Joseph Smith, The Prophet And His

Progenitors For Many Generations

CONTENTS

Preface

Chapter 1
Solomon Mack, the father of Lucy Mack
Extract from his narrative

Chapter 2
History of Jason Mack

Chapter 3
Lovisa and Lovina Mack

Chapter 4
Life of Stephen Mack

Chapter 5
Lydia Mack, Third Daughter of Solomon Mack

Chapter 6
Daniel Mack--Rescues three men from a watery grave

Chapter 7
Solomon Mack

Chapter 8
Early life of Lucy Mack
Her marriage with Joseph Smith

Chapter 9
Seven generations of the Smith Family
Four generations of the Mack Family

Chapter 10
A present of one thousand dollars, from John Mudget and Stephen Mack, to the author

Chapter 11
Sickness in Randolph

Chapter 12
Joseph Smith, Senior, loses his property and becomes poor
Receives a visit from Jason Mack
The history of the latter, concluded

Chapter 13
The Author's Dream

Chapter 14
First vision of Joseph Smith, Senior
The Box
Second Vision
The Tree and the Spacious Building

Chapter 15

Sickness at Lebanon

Sophronia's Miraculous Recovery

Chapter 18
History of Joseph the Prophet Commences
Seventh vision of Joseph Smith, Sr.

Chapter 19
An angel visits Joseph again
Joseph tells his father what he has seen and heard
He is permitted to behold the plates
Receives further instructions
Communicates the same to the family
Takes the plates into his hands
They are taken from him, and he is reproved
His disappointment

Chapter 20
Alvin's Sickness and Death

Chapter 21
Religious Excitement
Joseph's Prophecy
He works for Mr. Stoal
Becomes acquainted with Emma Hale

Chapter 22
Joseph Smith, Sr. loses his farm
Joseph, Jr. is married
Has another interview with the angel, by whom he is chastised
Receives further instructions

Chapter 23
Joseph Obtains the Plates

Chapter 24
Joseph brings home the Breastplate
Martin Harris and wife introduced
The Translation Commences
Mrs. Harris begins to oppose the work

Chapter 25
Martin Harris is permitted to take the manuscript home with him
He loses it
The season of mourning which ensured

Chapter 26
Martin Harris's Perfidy

Chapter 27
The Urim and Thummim are taken from Joseph
He receives them again

Chapter 28
Oliver Cowdery commences writing for Joseph
They attend to the ordinance of Baptism

Chapter 29
Mrs. Harris Prosecutes Joseph

Chapter 30
Joseph and Oliver remove to Waterloo
They finish the Translation

Chapter 31
The Plates are shown to the Twelve Witnesses
Joseph makes arrangements for printing the Book of Mormon

Chapter 32
The printing is begun
A meeting of the citizens held in reference to the Book

Chapter 33
Esquire Cole's Dogberry Paper
Second meeting of the Citizens

Chapter 34
The Church Organized

Chapter 35
Joseph Smith, Sr., and Don Carlos, visit Stockholm

Chapter 36
Joseph Smith, Senior, imprisoned
An attempt to take Hyrum

Chapter 37
The Family of Joseph Smith, Senior, remove to Waterloo

Chapter 38
The First Western Mission
Joseph Smith, Junior, moves to Kirtland

Chapter 39
The different Branches of the Church remove to Kirtland
Miracle at Buffalo

Chapter 40
Samuel Smith's First Mission to Missouri

Chapter 41
Lucy Smith Visits Detroit

Chapter 42
An Extract from the History of Joseph The Prophet
Sidney Rigdon's Transgression
Trouble in Jackson County

Chapter 43
Lucy Smith Builds a Schoolhouse
Joseph and Hyrum Return from Missouri
They rehearse the history of their trouble

Chapter 44
The Lord's House at Kirtland Commenced
A letter from the Prophet to his Uncle Silas

Chapter 45
The House of the Lord completed
A division in the Church

Chapter 46
Joseph Smith, Senior, and his brother John, go on a mission to the East
The Death of Jerusha Smith

Chapter 47
The Persecution Revives
Don Carlos and his father fly from their enemies
Joseph moves to Missouri

Chapter 48
Joseph Smith, Senior, moves with his family to Missouri
Commencement of the Persecution in Caldwell

Chapter 49
Testimony of Hyrum Smith

Chapter 50
Removal of the Smith Family to Illinois

Chapter 51
Joseph and Hyrum escape from their persecutors, and return to their families

Chapter 52
A purchase made in the town of Commerce
Joseph the Prophet goes to Washington
The death of Joseph Smith, Senior

Chapter 53
Joseph Arrested at Quincy
Discharged at Monmouth
Joseph charged with an attempt to assassinate Ex-Governor Boggs

Chapter 54
Joseph and Hyrum Assassinated

Appendix
A journal kept by Don C. Smith while on a mission with G. A. Smith, his cousin

PREFACE

We quote:

In a letter from President B. Young to Millennial Star, dated January 31, 1855, is the following:

Preface to the English Edition

ORSON PRATT.

Chapter 1

I hastened to Stillwater the next day, as aforementioned, and

finding my oxen soon after I arrived there, I returned the same

night to Fort Edwards, a distance of seven miles, the whole of

which was a dense forest. In 1758, I enlisted under Major

Spenser, and went immediately over Lake George, with a company

who crossed in boats, to the western aide, where we had a bloody

and hot engagement with the enemy, in which Lord Howe fell at

the onset of the basle. His bowels were taken out and buried, but

his body was embalmed and carried to England.

The next day we marched to the breastworks, but were

unsuccessful, being compelled to retreat with a loss of five hundred

men killed, and as many more wounded.

In this con,st I narrowly escaped--a musketball passed under

my chin, within half an inch of my neck. The army then returned

to Lake George, and, on its way thither, a large scouting party of

the enemy came round by Skeenesborough, and, at the Half-way

Brook, destroyed a large number of both men and teams. Upon

this, one thousand of our men were detached to repair immediately

to Skeenes- borough in pursuit of them; but, when we arrived at

South Bay, the enemy were entirely out of our reach.

The enemy then marched to Ticonderoga, New York, in

order to procure supplies, after which they immediately pursued

us, but we eluded them by hastening to Wood Creek, and thence

to Fort Ann, where we arrived on the thirteenth day of the month.

We had but just reached this place, when the sentry gave

information that the enemy were all around us, in consequence of

which we were suddenly called to arms. Major Putnam led the

company, and Major Rogers brought up the rear. We marched but

three quarters of a mile, when we came suddenly upon a company

of Indians that were lying in ambush. Major Putnam marched his

men through their ranks, whereupon the Indians fired, which threw

our men into some confusion. Major Putnam was captured by

them, and would have been killed by an Indian had he not been

rescued by a French lieutenant.

The enemy rose like a cloud and fired a whole volley upon

us, and, as I was in the foremost rank, the retreat of my company

brought me in the rear, and the tomahawks and bullets flew around

me like hailstones. As I was running, I saw not far before me a

windfall, which was so high that it appeared to me insurmountable;

however, by making great exertions, I succeeded in getting over it.

Running a little farther, I observed a man who had in this last

conflict been badly wounded, and the Indians were close upon

him; nevertheless I turned aside for the purpose of assisting him,

and succeeded in getting him into the midst of our army, in safety.

In this encounter a man named Gersham Bowley had nine

bullets shot through his clothes, but received no personal injury.

Ensign Worcester received nine wounds, was scalped and

tomahawked, notwithstanding which he lived and finally recovered.

The above engagement commenced early in the morning, and

continued until about three o'clock in the afternoon, in which half

of our men were either killed, wounded, or taken prisoners. In

consequence of this tremendous slaughter we were compelled to

send to Fort Edwards for men, in order to assist in carrying our

wounded, which were about eighty in number.

The distance we had to carry ,them was nearly fourteen

miles. To carry so many thus far was truly very fatiguing,

insomuch that, when we arrived at the place of destination, my

strength was about exhausted.

I proceeded immediately to Albany, for the purpose of getting

supplies, and returned again to the army as soon as circumstances

would admit.

Autumn having now arrived I went home, where I tarried the

ensuing winter.

In the spring of 1759, the army marched to Crownpoint,

where I received my discharge. In the same year I became

acquainted with an accomplished young woman, a school-teacher,

by the name of Lydia Gates. She was the daughter of Nathan

Gates, who was a man of wealth, living in the town of East

Haddam, Connecticut. To this young woman I was married shortly

after becoming acquainted with her.

Having received a large amount of money for my services in

the army, and deeming it prudent to make an investment of the

same in real estate, I contracted for the whole town of Granville, in

the state of New York. On the execution of the deed, I paid all the

money that was required in .the stipulation, which stipulation also

called for the building of a number of log houses. I accordingly

went to work to fulfill this part of the contract, but after laboring a

short time, I had the misfortune to cut my leg, which subjected me,

during that season, to the care of .the physician. I hired a man to

do the work, and paid him in advance, in order to fulfill my part of

the contract; but he ran away with the money, without performing

the labor, and the consequence was, I lost the land altogether.

In 1761, we moved to the town of Marlow, where we

remained until we had four children. When we moved there, it was

no other than a desolate and dreary wilderness. Only four families

resided within forty miles. Here I was thrown into a situation to

appreciate more fully the talents and virtues of my excellent wife;

for, as our children were deprived of schools, she assumed the

charge of their education, and performed the duties of an

instructress as none, save a mother, is capable of precepts

accompanied with examples such as hers, were calculated to make

impressions on the minds of the young, never .to be forgotten.

She, besides instructing them in the various branches of an

ordinary education, was in the habit. of calling them together both

morning and evening, and teaching them to pray; meanwhile urging

upon them the necessity of love towards each other, as well as

devotional feelings towards Him who made them. "In this manner

my first children became confirmed in habits of piety, gentleness,

and reflection, which afforded great assistance in guiding those

who came after them, in the same happy channel. The education

of my children would have been a more difficult task, if they had

not inherited much of their mother's excellent disposition. In

1776, I enlisted in the service of my country, and was for a

considerable length of time in the land forces, after which I went

with my two sons, Jason and Stephen, on a privateering expedition,

commanded by Captain Havens. Soon after we set sail, we were

driven upon Horseneck. We succeeded, however, in getting some

of our guns on shore, and bringing them to bear upon the enemy,

so as to exchange many shots with them; yet they cut away our

rigging, and left our vessel much shattered.

We then hauled off, and cast anchor; but in a short time we

espied two row-gallies, two sloops, and two schooners. We quickly

weighed anchor, and hauled to shore again, and had barely time to

post four cannon in a position in which .they could be used, before

a sanguinary contest commenced. The balls from the enemy's guns

tore up the ground, cutting asunder the saplings in every direction.

One of the row-gallies went round a point of land with the view of

hemming us in, but we killed forty of their men, with our small

arms, which caused the enemy to abandon their purpose.

My son Stephen, in company with the cabin boys, was sent

to a house not far from the shore, with a wounded man. Just as

they entered the house, an eighteen-pounder followed them. A

woman was engaged in frying cakes at the time, and being

somewhat alarmed, she concluded to retire into the cellar, saying,

as she left, that the boys might have the cakes, as she was going

below.

The boys were highly delighted at this, and they went to

work cooking, and feasting upon the lady's sweet-cakes, while ,the

artillery of the contending armies was thundering in their ears,

dealing out death and destruction on every hand. At the head of

this party of boys was Stephen Mack, my second son, a bold and

fearless 'stripling of fourteen.

In this contest, the enemy was far superior to us in point of

numbers, yet we maintained our ground with such valor that they

thought it better to leave us, and accordingly did so. Soon after

which we hoisted sail and made for New London.

When hostilities had ceased, and peace and tranquility were

again restored, we freighted a vessel for Liverpool. Selling both

ship, and cargo in this place, we embarked on board Captain

Foster's vessel, which I afterwards purchased; but, in consequence

of storms and wrecks, I was compelled to sell her, and was left

completely destitute.

I struggled a little longer to obtain property, in making

adventures, then returned to my family, after an absence of four

years, about penniless. After this, I determined to follow phantoms

no longer, but devote the rest of my life to the service of God, and

my family."

I shall now lay aside my father's journal, as I have made such

extracts as are adapted to my purpose, and take up the history of

his children.

Chapter 2

History of Jason Mack

Jason, my oldest brother, was a studious and manly boy.

Before he had attained his sixteenth year he became what was then

called a Seeker, and believing that by prayer and faith the gifts of

the gospel, which were enjoyed by the ancient disciples of Christ,

might be attained, he labored almost incessantly to convert others

to the same faith. He was also of the opinion that God would, at

some subsequent period, manifest his power as he had anciently

done--in signs and wonders.

At the age of twenty he became a preacher of the gospel.

And in a short time after this he formed an acquaintance with

Esther Bruce, from the state of New Hampshire, of wealthy

parentage. She was the pride of the place in which she resided, not

so much on account of her splendid appearance, as the soundness

of her mind, and her stately deportment, joined with an unaffected

mildness of disposition, and a condescension of manners, which

were admirably suited to the taste and principles of my brother.

Jason became deeply in love with her, insomuch, that his heart was

completely hers, and it would have been as easy to have convinced

him that he could exist without his head, as that he could live and

enjoy life, without being united with her in marriage. These

feelings, I believe, were mutual, and Jason and she entered into an

engagement to be married, but, as they were making arrangements

for the solemnization of their nuptials, my father received a letter

from Liverpool, containing information that a large amount of

money was collected for him, and that it was ready for his

reception.

On account of this intelligence it was agreed that the marriage

of my brother, as my father desired that he should accompany him

to Liverpool, should be deferred until their return. Accordingly, my

brother left his affianced bride, with a heavy heart, and with this

promise, that he would write to her and his sister conjointly, at

least once in three months during his absence.

In three months after his departure, according to agreement, a

letter arrived, which indeed met with a very warm reception, but it

was never followed by another from him. A young man who kept

the post-office where she received her letters, formed in his heart a

determination to thwart my brother, if possible, in his matrimonial

prospects, in order to obtain the prize himself.

He commenced by using the most persuasive arguments

against her marrying my brother; but, not succeeding in this, he

next detained his letters, and then reproached him for neglecting

her. Being still unsuccessful, he forged letters purporting to be from

a friend of Jason, which stated that he (Jason Mack) was dead, and

his friends might cease to expect him. He then urged his suit again,

but she still rejected him and continued to do so until within four

months of Jason's return, when she concluded that she had

wronged the young man, and that he was really more worthy than

she had expected. The time also--which Jason was to be absent

having expired without his return--she believed that the reports

concerning his death must be true. So she accepted the hand of this

young man, and they were united in the bonds of matimony.

As soon as Jason arrived he repaired immediately to her

father's house. When he got there she was gone to her brother's

funeral; he went in, and seated himself in the same room where he

had once paid his addresses to her. In a short time she came home;

when she first saw him she did not know him, but when she got a

full view of his countenance she recognized him, and instantly

fainted. From this time forward she never recovered her health,

but, lingering for two years, died the victim of disappointment.

Jason remained in the neighborhood a short time, and then went to

sea, but he did not follow the sea a great while. He soon left the

main, and commenced preaching, which he continued until his

death.

Chapter 3

Lovisa and Lovina Mack

The history of Lovisa and Lovina, my two oldest sisters, is so

connected and interwoven that I shall not attempt to separate it.

They were one in faith, in love, in action, and in hope of

eternal life. They were always together, and when they were old

enough to understand the duties of a Christian, they united their

voices in prayer and songs of praise to God. This sisterly affection

increased with their years, and strengthened with the strength of

their minds. The pathway of their lives was never clouded with a

gloomy shadow until Lovisa's marriage, and removal from home,

which left Lovina very lonely. In about two years after Lovisa's

marriage, she was taken very sick and sent for Lovina. Lovina, as

might be expected, went immediately, and remained with her sister

during her illness, which lasted two years, baffling the skill of the

most experienced physicians; but at the expiration of this time she

revived a little, and showed some symptoms of recovery.

I shall here relate a circumstance connected with her

sickness, which may try the credulity of same of my readers, yet

hundreds were eye-witnesses, and doubtless many of them are

now living, who, if they would, could testify to the fact which I am

about to mention.

As before stated, after the space of two years she began to

manifest signs of convalescence, but soon a violent re-attack

brought her down again, and she grew worse and worse, until she

became entirely speechless, and so reduced that her attendants

were not allowed to even turn her in bed. She took no nourishment

except a very little rice water. She lay in this situation three days

and two nights. On the third night, about two o'clock, she feebly

pronounced the name of Lovina, who had all the while watched

over her pillow, like an attendant angel, observing every change

and symptom with the deepest emotion. Startled at hearing the

sound of Lovisa's voice, Lovina now bent over the emaciated form

of her sister, with thrilling interest, and said, "My sister! my sister!

what will you?"

Lovisa then said emphatically, "The Lord has healed me,

both soul and body--raise me up and give me my clothes, I wish to

get up."

Her husband told those who were watching with her, to

gratify her, as in all probability it was a revival before death, and he

would not have her crossed in her last moments.

They did so, though wish reluctance, as they supposed she

might live a few moments longer, if she did not exhaust her

strength too much by exerting herself in this manner.

Having raised her in bed, they assisted her to dress; and

although, when they raised her to her feet, her weight dislocated

both of her ankles, she would not consent to return to her bed, but

insisted upon being set in a chair, and having her feet drawn gently

in order to have her ankle-joints replaced. She then requested her

husband to bring her some wine, saying, if he would do so she

would do quite well for the present.

Soon after this, by her own request, she was assisted to cross

the street to her father-in-law's, who was at that time prostrated

upon a bed of sickness. When she entered the house he cried out

in amazement, "Lovisa is dead, and her spirit is now come to warn

me of my sudden departure from this world." "No, father," she

exclaimed, "God has raised me up, and I have come to tell you to

prepare for death." She conversed an hour or so with him, then,

with the assistance of her husband and those who attended upon

her that night, she crossed the street back again to her own

apartment.

When this was noised abroad, a great multitude of people

came together, both to hear and see concerning the strange and

marvelous circumstance which had taken place. She talked to them

a short time, and then sang a hymn, after which she dismissed

them, promising to meet them the next day at the village church,

where she would tell them all about the strange manner in which

she had been healed.

The following day, according to promise, she proceeded to

the church, and when she arrived there a large congregation had

collected. Soon after abe entered, the minister rose and remarked,

that as many of ›he congregation .had doubtless come to hear a

recital of the strange circumstance which had taken place in the

neighborhood, and as he himself felt more interested in it than in

hearing a gospel discourse, he would open the meeting and then

give place .to Mrs. Tulle.

The minister then requested .her to sing a hymn; she

accordingly did so, and her voice was as high and clear as it had

ever been. Having sung, she rose and addressed the audience as

follows:

"I seemed to be borne away to the world of spirits,

where I saw the Savior, as through a veil, which

appeared to me about as thick as a spider's web, and he

told me that I must return again to warn the people to

prepare for death; that I must exhort them to be

watchful as well as prayerful; that I must declare

faithfully unto them their accountability before God,

and the certainty of their being called to stand before

the judgment-seat of Christ; and that if I would do this,

my life should be prolonged."

After which she spoke much to the people upon the

uncertainty of life. When she sat down, her husband and sister,

also those who were with her during the last night of her sickness,

rose and testified to her appearance just before her sudden

recovery. Of these things she continued to speak boldly for the

space of three years. At the end of which time she was seized with

the consumption which terminated her earthly existence.

A short time before Lovisa was healed in the miraculous

manner above stated, Lovina was taken with a severe cough which

ended in consumption. She lingered three years, during which time

she spoke with much calmness of her approaching dissolution,

contemplating death with all that serenity which is characteristic of

the last moments of those who fear God, and walk uprightly before

him. She conjured her young friends to remember .that life upon

this earth can not be eternal. Hence the necessity of looking

beyond this vale of tears, to a glorious inheritance, "where moths

do not corrupt, nor thieves break through and steal."

The care of Lovina, during her illness, devolved chiefly upon

myself. The task, though a melancholy one, I cheerfully

performed, and, although she had much other attention, I never

allowed myself to go an hour, at a time, beyond the sound of her

voice while she was sick. A short time before she breathed her last,

which was in the night, she awakened me, and requested that I

would call father and mother, for she wished to see them, as she

would soon be gone. When they came, she said, "Father and

mother, now I am dying, and I wish you to call my young

associates, that I may speak to them before I die." She then

requested me to place her in a chair, and as soon as the young

people who were called in, were seated, she commenced speaking.

After talking a short time to them, she stopped, and, turning to her

mother, said, "Mother, will you get me some thing to eat? It is the

last time you will ever bring me nourishment in this world." When

my mother had complied with her request, she ate a small quantity

of food, with apparent appetite, then gave back the dish, saying,

"There, mother, you will never get me anything to eat again." After

which she turned to the company, and proceeded with her

remarks, thus: "I do not know when I received any material change

of heart, unless it was when I was ten years old. God, at that time,

heard my prayers, and forgave my sins; and ever since then I have

endeavored to serve him according to the best of my abilities. And

I have called you here to give you my last warning--to bid you all

farewell, and beseech you to endeavor to meet me where parting

shall be no more."

Shortly after this, holding up her hands, and looking upon

them as one would upon a trifling thing unobserved before, she

said, with a smile upon her countenance, "See, the blood is settling

under my nails." Then, placing the fingers of her left hand across

her right, she continued thus, " 'Tis cold to there--soon this mortal

flesh will be food for worms." Then, turning to me, she said,

"Now, sister Lucy, will you help me into bed."

I did as I was directed, carrying her in my arms just as I

would a child. Although I was but thirteen years old, she was so

emaciated that I could carry her with considerable ease. As I was

carrying her to bed, my hand slipped. At this she cried out, "Oh!

Sister, that hurt me." This, indeed, gave me bitter feelings. I was

well assured that this was the last sad office I should ever perform

for my sister, and the thought that I had caused her pain in laying

her on her death-bed, wounded me much.

Soon after this, she passed her hand over her face, and again

remarked, my nose is "now quite cold." Then slightly turning and

straightening herself in bed, she continued, "Father, mother,

brother, sister, and dear companions, all farewell, I am going to

rest --prepare to follow me; for

"Death ! 'tis a melancholy day To those

that have no God,

When the poor soul is forced away To

seek her last abode.

In vain to heaven she lifts her eyes, But

guilt, a heavy chain,

Still drags her downwards from the skies,

To darkness, fire, and pain.

Awake and mourn, ye heirs of hell, Let

stubborn sinners fear;

You must be driven from earth, and

dwell, A long FOR EVER there!

See how the pit gapes wide for you, And

fizzes in your face;

And thou, my soul, look downward too.

And sing recovering grace.

He is a God of sov'reign love, Who

promised heaven to me,

And taught my thoughts to soar above,

Where happy spirits be.

Prepare me, Lord, for thy right hand,

Then come the joyful day;

Come, death, and come celestial band, To

bear my soul away."

After repeating this hymn, she folded her hands across her

breast, and then closed her eyes for ever. Having led my readers

to the close of Lovina's life, I shall return to Lovisa, of whom there

only remains the closing scene of her earthly career.

In the course of a few months subsequent to the death of

Sister Lovina, my father received a letter from South Hadley,

stating that Lovisa was very low of the consumption, and that she

earnestly desired him to come and see her as soon as possible, as

she expected to live but a short time.

My father set out immediately, and when he arrived there, he

found her in rather better health than he expected. In a few days

after he got there, she resolved in her heart to return with him at all

hazards. To this her father unwillingly consented, and, after

making the requisite preparations, they started for Gilsum.

They traveled about four miles, and came to an inn kept by a

man by the name of Taft. Here her father halted, and asked her if

she did not wish to tarry a short time to rest herself. She replied in

the affirmative. By the assistance of the landlord, she was

presently seated in an easy chair. My father then stepped into the

next room to procure a little water and wine for her. He was absent

but a moment; however, when he returned it was too late, her

spirit had fled from its earthly tabernacle to return no more, until

recalled by the trump of the Archangel.

My father immediately addressed a letter to mother,

informing her of Lovisa's death, lest the shock of seeing the corpse

unexpectedly should overcome her. And as soon as he could get a

coffin, he proceeded on his journey for Gilsum, a distance of fifty

miles. She was buried by the side of her sister Lovina, according to

her own request.

The following is part of a hymn composed by herself, a few days

previous to her decease:

"Lord, may my thoughts be turned to thee;

Lift thou my heavy soul an high;

Wilt thou, O, Lord, return to me

In mercy, Father, ere I die!

My soaring thoughts now rise above--

O, fill my soul with heavenly love.

Father and mother, now farewell;

And husband, partner of my life,

Go to my father's children, tell

That lives no more on earth thy wife;

That while she dwelt in cumbrous clay,

For them she prayed both night and day.

My friends, I bid you all adieu;

The Lord hath called, and I must go

And all the joys of this vain earth

Are now to me of little worth;

Twill be the same with you as me,

When brought as near eternity."

Thus closes this mournful recital, and when I pass with my

readers into the next chapter, with them probably may end the

sympathy aroused ,by this rehearsal, but with me it must last while

life endures.

Chapter 4

Life of Stephen Mack

My brother Stephen, who was next in age to Jason was born

in the town of Marlow, June 15, 1766. I shall pass his childhood in

silence, and say nothing about him until he attained the age of

fourteen, at which time he enlisted in the army, the circumstances

of which were as follows:

A recruiting officer came in the neighborhood to draft soldiers

for the Revolutionary War, and he called out a company of militia

to which my brother belonged, in order to take therefrom such as

were best qualified to do military duty. My brother, being very

anxious to go into the army at this time, was so fearful that he

would be passed by on account of his age, that the sweat stood in

large drops on his face, and he shook like an aspen leaf.

Fortunately, the officer made choice of him among others, and he

entered the army, and continued in the service of his country until

he was seventeen. During this time he was in many battles, both on

land and sea, and several times narrowly escaped death by famine;

but, according to his own account, whenever he was brought into a

situation to fully realize his entire dependence upon God, the hand

of Providence was always manifested in his deliverance.

Not long since, I met with an intimate acquaintance of my

brother Stephen, and requested him to furnish me such facts as

were in his possession in relation to him; and he wrote the

following brief, yet comprehensive account, for the gratification of

my readers:

"I, Horace Stanley, was born in Tunbridge,

Orange County, Vermont, August 21, 1798. I have

been personally acquainted with Major Mack and his

family ever since I can remember, as I lived in the same

township, within one mile and a half of the Major's

farm, and two miles from his store, and eight miles

from Chelsea, the county-seat of Orange County; where

he conducted the mercantile and tinning business.

My eldest brother went to learn the tinning

business of the Major's workmen. The Major being a

man of great enterprise, energetic in business, and

possessed of a high degree of patriotism, launched forth

on the frontiers at Detroit, in the year 1800 (if I

recollect rightly), where he immediately commenced

trading with the Indians.

He left his family in Tunbridge, on his farm, and

while he was engaged in business at Detroit he visited

them--sometimes once in a year, in eighteen months, or

in two years, just as it happened.

I visited Detroit, November 1, 1820, where I

found the Major merchandising upon quite an extensive

scale, having six clerks in one store; besides this, he had

many other stores in the territory of Michigan, as well

as in various parts of Ohio.

His business at Pontiac was principally farming

and building, but in order to facilitate these two

branches of business, he set in operation on a saw-and

flour-mill, and afterwards added different branches of

mechanism. He made the turnpike road from Detroit to

Pontiac at his own expense. He also did considerable

other public work, for the purpose of giving

employment to the poor.

He never encouraged idleness, or the man above

his business. In 1828, having been absent from Detroit

a short time, I returned. The Major was then a member

of the Council of the Territory, and had acted a very

conspicuous part in enhancing its prosperity and

enlarging its settlement; and it was a common saying

that he had done much more for the Territory than any

other individual.

In short, the Major was a man of talents of the

first order. He was energetic and untiring. He always

encouraged industry and was very cautious how he

applied his acts of charity. Respectfully, by HORACE

STANLEY."

My brother was in the city of Detroit in 1812, the year in

which Hull surrendered the Territory to the British Crown. My

brother, being somewhat celebrated for his prowess, was selected

by General Hull to take the command of a company, as captain.

After a short service in this office, he was ordered to surrender. At

this his indignation was roused to the highest pitch. He broke his

sword across his knee; and, throwing it into the lake, exclaimed

that he would never submit to such a disgraceful compromise while

the blood of an American continued to run through his veins. This

drew the especial vengeance of the army upon his head; and his

property, doubtless, would have been sacrificed to their

resentment, had they known the situation of his affairs. But this

they did not know, as his housekeeper deceived them by a

stratagem, related by Mr. Stanley, as follows:

"At the surrender of Detroit, not having as yet moved

his family hither, Major Mack had an elderly lady, by

the name of Trotwine, keeping house for him. The old

lady took in some of the most distinguished British

officers as boarders. She justified them in their course

of conduct towards the Yankees, and, by her

shrewdness and tact, she gained the esteem of the

officers, and thus secured through them the good will of

the soldiery, so far as to prevent their burning (what

they supposed to be) her store and dwelling, both of

which were splendid buildings.

The Major never forgot this service done him by

the old lady, for he ever afterwards supported her

handsomely."

Thus was a great amount of goods and money saved from

the hands of his enemies. But this is not all: the news came to her

ears that they were about to burn another trading establishment

belonging 'to the Major, and, without waiting to consult him, she

went immediately to the store, and took from the counting-room

several thousand dollars, which she secreted until the British left

the city. The building and goods were burned. As soon as the

English left the territory, he recommenced business, and removed

his family from Tunbridge to Detroit. Here they remained but a

short time, when he took them to Pontiac; and, as soon as they

were well established or settled in this place, he himself went to the

city of Rochester, where he built a sawmill. But, in the midst of his

prosperity, he was called away to experience another state of

existence, with barely a moment's warning, for he was sick only

four days from the time he was first taken ill until he died; and

even on the fourth day, and in the last hour of his illness, it was not

supposed to be at all dangerous, until his son, who sat by his

bedside, discovered that he was dying. He left his family with an

estate of fifty thousand dollars clear of encumbrance.

Chapter 5

Lydia Mack, third daighter of

Solomon Mack

Of my sister Lydia I shall say but little; not that I loved her

less, or that she was less deserving of honorable mention; but she

seemed to float more with the stream of common events than

those who have occupied the foregoing pages: hence fewer

incidents of a striking character are furnished for the mind to dwell

upon. She sought riches and obtained them; yet in the day of

prosperity she remembered the poor, for she dealt out her

substance to the needy with a liberal hand to the end of her days,

and died the object of affection. As she was beloved in life, so she

was bewailed in death.

Chapter 6

Daniel Mack -- He rescues three men

from a watry grave

Daniel comes next in order. He was rather worldly-minded,

yet he was not vicious; and if he had any peculiar trait of character,

it was this--he possessed a very daring and philanthropic spirit,

which led him to reach forth his hand to the assistance of those

whose lives were exposed to danger, even to the hazard of his own

life. For instance; he, in company with several others, was once

standing on the bank of Miller's River, in the town of Montague,

when one of the number proposed taking a swim. Daniel objected,

saying it was a dangerous place to swim in, yet they were

determined, and three went in; but, going out into the stream rather

too far, they were overpowered by the current, and a kind of eddy

which they fell into, and they sunk immediately.

At this Daniel said, "Now, gentlemen, these men are

drowning: who will assist them at the risk of his life?" No one

answered. At this he sprang into the water, and diving to the

bottom, found one of them fastened to some small roots. Daniel

took hold of him, and tore up the roots to which he was clinging,

and brought him out, and then told the by-standers to get a barrel,

for the purpose of rolling him on it, in order to make him disgorge

the water which he had taken. He then went in again, and found

the other two in the same situation as the first, and saved them in

like manner.

After roiling them a short time on barrels, he took them to a

house, and gave them every possible attention, until they had so far

recovered as to be able to speak. As soon as they could talk, one

of them, fixing his eyes upon Daniel, said, "Mr. Mack, we have

reason to look upon you as our savior, for you have delivered us

from a watery tomb; and I would that I could always live near you.

We are now assured that you have not only wisdom to counsel,

but, when men have spurned your advice, you have still that

greatness of soul which leads you to risk your own life to save

your fellow man. No, I will never leave you as long as I live, for I

wish to convince you that I ever remember you, and that I will

never slight your counsel again."

In this they were all agreed, and they carried out the same in

their future lives.

Chapter 7

Solomon Mack

My youngest brother, Solomon, was born and married in the

town of Gilsum, New Hampshire, where he is still living1 and,

although he is now very aged, he has never traveled farther than

Boston, to which place his business leads him twice a year. He has

gathered to himself in this rocky region, fields, flocks, and herds,

which multiply and increase upon the mountains. He has been

known for at least twenty years as Captain Solomon Mack, of

Gilsum; but, as he lives to speak for himself, and, as I have to do

chiefly with the dead and not with the living, I shall leave him,

hoping that, as he has lived peaceably with all men, he may die

happily. I have now given a brief account of all my father's family,

save myself; and what I have written has been done with the view

of discharging an obligation which I considered resting upon me,

inasmuch as they have all passed off this stage of action except

myself and youngest brother.2 And seldom do I meet with an

individual with whom I was even acquainted in my early years, and

I am constrained to exclaim, "The friends of my youth? where are

they?" The tomb replies, "Here are they !" But, through my

instrumentality,

"Safely, truth to urge her claims, presumes On names

now found alone on books and tombs."

1.& 2. 1853

Chapter 8

Earley Life of Lucy Mack -- her

marriage with Joseph Smith

I shall now introduce the history of my own life. I was born

in the town of Gilsum, Cheshire County, New Hampshire, on the

8th of July, 1776.

When I arrived at the age of eight years, my mother had a

severe fit of sickness. She was so low that she, as well as her

friends, entirely despaired of her recovery. During this sickness she

called her children around her bed, and, after exhorting them

always to remember the instructions which she had given them--to

fear God and walk uprightly before him, she gave me to my

Brother Stephen, requesting him to take care of me and bring me

up as his own child, then bade each of us farewell.

This my brother promised to do; but, as my mother shortly

recovered, it was not necessary, and I consequently remained at

my father's house until my sister Lovisa was married. Some time

after this event I went to South Hadley to pay Lovisa, who was

living there, a visit.

I returned home to my parents in about six months, and

remained with them in Gilsum until the death of Lovina, soon after

which my Brother Stephen, who was living at Tunbridge,

Vermont, came to my father's on a visit; and he insisted so

earnestly on my accompanying him home that my parents

consented. The grief occasioned by the death of Lovina was

preying upon my health and threatened my constitution with

serious injury, and they hoped that to accompany my brother

home might serve to divert my mind and thus prove a benefit to

me. For I was pensive and melancholy, and often in my reflections

I thought that life was not worth possessing.

In the midst of this anxiety of mind I determined to obtain

that which I had heard spoken of so much from the pulpit--a

change of heart.

To accomplish this I spent much of my time in reading the

Bible and praying; but, notwithstanding my great anxiety to

experience a change of heart, another matter would always

interpose in all my meditations: If I remain a member of no church

all religious people will say I am of the world; and, if I join some

one of the different denominations, all the rest will say I am in

error. No church will admit that I am right, except the one with

which I am associated. This makes them witnesses against each

other; and how can I decide in such a case as this, seeing they are

all unlike the church of Christ, as it existed in former days!

While I remained at Tunbridge, I became acquainted with a

young man by the name of Joseph Smith, to whom I was

subsequently married. I continued with my brother one year, then

went home. I was at home but a short time when my brother came

after me again and insisted so hard upon my returning with him,

that I concluded to do so. And this time I remained with him until I

was married, which took place the next January.

Chapter 9

Seven Generations of the

Smith Family

Four Generations of the Mack Family

Here, I would like to give the early history of my

husband, for many facts might be mentioned, that

doubtless would be highly interesting; but, as I am not

capable of giving them in order, I shall decline making

the attempt, and in the place thereof shall insert a

transcript from the record of his family, beginning with

Samuel Smith, who was the son of Robert and Mary

Smith, who came from England. The above Samuel

Smith, was born January 26, 1666, in Topsfield, Essex

County, Massachusetts; and was married to Rebecca

Curtis, daughter of John Curtis, January 25, 1707.

Children of Samuel and Rebecca Smith

Name

Born

Married to..

Died

Phoebe

Jan. 8, 1708

Stephen Averel

1st Mary

Aug. 14, 1711

Amos Towne

2d Samuel

Jan. 26, 1714

Priscilla Gould

Nov. 14, 1780

Rebecca

Oct. 1, 1715

John Batch

Elizabeth

July 8, 1718

Elizer Gould

March, 1753

Hephzibah

May 12, 1722

William Gallop

Nov. 15, 1774

Robert

Apr. 25, 1724

Susanna

May 2, 1726

May 5, 1741

Hannah

April 5, 1729

John Peabody

Aug. 17, 1764

1st Samuel Smith died July 12, 1748 - His wife, Rebecca Smith March 2, 1753

Children of 2d Samuel, and 1st Priscilla Smith,

Samuel was the son of 1st Samuel and Rebecca Smith

Name

Born

Married to..

Died

Priscilla

Sept. 26, 1735

Jacob Kimball - Sept. 15, 1755

3d Samuel

Oct. 28, 1737

Rebecca Towne - Jan. 2, 1760

Vasta

Oct. 5, 1739

Solomon Curtis - Sept. 15, 1763

(second time to Jacob Hobbs, 1767)

Susanna

Jan. 24, 1742

Isaac Hobbs, 1767

1st Asael

March 1, 1744

Mary Duty, Feb. 12, 1761

Children of 1st Asael and Mary Smith;

which Asael was the son of 2d Samuel and Priscilla Smith

Name

Born

Married to..

Died

1st Jesse

April. 20, 1768

Hannah Peabody, Jan. 20, 1792

Priscilla

Oct. 27, 1769

John C. Waller, Aug. 24, 1796

1st Joseph

July 12, 1771

Lucy Mack, Jan. 24, 1796

Sept. 14, 1840

2d Asael

May 21, 1773

Betsy Schillinger; Mar. 21, 1802

Mary

June 4, 1775

Israel Pierce

4th Samuel

Sept. 15, 1777

1st Silas

Oct. 1, 1779

Ruth Stevens, Jan. 29, 1805

(second time to Mary Atkins, March 4, 1828)

1st John

July 16, 1781

Clarissa Lyman, Sep. 11, 1815

3d Susanna

May 18, 1783

Stephen

April 17, 1785

July 25, 1802

Sarah

May 17, 1789

Joseph Sanford, Oct. 15, 1809

May 27, 1824.

1st Jesse / Hannah Smith;

Jesse was the son of 1st Asael and Mary Smith

John C. / Priscilla Waller

Pricilla was the daughter of 1st Asael Smith

Name

Born

Name

Born

Benjamin G

May 2, 1793

Calvin C.

June 6, 1797

Eliza

March 9, 1795

Dolly

Oct. 16, 1799

Ira

Jan. 30, 1797

Marshall

March 18, 1801

Harvey

April 1, 1799

Royal

Nov. 29, 1802

Harriet

April 8, 1801

Dudley C.

Sept. 29, 1804

Stephen

May 2, 1803

Bushrod

Oct. 18, 1806

Mary

May 4, 1805

Silas B.

Jan. 1, 1809

Catherine

July 13, 1807

Sally P.

Oct. 31, 1810

Royal

July 2, 1809

John H.

Sept. 9, 1812

Sarah

Dec. 16, 1810

Children of 1st Joseph and Lucy Smith

Joseph was the son of the 1st Asael and Mary Smith

Name

Born

Married to..

Died

Alvin

Feb. 11, 1799

Nov. 19, 1824

Hyrum

Feb. 9, 1800 -

Tunbridge, Vermont

Jerusha Barden Nov. 2, 1826, Manchester,

N. Y (2nd time to Mary Fielding, 1837)

Died Murdered by mob, June 27, 1844, in Carthage Jail, Hancock County, Illinois, while

under the protection of Governor Thomas Ford.

Sophronia

May 18, 1803

Tunbridge, Vermont

Calvin Stoddard,

Dec. 2, 1827, Palmyra, N. Y.

2d Joseph

Dec. 23, 1805 [see p. 33]

Sharon, Windsor Co.

Emma Hale, daughter of Isaac Hale, in

South Vermont,Bainbridge, Chenango

County, N.Y., Jan. 18, 1827

Died Murdered by mob, June 27, 1844, in Carthage Jail, Hancock County, Illinois, while

under the protection of Governor Thomas Ford.

5th Samuel

Mar. 13, 1808

Tunbridge, Vermont

Mary Baily Aug. 13, 1834.

(2d Levira Clark, April 29, 1842)

Died July 30, 1844, of a fever, occasioned by over exertion in getting away from a mob

when his brothers were killed. Mar. 24, 1810.

Ephraim

March 13, 1810

March 24, 1810

William

March 13, 1811, Royalton,

Vermont.

Caroline Grant

daughter of Joshua Grant, Feb. 14, 1833

Catherine

July 8, 1812

Lebanon, N. Hampshire

Wilkins J. Salisbury, Jan. 8, 1831

Don Carlos

March 25, 1816

Agnes Coolbrith, July 30, 1835

Kirtland, Ohio

Aug. 7, 1841

Lucy

July 18, 1821

Arthur Millikin, June 4, 1840, Nauvoo

2nd Asael / Betsy Smith

Asael was the son of 1st Asael and Mary Smith

Israel / Mary Pierce

Mary was daughter of 1st Asael and Mary Smith

Name

Born

Name

Born

Elias

Sept. 6, 1804

Eunice

April 29, 1799

Emily

Sept. 1, 1806

Miranda

June 17, 1803

2nd Jessie J.

Oct. 6, 1808

Horace

June 8, 1805

Esther

Sept. 20, 1810

John S.

March 6, 1807

Mary J.

April 28, 1813

Susan

June 20, 1809

Julia P.

March 4, 1815

Mary

April 25, 1811

Martha

June 9, 1817

Laura

Feb. 8, 1814

2nd Silas

June 5, 1822

Eliza A.

Sept. 2, 1817

Children of 1st Silas and Ruth Smith

Silas was the son of 1st Asael and Mary Smith

Name

Born

Name

Born

Charles

Nov. 11, 1806

3rd Asael

Oct. 12, 1819

Charity

April 1, 1808

Curtis S.

Oct. 29, 1809

Children by his second wife,

Mary Smith

6th Samuel

Oct. 3, 1811

Silas L.

Oct. 20, 1830

Stephen

Jan. 8, 1815

John A.

July 6, 1832

Susan

Oct. 19, 1817

Nathaniel J.

Dec. 2, 1834

Children of 1st John and Clarissa Smith

John was the son of 1st Asael and Mary Smith

Name

Born

Name

Born

George A.

June 26, 1817

2d John L.

Nov. 17, 1823

Caroline

June 6, 1820

Hyrum / Jerusha Smith

Hyrum was the son of 1st Joseph and Lucy Smith

5th Samuel / Mary Smith

Samuel was the son of 1st Joseph and Lucy Smith

Name

Born

Name

Born

Lovina

Sept. 16, 1827

Susanna B.

Oct. 27, 1835

Mary

June 27, 1829

Mary B.

March 27, 1837

John

Sept. 22, 1832

Samuel H.B.

Aug. 1, 1838

2d Hyrurn

April 27, 1834

Lucy B.

Jan. 31, 1841

Jerusha

Jan. 13, 1836

Mary Smith died January 25, 1841.

Sarah

Oct. 2, 1837

Children by his second wife,

Mary

Children by his second wife,

Levira

4th Joseph

Nov. 13, 1838

Levira A.C.

April 29, 1842

Martha

May 14, 1841

Lovisa C.

Aug. 28, 1843

Lucy J.C.

Aug. 20, 1844

2nd Joseph, the Prophet, /

Emma Smith

Joseph was the son of 1st Joseph and Lucy Smith

Don Carlos / Agnes Smith

Don C. was the son of 1st Joseph and Lucy Smith

Name

Born

Name

Born

Julia adopted daughter

April 30, 1831

Agnes C.

Aug. 1, 1836

3d Joseph

Nov. 6, 1832

Sophronia C.

1838

Frederick G.W.

June 20, 1836

Josephine D

March 10, 1841

Alexander

June 2, 1838

Don Carlos

June 13, 1840

David H

Nov. 18, 1844

William / Caroline Smith

William was the son of 1st Joseph and Lucy Smith

Calvin / Sophronia Stoddard

Name

Born

Name

Born

Mary Jane

Jan. --, 1835

Eunice

March 22, 1830

Caroline L.

Aug. --, 1836

Maria

April 12, 1832

Children of Wilkins J. and Catherine Salisbury

Catherine was the daughter of 1st Joseph Smith

Name

Born

Name

Born

Elizabeth

April 9, 1832

Alvin

June 7, 1838

Lucy

Oct. 3, 1834

Don C.

Oct. 25, 1841

Solomon J.

Sept. 18, 1835

Emma C.

March 25, 1844

Arthur / Lucy Millikin

George A. / Bathsheba Smith

son of 1st John Smith

Name

Born

Name

Born

Don Carlos Millikin

George A. Smith married Bathsheba Bilger July 25, 1842

George Albert

July 7, 1842

Bathsheba

Aug. 14, 1844

Having now given all the names belonging to the family

of Smith, I shall take up another lineage, namely, that of

the Mack family, commencing with my grandfather,

Ebenezer Mack. Ebenezer Mack had three sons, Elisha,

Samuel, and Solomon, and one daughter named

Hypsebeth. His son Solomon was born in the town of

Lyme, state of Connecticut, September 26, 1735; was

married to a young woman by the name of Lydia Gates,

in the year 1759. This Lydia Gates was born in East

Haddam, State of Connecticut, September 3, 1735.

Children of 1st Solomon and Lydia Mack

Solomon was the son of Ebenezer and Hanna Mack

Names of the Mack Children

Jason Mack

Daniel Mack

Lovisa Mack

Lydia.

Stephen Mack

2d Solomon Mack

Lovina Mack

Lucy Mack

Children of 2d Solomon Mack

Solomon was the son of 1st Solomon Mack

Name

Born

Name

Born

Calvin

Nov. 28, 1797

Dennis

Oct. 18, 1809

Orlando

Sept. 23, 1799

Merril

Sep. 14, 1812

Chilon

July 26, 1802

Esther

April 2, 1815

3d Solomon

May 23, 1805

Rizpah

June 5, 1818

Amos

May 1, 1807

Chapter 10

A Present of One Thousand Dollars

from John Mudget and Stephen Mack

Soon after I was married, I went with my husband to see my

parents, and as we were about setting out on this visit, my Brother

Stephen, and his partner in business, John Mudget, were making

some remarks in regard to my leaving them, and the conversation

presently turned upon the subject of giving me a marriage present.

"Well," said Mr. Mudget, "Lucy ought to have something worth

naming, and I will give her just as much as you will." "Done," said

my brother, "I will give her five hundred dollars in cash." "Good,"

said the other, "and I will give her five hundred dollars more." So

they wrote a check on their bankers for one thousand dollars, and

presented me with the same.

This check I laid aside, as I had other means by me sufficient

to purchase my housekeeping furniture. Having visited my father

and mother, we returned again to Tunbridge, where my companion

owned a handsome farm, upon which we settled ourselves, and

began to cultivate the soil. We lived on this place about six years,

tilling the earth for a livelihood. In 1802 we rented our farm in

Tunbridge, and moved to the town of Randolph, where we opened

a mercantile establishment. When we came to this place we had

two children, Alvin and Hyrum.

Chapter 11

Sickness in Randolph

We had lived in Randolph but six months when I took a

heavy cold, which caused a severe cough. To relieve this, every

possible exertion was made, but it was all in vain. A hectic fever

set in, which threatened to prove fatal, and the physician

pronounced my case to be confirmed consumption. During this

sickness my mother watched over me with much anxiety, sparing

herself no pains in administering to my comfort, yet I continued to

grow weaker, until I could scarcely endure even a footfall upon the

floor, except in stocking-foot, and no one was allowed to speak in

the room above a whisper.

While I was in this situation a Methodist exhorter came to see

me. On coming to the door, he knocked in his usual manner, and

his knocking so agitated me that it was a considerable length of

time before my nerves became altogether quieted again. My

mother motioned him to a chair, and in a whisper informed him of

my situation, which prevented his asking me any questions. He

tarried some time, and while he sat he seemed deeply to mediate

upon the uncertainty of my recovering; in the meantime, he

showed a great desire to have conversation with me respecting my

dying.

As he thus sat pondering, I fancied to myself that he was

going to ask me if I was prepared to die, and I dreaded to have him

speak to me, for then I did not consder myself ready for such an

awful event, inasmuch as I knew not the ways of Christ; besides,

there appeared to be a dark and lonesome chasm, between myself

and the Savior, which I dared not attempt to pass.

I thought I strained my eyes, and by doing so I could discern

a faint glimmer of the light that was beyond the gloom which lay

immediately before me. When I was meditating upon death, in this

manner, my visitor left, soon after which my husband came to my

bed, and took me by the, hand, and said, "O, Lucy! my wife! my

wife! you must die! The doctors have given you up; and all say

you can not live."

I then looked to the Lord, and begged and pleaded with him

to spare my life in order that I might bring up my children, and be

a comfort to my husband. My mind was much agitated during the

whole night. Sometimes I contemplated heaven and heavenly

things; then my thoughts would turn upon those of earth--my

babes and my companion.

During this night I made a solemn covenant with God, that, if

he would let me live, I would endeavor to serve him according to

the best of my abilities. Shortly after this, I heard a voice say to

me, "Seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto

you. Let your heart be comforted; ye believe in God, believe also

in me."

In a few moments my mother came in, and, looking upon

me, she said, "Lucy, you are better." I replied, as my speech

returned at that instant, "Yes, mother, the Lord will let me live, if I

am faithful to the promise which I made to him, to be a comfort to

my mother, my husband, and my children."

I continued to gain strength, until I became quite well as to

bodily health; but my mind was considerably disquieted. It was

wholly occupied upon the subject of religion. As soon as I was

able, I made all diligence in endeavoring to find some one who was

capable of instructing me more perfectly in the way of life and

salvation.

As soon as I had strength sufficient, I visited one Deacon

Davies, a man whom I regarded as exceedingly pious; and, as he

was apprised of my sudden and miraculous recovery, I expected to

hear about the same which I had heard from my mother--"The

Lord has done a marvelous work; let his name have the praise

thereof." But, no; from the time I arrived at his house until I left, I

heard nothing, except, "Oh, Mrs. Smith has come--help her

in--run, build a fire, make the room warm--fill the teakettle--get the

great arm-chair," etc., etc. Their excessive anxiety concerning my

physical convenience and comfort, without being seasoned with

one word in relation to Christ or godliness, sickened me, and I

returned home very sorrowful and much disappointed.

From my anxiety of mind to abide the covenant which I had

made with the Lord, I went from place to place, for the purpose of

getting information, and finding, if it were possible, some congenial

spirit who could enter into my feelings, and thus be able to

strengthen and assist me in carrying out my resolutions.

I heard that a very devout man was to preach the next

Sabbath in the Presbyterian church; I therefore went to meeting, in

the full expectation of hearing that which my soul desired--the

Word of Life. When the minister commenced speaking, I fixed my

mind with deep attention upon the spirit and matter of his

discourse; but, after hearing him through, I returned home,

convinced that he neither understood nor appreciated the subject

upon which he spoke, and I said in my heart that there was not

then upon earth the religion which I sought. I therefore determined

to examine my Bible, and, taking Jesus and his disciples for my

guide, to endeavor to obtain from God that which man could

neither give nor take away. Notwithstanding this, I would hear all

that could be said, as well as read much that was written, on the

subject of religion, but the Bible I intended should be my guide to

life and salvation.

This course I pursued a number of years. At length I

considered it my duty to be baptized, and, finding a minister who

was willing to baptize me, and leave me free in regard to joining

any religious denomination, I stepped forward and yielded

obedience to this ordinance; after which I continued to read the

Bible as formerly, until my eldest son had attained his

twenty-second year.

Chapter 12

Joseph Smith, Senior, Loses His

Property and Becomes Poor

Receives a visit from Jason Mack --

The history of the latter, concluded

My husband, as before stated, followed merchandising for a

short period in the town of Randolph. Soon after he commenced

business in this place, he ascertained that crystalized ginseng root

sold very high in China, being used as a remedy for the plague,

which was then raging there. He therefore concluded to embark in

a traffic of this article, and consequently made an investment of all

the means which he commanded, in that way and manner which

was necessary to carry on a business of this kind, viz, crystalizing

and exporting the root. When he had obtained a quantity of the

same, a merchant by the name of Stevens, of Royalton, offered

him three thousand dollars for what he had; but my husband

refused his offer, as it was only about two thirds of its real value,

and told the gentleman that he would rather venture shipping it

himself.

My husband, in a short time, went to the city of New York,

with the view of shipping his ginseng, and finding a vessel in port

which was soon to set sail, he made arrangements with the captain

to this effect--that he was to sell the ginseng in China, and return

the avails thereof to my husband; and this the captain bound

himself to do, in a written obligation.

Mr. Stevens, hearing that Mr. Smith was making arrangements

to ship his ginseng, repaired immediately to New York, and, by

taking some pains, he ascertained the vessel on board of which Mr.

Smith had shipped his ginseng; and having some of the same article

on hand himself, he made arrangements with the captain to take his

also, and he was to send his son on board the vessel to take charge

of it.

It appears, from circumstances that afterwards transpired,

that the ginseng was taken to China, and sold there to good

advantage, or at a high price, but not to much advantage to us, for

we never received anything, except a small chest of tea, of the

avails arising from this adventure.

When the vessel returned, Stevens, the younger, also

returned with it, and when my husband became apprised of his

arrival, he went immediately to him and made inquiry respecting

the success of the captain in selling his ginseng. Mr. Stevens told

him quite a plausible tale, the particulars of which I have forgotten;

but the amount of it was, that the sale had been a perfect failure,

and the only thing which had been brought for Mr. Smith from

China was a small chest of tea, which chest had been delivered into

his care, for my husband.

In a short time after this young Stevens hired a house of

Major Mack, and employed eight or ten hands, and commenced

the business of crystalizing ginseng. Soon after engaging in this

business, when he had got fairly at work, my brother, Major

Mack, went to see him, and, as it happened, he found him

considerably intoxicated. When my brother came into his presence,

he spoke to him thus, "Well, Mr. Stevens, you are doing a fine

business; you will soon be ready for another trip to China." Then

observed again, in a quite indifferent manner, "Oh, Mr. Stevens,

how much did Brother Smith's adventure bring?" Being under the

influence of liquor, he was not on his guard, and took my brother

by the hand and led him to a trunk; then opening it, he observed,

"There, sir, are the proceeds of Mr. Smith's ginseng!" exhibiting a

large amount of silver and gold.

My brother was much astounded at this; however, he

disguised his feelings, and conversed with him a short time upon

different subjects, then returned home, and about ten o'clock the

same night he started for Randolph, to see my husband.

When Mr. Stevens had overcome his intoxication, he began

to reflect upon what he had done, and making some inquiry

concerning my brother, he ascertained that he had gone to

Randolph. Mr. Stevens, conjecturing his business--that he had

gone to see my husband respecting the ginseng adventure, went

immediately to his establishment, dismissed his hands, called his

carriage, and fled with his cash for Canada, and I have never heard

anything concerning him since.

My husband pursued him a while, but finding pursuit vain,

returned home much dispirited at the state of his affairs. He then

went to work to overhaul his accounts, in order to see how he

stood with the world; upon which he discovered that, in addition to

the loss sustained by the China adventure, he had lost about two

thousand dollars in bad debts. At the time he sent his venture to

China he was owing eighteen hundred dollars in the city of Boston,

for store goods, and he expected to discharge the debt at the return

of the China expedition; but, having invested almost all his means

in ginseng, the loss which he suffered in this article rendered it

impossible for him to pay his debt with the property which

remained in his hands.

The principal dependence left him in the shape of property,

was the farm at Tunbridge, upon which we were then living,

having moved back to this place immediately after his venture was

sent to China. This farm, which was worth about fifteen hundred

dollars, my husband sold for eight hundred dollars, in order to

make a speedy payment on the Boston debt; and, as I had not used

the check of one thousand dollars, which my brother and Mr.

Mudget gave me, I added it to the eight hundred dollars obtained

for the farm, and by this means the whole debt was liquidated.

While we were living on the Tunbridge farm, my Brother

Jason made us a visit. He brought with him a young man by the

name of William Smith, a friendless orphan, whom he had adopted

as his own son, and, previous to this time, had kept constantly with

him; but he now thought best to leave him with us, for the purpose

of having him go to school. He remained with us, however, only

six months before my brother came again and took him to New

Brunswick, which they afterwards made their home, and where

my brother had gathered together some thirty families on a tract of

land which he had purchased for the purpose of assisting poor

persons to the means of sustaining themselves. He planned their

work for them, and when they raised anything which they wished

to sell, he took it to market for them. Owning a schooner himself,

he took their produce to Liverpool, as it was then the best market.

When Jason set out on the above-mentioned visit to

Tunbridge, he purchased a quantity of goods which he intended as

presents for his friends, especially his mother and sisters; but, on

his way thither, he found so many objects of charity, that he gave

away not only the goods, but most of his money. On one occasion,

he saw a woman who had just lost her husband, and who was very

destitute; he gave her fifteen dollars in money, and a full suit of

clothes for herself and each of her children, which were six in

number.

This was the last interview I ever had with my Brother Jason,

but, twenty years later, he wrote the following letter to my Brother

Solomon, and that is about all the intelligence I have ever received

from him since I saw him:

"South Branch of Ormucto, Province of New

Brunswick, June 30, 1835.

My Dear Brother Solomon: You will, no doubt, be

surprised to hear that I am still alive, although in an

absence of twenty years I have never written to you

before. But I trust you will forgive me when I tell you

that for most of the twenty years, I have been so

situated that I have had little or no communication with

the lines, and have been holding meetings, day and

night, from place to place; besides, my mind has been

so taken up with the deplorable situation of the earth,

the darkness in which it lies, that, when my labors did

call me near the lines, I did not realize the opportunity

which presented itself of letting you know where I was.

And, again, I have designed visiting you long since, and

annually have promised myself that the succeeding year

I would certainly seek out my relatives, and enjoy the

privilege of one pleasing interview with them before I

passed into the valley and shadow of death. But last,

though not least, let me not startle you when I say, that

according to my early adopted principles of the power

of faith, the Lord has, in his exceeding kindness,

bestowed upon me the gift of healing by the prayer of

faith, and the use of such simple means as seem

congenial to the human system; but my chief reliance is

upon him who organized us at the first, and can restore

at pleasure that which is disorganized.

The first of my peculiar success in this way was

twelve years since, and from nearly that date I have had

little rest. In addition to the incessant calIs which I, in a

short time had, there was the most overwhelming

torrent of opposition poured down upon me that I ever

witnessed. But it pleased God to take the weak to

confound the wisdom of the wise. I have in the last

twelve years seen the greatest manifestations of the

power of God in healing the sick, that, with all my

sanguinity, I ever hoped or imagined. And when the

learned infidel has declared with sober face, time and

again, that disease had obtained such an ascendency

that death could be resisted no longer, that the victim

must wither beneath his potent arm, I have seen the

almost lifeless clay slowly but surely resuscitated, and

revive, till the pallid monster fled so far that the patient

was left in the full bloom of vigorous health. But it is

God that hath done it, and to him let all the praise be

given.

I am now compelled to close this epistle, for I

must start immediately on a journey of more than one

hundred miles, to attend a heavy case of sickness; so

God be with you all. Farewell! JASON MACK."

The next intelligence we received concerning Jason, after his

letter to Brother Solomon, was, that he, his wife, and oldest son,

were dead, and this concludes my account of my Brother Jason.

Chapter 13

The Author's Dream

While we were living in the town of Tunbridge, my mind

became deeply impressed with the subject of religion; which,

probably, was occasioned by my singular experience during my

sickness at Randolph. I began to attend Methodist meetings, and,

to oblige me, my husband accompanied me; but when this came to

the ears of his father and oldest brother, they were so displeased,

and said so much in regard to the matter, that my husband thought

it best to desist. He said that he considered it as hardly worth our

while to attend the meetings any longer, as it would prove of but

little advantage to us; besides this, it gave our friends such

disagreeable feelings. I was considerably hurt by this, yet I made

no reply. I retired to a grove not far distant, where I prayed to the

Lord in behalf of my husband--that the true gospel might be

presented to him, and that his heart might be softened so as to

receive it, or, that he might become more religiously inclined. After

praying some time in this manner, I returned to the house, much

depressed in spirit, which state of feeling continued until I retired to

my bed. I soon fell asleep, and had the following dream:

Dream of two trees

I thought that I stood in a large and beautiful meadow, which

lay a short distance from the house in which we lived, and that

everything around me wore an aspect of peculiar pleasantness. The

first thing that attracted my special attention in this magnificent

meadow, was a very pure and clear stream of water, which ran

through the midst of it; and as I traced this stream, I discovered

two trees standing upon its margin, both of which were on the

same side of the stream. These trees were very beautiful, they

were well proportioned, and towered with majesty beauty to a

great height. Their branches, which added to their symmetry and

glory, commenced near the top, and spread themselves in luxurious

grandeur around.

I gazed upon them with wonder and admiration; and after

beholding them a short time, I saw one of them was surrounded

with a bright belt, that shone like burnished gold, but far more

brilliantly. Presently, a gentle breeze passed by, and the tree

encircled with this golden zone, bent gracefully before the wind,

and waved its beautiful branches in the light air. As the wind

increased, this tree assumed the most lively and animated

appearance, and seemed to express in its motions, the utmost joy

and happiness. If it had been an intelligent creature, it could not

have conveyed, by the power of language, the idea of joy and

gratitude so perfectly as it did; and even the stream that rolled

beneath it, shared, apparently, every sensation felt by the tree, for,

as the branches danced over the stream, it would swell gently, then

recede again with a motion as soft as the breathing of an infant, but

as lively as the dancing of a sunbeam. The belt also partook of the

same influence, and as it moved in unison with the motion of the

stream and of the tree, it increased continually in refulgence and

magnitude, until it became exceedingly glorious.

I turned my eyes upon its fellow, which stood opposite; but it

was not surrounded with the belt of light as the former, and it

stood erect and fixed as a pillar of marble. No matter how strong

the wind blew over it, not a leaf was stirred, not a bough was bent;

but obstinately stiff it stood, scorning alike the zephyr's breath, or

the power of the mighty storm.

I wondered at what I saw, and said in my heart, What can be

the meaning of all this? And the interpretation given me was, that

these personated my husband and his oldest brother, Jesse Smith;

that the stubborn and unyielding tree was like Jesse; that the other,

more pliant and flexible, was like Joseph, my husband; that the

breath of heaven, which passed over them, was the pure and

undefiled gospel of the Son of God, which gospel Jesse would

always resist, but which Joseph, when he was more advanced in

life would hear and receive with his whole heart, and rejoice

therein; and unto him would be added intelligence, happiness,

glory, and everlasting life.

Chapter 14

First Vision of Joseph Smith, Senior

the box -- second vision -- the tree and

the spacious building

After selling the farm at Tunbridge, we moved only a short

distance, to the town of Royalton. Here we resided a few months,

then moved again to Sharon, Windsor County, Vermont. In the

latter place, my husband rented a farm of my father, which he

cultivated in the summer, teaching school in the winter. In this way

my husband continued laboring for a few years, during which time

our circumstances gradually improved, until we found ourselves

quite comfortable again.

In the meantime we had a son, whom we called Joseph, after

the name of his father; he was born December 23, 1805. I shall

speak of him more particularly by and by. We moved thence to

Tunbridge. Here we had another son, whom we named Samuel

Harrison, born March 13, 1808. We lived in this place a short time,

then moved to Royalton, where Ephraim was born, March 13,

1810. We continued here until we had another son, born March

13, 1811, whom we called William.

About this time my husband's mind became much excited

upon the subject of religion; yet he would not subscribe to any

particular system of faith, but contended for the ancient order, as

established by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and his apostles.

One night my husband retired to his bed, in a very thoughtful

state of mind, contemplating the situation of the Christian religion,

or the confusion and discord that were extant. He soon fell into a

sleep, and before waking had the following vision, which I shall

relate in his own words, just as he told it to me the next morning:

"I seemed to be traveling in an open, barren field, and

as I was traveling, I turned my eyes towards the east,

the west, the north, and the south, but could see nothing

save dead, fallen timber. Not a vestige of life, either

animal or vegetable, could be seen; besides, to render

the scene still more dreary, the most deathlike silence

prevailed; no sound of anything animate could be heard

in all the field. I was alone in this gloomy desert, with

the exception of an attendant spirit, who kept constantly

by my side. Of him I inquired the meaning of what I

saw, and why I was thus traveling in such a dismal

place. He answered thus:

'This field is the world, which now lieth

inanimate and dumb, in regard to the true

religion, or plan of salvation; but travel on,

and by the wayside you will find on a certain

log a box, the contents of which, if you eat

thereof, will make you wise, and give unto

you wisdom and understanding.'

I carefully observed what was told me by my

guide, and proceeding a short distance, I came to the

box. I immediately took it up, and placed it under my

left arm; then with eagerness I raised the lid, and began

to taste of its contents; upon which all manner of

beasts, horned cattle, and roaring animals, rose up on

every side in the most threatening manner possible,

tearing the earth, tossing their horns, and bellowing

most terrifically all around me, and they finally came so

close upon me, that I was compelled to drop the box,

and fly for my life. Yet, in the midst of all this I was

perfectly happy, though I awoke trembling."

From this forward my husband seemed more confirmed than

ever in the opinion that there was no order or class of religionists

that knew any more concerning the kingdom of God, than those of

the world, or such as made no profession of religion whatever.

In 1811, we moved from Royalton, Vermont, to the town of

Lebanon, New Hampshire. Soon after arriving here, my husband

received another very singular vision, which I will relate:

"I thought," said he, "I was traveling in an open,

desolate field, which appeared to be very barren. As I

was thus traveling, the thought suddenly came into my

mind that I had better stop and reflect upon what I was

doing, before I went any further. So I asked myself,

'What motive can I have in traveling here, and what

place can this be?' My guide, who was by my side, as

before, said, 'This is the desolate world; but travel on.'

The road was so broad and barren that I wondered why

I should travel in it; for, said I to myself, 'Broad is the

road, and wide is the gate that leads to death, and many

there be that walk therein; but narrow is the way, and

straight is the gate that leads to everlasting' life, and few

there be that go in thereat.'

Traveling a short distance farther, I came to a narrow

path. This path I entered, and, when I had traveled a

little way in it, I beheld a beautiful stream of water,

which ran from the east to the west. Of this stream I

could see neither the source nor yet the termination; but

as far as my eyes could extend I could see a rope

running along the bank of it, about as high as a man

could reach, and beyond me was a low, but very

pleasant valley, in which stood a tree such as I had

never seen before. It was exceedingly handsome,

insomuch that I looked upon it with wonder and

admiration. Its beautiful branches spread themselves

somewhat like an umbrella, and it bore a kind of fruit,

in shape much like a chestnut bur, and as white as

snow, or, if possible whiter. I gazed upon the same with

considerable interest, and as I was doing so the burs or

shells commenced opening and shedding their particles,

or the fruit which they contained, which was of dazzling

whiteness. I drew near and began to eat of it, and I

found it delicious beyond description. As I was eating, I

said in my heart, 'I can not eat this alone, I must bring

my wife and children, that they may partake with me.'

Accordingly, I went and brought my family, which

consisted of a wife and seven children, and we all

commenced eating, and praising God for this blessing.

We were exceedingly happy, insomuch that our joy

could not easily be expressed.

While thus engaged, I beheld a spacious building

standing opposite the valley which we were in, and it

appeared to reach to the very heavens. It was full of

doors and windows, and they were filled with people,

who were very finely dressed. When these people

observed us in the low valley, under the tree, they

pointed the finger of scorn at us, and treated us with all

manner of disrespect and contempt. But their

contumely we utterly disregarded.

I presently turned to my guide, and inquired of

him the meaning of the fruit that was so delicious. He

told me it was the pure love of God, shed abroad in the

hearts of all those who love him, and keep his

commandments. He then commanded me to go and

bring the rest of my children. I told him that we were all

there. 'No,' he replied, 'look yonder, you have two

more, and you must bring them also.' Upon raising my

eyes, I saw two small children, standing some distance

off. I immediately went to them, and brought them to

the tree; upon which they commenced eating with the

rest, and we all rejoiced together. The more we ate, the

more we seemed to desire, until we even got down

upon our knees, and scooped it up, eating it by double

handfuls.

After feasting in this manner a short time, I asked

my guide what was the meaning of the spacious building

which I saw. He replied, 'It is Babylon, it is Babylon,

and it must fall. The people in the doors and windows

are the inhabitants thereof, who scorn and despise the

Saints of God because of their humility.'

I soon awoke, clapping my hands together for

joy."

Chapter 15

Sickness at Lebanon -- Sophronia's

Miraculous Recovery

We moved, as before mentioned, to the town of Lebanon, New

Hampshire. Here we settled ourselves down, and began to

contemplate, with joy and satisfaction, the prosperity which had

attended our recent exertions; and we doubled our diligence, in

order to obtain more of this world's goods with the view of

assisting our children, when they should need it; and, as is quite

natural, we looked forward to the decline of life, and were

providing for its wants, as well as striving to procure those things

which contribute much to the comfort of old age.

As our children had, in a great measure, been debarred from

the privilege of schools, we began to make every arrangement to

attend to this important duty. We established our second son

Hyrum in an academy at Hanover; and the rest, that were of

sufficient age, we were sending to a common school that was quite

convenient. Meanwhile, myself and companion were doing all that

our abilities would admit of for the future welfare and advantage of

the family, and were greatly blessed in our labors.

But this state of things did not long continue. The typhus

fever came into Lebanon, and raged tremendously. Among the

number seized with this complaint were, first, Sophronia; next

Hyrum, who was taken while at school, and came home sick; then

Alvin; in short, one after another was taken down, till all of the

family, with the exception of myself and husband, were prostrated

upon a bed of sickness.

Sophronia had a heavy siege. The physician attended upon

her eighty-nine days, giving her medicine all the while; but on the

ninetieth day, he said she was so far gone, it was not for her to

receive any benefit from medicine, and for this cause he

discontinued his attendance upon her. The ensuing night, she lay

altogether motionless, with her eyes wide open, and with that

peculiar aspect which bespeaks the near approach of death. As she

thus lay, I gazed upon her as a mother looks upon the last shade of

life in a darling child. In this moment of distraction, my husband

and myself clasped our hands, fell upon our knees by the bedside,

and poured out our grief to God, in prayer and supplication,

beseeching Him to spare our child yet a little longer.

Did the Lord hear our petition? Yes, he most assuredly did,

and before we rose to our feet, he gave us a testimony that she

should recover. When we first arose from prayer, our child had, to

all appearance, ceased breathing. I caught a blanket, threw it

around her, then, taking her in my arms, commenced pacing the

floor. Those present remonstrated against my doing as I did,

saying, "Mrs. Smith, it is all of no use; you are certainly crazy,

your child is dead.' Notwithstanding, I would not, for a moment,

relinquish the hope of again seeing her breathe and live.

This recital, doubtless, will be uninteresting to some; but

those who nave experienced in life something of this kind are

susceptible of feeling, and can sympathize with me. Are you a

mother who has been bereft of a child? Feel for your heartstrings,

and then tell me how I felt with my expiring child pressed to my

bosom! Would you at this trying moment feel to deny that God

had "power to save to the uttermost all who call on him?" I did not

then; neither do I now.

At length she sobbed. I still pressed her to my breast, and

continued to walk the floor. She sobbed again, then looked up into

my face, and commenced breathing quite freely. My soul was

satisfied, but my strength was gone. I laid my daughter on the bed,

and sunk by her side, completely overpowered by the intensity of

my feelings. From this time forward Sophronia continued mending,

until she entirely recovered.

Chapter 16

The Sufferings of Joseph Smith, Jr.

with a fever sore -- extraction of large

fragments of bone from one of his legs

Joseph, our third son, having recovered from the typhus fever after

something like two weeks' sickness, one day screamed out while

sitting in a chair, with a pain in his shoulder, and, in a very short

time, he appeared to be in such agony that we feared the

consequence would prove to be something very serious. We

immediately sent for a doctor. When he arrived, and had examined

the patient, he said that it was his opinion that this pain was

occasioned by a sprain. But the child declared this could not be the

case, as he had received no injury in any way whatever, but that a

severe pain had seized him all at once, of the cause of which he

was entirely ignorant.

Notwithstanding the child's protestations, still the physician

insisted that it must be a sprain, and consequently, he anointed his

shoulder with some bone liniment; but this was of no advantage to

him, for the pain continued the same after the anointing as before.

When two weeks of extreme suffering had elapsed, the

attendant physician concluded to make closer examination,

whereupon he found that a large fever sore had gathered between

his breast and shoulder. He immediately lanced it, upon which it

discharged fully a quart of purulent matter. As soon as the sore had

discharged itself, the pain left it, and shot like lightning (using his

own terms) down his side into the marrow of the bone of his leg,

and soon became very severe. My poor boy, at this, was almost in

despair, and he cried out, "Oh, father! the pain is so severe, how

can I bear it !"

His leg soon began to swell, and he continued to suffer the

greatest agony for the space of two weeks longer. During this

period I carried him much of the time in my arms, in order to

mitigate his suffering as much as possible, in consequence of which

I was taken very ill myself. The anxiety of mind that I experienced,

together with physical over-exertion, was too much for my

constitution, and my nature sunk under it.

Hyrum, who was rather remarkable for his tenderness and

sympathy, now desired that he might take my place. As he was a

good, trusty boy, we let him do so; and, in order to make the task

as easy for him as possible, we laid Joseph upon a low bed, and

Hyrum sat beside him, almost day and night, for some considerable

length of time, holding the affected part of his leg in his hands, and

pressing it between them, so that his afflicted brother might be

enabled to endure the pain, which was so excruciating that he was

scarcely able to bear it.

At the end of three weeks we thought it advisable to send

again for the surgeon. When he came, he made an incision of eight

inches, on the front side of the leg, between the knee and ankle.

This relieved the pain in a great measure, and the patient was quite

comfortable until the wound began to heal, when the pain became

as violent as ever.

The surgeon was called again, and he this time enlarged the

wound, cutting the leg even to the bone. It commenced healing the

second time, and as soon as it began to heal, it also began to swell

again, which swelling continued to rise till we deemed it wisdom to

call a council of surgeons; and when they met in consultation, they

decided that amputation was the only remedy.

Soon after coming to this conclusion, they rode up to the

door, and were invited into a room, apart from the one in which

Joseph lay. They being seated, I addressed them thus: "Gentlemen,

what can you do to save my boy's leg?" They answered, "We can

do nothing; we have cut it open to the bone, and find it so affected

that we consider the leg incurable, and that amputation is

absolutely necessary in order to save his life."

This was like a 'thunderbolt to me. I appealed to the principal

surgeon, saying, "Doctor Stone, can you not make another trial?

Can you not, by cutting around the bone, take out the diseased

part, and perhaps that which is sound will heal over, and by this

means you will save his leg? You will not, you must not, take off

his leg, until you try once more. I will not consent to let you enter

his room until you make me this promise."

After consulting a short time with each other, they agreed to

do as I had requested, then went to see my suffering son. One of

the doctors, on approaching his bed, said, "My poor boy, we have

come again." "Yes," said Joseph, "I see you have; but you have

not come to take off my leg, have you, sir? "No," replied the

surgeon, "it is your mother's request that we make one more effort,

and that is what we have now come for."

The principal surgeon, after a moment's conversation,

ordered cords to be brought to bind Joseph fast to a bedstead; but

to this Joseph objected. The doctor, however, insisted that he must

be confined, upon which Joseph said very decidedly, "No, doctor,

I will not be bound, for I can bear the operation much better if I

have my liberty,"

"Then," said. Doctor Stone, "will you drink some brandy?"

"No," said Joseph, "not one drop."

"Will you take some wine?" continued the doctor. "You must

take something, or you can never endure the severe operation to

which you must be subjected."

"No," exclaimed Joseph, "I will not touch one particle of

liquor, neither will I be tied down; but I will tell you what I will

do--I will have my father sit on the bed and hold me in his arms,

and then I will do whatever is necessary in order to have the bone

taken out." Looking at me, he said, "Mother, I want you to leave

the room, for I know you can not bear to see me suffer so; father

can stand it, but you have carried me so much, and watched over

me so long, you are almost worn out." Then looking up into my

face, his eyes swimming in tears, he continued, "Now, mother,

promise me that you will not stay, will you? The Lord will help

me, and I get through with it."

To this request I consented, and getting a number of folded

sheets, and laying them under his leg I retired, going several

hundred yards from the house in order to be out of hearing.

The surgeons commenced operating by boring into the bone

of his leg, first on one side of the bone where it was affected, then

on the other side, after which they broke it off with a pair of

forceps or pinchers. They thus took away large pieces of the bone.

When they broke off the first piece, Joseph screamed out so loudly

that I could not forbear running to him. On my entering his room,

he cried out, "Oh, mother, go back, go back; I do not want you to

come in--I will try to tough it out, if you will go away."

When the third piece was taken away, I burst into the room

again--and oh, my God! what a spectacle for a mother's eye! The

wound torn open, the blood still gushing from it, and the bed

literally covered with blood. Joseph was as pale as a corpse, and

large drops of sweat were rolling down his face, whilst upon every

feature was depicted the utmost agony!

I was immediately forced from the room, and detained until

the operation was completed; but when the act was accomplished,

Joseph put upon a clean bed, the room cleared of every

appearance of blood, and the instruments which were used in the

operation removed, I was permitted again to enter. Joseph

immediately commenced getting better, and from this time onward

continued to mend until he became strong and healthy. When he

had so far recovered as to be able to travel, he went with his uncle,

Jesse Smith, to Salem, Massachusetts, for the benefit of his health,

hoping the sea-breezes would be of service to him; and in this he

was not disappointed.

Having passed through about a year of sickness and distress,

health again returned to our family, and we most assuredly

appreciated the blessing; and indeed, we felt to acknowledge the

hand of God, more in preserving our lives through such a

tremendous scene of affliction, than if we had, during this time,

seen nothing but health and prosperity.

Chapter 17

When health returned to us, as one would naturally suppose,

it found us in quite low circumstances. We were compelled to

strain every energy to provide for our present necessities, instead

of making arrangements for the future, as we had previously

contemplated. Shortly after sickness left our family, we moved to

Norwich, in the state of Vermont. In this place we established

ourselves on a farm belonging to one Esquire Moredock. The first

year our crops failed; yet, by selling fruit which grew on the place,

we succeeded in obtaining bread for the family, and by making

considerable exertion, we were enabled to sustain ourselves. The

crops the second year were as the year before --a perfect failure.

Mr. Smith now determined to plant once more, and if he should

meet with no better success than he had the two preceding years,

he would then go to the state of New York, where wheat was

raised in abundance.

The next year an untimely frost destroyed the crops, and

being the third year in succession in which the crops had failed, it

almost caused a famine. This was enough; my husband was now

altogether decided upon going to New York. He came in one day,

in quite a thoughtful mood, and sat down; after meditating some

time, he observed that, could he so arrange his affairs, he would be

glad to start soon for New York with a Mr. Howard, who was

going to Palmyra. He further remarked, that he could not leave

consistently, as the situation of the family would not admit of his

absence; besides, he was owing some money that must first be

paid.

I told him it was my opinion that he might get both his

creditors and debtors together, and arrange matters between them

in such a way as to give satisfaction to all parties concerned; and,

in relation to the family, I thought I could make every necessary

preparation to follow as soon as he would be ready for us. He

accordingly called upon all with whom he had any dealings, and

settled up his accounts with them. There were, however, some

who, in the time of settlement, neglected to bring forward their

books, consequently they were not balanced, or there were no

entries made in them to show the settlement; but in cases of this

kind he called witnesses, that there might be evidence of the fact.

Having thus arranged his business, Mr. Smith set out for

Palmyra, in company with Mr. Howard. After his departure, I and

those of the family who were of much size, toiled faithfully, until

we considered ourselves fully prepared to leave at a moment's

warning. We shortly received a communication from Mr. Smith,

requesting us to make ourselves ready to take up a journey for

Palmyra. In a short time after this, a team came for us. As we

were about starting on this journey, several of those gentlemen

who had withheld their books in the time of settlement now

brought them forth, and claimed the accounts which had been

settled, and which they had, in the presence of witnesses, agreed to

erase. We were all ready for the journey, and the teams were

waiting on expense. Under these circumstances I concluded it

would be more to our advantage to pay their unjust claims than to

hazard a lawsuit. Therefore, by making considerable exertion, I

raised the required sum, which was one hundred and fifty dollars,

and liquidated the demand.

A gentleman by the name of Flog, a wealthy settler, living in

the town of Hanover, also a Mr. Howard, who resided in Norwich,

were both acquainted with the circumstance mentioned above.

They were very indignant at it and requested me to give them a

sufficient time to get the witnesses together, and they would

endeavor to recover that which had been taken from me by fraud.

I told them I could not do so, for my husband had sent teams for

me, which were on expense; moreover, there was an uncertainty in

getting the money back again, and in case of failure, I should not

be able to raise the means necessary to take the family where we

contemplated moving.

They then proposed raising some money by subscription,

saying, "We know the people feel as we do concerning this matter,

and if you will receive it we will make you a handsome present."

This I utterly refused. The idea of receiving assistance in such a

way as this was indeed very repulsive to my feelings, and I

rejected their offer.

My aged mother, who had lived with us some time, assisted

in preparing for the journey. She came with us to Royalton, where

she resided until she died, which was two years afterwards, in

consequence of an injury which she received by getting upset in a

wagon while traveling with us.

On arriving at Royalton, I had a scene to pass through, and it

was truly a severe one---one to which I shall ever look back with

peculiar feelings. Here I was to take leave of my affectionate

mother. The parting hour came; my mother wept over me, long

and bitterly. She told me that it was not probable that she should

ever behold my face again; "But, my dear child," said she, "I have

lived long--my days are nearly numbered--I must soon exchange

the things of this world for those which pertain to another state of

existence, where I hope to enjoy the society of the blessed! and

now, as my last admonition, I beseech you to continue faithful in

the service of God to the end of your days, that I may have the

pleasure of embracing you in another and fairer world above."

This parting scene was at one Willard Pierce's, a

tavern-keeper. From his house my mother went to Daniel Mack's

with whom she afterwards lived until her decease.

Having traveled a short distance, I discovered that Mr.

Howard, our teamster, was an unprincipled and unfeeling wretch,

by the way in which he handled both our goods and money, as

well as by his treatment of my children, especially Joseph. He

would compel him to travel miles at a time on foot,

notwithstanding he was still lame. We bore patiently with his abuse

until we got about twenty miles west of Utica, when one morning,

as we were getting ready to continue our journey, my oldest son

came to me and said, "Mother, Mr. Howard has thrown the goods

out of the wagon, and is about starting off with the team."

Upon hearing this, I told him to call the man in. I met him in

the barroom, in the presence of a large company of travelers, both

male and female, and I demanded his reason for the course which

he was taking. He told me the money which I had given him was

all expended, and he could go no further. I then turned to those

present and said, "Gentlemen and ladies, please give your attention

for a moment. Now, as sure as there is a God in Heaven, that

team, as well as the goods, belong to my husband, and this man

intends to take them from me, or at least the team, leaving me with

eight children, without the means of proceeding on my journey."

Then turning to Mr. Howard, I said, "Sir, I now forbid you

touching the team, or driving it one step further. You can go about

your own business; I have no use for you. I shall take charge of

the team myself, and hereafter attend to my own affairs." I

accordingly did so, and, proceeding on our journey, we in a short

time arrived at Palmyra, with a small portion of our effects, and

barely two cents in cash.

When I again met my husband at Palmyra, we were much

reduced--not from indolence, but on account of many reverses of

fortune, with which our lives had been rather singularly marked.

Notwithstanding our misfortunes, and the embarrassments with

which we were surrounded, I was quite happy in once more having

the society of my husband, and in throwing myself and children

upon the care and affection of a tender companion and father.

We all now sat down, and counseled together relative to the

course which was best for us to adopt in our destitute

circumstances, and we came to the conclusion to unite our strength

in endeavoring to obtain a piece of land. Having done considerable

at painting oilcloth coverings for tables, stands, etc., I set up the

business, and did extremely well. I furnished all the provisions for

the family, and, besides this, began to replenish our household

furniture, in a very short time, by my own exertions.

My husband and his sons, Alvin and Hyrum, set themselves

to work to pay for one hundred acres of land, which Mr. Smith

contracted for with a land agent. In a year, we made nearly all of

the first payment, erected a log house, and commenced clearing. I

believe something like thirty acres of land were got ready for

cultivation the first year.

I shall now deviate a little from my subject, in order to relate

another very singular dream which my husband had about this

time, being as follows:

Joseph Senior's dream of the Garden

and the twelve images bowing to him

"I dreamed," said he, "that I was traveling on foot,

and I was very sick, and so lame I could hardly walk.

My guide, as usual, attended me. Traveling some time

together, I became so lame that I thought I could go no

further. I informed my guide of this, and asked him

what I should do. He told me to travel on till I came to

a certain garden. So I arose and started for this garden.

While on my way thither, I asked my guide how I

should know the place. He said, 'Proceed until you

come to a very large gate; open this, and you will see a

garden, blooming with the most beautiful flowers that

your eyes ever beheld, and there you shall be healed.'

By limping along with great difficulty, I finally

reached the gate; and on entering it, I saw the

before-mentioned garden, which was beautiful beyond

description, being filled with the most delicate flowers

of every kind and color. In the garden were walks about

three and a half feet wide, which were set on both sides

with marble stones. One of the walks ran from the gate

through the center of the garden; and on each side of

this was a very richly-carved seat, and on each seat

were placed six wooden images, each of which was the

size of a very large man. When I came to the first image

on the right side, it arose and bowed to me with much

deference. I then turned to the one which sat opposite

me, on the left side, and it arose and bowed to me in

the same manner as the first. I continued turning, first

to the right and then to the left, until the whole twelve

had made their obeisance, after which I was entirely

healed. I then asked my guide the meaning of all this,

but I awoke before I received an answer."

I will now return to the subject of the farm. When the time

for making the second payment drew nigh, Alvin went from home

to get work, in order to raise the money, and after much hardship

and fatigue, returned with the required amount. This payment

being made, we felt relieved, as this was the only thing that

troubled us; for we had a snug log house, neatly furnished, and the

means of living comfortably. It was now only two years since we

entered Palmyra, almost destitute of money, property, or

acquaintance. The hand of friendship was extended on every side,

and we blessed God, with our whole hearts, for His "mercy, which

endureth for ever."

And not only temporal blessings were bestowed upon us, but

also spiritual were administered. The Scripture, which saith, "Your

old men shall dream dreams," was fulfilled in the case of my

husband, for, about this time, he had another vision, which I shall

here relate; this, with one more, is all of his that I shall obtrude

upon the attention of my readers. He received two more visions,

which would probably be somewhat interesting, but I can not

remember them distinctly enough to rehearse them in full. The

following, which was the sixth, ran thus:

Joseph Senior's vision of the Day of

Judgment

"I thought I was walking alone; I was much

fatigued, nevertheless I continued traveling. It seemed

to me that I was going to meeting, that it was the day of

judgment, and that I was going to be judged.

When I came in sight of the meeting-house, I saw

multitudes of people coming from every direction, and

pressing with great anxiety towards the door of this

great building; but I thought I should get there in time,

hence there was no need of being in a hurry. But, on

arriving at the door, I found it shut; I knocked for

admission, and was informed by the porter that I had

come too late. I felt exceedingly troubled, and prayed

earnestly for admittance. Presently I found that my

flesh was perishing. I continued to pray, still my flesh

withered upon my bones. I was almost in a state of total

despair, when the porter asked me if I had done all that

was necessary in order to receive admission. I replied

that I had done all that was in my power to do. 'Then,'

observed the porter, 'justice must be satisfied; after this,

mercy hath her claims.'

It then occurred to me to call upon God, in the

name of His son Jesus; and I cried out, in the agony of

my soul, 'Oh, Lord God, I beseech thee, in the name of

Jesus Christ, to forgive my sins.' After which I felt

considerably strengthened, and I began to amend. The

porter or angel then remarked that it was necessary to

plead the merits of Jesus, for he was the advocate with

the Father, and a mediator between God and man.

I was now made quite whole, and the door was

opened, but, on entering, I awoke."

The following spring we commenced making preparations for

building another house, one that would be more comfortable for

persons in advanced life.

Chapter 18

I now come to the history of Joseph. By reference to the

table (chapter ix), you will find the date and place of his birth;

besides which, except what has already been said, I shall say

nothing respecting him until he arrived at the age of fourteen.

However, in this I am aware that some of my readers will be

disappointed, for from questions which are frequently asked me, I

suppose that it is thought by some that I shall be likely to tell many

very remarkable incidents which attended his childhood; but, as

nothing occurred during his early life, except those trivial

circumstances which are common to that state of human existence,

I pass them in silence. At the age of fourteen an incident occurred

which alarmed us much, as we knew not the cause of it. Joseph

being a remarkably quiet, well disposed child, we did not suspect

that any one had aught against him. He was out one evening on an

errand, and, on returning home, as he was passing through the

dooryard a gun was fired across his pathway, with the evident

intention of shooting him. He sprang to the door much frightened.

We immediately went in search of the assassin but could find no

trace of him that evening. The next morning we found his tracks

under a wagon; where he lay when he fired; and the following day

we found the balls which were discharged from the gun, lodged in

the head and neck of a cow that was standing opposite the wagon,

in a dark corner. We have not as yet discovered the man who

maple this attempt at murder, neither can we discover the cause

thereof.

I shall here insert the seventh and last vision that my husband

had, which vision was received in the year 1819. It was as follows:

Joseph Senior's Vision of the Plan of

Salvation to be put on paper (Book of

Mormon?)

"I dreamed," said he, "that a man with a peddler's

budget on his back, came in, and thus addressed me:

'Sir, will you trade with me to-day? I have now called

upon you seven times, I have traded with you each

time, and have always found you strictly honest in all

your dealings. Your measures are always heaped, and

your weighers overbalance; and I have now come to tell

you that this is the last time I shall ever call on you, and

that there is but one thing which you lack in order to

secure your salvation.' As I earnestly desired to know

what it was that I still lacked I requested him to write

the same upon paper. He said that he would do so. I

then sprang to get some paper, but, in my excitement, I

awoke."

Shortly after my husband received the foregoing vision there

was a great revival in religion, which extended to all the

denominations of Christians in the surrounding country where we

resided. Many of the world's people becoming concerned about the

salvation of their souls came forward and presented themselves as

seekers after religion. Most of them were desirous of uniting with

some church, but were not decided as to the particular faith which

they would adopt. When the numerous meetings were about

breaking up, and the candidates and the various leading church

members began to consul, t upon the subject of adopting the

candidates into some church or churches, as the case might be, a

dispute arose, and there was a great contention among them.

While these things were going forward Joseph's mind became

considerably troubled with regard to religion. The following extract

from his history will show, more clearly than I can express, the

state of his feelings, and the result of .his reflections on this

occasion:

Joseph Smith, Jr.'s Query About

Religion

"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.

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 pungent, still I kept myself aloof from all

those parties, though I attended their several meetings as often as

occasion would permit. But 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 was 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. My

mind at different 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 their powers of

either reason or 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 to establish their

own tenets and disprove all others.

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?' 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 unto

all men liberally, and upbraideth

not, and it shall be given unto

him.'

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, would never know; for the teachers

of religion of the different sects understood the same passage so

differently, as to destroy all confidence in settling the question by

an appeal to the Bible. 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. 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 1820. 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.

After I had retired into 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 astonishing influence over me as to bind my tongue, so that I

could not speak. Thick darkness gathered around me, and it

seemed to me for a time as if I were doomed to sudden

destruction. But exerting all my powers to call upon God, to deliver

me out of the power of this enemy which had seized upon me, and

at the very moment when I was ready to sink into despair, and

abandon myself to destruction--not to an imaginary ruin, but to the

power of some actual being from the unseen world, who had such

a marvelous power as I had never before felt in any being; just at

this moment of great alarm, I saw a pillar of light exactly over my

head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually

until it fell upon me. It no sooner appeared than I found myself

delivered from the enemy which held me bound. When the light

rested upon me, I saw two personages, whose brightness and glory

defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them

spake unto me, calling me by name, and said, pointing to the other,

'This is my beloved Son; hear Him!'

My object in going to inquire of the Lord, was to know which

of all these 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.

I was answered that I should 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. 'They draw near me with their lips, but their hearts are

far from me; they teach for doctrine the commandments of men,

having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof.'

He again forbade me to join any of them; and many other

things did He say unto me which I can not write at this time. When

I came to myself again, I found myself lying on my back, looking

up into heaven.

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 upon 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 was

no such thing as visions or revelations in these days; that all such

things had ceased with the apostles, and that there never would be

any more of them.

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 hot persecution; and this was common

among all the sects--all united to persecute me.

It has often caused me serious reflection, both then and 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, so

as to create in them a spirit of the hottest persecution and reviling.

But strange or not, so it was, and was often cause of great

sorrow to myself. However, it was, nevertheless, a fact that I had

had 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 unto his

latest breath, that he had both seen a light and heard a voice

speaking to him, and all the world could not make him think or

believe otherwise.

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 unto me, or one of them did; 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 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 dare I do it--at least, I knew that by so doing I

would offend God, and come under condemnation."1

From this time until the 21st of September, 1823, Joseph

continued, as usual, to labor with his father, and nothing during this

interval occurred of very great importance--though he suffered, as

one would naturally suppose, every kind of opposition and

persecution from the different orders of religionists.

On the evening of the 21st of September, he retired to his

bed in quite a serious and contemplative state of mind. He shortly

betook himself to prayer and supplication to almighty God, for a

manifestation of his standing before him, and while thus engaged

he received the following vision:

"While I was thus in the act of calling upon God, discovered

a light appearing in the room, which continued to increase until the

room was lighter than at noonday, when immediately a personage

appeared at my bedside, standing in the air, for his feet did not

touch the floor. He had on a loose robe of most exquisite

whiteness. It was a whiteness beyond anything earthly I had ever

seen, nor do I believe that any earthly thing could be made to

appear so exceedingly white and brilliant. His hands were naked,

and his arms also, a little above the wrist; so also were his feet

naked, as were his legs a little above the ankles. His head and neck

were also bare. I could discover that he had no other clothing on

but this robe, as it was open, so that I could see into his bosom.

Not only was his robe exceedingly white, but his whole person was

glorious beyond description, and his countenance truly like

lightning. The room was exceedingly light, but not so very bright as

immediately around his person.

When I first looked upon him I was afraid, but the fear soon

left me. 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 Nephi2 that God had a work for me 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.

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 fullness

of the everlasting gospel was contained in it, as delivered by the

Savior to the ancient inhabitants. 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. 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 Bible.

Instead of quoting the first verse as it reads in our books, he

quoted it thus:

'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 or

branch.'

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.'

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 its coming.'

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 o fActs, twenty-second and twenty-third verses, precisely

as they stand in our New Testament. He said that the 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. He also quoted the second chapter of Joel, from the

twentyeighth verse to the last. He also said that this was not yet

fulfilled, but was soon to be. And he further stated the fullness of

the Gentiles was soon to come in. He quoted many other passages

of Scripture, and offered many explanations which can not be

mentioned here.

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

then 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.

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 up till he

entirely disappeared, and the room was left as it had been before

this heavenly light made its appearance.

I lay musing on the singularity of the scene, and marveling

greatly at what had been told 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. 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 grevious judgments would come on the earth in this

generation. Having related these things, he again ascended as he

had done before."3

When the angel ascended the second time, he left Joseph

overwhelmed with astonishment, yet gave him but a short time to

contemplate the things which he had told him before he made his

reappearance, and rehearsed the same things over, adding a few

words of caution and instruction, thus: that he must beware of

covetousness, and he must not suppose the record was to be

brought forth with the view of getting gain, for this was not the

case, but that it was to bring forth light and intelligence, which had

for a long time been lost to the world; and that when he went to get

the plates, he must be on his guard, or his mind would be filled

with darkness. The angel then told him to tell his father all which

he had both seen and heard.

Footnote

1. (Times and Seasons, volume 3, page 727. Supplement to Millennial Star,

volume 14, page 2)

2. Moroni, see Doctrine and Covenants, section 50, paragraph 2; Elder's

Journal, volume 1, pages 28 and 129; History of Joseph Smith under year

1838; Deseret News, number 10, volume 3.--0. P.

3. (Times and Seasons, volume 3, page 729. Supplement to Millennial Star,

volume 14, page 4)

Chapter 19

The angel visits

Joseph Again

-- Joseph tells his father

what he has seen and

heard

-- He is permitted to

behold the plates --

Receives further

instructions

-- Communicates the

same to the family

-- Takes the plates into

his hands -- They are

taken from him, and he is

reproved

-- His disappointment

The next day, my husband, Alvin, and Joseph, were reaping

together in the field, and as they were reaping Joseph stopped quite

suddenly, and seemed to be in a very deep study. Alvin, observing

it, hurried him, saying, "We must not slacken our hands, or we will

not be able to complete our task." Upon this Joseph went to work

again, and after laboring a short time, he stopped just as he had

done before. This being quite unusual and strange, it attracted the

attention of his father, upon which he discovered that Joseph was

very pale. My husband, supposing that he was sick, told him to go

to the house, and have his mother doctor him. He accordingly

ceased his work, and started, but on coming to a beautiful green,

under an apple-tree, he stopped and lay down, for he was so weak

he could proceed no further. He was here but a short time, when

the messenger whom he saw the previous night, visited him again,

and the first thing he said was, "Why did you not tell your father

that which I commanded you to tell him?" Joseph replied, "I was

afraid my father would not believe me." The angel rejoined, "He

will believe every word you say to him."

Joseph then promised the angel that he would do as he had

been commanded. Upon this, the messenger departed, and Joseph

returned to the field where he had left my husband and Alvin; but

when he got there his father had just gone to the house, as he was

somewhat unwell.

Joseph then desired Alvin to go straightway and see his

father, and inform him that he had something of great importance

to communicate to him, and that he wanted him to come out into

the field where we were at work. Alvin did as he was requested,

and when my husband got there, Joseph related to him all that had

passed between him and the angel the previous night and that

morning. Having heard this account, his father charged him not to

fail in attending strictly to the instruction which he had received

from this heavenly messenger.

Soon after Joseph had this conversation with his father, he

repaired to the place where the plates were deposited, which place

he describes as follows:

"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 hi!l, 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 edges all round were covered with

earth.

Having removed the earth, and obtained a lever,

which I got fixed under the edge of the stone, with a

little exertion I raised it up. I looked, and there, indeed,

did I behold the plates, the Urim and Thummim, and

the breastplate, as stated by the messenger."1

While Joseph remained here, the angel showed him, by

contrast, the difference between good and evil, and likewise the

consequences 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."

-- Communicates the same to the

family

Furthermore, the angel told him, at the interview mentioned

last, that the time had not yet come for the plates to be brought

forth to the world; that he could not take them from the place

wherein they were deposited until he had learned to keep the

commandments of God--not only till he was willing, but able, to do

it. The angel bade Joseph come to this place every year, at the

same time of the year, and he would meet him there and give him

further instruction. The ensuing evening, when the family were all

together, Joseph made known to them all that he had

communicated to his father in the field, and also of his finding the

record, as well as what passed between him and the angel while he

was at the place where the plates were deposited.

Sitting up late that evening, in order to converse upon these

things, together with over-exertion of mind, had much fatigued

Joseph; and when Alvin observed it, he said, "Now, brother, let us

go to bed, and rise early in the morning, in order to finish our day's

work at an hour before sunset; then, if mother will get our suppers

early, we will have a fine long evening, and we will all sit down for

the purpose of listening to you while you tell us the great things

which God has revealed to you."

Accordingly, by sunset the next day we were all seated, and

Joseph commenced telling us the great and glorious things which

God had manifested to him; but, before proceeding, he charged us

not to mention out of the family that which he was about to say to

us, as the world was so wicked that when they came to a

knowledge of these things they would try to take our lives; and that

when we should obtain the plates, our names would be cast out as

evil by all people. Hence the necessity of suppressing these things

as much as possible, until the time should come for them to go

forth to the world.

After giving us this charge, he proceeded to relate further

particulars concerning the work which he was appointed to do, and

we received them joyfully, never mentioning them except among

ourselves, agreeable to the instructions which we had received

from him.

From this time forth, Joseph continued to receive instructions

from the Lord, and we continued to get the children together every

evening, for the purpose of listening while he gave us a relation of

the same. I presume our family presented an aspect as singular as

any that ever lived upon the face of the earth--all seated in a circle,

father, mother, sons, and daughters, and giving the most profound

attention to a boy, eighteen years of age, who had never read the

Bible through in his life: he seemed much less inclined to the

perusal of books than any of the rest of our children, but far more

given to meditation and deep study.

We were now confirmed in the opinion that God was about

to bring to light something upon which we could stay our minds, or

that would give us a more perfect knowledge of the plan of

salvation and the redemption of the human family. This caused us

greatly to rejoice, the sweetest union of happiness pervaded our

house, and tranquility reigned in our midst.

During our evening conversations, Joseph would occasionally

give us some of the most amusing recitals that could be imagined.

He Would describe the ancient inhabitants of this continent, 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 with them.

-- He is permitted to behold the plates

-- Receives further instructions

-- Takes the plates into his hands --

They are taken from him, and he is

reproved

On the 22d of September, 1824, Joseph again visited the

place where he found the plates the year previous; and supposing

at this time that the only thing required, in order to possess them

until the time for their translation, was to be able to keep the

commandments of God--and he firmly believed that he could keep

every commandment which had been given him--he fully expected

to carry them home with him. Therefore, having arrived at the

place, and uncovering the plates, he put forth his hand and took

them up, but, as he was taking them hence, the unhappy thought

darted through his mind that probably there was something else in

the box besides the plates, which would be of some pecuniary

advantage to him. So, in the moment of excitement, he laid them

down very carefully, for the purpose of covering the box, lest some

one might happen to pass that way and get whatever there might

be remaining in it. After covering it, he turned round to take the

record again, but behold it was gone, and where he knew not,

neither did he know the means by which it had been taken from

him.

At this, as a natural consequence, he was much alarmed. He

kneeled down and asked the Lord why the record had been taken

from him; upon which the angel of the Lord appeared to him, and

told him that he had not done as he had been commanded, for in a

former revelation he had been commanded not to lay the plates

down, or put them for a moment out of his hands, until he got into

the house and deposited them in a chest or trunk, having a good

lock and key, and, contrary to this, he had laid them down with the

view of securing some fancied or imaginary treasure that remained.

-- His disappointment

In the moment of excitement, Joseph was overcome by the

powers of darkness, and forgot the injunction that was laid upon

him. Having some further conversation with the angel on this

occasion, Joseph was permitted to raise the stone again, when he

beheld the plates as he had done before. He immediately reached

forth his hand to take them, but instead of getting them, as he

anticipated, he was hurled back upon the ground with great

violence. When he recovered, the angel was gone, and he arose

and returned to the house, weeping for grief and disappointment.

As he was aware that we would expect him to bring the plates

home with him, he was greatly troubled, fearing that we might

doubt his having seen them. As soon as he entered the house, my

husband asked him if he had obtained the plates. The answer was,

"No, father, I could not get them."

His father then said, "Did you see them?"

"Yes," replied Joseph, "I saw them, but could not take them."

"I would have taken them," rejoined his father, with much

earnestness, "if I had been in your place."

"Why," returned Joseph, in quite a subdued tone, "you do not

know what you say. I could not get them, for the angel of the Lord

would not let me."

Joseph then related the circumstance in full, which gave us

much uneasiness, as we were afraid that he might utterly fail of

obtaining the record through some neglect on his part. We,

therefore, doubled our diligence in prayer and supplication to God,

in order that he might be more fully instructed in his duty, and be

preserved from all the wiles and machinations of him "who lieth in

wait to deceive."2

We were still making arrangements to build us a comfortable

house, the management and control of which devolved chiefly

upon Alvin. And when November, 1824, arrived, the frame was

raised, and all the materials necessary for its speedy completion

were procured. This opened to Alvin's mind the pleasing prospect

of seeing his father and mother once more comfortable and happy.

He would say, "I am going to have a nice pleasant room for father

and mother to sit in and everything arranged for their comfort, and

they shall not work any more as they have done.3

Footnotes:

1. (Times and Seasons, volume 3, page 729. Supplement to

Millennial Star, volume 14, page 5.)

2. Whatever may have been Joseph Smith's lack of natural ability,

one thing is quite certain, that the peculiar discipline to which he

was subjected in these early days was of such a character that he

learned that strict obedience and faithfulness to duty were the most

essential requisites to an acceptance with God; this fitted him for

the work that he subsequently did.

3. Of the life of Lucy Smith, familiarly called Grandmother Smith,

after the Martyr's death, little need be written. At the time of the

tragedy at Carthage, Grandmother Smith was living with Joseph,

and continued living with Emma until in September following,

when she removed with her son-in-law, Arthur Millikin, and her

daughter Lucy, into a house known as the Ponson house, hired for

them by the church, which also hired a girl to wait upon her and

help generally. Sometime that fall, the fall of 1844, she

commenced her history, the work now being republished, Mr. and

Mrs. Corey writing for her.

She completed this work sometime in 1845, the copyright

being secured for her by Elder Almon W. Babbit, in that year, or in

the early part of 1846. The family moved into the house owned by

Elder William Marks in 1845, but remained only till the next year,

when they settled in a house bought for Grandmother, by the

church. In the fall of 1846, under the pressure of the mob coming

against the city, they moved to Knoxville, Illinois, remaining over

the winter, and in the spring of 1847 returning to Nauvoo, again.

Here they remained till the fall of 1849, when they moved to

Webster, in the same county, staying there two years, when they

removed to Fountain Green. In the spring of 1852 Grandmother

Smith, and a grandchild, a daughter of Samuel H. Smith, Mary

Bailey Smith by name, went to Nauvoo to live with Major Lewis

C. Bidamon, whom Emma Smith married in 1847. She remained

with them, until her death, which occurred on the farm owned by

the prophet before his death, two and a half miles east of Nauvoo,

on the road to Carthage. The farm was then being carried on by

Sr. Emma and her boys; and there, on May 8, 1855, watched over

and ministered to by Emma, the wife of her son Joseph, her

grandson, Joseph 3d, and the young daughter of a neighboring

farmer, Elizabeth Pilkington by name, this noble-hearted mother in

Israel went to her rest.

Her granddaughter, Mary B. Smith, had some months before

her death married a Mr. Edward Kelteau, and had taken up her

battle with the things of this life for herself. Major Bidamon was

always kind to Grandmother Smith, and being a skillful workman

in wood, constructed for her use a chair and carriage, upon which

she was wheeled about the house and grounds, she being a

bed-ridden invalid for years, helpless to a great extent.

For a time she derived a little income from the exhibition and

some mummies and the papyrus records found with them, which

had been left in her care by the church for this purpose. But after a

time she parted with the mummies and records; how, the writer is

not informed, though he afterwards saw two of the mummies and

records in Wood's Museum in Chicago, where they were

destroyed. by the fire of 1871.

Her son-in-law, Arthur Millikin, states that the "preface for

the history written by Orson Pratt is not correct, for she never

talked of such a thing (her history) till the fall after the Martyr's

death."

Chapter 20

Alvin's Sickness and Death

On the fifteenth day of November, 1824, about ten o'clock in

the morning, Alvin was taken very sick with the bilious colic. He

came to the house in much distress, and requested his father to go

immediately for a physician. He accordingly went, and got one by

the name of Greenwood, who, on arriving, immediately

administered to the patient a heavy dose of calomel. I will here

notice that this Doctor Greenwood was not the physician

commonly employed by the family; he was brought in

consequence of the family physician's absence. And on this

account, as I suppose, Alvin at first refused to take the medicine,

but by much persuasion he was prevailed on to do so.

This dose of calomel lodged in his stomach, and all the

medicine which was freely administered by four very skillful

physicians could not remove it.

On the third day of his sickness, Doctor McIntyre, whose

services were usually employed by the family, as he was

considered very skillful, was brought, and with him four other

eminent physicians. But it was all in vain, their exertions proved

unavailing, just as Alvin had said would be the case--he told them

the calomel was still lodged in the same place, after some exertion

had been made to carry it off, and that it must take his life.

On coming to this conclusion, he called Hyrum to him, and

said, "Hyrum, I must die. Now I want to say a few things, which I

wish to have you remember. I have done all I could to make our

dear parents comfortable. I want you to go on and finish the house,

and take care of them in their old age, and do not any more let

them work hard, as they are now in old age."

He then called Sophronia to him, and said to her, "Sophronia,

you must be a good girl, and do all you can for father and

mother--never forsake them; they have worked hard, and they are

now getting old. Be kind to them, and remember what they have

done for us."

In the latter part of the fourth night he called for all the

children, and exhorted them separately in the same strain as above.

But when he came to Joseph, he said, "I am now going to die, the

distress which I suffer, and the feelings that I have, tell me my time

is very short. I want you to be a good boy, and do everything that

lies in your power to obtain the record. Be faithful in receiving

instruction, and in keeping every commandment that is given you.

Your brother Alvin must leave you; but remember the example

which he has set for you; and set the same example for the

children that are younger than yourself, and always be kind to

father and mother."

He then asked me to take my little daughter Lucy up, and

bring her to him, for he wished to see her. He was always very

fond of her, and was in the habit of taking her up and caressing

her, which naturally formed a very strong attachment on her part

for him. I went to her, and said, "Lucy, Alvin wants to see you."

At this, she started from her sleep, and screamed out, "Amby,

Amby;" (she could not yet talk plain, being very young.) We took

her to him, and when she got within reach of him, she sprang from

my arms and caught him round the neck, and cried out, "Oh! my

Amby," and kissed him again and again.

"Lucy," said he, "you must be the best girl in the world, and

take care of mother; you can't have your Amby any more. Amby

is going away; he must leave little Lucy." He then kissed her, and

said, "Take her away, I think my breath offends her." We took

hold of her to take her away; but she clinched him with such a

strong grasp, that it was with difficulty we succeeded in

disengaging her hands.

As I turned with the child to leave him, he said, "Father,

mother, brothers, and sisters, farewell! I can now breathe out my

life as calmly as a clock." Saying this, he immediately closed his

eyes in death.

The child still cried to go back to Alvin. One present

observed to the child, "Alvin is gone; an angel has taken his spirit

to heaven." Hearing this, the child renewed her cries, and, as I bent

over his corpse with her in my arms, she again threw her arms

around him, and kissed him repeatedly. And until the body was

taken from the house she continued to cry, and to manifest such

mingled feelings of both terror and affection at the scene before

her, as are seldom witnessed.

Alvin was a youth of singular goodness of disposition--kind

and amiable--so that lamentation and mourning filled the whole

neighborhood in which he resided. By the request of the principal

physician, Alvin was cut open, in order to discover, if it were

possible, the cause of his death. On doing so, they found the

calomel lodged in the upper bowels, untouched by anything which

he had taken to remove it, and as near as possible in its natural

state, surrounded as it was with gangrene.

A vast concourse of people attended his obsequies, who

seemed very anxious to show their sympathy for us in our

bereavement. Alvin manifested, if such could be the case, greater

zeal and anxiety in regard to the record that had been shown to

Joseph, than any of the rest of the family; in consequence of which

we could not bear to hear anything said upon the subject.

Whenever Joseph spoke of the record, it would immediately bring

Alvin to our minds, with all his zeal, and with all his kindness; and,

when we looked to his place, and realized that he was gone from it,

to return no more in this life, we all with one accord wept over our

irretrievable loss, and we could "not be comforted, because he was

not."

Chapter 21

Religious Excitement -- Joseph's

Prophecy -- He works for Mr. Stoal

Becomes acquainted with Emma Hale

Shortly after the death of Alvin, a man commenced laboring

in the neighborhood, to effect a union of the different churches, in

order that all might be agreed, and thus worship God with one

heart and with one mind. This seemed about right to me, and

I felt much inclined to join in with them; in fact, the most of the

family appeared quite disposed to unite with their number; but

Joseph, from the first, utterly refused even to attend their meeting,

saying, "Mother, I do not wish to prevent your going to meeting, or

any of the rest of the family; or your joining any church you

please; but, do not ask me to join them. I can take my Bible, and

go into the woods and learn more in two hours than you can learn

at meeting in two years, if you should go all the time."

To gratify me, my husband attended some two or three

meetings but peremptorily refused going any more, either for my

gratification, or any other person's. During this excitement, Joseph

would say, it would do us no injury to join them, that if we did, we

should not continue with them long, for we were mistaken in them,

and did not know the wickedness of their hearts. One day he said

that he would give us an example, and that we might set it down as

a prophecy; viz:

"You look at Deacon Jessup," said he, "and you

hear him talk very piously. Well, you think he is a very

good man. Now suppose that one of his poor neighbors

should owe him the value of a cow, and that this poor

man had eight little children; moreover, that he should

be taken sick and die, leaving his wife with one cow,

but destitute of every other means of supporting herself

and family--now I tell you, that Deacon Jessup,

religious as he is, would not scruple to take the last cow

from the poor widow and orphans, in order to secure

the debt, notwithstanding he himself has an abundance

of everything."

At that time this seemed impossible to us, yet one year had

scarcely expired when we saw Joseph's supposition literally

fulfilled.

The shock occasioned by Alvin's death, in a short time

passed off, and we resumed our usual avocations with considerable

interest. The first move towards business was to complete the

house before mentioned. This we did as speedily as possible, and,

when it was finished, Mr. Stoddard, the principal workman,

offered for it the sum of fifteen hundred dollars; but my husband

refused his offer, as he was unwilling to leave the scene of our

labor, where we had fondly anticipated spending the remainder of

our days.

A short time before the house was completed, a man by the

name of Josiah Stoal, came from Chenango County, New York,

with the view of getting Joseph to assist him in digging for a silver

mine.1 He came for Joseph on account of having heard that he

possessed certain keys, by which he could discern things invisible

to the natural eye.

Joseph endeavored to divert him from his vain pursuit, but he

was inflexible in his purpose, and offered high wages to those who

would dig for him, in search of said mine, and still insisted upon

having Joseph to work for him. Accordingly, Joseph and several

others returned with him and commenced digging. After laboring

for the old gentleman about a month, without success, Joseph

prevailed upon him to cease his operations; and it was from this

circumstance of having worked by the month, at digging for a

silver mine, that the very prevalent story arose of Joseph's being a

money-digger.2

While Joseph was in the employ of Mr. Stoal, he boarded a short

time with one Isaac Hale, and it was during this interval that Joseph

became acquainted with the daughter, Miss Emma Hale, to whom

he immediately commenced paying his addresses, and was

subsequently married.

When Mr. Stoal relinquished his project of digging for silver,

Joseph returned to his father's house. Soon after his return, we

received intelligence of the arrival of a new agent for the Everson

land, of which our farm was a portion. This reminded us of the last

payment, which was still due, and which must be made before we

could obtain a deed of the place.

Shortly after this, a couple of gentlemen, one of whom was

the before-named Stoal, the other a Mr. Knight, came into the

neighborhood for the purpose of procuring a quantity of either

wheat or flour; and we, having sown considerable wheat, made a

contract with them, in which we agreed to deliver a certain quantity

of flour to them the ensuing fall, for which we were to receive a

sufficient amount of money to make the final payment on our

farm. This being done, my husband sent Hyrum to Canandaigua to

inform the new agent of the fact, namely, that the money should

be forthcoming as soon as the 25th of December, 1825. This, the

agent said, would answer the purpose, and he agreed to retain the

land until that time. Having thus, as we supposed, made all secure

pertaining to the land, we gave ourselves no further uneasiness in

regard to the matter.

When the time had nearly arrived for the last payment to be

made, and when my husband was about starting for Mr. Stoal's

and Mr. Knight's, in order to get the money to make the same,

Joseph called my husband and myself aside, and said, "I have been

very lonely ever since Alvin died, and I have concluded to get

married; and if you have no objections to my uniting myself in

marriage with Miss Emma Hale, she would be my choice in

preference to any other woman I have ever seen." We were

pleased with his choice, and not only consented to his marrying

her, but requested him to bring her home with him, and live with

us. Accordingly he set out with his father for Pennsylvania.

Footnotes:

1. This project of Stoal's was undertaken from this cause--an old

document had fallen into his possession, in some way or other,

containing information of silver mines being somewhere in the

neighborhood in which he resided.

2. The fact that Joseph Smith with others did at one time seek for

treasure, either that contained in mines, or that supposed to have

been gathered by others and deposited by them in places of safety,

the traces of which were lost, has formed a serious objection to

Mormonism; it having been apparently taken for granted that

because Joseph Smith dug for money, or treasure, there is no truth

in any of the doctrines that he presented. Shorn of the terrible

things that the opponents of the church have invested this

money-digging business with, the facts seem to be these: It was

rumored that in or near to Harmony, Pennsylvania, the place

where Isaac Hale, the father of Emma Hale whom Joseph Smith

married, was living, there had been found at some time in the past,

rich silver deposits, from which the discoverers had taken fabulous

sums, considerable portions of which had been coined, and left in

safe places waiting the convenience of its owners to remove it; that

owing to the uncertain and shifting nature of the times these hidden

treasures had not been removed, but that the secret of their places

of deposit and the mines whence they were taken had been lost.

Because of these rumors, Josiah Steal, or Stowell, Joseph

Smith and others, did engage in a search for them; nor is it

seriously to the discredit of Joseph Smith, if the fact of his having

had visions, and seemingly prophetic powers given him, or it

having become current rumor that he had, that he should either for

himself or for others, attempt the discovery of those hidden

treasures by the use of those supernatural powers.

The use of the divining rod, of "witch hazel," or other

peculiar wood, for the discovery of water, or treasure, is older than

Joseph Smith, and legends and belief in remarkable finds by its use

are found in regions where Joseph Smith never came, and where

Mormonism is even now a hiss and a byword. There seems to be

no good reason why it should be believed that Joseph Smith

engaged in the avocation of a professional money-hunter, or that

he prostituted the gifts he received to this purpose; the most that

can be shown, being that he, with others, in the employ of one

who chose to pay for the work done, did labor in digging for a

mine. In these days of mining excitement, as fabulous stories of

infatuation and superstitious methods of finding rich deposits pass

current in mining regions without comment, and without serious

detriment to the character of those involved.

Chapter 22

Joseph Smith, Sr. Loses His Farm

-- Joseph Junior is married

-- Has another interview with the

angel by whom he is chastened

-- Receives further instructions

A few days subsequent to my husband's departure, I set

myself to work to put my house in order for the reception of my

son's bride; and I felt all that pride and ambition in doing so, that is

common to mothers upon such occasions. My oldest son had,

previous to this, formed a matrimonial relation with one of the

most excellent of women, with whom I had seen much enjoyment,

and I hoped for as much happiness with my second

daughter-in-law, as I had received from the society of the first, and

there was no reason why I should expect anything to the contrary.

One afternoon, after having completed my arrangements, I

fell into a very agreeable train of reflections. The day was

exceedingly fine, and of itself calculated to produce fine feelings;

besides this, every other circumstance seemed to be in unison, and

to contribute to raise in the heart those soothing and grateful

emotions which we all have seasons of enjoying when the mind is

at rest. Thus, as I stood musing, among other things, upon the

prospect of a quiet and comfortable old age, my attention was

suddenly arrested by a trio of strangers who were just entering.

Upon their near approach I found one of these gentlemen to be

Mr. Stoddard, the principal carpenter in building the house in

which we then lived.

When they entered the house, I seated them, and

commenced commonplace conversation. But shortly one of them

began to ask questions which I considered rather

impertinent--questions concerning our making the last payment on

the place; and if we did not wish to sell the house; furthermore,

where Mr. Smith and my son had gone, etc., etc.

"Sell the house !" I replied, "No, sir, we have no occasion for

that, we have made every necessary arrangement to get the deed,

and also have an understanding with the agent. So you see we are

quite secure in regard to this matter."

To this they made no answer, but went out to meet Hyrum,

who was approaching the house. They asked him the same

questions, and he answered them the same as I had done. When

they had experimented in this way, to their satisfaction, they

proceeded to inform my son that he need put himself to no further

trouble with regard to the farm; "for," said they, "we have bought

the place, and paid for it, and we now forbid your touching

anything on the farm; and we also warn you to leave forthwith,

and give possession to the lawful owners."

This conversation passed within my hearing. When they

reentered the house, I said, "Hyrum, is it a reality? or only a sham

to startle us?" But one collected look at the men convinced me of

their fiendish determination--I was overcome, and fell back into my

chair almost deprived of sensibility.

When I recovered, we (Hyrum and myself) talked to them

some time, endeavoring to persuade them to change their vile

course; but the only answer we could get from them was, "Well,

we've got the place, and d--n you, help yourselves if you can."

Hyrum, in a short time, went to an old friend, Doctor

Robinson, and related to him the grievous story. Whereupon, the

old gentleman sat down, and wrote at some considerable length the

character of the family--our industry, and faithful exertions to

secure a home, with many commendations calculated to beget

confidence in us with respect to business transactions. And keeping

this writing in his own hands, he went through the village, and in an

hour procured sixty subscribers. He then sent the same, by the

hand of Hyrum, to the land agent, who lived in Canandaigua.

On receiving this the agent was highly enraged. He said the

men had told him that Mr. Smith and his son Joseph had run away,

and that Hyrum was cutting down the sugar orchard, hauling off

the rails, burning them, and doing all manner of mischief to the

farm. That, believing this statement, he was induced to sell the

place, for which he had given a deed, and received the money.

Hyrum told him the circumstances under which his father and

brother had left home; also the probability of their being detained

on the road, to attend to some business. Upon this, the agent

directed him to address a number of letters to my husband, and

have them sent and deposited in public-houses on the road which

he traveled, that, perchance some of them might meet his eye, and

thus cause him to return more speedily than he would otherwise.

He then despatched a messenger to those individuals to whom he

had given a deed of the farm in question, with the view of making

a compromise with them; but they refused to do anything

respecting the matter. The agent sent a message to them, stating

that if they did not make their appearance forthwith, he would

fetch them with a warrant. To this they gave heed, and they came

without delay.

The agent strove to convince them of the disgraceful and

impolitic course which they were pursuing, and endeavored to

persuade them to retract, and let the land go back into Mr. Smith's

hands again. For some time they said but little, except in a sneering

and taunting way, about as follows: "We've got .the land, sir, and

we've got the deed, so just let Smith help himself. Oh, no matter

about Smith, he has gold plates, gold bibles, he is rich--he don't

want any;thing." But finally, they agreed, if Hyrum could raise

them one thousand dollars, by Saturday, at ten o'clock in the

evening, they would give up the deed.

It was now Thursday about noon, and Hyrum was at

Canandaigua, which was nine miles distant from home, and hither

he must ride before he could make the first move towards raising

the required amount. He came home with a heavy heart. When he

arrived, he found his father, who had returned a short time before

him. His father had fortunately found, within fifty miles of home,

one of those letters which Hyrum had written.

The following day, by the request of my husband, I went to

see an old Quaker, a gentleman with whom we had been quite

intimate since our commencement on the farm, and who had

always seemed to admire the neat arrangement of the same. We

hoped that he would be both able and willing to purchase the place,

that we might at least have the benefit of the crops that were upon

the ground, as he was a friend and would be disposed to show us

favor. But we were disappointed, not in his will or disposition, but

in his ability. He had just paid out to the land agent all the money

he could spare, to redeem a piece of land belonging to a friend in

his immediate neighborhood. If I had arrived at his house thirty

minutes sooner, I would have found him with fifteen hundred

dollars in his pocket.

When I rehearsed to him what had taken place, he was much

distressed for us, and very much regretted his inability to relieve

our necessity. He said, however, "If I have no money, I will try to

do something for you, and you may say to your husband, that I

will see him as soon as I can, and let him know what the prospect

is."

It was nearly night-- the country was new, and my road lay

through a dense forest. The distance that I had to travel was ten

miles, and that alone, yet I hastened to inform my husband of the

disappointment that I had met with. The old gentleman, as soon as

I left, started in search of some one that could afford us assistance,

and hearing of a Mr. Durfee who lived four miles distant, he came

the same night and directed us to go and see what he could devise

for our benefit.

Accordingly, my husband started without delay for Mr.

Durfee's, and arrived at his house before daylight in the morning.

He sent my husband three miles further, to one of his sons, who

was high sheriff, instructing him to say to the young man that his

father wished to see him as soon as possible. Mr. Durfee, the

younger, was obedient to the call. Immediately after he arrived at

his father's, the three proceeded together to see the farm, and

arrived about ten o'clock A.M. They tarried a short time, then rode

on to see the agent and those villains who held the deed of our

place.

The anxiety of mind that I suffered that day can more easily

be imagined than described. I now looked upon the proceeds of

our industry, which smiled around us on every hand, with a kind of

yearning attachment that I never before had experienced; and our

early losses I did not feel so keenly, for I then realized that we

were young, and by making some exertions we might improve our

circumstances; besides, I had not felt the inconveniences of

poverty as I had since.

My husband, and the Messrs. Durfee, arrived in Canandaigua

at half-past nine o'clock in the evening. The agent sent immediately

for Mr. Stoddard and his friends, and they came without delay; but

in order to make difficulty, they contended that it was after ten

o'clock; however, not being able to sustain themselves upon this

ground, they handed over the deed to Mr. Durfee, the high sheriff,

who now became the possessor of the farm.

I stated before, that at the time Mr. Smith started to see

Knight and Stoal, Joseph accompanied him. When he returned,

Joseph also returned with him, and remained with us until the

difficulty about the farm came to an issue; he then took leave for

Pennsylvania, on the same business as before mentioned and the

next January returned with his wife, in good health and fine spirits.

Not long subsequent to his return, my husband had occasion

to send him to Manchester, on business. As he set off early in the

day, we expected him home at most by six o'clock in the evening,

but when six o'clock came, he did not arrive. We always had a

peculiar anxiety about him whenever he was absent, for it seemed

as though something was always taking place to jeopardize his life.

But to return. He did not get home till the night was far spent. On

coming in, he threw himself into a chair, apparently much

exhausted. My husband did not observe his appearance, and

immediately exclaimed, "Joseph, why are you so late? Has

anything happened to you? We have been much distressed about

you these three hours." As Joseph made no answer, he continued

his interrogations, until, finally, I said, "Now, father, let him rest a

moment--don't trouble him now--you see he is home safe, and he

is very tired, so pray wait a little."

The fact was, I had learned to be a little cautious about

matters with regard to Joseph, for I was accustomed to see him

look as he did on that occasion, and I could not easily mistake the

cause thereof. Presently he smiled, and said in a calm tone,

"I have taken the severest chastisement that I have ever had in my

life."

My husband, supposing that it was from some of the

neighbors, was quite angry, and observed, "I would like to know

what business anybody has to find fault with you?

"Stop, father, stop," said Joseph, "it was the angel of the

Lord: as I passed by the Hill Cumorah, where the plates are, the

angel met me, and said that I had not been engaged enough in the

work of the Lord; that the time had come for the record to be

brought forth; and that I must be up and doing, and set myself

about the things which God had commanded me to do. But, father,

give yourself no uneasiness concerning the reprimand which I have

received, for I know the course that I am to pursue, so all will be

well."

It was also made known to him, at this interview, that he

should make another effort to obtain the plates, on the

twenty-second day of the following September, but this he did not

mention to us at that time.

Chapter 23

Joseph Obtains the Plates

On the twentieth of September, Mr. Knight and his friend

Stoal came to see how we were managing matters with Stoddard

and Company; and they tartaried with us until the twenty-second.

On the night of the twenty-first, I sat up very late, as my work

rather pressed upon my hands. I did not retire until after twelve

o'clock at night. About twelve o'clock, Joseph came to me, and

asked me if I had a chest with a lock and key. I knew in an instant

what he wanted it for, and not having one, I was greatly alarmed,

as I thought it might be a matter of considerable moment. But

Joseph, discovering my anxiety, said, "Never mind, I can do very

well for the present without it--be calm--all is right."

Shortly after this Joseph's wife passed through the room with

her bonnet and riding dress; and in a few minutes they left

together, taking Mr. Knight's horse and wagon. I spent the night in

prayer and supplication to God, for the anxiety of my mind would

not permit me to sleep. At the usual hour, I commenced preparing

breakfast. My heart fluttered at every footstep, as I now expected

Joseph and Emma momentarily, and feared lest Joseph might meet

with a second disappointment.

When the male portion of the family were seated at the

breakfast-table, Mr. Smith inquired for Joseph, for he was not

aware that he had left home. I requested my husband not to call

him, for I would like to have him take breakfast with his wife that

morning.

"No, no," said my husband, "I must have Joseph sit down

here and eat with me."

"Well, now, Mr. Smith," continued I, "do let him eat with his

wife this morning; he almost always takes breakfast with you."

His father finally consented, and ate without him, and no

further questions were made concerning his absence, but in a few

minutes Mr. Knight came in quite disturbed.

"Why, Mr. Smith," exclaimed he, "my horse is gone, and I

can't find him on the premises, and I wish to start for home in half

an hour."

"Never mind the horse," said I. "Mr Knight does not know all

the nooks and corners in the pastures; I will call William, he will

bring the horse immediately."

This satisfied him for the time being; but he soon made

another discovery. His wagon also was gone. He then concluded

that a rogue had stolen them both.

"Mr. Knight," said I, "do be quiet; I would be ashamed to

have you go about, waiting upon yourself--just go out and talk with

Mr. Smith until William comes, and if you really must go home,

your horse shall be brought, and you shall be waited upon like a

gentleman. He accordingly went out, and while he was absent

Joseph returned.

I trembled so with fear, lest all might be lost in consequence

of some failure in keeping the commandments of God, that I was

under the necessity of leaving the room in order to conceal my

feelings. Joseph saw this, and said, "Do not be uneasy, mother, all

is right--see here, I have got a key."

I knew not what he meant, but took the article of which he

spoke into my hands, and upon examination, found that it

consisted of two smooth three-cornered diamonds set in glass, and

the glasses were set in silver bows, which were connected with

each other in much the same way as old-fashioned spectacles. He

took them again and left me, but said nothing respecting the record.

In a short time he returned, and inquired of me in regard to

getting a chest made. I told him to go to a certain cabinet-maker,

who had made some furniture for my oldest daughter, and tell him

that we would pay him for making a chest, as we did for the other

work which he had done for us, namely, one half in cash and the

other in produce. Joseph remarked that he would do so, but that he

did not know where the money would come from, for there was

not a shilling in the house.

The following day one Mr. Warner came to him, and told

him that a widow by the name of Wells, who was living in

Macedon, wanted some labor done in a well, for which she would

pay the money, and that she was anxious to have him (Joseph) do

this labor for her. As this afforded us an opportunity to pay the

cabinet-maker for the chest, Joseph went immediately to the house

of Mrs. Wells, and commenced work. The next day after he

left home, one of the neighbors asked Mr. Smith many questions

concerning the plates. I will here observe, that no one ever heard

anything from us respecting them, except a confidential friend,

whom my husband had spoken to about them some two or three

years previous. It appeared that Satan had now stirred up the

hearts of those who had gotten a hint of the matter from our

friend, to search into it, and make every possible move towards

thwarting the purposes of the Almighty.

My husband soon learned that ten or twelve men were

clubbed together, with one Willard Chase, a Methodist class-leader,

at their head; and what was still more ridiculous, they had sent

sixty or seventy miles for a certain conjuror, to come and divine

the place where the plates were secreted.

We supposed that Joseph had taken the plates, and hid them

somewhere, and we were apprehensive that our enemies might

discover their place of deposit. Accordingly, the next morning, after

hearing of their plans, my husband concluded to go among the

neighbors to see what he could learn with regard to the plans of the

adverse party. The first house he came to, he found the conjuror

and Willard Chase, together with the rest of the clan. Making an

errand, he went in and sat down near the door, leaving it a little

ajar, in order to overhear their conversation. They stood in the

yard near the door, and were devising plans to find "Joe Smith's

gold bible," as they expressed themselves. The conjuror seemed

much animated, although he had traveled sixty miles the day and

night previous.

Presently the woman of the house, becoming uneasy at the

exposures they were making, stepped through a back door into the

yard, and called to her husband, in a suppressed tone, but loud

enough to be heard distinctly by Mr. Smith, "Sam, Sam, you are

cutting your own throat." At this the conjuror bawled out at the top

of his voice, "I am not afraid of anybody--we will have them plates

in spite of Joe Smith, or all the devils in hell."

When the woman came in again, Mr. Smith laid aside a

newspaper which he had been holding in his hand, and remarked,

"I believe I have not time to finish reading the paper now." He then

left the house, and returned home.

Mr. Smith, on returning home, asked Emma if she knew

whether Joseph had taken the plates from their place of deposit, or

if she was able to tell him where they were. She said she could not

tell where they were, or whether they were removed from their

place. My husband then related what he had both seen and heard.

Upon this Emma said that she did not know what to do, but

she supposed if Joseph was to get the record, he would get it, and,

that they would not be able to prevent him.

"Yes," replied Mr. Smith, "he will, if he is watchful and

obedient; but remember, that for a small thing Esau lost his

birthright and his blessing. It may be so with Joseph."

"Well," said Emma, "if I had a horse I would go and see

him."

Mr. Smith then said, "You shall have one in fifteen minutes;

for although my team is gone, there is a stray on the place, and I

will send William to bring him immediately."

In a few minutes William brought up the horse with a large

hickory withe round his neck; (for it was according to law, to put a

withe round the neck of a stray before turning it into an inclosure);

and Emma was soon under way for Macedon.

Joseph kept the Urim and Thummim constantly about his

person, by the use of which he could in a moment tell whether the

plates were in any danger. Just before Emma rode up to Mrs.

Wells, Joseph, from an impression that he had had, came up out of

the well in which he was laboring, and met her not far from the

house. Emma immediately informed him of what had transpired,

whereupon he looked in the Urim and Thummim, and saw that the

record was as yet safe; nevertheless, he concluded to return with

his wife, as something might take place that would render it

necessary for him to be at home where he could take care of it.

He then told Mrs. Wells that business at home rendered it

necessary for him to return. To this she did not agree at first, but

finally consented. She then sent a boy for a horse, which Joseph

mounted in his linen frock, and with his wife by his side on her

horse, decorated as before with a hickory withe round his neck, he

rode through the village of Palmyra, which was on the way home.

On arriving at home, he found his father pacing the ground

near his door, in great anxiety of mind. Joseph spoke to .him,

saying, "Father, there is no danger--all is perfectly safe--there is no

cause of alarm."

When he had taken a little refreshment, he sent Carlos, my

youngest son, to his brother Hyrum's, to have him come up

immediately, as he desired to see him. When he came, Joseph

requested him to get a chest, having a good lock and key, and to

have it there by the time he (Joseph) should return. And, after

giving these instructions, Joseph started for the plates.

The plates were secreted about three miles from home, in the

following manner. Finding an old birch log much decayed,

excepting the bark, which was in a measure sound, he took his

pocket-knife and cut the bark with some care, then turned it back,

and make a hole of sufficient size to receive the plates, and laying

them in the cavity thus formed, he replaced the bark; after which

he laid across the log, in several places, some old stuff that

happened to lay near, in order to conceal, as much as possible, the

place in which they were deposited.

Joseph, on coming to them, took them from their secret

place, and, wrapping them in his linen frock, placed them under his

arm and started for home.

After proceeding a short distance, he thought it would be

more safe to leave the road and go through the woods. Traveling

some distance after he left the road, he came to a large windfall,

and as he was jumping over a log, a man sprang up from behind it,

and gave him a heavy blow with a gun. Joseph turned around and

knocked him down, then ran at the top of his speed. About half a

mile further he was attacked again in the same manner as before;

he knocked this man down in like manner as the former, then ran

on again; and before he reached home he was assaulted the third

time. In striking the last one he dislocated his thumb, which,

however, he did not notice until he came within sight of the house,

when he threw himself down in the corner of the fence in order to

recover his breath. As soon as he was able, he arose and came to

the house. He was still altogether speechless from fright and the

fatigue of running.

After resting a few moments, he desired me to send Carlos

for my husband, Mr. Knight, and his friend Stoal, and have them

go immediately and see if they could find the men who had been

pursuing him. And after Carlos had done this, he wished to have

him sent to Hyrum's, to tell him to bring the chest. I did as I was

requested, and when Carlos arrived at Hyrum's, he found him at

tea, with two of his wife's sisters. Just as Hyrum was raising a cup

to his mouth Carlos touched his shoulder. Without waiting to hear

one word from the child, he dropped the cup, sprang from the

table, caught the chest, turned it upside down, and emptying its

contents on the floor, left the house instantly with the chest on his

shoulder.

The young ladies were greatly astonished at his singular

behavior, and declared to his wife--who was then confined to her

bed, her oldest daughter, Lovina, being but four days old---that he

was certainly crazy. His wife laughed heartily, and replied,

"Oh, not in the least; he has just thought of something which he

has neglected, and it is just like him to fly off in a tangent when he

thinks of anything in that way."

When the chest came, Joseph locked up the record, then

threw himself upon the bed, and after resting a little, so that he

could converse freely, he arose and went into the kitchen, where

he related his recent adventure to his father, Mr. Knight, and Mr.

Stoal, besides many others, who had by this time collected, with

the view of hearing something in regard to the strange circumstance

which had taken place. He showed them his thumb, saying, "I

must stop talking, father, and get you to put my thumb in place, for

it is very painful."

I will here mention that my husband, Mr. Knight, and Mr.

Stoal, went in pursuit of those villains who had attempted Joseph's

life, but were not able to find them.

When Joseph first got the plates, the angel of the Lord stood

by, and said: "Now you have got the record into your own hands,

and you are but a man, therefore you will have to be watchful and

faithful to your trust, or you will be overpowered by wicked men,

for they will lay every plan and scheme that is possible to get it

away from you, and if you do not take heed continually, they will

succeed. While it was in my hands, I could keep it, and no man

had power to take it away; but now I give it up to you. Beware,

and look well to your ways, and you shall have power to retain it,

until the time for it to be translated."

That of which I spoke, which Joseph termed a key, was

indeed, nothing more nor less than the Urim and Thummim, and it

was by this that the angel showed him many things which he saw

in vision; by which he could also ascertain, at any time, the

approach of danger, either to himself or the record, and on account

of which he always kept the Urim and Thummim about his person.

Chapter 24

Joseph Brings Home the Breastplate

Martin Harris and wife introduced --

The translation commences

Mrs. Harris begins to oppose the work

After bringing home the plates, Joseph commenced working

with his father and brothers on the farm, in order to be as near as

possible to the treasure which was confided to his care. Soon after

this, he came in from work, one afternoon, and after remaining a

short time, he put on his great coat, and left the house. I was

engaged at the time, in an upper room, in preparing some oilcloths

for painting. When he returned, he requested me to come

down-stairs. I told him that I could not leave my work just then,

yet upon his urgent request, I finally concluded to go down and see

what he wanted, upon which he handed me the breastplate spoken

of in his history.

It was wrapped in a thin muslin handkerchief, so thin that I

could see the glistening metal, and ascertain its proportions without

any difficulty.

It was concave on one side and convex on the other, and

extended from the neck downwards as far as the center of the

stomach of a man of extraordinary size. It had four straps of the

same material for the purpose of fastening it to the breast, two of

which ran back to go over the shoulders, and the other two were

designed to fasten to the hips. They were just the width of two of

my fingers, (for I measured them,) and they had holes in the ends

of them, to be convenient in fastening.

The whole plate was worth at least five hundred dollars.

After I had examined it, Joseph placed it in the chest with the Urim

and Thummim.

Shortly after this circumstance, Joseph came to the house in

great haste, and inquired if there had been a company of men

about. I told him not a single individual had come to the house

since he left. He then said that a mob would be there that night, if

they did not come before that time, to search for the record, and

that it must be removed immediately.

Soon afterwards, a man by the name of Braman came in

from the village of Livonia, a man in whom we reposed much

confidence, and who was well worthy of the same. Joseph told

him his apprehensions of a mob being there that night, and that

they must prepare themselves to drive them away; but that the first

thing to be attended to, was to secure the record and the

breastplate.

In view of this it was determined that a portion of the hearth

should be taken up, and that the record and breastplate should be

buried under the same, and then the hearth be relaid, to prevent

suspicion. This was done as speedily as possible, but the hearth

was scarcely relaid when a large company of men, well armed,

came rushing up to the house. Joseph threw open the door, and

taking a hint from the stratagem of his grandfather Mack, hallooed

as if he had a legion at hand, in the meanwhile giving the word of

command with great emphasis; while all the male portion of the

family, from the father down to little Carlos, ran out of the house

with such fury upon the mob, that it struck them with terror and

dismay, and they fled before the little Spartan band into the woods,

when they dispersed themselves to their several homes.

In a short time Joseph received another intimation of the

approach of a mob, also of the necessity of removing the record

and breastplate from the place wherein they were secreted;

consequently he took them out of the box in which they were

placed, and wrapping them in clothes, carried them across the road

to a cooper's shop, and laid them in a quantity of flax, which was

stowed in the shop loft. After which he nailed up the box again,

then tore up the floor of the shop, and put it under the same.

As soon as night came, the mob came also, and commenced

ransacking the place. They rummaged round the house, and all

over the premises, but did not come into the house. After making

satisfactory search they went away. The next morning we found

the floor of the cooper's shop torn up, and the box which was laid

under it shivered in pieces.

In a few days afterwards we learned the cause of this last

move--why their curiosity led them in the direction of the cooper's

shop. A young woman by the name of Chase, sister to Willard

Chase, found a green glass, through which she could see many

very wonderful things, and among her great discoveries she said

that she saw the precise place where "Joe Smith kept his gold bible

hid," and obedient to her directions, the mob gathered their forces

and laid seige to the cooper's shop.

Notwithstanding their disappointment in not finding the plates

in the shop, their confidence was not in the least shaken in Miss

Chase, for they still went from place to place by her direction,

determined to get, if possible the much desired object of their

search.

Not long after the circumstance of the mob's going into the

cooper's shop, and splitting in pieces the box, Joseph began to

make arrangements to accomplish the translation of the record.

The first step that he was instructed to take in regard to this work,

was to make a facsimile of some of the characters, which were

called reformed Egyptian, and to send them to some of the most

learned men of this generation, and ask them for the translation

thereof.

The reader will here observe, that on a preceding page of this

volume, I spoke of a confidential friend to whom my husband

merely mentioned the existence of the plates, some two or three

years prior to their coming forth. This was no other than Martin

Harris, one of the witnesses to the book subsequent to its being

translated.

With the view of commencing the work of translation, and

carrying it forward as speedily as circumstances would permit,

Joseph came to me one afternoon and requested me to go to this

Mr. Harris, and inform him that he had got the plates, and that he

desired to see Mr. Harris concerning the matter. This, indeed, was

an errand which I much disliked, as Mr. Harris's wife was a very

peculiar woman, one that was naturally of a very jealous

disposition; besides this, she was rather dull of hearing, and when

anything was said that she did not hear distinctly, she suspected

that it was some secret, which was designedly kept from her. So I

told Joseph that I would rather not go, unless I could have the

privilege of speaking to her first upon the subject. To this he

consented, and I went according to his request.

On arriving at Mr. Harris's I cautiously detailed the particulars

with regard to Joseph's finding the plates, so far as wisdom dictated

and necessity demanded, in order to satisfy Mrs. Harris's curiosity.

However, she did not wait for me to get through with my story,

before she commenced urging upon me a considerable amount of

money, that she had at her command. Her husband always allowed

her to keep a private purse, in order to satisfy her singular

disposition, and it was this private money that she wished me to

receive. She also had a sister living with her who desired me to

receive an amount of money, I think some seventy-five dollars, to

assist in getting the record translated.

I told her that I came on no such business, that I did not want

her money, and that Joseph would attend to his own affairs; but,

that I would like to talk with Mr. Harris a moment, and then return

home, as my family would soon be expecting me. Yet,

notwithstanding all this, she was determined to assist in the

business, for she said she knew that we should want money, and

she could spare two hundred dollars as well as not.

After detaining me a few minutes, she went with me to her

husband, and told him that I wished to speak to him. He replied

that he was not going to stop his work, for he was just laying the

last brick in his hearth. "You see," said he, "this is the last

work I shall do about the house, or on the farm, in one year. And

when this is done, I am going to hire a hand to work a year for me,

as I shall travel that length of time before I shall settle myself at

home again."

After completing the work in which he was engaged, he left

the house, but was absent only a short time. On returning, he came

to me and said, "Now I am a free man--my hands are altogether

untied--I can come and go and do as I please."

I related, in short, the errand on which I had come. He said

that he would see Joseph in the course of a few days. At this his

wife exclaimed, "Yes, and I am coming to see him too, and I will

be there on Tuesday afternoon, and will stop over night."

Accordingly, when Tuesday afternoon arrived, Mrs. Harris

made her appearance, and as soon as she was well seated, she

began to importune my son relative to the truth of what he had said

concerning the record, declaring that if he really had any plates, she

would see them, and that she was determined to help him publish

them.

He told her that she was mistaken--that she could not see

them, for he was not permitted to exhibit them to any one, except

those whom the Lord should appoint to testify of them. "And, in

relation to assistance," he observed, "I always prefer dealing with

men, rather than their wives."

This highly displeased Mrs. Harris, for she considered herself

altogether superior to her husband, and she continued her

importunities. She would say, "Now, Joseph, are you not telling me

a lie? Can you look full in my eye, and say before God that you

have in reality found a record, as you pretend ?"

To this, Joseph replied, rather indifferently, "Why, yes, Mrs.

Harris, I would as soon look you in the face and say so as not, if

that will be any gratification to you."

Then said she, "Joseph, I will tell you what I will do; if I can

get a witness that you speak the truth, I will believe all you say

about the matter, and I shall want to do something about the

translation--I mean to help you any way."

This closed the evening's conversation. The next morning,

soon after she arose, she related a very remarkable dream which

she had had during the night. It ran about as follows:

She said that a personage appeared to her, who told her

that as she had disputed the servant of the Lord, and

said his word was not to be believed, and had also

asked him many improper questions, she had done that

which was not right in the sight of God. After which he

said to her, "Behold, here are the plates, look upon

them and believe."

After giving us an account of her dream, she described the

record very minutely, then told us that she had made up her mind

in relation to the course which she intended to pursue, namely, that

she had in her possession twenty-eight dollars which she received

from her mother just before she died, while she was on her

death-bed, and that Joseph should accept it. If he would he might

give his note, but he should certainly take it upon some terms.

The last proposal Joseph accepted, in order to get rid of

further importunity upon the subject.

Soon afterwards, Alva Hale, Joseph's brother-in-law, came to

our house from Pennsylvania for the purpose of moving Joseph to

his father-in-law's, as word had been sent to them that Joseph

desired to move there as soon as he could settle up his business.

During the short interval of Alva's stay with us, he and Joseph

were one day in Palmyra, at a public-house transacting some

business. As they were thus engaged, Mr. Harris came in; he

stepped immediately up to my son, and taking him by the hand

said, "How do you do, Mr. Smith?" After which he took a bag of

silver from his pocket, and said again, "Here, Mr. Smith, is fifty

dollars; I give this to you to do the Lord's work with; no, I give it

to the Lord for his own work."

"No," said Joseph; "we will give you a note; Mr. Hale, I

presume, will sign it with me."

"Yes," said Alva, "I will sign it."

Mr. Harris, however, insisted that he would give the money

to the Lord, and called those present to witness the fact that he

gave it freely, and did not demand any compensation, that is was

for the purpose of helping Mr. Smith to do the Lord's work. And

as I have been informed, many were present on that occasion, who

witnessed the same circumstance. Joseph, in a short time, arranged

his affairs, and was ready for the journey. The record and

breastplate, for security, he nailed up in a box and then put them

into a strong cask; and after filling the cask with beans, headed it

up again.

When it became generally known that Joseph was about

moving to Pennsylvania, a mob of fifty men collected themselves

together, and they went to one Doctor Mcintyre, and requested

him to take the command of the company, stating, that they were

resolved on following "Joe Smith," and taking his "gold bible" from

him. The doctor's ideas and feelings did not altogether harmonize

with theirs, and he told them they were a pack of devilish fools,

and to go home and mind their own business; that, if Joseph Smith

had any business of that sort to attend to, he was capable of doing

it, and that it would be better for them to busy themselves about

that which more concerned them.

After this a quarrel arose among them respecting who should

be captain, and it ran so high that it broke up the expedition.

When Joseph had had sufficient time to accomplish the

journey, and transcribe some of the Egyptian characters, it was

agreed that Martin Harris should follow him--and that he (Martin)

should :take the characters to the East, and, on his way, he was to

call on all the professed linguists, in order to give them an

opportunity to display their talents in giving a translation of the

characters.

When Mrs. Harris heard of what her husband had in

contemplation, she resolved to accompany him; but he, concluding

that it would be better to go without her, left quite suddenly

without her knowledge, in company with my son Hyrum.

Mrs. Harris soon missed her husband, and came to me, for

the purpose of ascertaining if I knew where he was. I told her what

he had said concerning his leaving, suppressing, however, his

remarks pertaining to herself.

On hearing this, she became highly exasperated, and charged

me with planning the whole affair. I protested against it, asserting

that I had nothing to do with the plan, nor the execution of it.

Furthermore, that the business of the house, which was the natural

care of a woman, was all that I attempted to dictate, or interfere

with, unless it was by my husband's or son's request.

Mrs. Harris then observed that she had property, and knew

how to take care of it, which she would convince me of.

"Now, stop," said I, "do you not know that we have never

asked you for money or property? and that if we had been

disposed to take advantage of your liberality, could we not have

got, at least, two hundred and seventy dollars of your cash?" She

answered in the affirmative, notwithstanding she went home in a

great rage, determined to have satisfaction for the treatment which

she had received.

In a short time Mr. Harris returned, and his wife's anger

kindled afresh at his presence, insomuch that she prepared a

separate bed and room for him, which room she refused to enter.

A young man by the name of Dikes had been paying some

attention to Miss Lucy, Martin Harris's oldest daughter. To this

young man Mr. Harris was quite attached, and his daughter Lucy

was by no means opposed to him; but Mrs. Harris, of course, was

decidedly upon the negative. However, just at this crisis, a scheme

entered her brain which materially changed her deportment to Mr.

Dikes. She told him, if he would manage to get the Egyptian

characters from Mr. Harris's possession, and procure a room in

Palmyra for the purpose of transcribing them, and then bring her

the transcript, that she would consent to his marriage with her

daughter Lucy.

To this Mr. Dikes cheerfully consented, and suffice it to say

he succeeded to her satisfaction, and thus received the promised

reward.

When Mr. Harris began to make preparations to start for

Pennsylvania the second time, with the view of writing for Joseph,

his wife told him that she had fully decreed in her heart to

accompany him. Mr. Harris having no particular objections,

informed her that she might do so; that she might go and stay one

or two weeks, and then he would bring her home again, after

which he would return, and resume his writing for Joseph. To this

she cheerfully agreed. But Mr. Harris little suspected what he had

to encounter by this move. The first time he exhibited the

characters before named, she took out of her pocket an exact copy

of ,the same, and told those present, that "Joe Smith" was not the

only one who was in possession of this great curiosity, that she had

the same characters, and they were quite as genuine as those

shown by Mr. Harris. This course she continued to pursue, until

they arrived at Joseph's.

As soon as she arrived there she informed him that her object

in coming was to see the plates, and that she would never leave

until she had accomplished it. Accordingly, without delay, she

commenced ransacking every nook and corner about the

house---chests, trunks, cupboards, etc.; consequently, Joseph was

under the necessity of removing both the breastplate and the record

from the house, and secreting them elsewhere. Not finding them in

the house, she concluded that Joseph had buried them, and the

next day she commenced searching out of doors, which she

continued to do until about two o'clock in the afternoon. She then

came in rather ill-natured. After warming herself a little, she asked

Joseph's wife if there were snakes in that country in the winter.

She replied in the negative. Mrs. Harris then said, "I have been

walking around in the woods to look at the situation of your place,

and as I turned around to come home, a tremendous black snake

stuck up his head before me, and commenced hissing at me."

The woman was so perplexed and disappointed in all her

undertakings, that she left the house and took lodgings during her

stay in Pennsylvania with a near neighbor, to whom she stated that

the day previous she had been hunting for the plates, and that,

after a tedious search, she at length came to a spot where she

judged, from the appearance of things, they must be buried; but

upon stooping down to scrape away the snow and leaves, in order

to ascertain the fact, she encountered a horrible black snake, which

gave her a terrible fright, and she ran with all possible speed to the

house.

While this woman remained in the neighborhood, she did all

that lay in her power to injure Joseph in the estimation of his

neighbors--telling them that he was a grand impostor, and, that by

his specious pretentions, he had seduced her husband into the

belief that he (Joseph Smith) was some great one, merely through a

design upon her husband's property.

When she returned home, being about two weeks after her

arrival in Harmony, the place where Joseph resided, she

endeavored to dissuade her husband from taking any further part in

the publication of the record; however, Mr. Harris paid no

attention to her, but returned and continued writing.

Immediately after Martin Harris left home for Pennsylvania,

his wife went from place to place, and from house to house, telling

her grievances, and declaring that Joseph Smith was practicing a

deception upon the people, which was about to strip her of all that

she possessed, and that she was compelled to deposit a few things

away from home in order to secure them. So she carried away her

furniture, linen, and bedding; also other movable articles, until she

nearly stripped the premises of everything that could conduce

either to comfort or convenience, depositing them with those of her

friends and acquaintances in whom she reposed sufficient

confidence to assure her of their future safety.

Chapter 25

Martin Harris is permitted to take the

manuscript home with him

He loses it -- The season of mourning

which ensued

Martin Harris, having written some one hundred and sixteen

pages for Joseph, asked permission of my son to carry the

manuscript home with him, in order to let his wife read it, as he

hoped it might have a salutary effect upon her feelings.

Joseph was willing to gratify his friend as far as he could

consistently, and he inquired of the Lord to know if he might do as

Martin Harris had requested, but was refused. With this Mr. Harris

was not altogether satisfied, and, at his urgent request, Joseph

inquired again, but received a second refusal. Still, Martin Harris

persisted as before, and Joseph applied again, but the last answer

was not like the two former ones. In this the Lord permitted Martin

Harris to take the manuscript home with him, on condition that he

would exhibit it to none, save five individuals whom he had

mentioned, and who belonged to his own family. Mr. Harris

was delighted with this, and bound himself in a written covenant of

the most solemn nature, that he would strictly comply with the

injunctions which he had received. Which being done, he took the