Chapter XVIII

HISTORY OF JOSEPH THE PROPHET COMMENCES--SEVENTH VISION OF JOSEPH SMITH, SENIOR.

I now come to the history of Joseph. By reference to the table (chap. ix), you will find the date and place of his birth; beside 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 I suppose, from questions which are frequently asked me, 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 door-yard, 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 made this attempt at murder, neither can we discover the cause thereof.

I shall here insert the seventh vision that my husband had, which vision was received in the year 1819. It was as follows:

"I dreamed," said he, "that a man with a pedler'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 weights
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 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 in which 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 consult 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; and 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:--

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 poignant, still I kept myself aloof from all
those parties, though I attended their several meetings as often as
occasion would permit. In process of time, my mind became somewhat
partial to the Methodist sect, and I felt some desire to be united
with them, but so great were the confusion and strife among the
different denominations, that it was impossible for a person, young
as I was, and so unacquainted with men and things, to come to any
certain conclusion who was right and who was wrong. 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 the 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 in endeavoring
to establish their own tenets and disprove all others.

In the midst of this war of words, and tumult of opinion, 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 in
the epistle of James, first chapter and fifth verse, which reads,
"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all
men liberally, and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him."
Never did any passage of Scripture come with more power to the
heart of man than this did at this time to mine. It seemed to enter
with great force into every feeling of my heart. I reflected on
it again and again, knowing that if any person needed wisdom from
God, I did, for how to act I did not know, and, unless I could get
more wisdom than I then had, I would never know; for the teachers
of religion of the different sects understood the same passages 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
an astonishing influence over me as to bind my tongue, so that I
could not speak. Thick darkness gathered around me, and it seemed
to me for a time as if I were doomed to sudden destruction. But
exerting all my powers to call upon God, to deliver me out of the
power of this enemy which had seized upon me, and at the very
moment when I was ready to sink into despair, and abandon myself
to destruction--not to an imaginary ruin, but to the power of some
actual being from the unseen world, who had such 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 enquire 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--and which I should
join. I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were
all wrong; and the personage who addressed me said that all their
creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those professors
were all corrupt; that "they draw near to me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me; they teach for doctrines the
commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny
the power thereof." He again forbade me to join with any of them;
and many other things did he say unto me which I cannot write at
this time. When I came to myself again, I found myself lying on my
back, looking up into heaven. When the light had departed, I had no
strength; but soon recovering in some degree, I went home. And as
I leaned up to the fireplace, mother enquired what the matter was.
I replied, "Never mind, all is well--I am well enough off." I then
said to my mother, "I have learned for myself that Presbyterianism
is not true." It seems as though the adversary was aware, at a very
early period of my life, that I was destined to prove a disturber
and an annoyer of his kingdom; else why should the powers of
darkness combine against me? Why the opposition and persecution
that arose against me, almost in my infancy?

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 would
never 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 bitter persecution; and this
was common among all the sects--all united to persecute me. It
caused me serious reflection, then, and often has since, how very
strange it was that an obscure boy, of a little over fourteen years
of age--and one, too, who was doomed to the necessity of obtaining
a scanty maintenance by his daily labors, should be thought a
character of sufficient importance to attract the attention of
the great ones of the most popular sects of the day, in a manner
to create in them a spirit of the most bitter persecution and
reviling. But strange or not, so it was, and it was often the cause
of great sorrow to myself. However, it was, nevertheless, a fact
that I had beheld a vision. I have thought since, that I felt much
like Paul when he made his defense before King Agrippa, and related
the account of the vision he had when he "saw a light and heard a
voice;" but still there were but few who believed him. Some said
he was dishonest, others said he was mad, and he was ridiculed and
reviled; but all this did not destroy the reality of his vision.
He had seen a vision--he knew he had--and all the persecution
under heaven could not make it otherwise; and though they should
persecute him unto death, yet he knew, and would know to his latest
breath, that he had both seen a light and heard a voice speaking
unto him, and all the world could not make him think or believe
otherwise. So it was with me. I had actually seen a light, and in
the midst of that light I saw two personages, and they did in
reality speak to me; and though I was hated and persecuted for
saying that I had seen a vision, yet it was true; and while they
were persecuting me, reviling me, and speaking all manner of evil
against me falsely, for so saying, I was led to say in my heart,
Why persecute for telling the truth? I have actually seen a vision;
and who am I that I can withstand God? or why does the world think
to make me deny what I have actually seen? for I had seen a vision.
I knew it, and I knew that God knew it; and I could not deny it,
neither dared I do it--at least, I knew that by so doing I would
offend God, and come under condemnation.--_Times and Seasons_, vol.
iii, p. 727; _Supp. to Mill. Star_, vol. xiv, p. 2; _History of the
Church_, vol. i, pp. 3-8.

From this time until the twenty-first 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 every kind of opposition and persecution from the different orders of religionists.

On the evening of the twenty-first 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, I discovered a
light appearing in my room, which continued to increase until the
room was lighter than at noon-day, when immediately a personage
appeared at my bed-side, 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 Moroni; that God had
a work for me to do, and that my name should be had for good and
evil among all nations, kindreds, and tongues; or that it should be
both good and evil spoken of among all people. 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 Bibles. 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 who do wickedly, shall burn as stubble, for
they that come shall burn them, saith the Lord of Hosts, that it
shall leave them neither root nor branch." 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 his 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 of Acts, twenty-second
and twenty-third verses, precisely as they stand in our New
Testament. He said that that Prophet was Christ, but the day had
not yet come "when they who would not hear his voice should be cut
off from among the people," but soon would come. He also quoted the
second chapter of Joel, from the twenty-eighth verse to the last.
He also said that this was not yet fulfilled, but was soon to be.
And he further stated the fullness of the Gentiles was soon to come
in. He quoted many other passages of Scripture, and offered many
explanations which cannot 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 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 to me by this extraordinary
messenger, when, in the midst of my meditation, I suddenly
discovered that my room was again beginning to get lighted, and, in
an instant, as it were, the same heavenly messenger was again by
my bed-side. He commenced, and again related the very same things
which he had done at his first visit, without the least variation,
which having done, he informed me of great judgments which were
coming upon the earth, with great desolations by famine, sword, and
pestilence: and that these grievous judgments would come on the
earth in this generation. Having related these things, he again
ascended as he had done before.--_Times and Seasons_, vol. iii, p.
729; Supplement to _Millennial Star_, vol. xiv, p. 4; _History of
the Church_, vol. i, pp. 11-14.

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.