55 My family was poor and we had to work hard to make ends meet. 56 In 1823, my oldest brother, Alvin, died. In October 1825, I met Josiah Stoal, who had been digging for Spanish silver. I went to live with him in Harmony, Pennsylvania and dug with him. But, after a month of trying, we never found the silver. This is where the story arose that I was a money-digger.
57 During that time, I boarded with Isaac Hale and met his daughter, Emma. Emma and I were married on 18 January 1827, while I was working with Mr. Stoal. 58 Since Emma's father was opposed to our marriage, we were married at the house of Squire Tarbill, in South Bainbridge, Chenango County, New York.
59 Finally, on 22 September 1827, the time arrived to get the plates, the Urim and Thummim, and the breastplate. On that day, Moroni was there and gave me the plates, with the warning that if I lost them, I would be cut off.
60 Although everyone tried to get them from me, I kept them to myself until 2 May 1838, when I gave them back to Moroni.
61 I continued to be persecuted, so my wife and I left Manchester and went to Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, where we met Martin Harris, a successful farmer who lived in Palmyra, New York. He gave us $50 to help with our journey.
62 After we arrived in Pennsylvania, I began to copy characters off the plates, with the help of the Urim and Thummim.
63 Sometime in February 1828, Martin Harris visited and took some of the characters that I had copied from the plates and brought them to New York City. Here is what he told me about his trip:
64 I went to New York City and presented the translated characters to Professor Charles Anthon. He said the translation was correct, more correct than any he had ever seen translated from Egyptian. I then showed him those which were not yet translated. He said they were Egyptian, Chaldaic, Assyriac, and Arabic. He gave me a receipt to show the people of Palmyra that the characters were real and the translation was correct. He asked how the young man found them, and I told him God revealed it to him.
65 Then he said to me, "Let me see that certificate." I gave it to him and he tore it up, saying there was no such thing as angels, but if I brought the plates to him, he would translate them. I told him that the plates were sealed, and he said, "I can't read a sealed book."
66 On 5 April 1829, Oliver Cowdery came to my house. I had never met him before. 67 Two days later (On April 7), I began to translate the Book of Mormon, and he was my scribe.
68-69 We continued translating through May. One day we went into the woods to pray, and a messenger from heaven descended in a cloud of light, put his hands on us, and said: “I am giving you the priesthood of Aaron.”
70 He said this priesthood didn't have the power of laying on hands, and this would be given to us later. In the meantime, we should get baptized and told me to baptize Oliver Cowdery - who would then baptize me.
71 So we were baptized. I baptized him first, then he baptized me. Then I ordained him to the same priesthood.
72 The messenger identified himself as John the Baptist. He was sent to us by Peter, James, and John. They had the keys to the priesthood of Melchizedek. And soon they'd confer that upon us. He said that I would be called the first elder of the church, and Oliver Cowdery would be the second. All of this happened on 15 May 1829.
73 After I baptized Oliver Cowdery, the Holy Ghost fell on him. 74 We were forced to keep all these things secret, because the neighbors were persecuting us. 75 We were threatened with being mobbed, but we were protected by my wife's father's family who were opposed to mobs.
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