year for thirty years, through which he greatly influenced classical studies in the United States. His interests ranged widely, and when Martin Harris approached him with copies of ancient writings and a translation, Anthon agreed to make an evaluation. After Harris's visit, he continued his work at Columbia for many years, dying in 1867.
"Professor Anthon stated that the translation was correct" Just how much Professor Anthon would have known about ancient Egyptian writing is unknown. He was skilled in classical languages, but not in Egyptian. It is therefore a bit puzzling that he could provide Martin Harris with an authoritative confirmation of the reformed Egyptian characters or their translation. Perhaps he attested more to the plausibility of the characters' authenticity rather than to the actuality of their authenticity. Nevertheless, it is certain that Anthon left Martin Harris with the idea that the characters were authentic. Though he had no official certificate in hand, Harris returned to Harmony convinced that Joseph's work was genuine and that he could translate the record.
65 "He then said to me, 'Let me see that certificate.' I accordingly took it out of my pocket and gave it to him, when he took it and tore it to pieces, saying that there was no such thing now as ministering of angels, and that if I would bring the plates to him he would translate them. I informed him that part of the plates were sealed, and that I was forbidden to bring them. He replied, 'I cannot read a sealed book.' I left him and went to Dr. Mitchell, who sanctioned what Professor Anthon had said respecting both the characters and the translation."
verse 65 "no such thing now as ministering of angels" It is notable that what Anthon found troubling was not the characters or translation Harris showed him but the ministering of angels. He, like so many of the day, had determined that the heavens were closed. It is of interest that Harris visited Professor Anthon again some years later with a copy of the Book of Mormon, requesting that he read it. Anthon refused even to look at the book.
"I cannot read a sealed book" During this event, Anthon unwittingly fulfilled two prophecies. The first is found in Isaiah 29:11-12: "The vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed: and the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned." The second prophecy is found in 2 Nephi 27:15-20: "God shall say unto him to whom he shall deliver the book: Take these words which are not sealed and deliver them to another, that he may show them unto the learned, saying: Read this, I pray thee. And the learned shall say: Bring hither the book, and I will read them. And now, because of the glory of the world and to get gain will they say this, and not for the glory of God. And the man shall say: I cannot bring the book, for it is sealed. Then shall the learned say: I cannot read it. . . . Then shall the Lord God say unto him: The learned shall not read them, for they have rejected them, and I am able to do mine own work; wherefore thou shalt read the words which I shall give unto thee."
Baptism and the Restoration of the Priesthood (verses 66-75)
66 On the 5th day of April, 1829, Oliver Cowdery came to my house, until which time I had never seen him. He stated to me that having been teaching school in the neighborhood where my father resided, and my father being one of those who sent to the school, he went to board for a season at his house, and while there the family related to him the circumstances of my having received the plates, and accordingly he had come to make inquiries of me.
verse 66 "Oliver Cowdery" Oliver was born October 3, 1806 in Wells, Vermont, and was therefore nearly a year younger then the prophet Joseph. See the introductory commentary for D&C 6 in Learning to Love the Doctrine and Covenants. He was born into a well educated family. His brother, Lyman, contracted to teach school in the Palmyra area, but business called him away. Before leaving, Lyman petitioned the trustees of the school, of which Hyrum Smith was one, to consider allowing Oliver to take his place. The board agreed. Since the Smiths had a number of children attending the school, Oliver was invited to room with them. Having already heard rumors, he was curious about Joseph and readily accepted the invitation to stay with the Smiths. Oliver inquired about Joseph, and the Smiths shared their experiences with him. Oliver listened and believed. He prayed about what he had heard and received a confirmation from the Holy Ghost. Some time later, after traveling to Harmony to meet Joseph Smith, the Lord, in a revelation to the prophet Joseph, reminded Oliver of his prayer experience, even though Oliver had not shared that experience with Joseph (see D&C 6:22-23).
Oliver traveled from Palmyra to Harmony in the company of Samuel Smith and arrived there on April 5, 1829. In this he was following divine promptings, for the Lord had promised Joseph that he would provide the means for Joseph to continue the translation work (see D&C 5:34). Oliver assisted the Prophet from April 7 to June 1829 in completing the Book of Mormon manuscript and readying it for publication.
Oliver was blessed to be allowed to be one of the three witnesses of the Book of Mormon, along with Martin Harris and David Whitmer. He was also one of the six charter members of the Church at the time it was organized on April 6, 1830, and in 1834 he became assistant president of the Church. He presided for some time over the Church in Missouri. In 1837 he had a falling out with the Prophet over aspects of Church government. Cowdery refused to be reconciled to Joseph and was excommunicated in 1838. For the next ten years, he practiced law in Ohio and Wisconsin. During that time he acted as editor of a newspaper and was active in politics.
He married Elizabeth Ann Whitmer in 1832, and she remained loyal to her husband. Of the six children born to them, all died in early childhood except their first daughter. Though she married, she had no children, so Oliver has no descendants.
In 1848 he felt the need to associate once more with the Church. He traveled to Winter Quarters, Nebraska, where he was reinstated into the Church and once more became an active member. Though he desired to come to Utah, Ill health forced him to settle for a time with his in-laws in Missouri. He never recovered, dying of the illness (probably pulmonary tuberculosis) in 1850. On his deathbed, with friends and relatives around him, he bore witness to the truth of the Book of Mormon and the restoration of the priesthood.
67 Two days after the arrival of Mr. Cowdery (being the 7th of April) I commenced to translate the Book of Mormon, and he began to write for me.
68 We still continued the work of translation, when, in the ensuing month (May, 1829), we on a certain day went into the woods to pray and inquire of the Lord respecting baptism for the remission of sins, that we found mentioned in the translation of the plates. While we were thus employed, praying and calling upon the Lord, a messenger from heaven descended in a cloud of light, and having laid his hands upon us, he ordained us, saying:
verse 68 "we went into the woods to pray and inquire of the Lord respecting baptism" By the middle of May, the Prophet and Oliiver Cowdery had translated well into 3 Nephi (they had commenced the translation with the book of Mosiah). Very likely they had read what is now chapter 11. If that is the case, it was the Savior's instructions to the Nephites that touched the two and motivated them to ask the Lord about this crucial ordinance. Joseph, according to divine mandate, had never been baptized, so the issue was personally important. The two men retired to the quiet banks of the Susquehanna River, less than a hundred yards behind the Prophet's home, and prayed. There, they were enveloped in a divine light. Within that splendor, an angel sent from God instructed them. Of the experience Oliver wrote, "I shall not attempt to paint to you the feelings of this heart, nor the majestic beauty and glory which surrounded us on this occasion; but you will believe me when I say, that earth, nor men, with the eloquence of time, cannot begin to clothe language in as interesting and sublime a manner as this holy personage. No; nor has this earth power to give the joy, to bestow the peace, or comprehend the wisdom which was contained in each sentence as they were delivered by the power of the Holy Spirit!" (Messenger and Advocate, October 1834, 15-16).
69 Upon you my fellow servants, in the name of Messiah, I confer the Priesthood of Aaron, which holds the keys of the ministering of angels, and of the gospel of repentance, and of baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; and this shall never be taken again from the earth until the sons of Levi do offer again an offering unto the Lord in righteousness.
verse 69 "I confer the Priesthood of Aaron" The Lord instituted the Aaronic order of the priesthood through Moses, naming it after Moses's brother Aaron, who became the first high priest of that order (see D&C 13 and its commentary in Learning to Love the Doctrine and Covenants). The children of Israel, having covenanted that they would be obedient to God, broke their promise while Moses was with God on the summit of Sinai (see Exodus 20-24; these chapters establish Israel's acceptance of the covenant before Moses went up onto the mount). The purpose of the original law was to prepare Israel to see the face of God. Their hardheartedness brought upon them God's wrath, and he took the higher priesthood from them and instituted the lesser. God established Aaron and his house as presiding priests over this order. Through the righteous use of this priesthood, the people still had access to angelic administration, repentance, baptism, and the "law of carnal commandments," all of which constitute the "preparatory gospel." This order continued to function within the early Christian church, albeit with broadened scope, until the apostasy swept all priesthood away.
"until the sons of Levi do offer again an offering unto the Lord in righteousness" For a discussion of this interesting phrase, see the commentary for D&C 13:1 in Learning to Love the Doctrine and Covenants.
70 He said this Aaronic Priesthood had not the power of laying on hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost, but that this should be conferred on us hereafter; and he commanded us to go and be baptized, and gave us directions that I should baptize Oliver Cowdery, and that afterwards he should baptize me.
71 Accordingly we went and were baptized. I baptized him first, and afterwards he baptized me-after which I laid my hands upon his head and ordained him to the Aaronic Priesthood, and afterwards he laid his hands on me and ordained me to the same Priesthood-for so we were commanded.
verse 71 "for so we were commanded" Joseph notes that the messenger explained the order in which the ordinances were to be performed. Having been commissioned by the angel, Joseph first baptized Oliver, and then Oliver baptized Joseph. Joseph Fielding Smith explained:
They came back [to shore] and [Joseph] said: "After we baptized each other the angel said, 'Joseph, you lay your hands upon Oliver and reconfirm the ordination that I have given you, and Oliver, put your hands upon the head of Joseph Smith and reconfirm the ordination that I have given you'" . . . And they did that. Why? Because of this very thing I am telling you. It was out of order to ordain men and then baptize them. We never think today of doing that. We do not take a man and confer upon him the Aaronic Priesthood and then baptize him, or send him to be baptized. Why? Because we have a church organization (Doctrines of Salvation, 3 vols. [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1965], 1:71 note).
72 The messenger who visited us on this occasion and conferred this Priesthood upon us, said that his name was John, the same that is called John the Baptist in the New Testament, and that he acted under the direction of Peter, James and John, who held the keys of the Priesthood of Melchizedek, which Priesthood, he said, would in due time be conferred on us, and that I should be called the first Elder of the Church, and he (Oliver Cowdery) the second. It was on the fifteenth day of May, 1829, that we were ordained under the hand of this messenger, and baptized.
verse 72 "John the Baptist" Joseph did not identify the angel until he got to this point. Only now do we find out it was John the Baptist, the last prophet to hold the Levitical priesthood during that dispensation. The Savior's second cousin, John, was referred to as the greatest prophet born of women (Matthew 11:11). Being a descendant of Levi on both his maternal and paternal sides and honoring the priesthood throughout his life, he became its embodiment. Though the major focus of his ministry was preparing the way of the Lord, his work did not stop there.
The spirit of Elias, which John personified, is, as Joseph Smith taught, to prepare the way for the greater revelation of God (TPJS, 335). It is not surprising, then, that he was sent to introduce the priesthood back on the earth again.
"he acted under the direction of Peter, James and John" The three chief apostles were endowed with a greater power than that of John the Baptist. They formed the de facto First Presidency in the ancient church and continued thereafter as guardians of the higher or Melchizedek order of the priesthood and supervisors of the lesser. John the Baptist's work was under their direction. By so informing Joseph, John began schooling the Prophet in the nature, order, and relationships among the various priesthood orders.
"which Priesthood, he said, would in due time be conferred on us" The restoration of the Melchizedek Priesthood, unlike the Aaronic, cannot be dated. We know, according to D&C 27:12, that Peter, James and John had conferred the priesthood before August 30, 1830, because the revelation given on that day mentions it. Section 18, in stating that Oliver Cowdery and David Whitmer had been called with the same calling as Paul the Apostle, suggests they had it in June 1829. Therefore, it was only a few weeks after John appeared that the ancient apostles came and bestowed the higher priesthood.
73 Immediately on our coming up out of the water after we had been baptized, we experienced great and glorious blessings from our Heavenly Father. No sooner had I baptized Oliver Cowdery, than the Holy Ghost fell upon him, and he stood up and prophesied many things which should shortly come to pass. And again, so soon as I had been baptized by him, I also had the spirit of prophecy, when, standing up, I prophesied concerning the rise of this Church, and many other things connected with the Church, and this generation of the children of men. We were filled with the Holy Ghost, and rejoiced in the God of our salvation.
verse 73 "the Holy Ghost fell upon him" This was not the gift of the Holy Ghost, which comes only after baptism and confirmation. It was, rather, the influence of this member of the Godhead bearing witness and bestowing insight upon these two faithful men. The power and influence of the Holy Ghost is not as restricted as that of the gift of the Holy Ghost. It can influence and inspire people of goodwill wherever and whoever they might be. This power worked upon Peter during the Lord's mortal ministry, and helped him know the Lord was the Messiah. It influenced Cornelius, the Roman centurion to whom Peter preached the gospel, and assisted in that conversion of his household. Throughout time, many have been touched and the world blessed by this power.
"he stood up and prophesied" Under the power of the Holy Ghost, these brethren were inspired to see not only the immediate future of the kingdom but also that which should come in the distant future. In this way, they knew the direction they needed to push the kingdom even before the Church was organized.
74 Our minds being now enlightened, we began to have the scriptures laid open to our understandings, and the true meaning and intention of their more mysterious passages revealed unto us in a manner which we never could attain to previously, nor ever before had thought of. In the meantime we were forced to keep secret the circumstances of having received the Priesthood and our having been baptized, owing to a spirit of persecution which had already manifested itself in the neighborhood.
verse 74 "their more mysterious passages" The influence of the Holy Ghost remained with them while they waited for the coming of the gift. During that time, it allowed them to understand scriptures that before had seemed vague or confusing. This inspiration laid down the insights by which, only a few months later, Joseph would begin utilizing as the foundation for his inspired revision of the Bible.
"forced to keep secret the circumstances of having received the Priesthood" already, enmity against the Prophet ran high. Had he announced that he had restored the priesthood, those who professed that they held God's authority would have been insulted and threatened. Since they had already shown a willingness to incite mob action, it is little wonder Joseph and Oliver decided that, even though the news was glorious, they had best not share it except with trusted friends.
75 We had been threatened with being mobbed, from time to time, and this, too, by professors of religion. And their intentions of mobbing us were only counteracted by the influence of my wife's father's family (under Divine providence), who had become very friendly to me, and who were opposed to mobs, and were willing that I should be allowed to continue the work of translation without interruption; and therefore offered and promised us protection from all unlawful proceedings, as far as in them lay.
verse 75 "wife's father's family (under Divine providence), who had become very friendly to me" Though Isaac Hale would never be convinced that his son-in-law was a prophet of God, he was nonetheless a good man and was willing to give Joseph a chance. It was during this time when Joseph and Emma were neighbors and the two men were the closest they would ever be in mortality.
"who were opposed to mobs" The respect in which the community held Mr. Hale kept mobbers at bay. The lull in persecution gave Joseph and Oliver time to make good progress with the translation.
Oliver Cowdery describes the events of these days:
These were days never to be forgotten-to sit under the sound of a voice dictated by the inspiration of heaven, awakened the utmost gratitude of this bosom! Day after day I continued, uninterrupted, to write from his mouth, as he translated with the Urim and Thummim, or, as the Nephites would have said, "Interpreters," the history or record called "The Book of Mormon" . . .
After writing the account given of the Savior's ministry to the remnant of the seed of Jacob, upon this continent, it was easy to be seen, as the prophet said it would be, that darkness covered the earth and gross darkness the minds of the people. On reflecting further it was as easy to be seen that amid the great strife and noise concerning religion, none had authority from God to administer the ordinances of the Gospel. For the question might be asked, have men authority to administer in the name of Christ, who deny revelations, when His testimony is no less than the spirit of prophecy, and His religion based, built, and sustained by immediate revelations, in all ages of the world when He has had a people on earth? If these facts were buried, and carefully concealed by men whose craft would have been in danger if once permitted to shine in the faces of men, they were no longer to us; and we only waited for the commandment to be given "Arise and be baptized." This was not long desired before it was realized. The Lord, who is rich in mercy, and ever willing to answer the consistent prayer of the humble, after we had called upon Him in a fervent manner, aside from the abodes of men, condescended to manifest to us His will. On a sudden, as from the midst of eternity, the voice of the Redeemer spake peace to us, while the veil was parted and the angel of God came down clothed with glory, and delivered the anxiously looked for message, and the keys of the Gospel of repentance. What joy! what wonder! what amazement! While the world was racked and distracted-while millions were groping as the blind for the wall, and while all men were resting upon uncertainty, as a general mass, our eyes beheld, our ears heard, as in the `blaze of day'; yes, more-above the glitter of the May sunbeam, which then shed its brilliancy over the face of nature! Then his voice, though mild, pierced to the center, and his words, "I am thy fellow-servant," dispelled every fear. We listened, we gazed, we admired! 'Twas the voice of an angel from glory, 'twas a message from the Most High! And as we heard we rejoiced, while His love enkindled upon our souls, and we were wrapped in the vision of the Almighty! Where was room for doubt? Nowhere; uncertainty had fled, doubt had sunk no more to rise, while fiction and deception had fled forever! But, dear brother, think, further think for a moment, what joy filled our hearts, and with what surprise we must have bowed, (for who would not have bowed the knee for such a blessing?) when we received under his hand the Holy Priesthood as he said, "Upon you my fellow-servants, in the name of Messiah, I confer this Priesthood and this authority, which shall remain upon earth, that the Sons of Levi may yet offer an offering unto the Lord in righteousness!" I shall not attempt to paint to you the feelings of this heart, nor the majestic beauty and glory which surrounded us on this occasion; but you will believe me when I say, that earth, nor men, with the eloquence of time, cannot begin to clothe language in as interesting and sublime a manner as this holy personage. No; nor has this earth power to give the joy, to bestow the peace, or comprehend the wisdom which was contained in each sentence as they were delivered by the power of the Holy Spirit! Man may deceive his fellow-men, deception may follow deception, and the children of the wicked one may have power to seduce the foolish and untaught, till naught but fiction feeds the many, and the fruit of falsehood carries in its current the giddy to the grave; but one touch with the finger of his love, yes, one ray of glory from the upper world, or one word from the mouth of the Savior, from the bosom of eternity, strikes it all into insignificance, and blots it forever from the mind. The assurance that we were in the presence of an angel, the certainty that we heard the voice of Jesus, and the truth unsullied as it flowed from a pure personage, dictated by the will of God, is to me past description, and I shall ever look upon this expression of the Savior's goodness with wonder and thanksgiving while I am permitted to tarry; and in those mansions where perfection dwells and sin never comes, I hope to adore in that day which shall never cease (Messenger and Advocate, volume 1 [October 1834], 14-16).
The reader may take a moment to reflect on the Lord's obvious orchestration of the events in this period of the church's history. Note particularly the timely and indispensable help of Martin Harris, Oliver Cowdery, and even Isaac Hale.
The Joseph Smith-History ends abruptly with the restoration of the priesthood. The reason seems to be that Franklin D. Richards's source ended here. Though the record stops before the founding of the Church, it does detail important aspects of the work and reveals that all was in place for the restoration of Christ's Church on the earth.