In the second year after we moved to Manchester, there was much excitement among the Methodists, Presbyterians, and Baptists, who said, "Lo, here!" and "Lo, there!" 1:5
But they were all arguing with each other, and only pretended to feel good about their religion. 1:6
But they were all arguing with each other, and only pretended to feel good about their religion. 1:6
On a beautiful, clear spring day, I went to the woods to ask God. It was the first time in my life that I prayed out loud. 1:14
When I got there, I kneeled down and began to pray.
Suddenly some power overcame me and I couldn't speak.
It became dark and I thought I was going to die. 1:15
Then I saw two people standing in the air above me, who were brighter than I can describe.
One of them pointed at the other and said, "This is my beloved son. Hear him." 1:17
One of them said that I shouldn't join any of them; that their beliefs were an abomination; and that their leaders were all corrupt. 1:19
The man commanded me not to join any of them.
He also did many things that I can't tell you about at this time.
When I came to, I was lying on my back looking up at the sky.
The light went away and I went home.
My mother asked me what was wrong, and I said, "I'm okay."
Then I said to her, "Presbyterianism is not true." 1:20
A few days after my vision, I told a Methodist preacher about it.
He said it was from the devil, and that all visions and revelations ended with the apostles. 1:21
I was like Paul, who was also ridiculed for his vision. 1:24
I continued my regular life until 21 September 1823.
During this time, I sometimes did things I shouldn't have done, like laugh. 1:27-28
I prayed before I went to bed on September 21.
While I was praying, a light appeared in my room that made the room brighter than at noon.
I saw someone standing in the air by my bedside. 1:29-30
He wore a white robe, whiter than anything I'd ever seen - whiter than anything on earth.
His hands, arms, feet, legs, head, and neck were naked.
He was completely naked except for his robe, which was open so I could see his bosom. 1:31
His robe was exceedingly white and his person was glorious beyond description - like lightning. 1:32
He called my by my name, and said his name was Moroni.
He said God had a work for me to do. 1:33
He said there was a book written on golden plates that gave an account of the former inhabitants of this continent. And that the fulness of the Gospel was contained within it. 1:34
He also said there were two stones in silver bows fastened to a breastplate - which made up the Urim and Thummim. These were the "seers" that God prepared to translate the book. 1:35
He said that when I got the plates, I shouldn't show them or the breastplate with the Urim and Thummim to anyone, except for those to whom I was commanded. And that if I did, God would kill me. 1:42
Then I saw the light gather around Mononi, and he ascended into heaven. 1:43
But before I knew it, the room lighted up again and he was again by my bedside. 1:44
He repeated again the very same things he said before, using the same words.
He told me about famine, wars, pestilence, and judgment that will come to the earth in this generation. Then he left again, the same way he left before. 1:45
I couldn't sleep after Moroni's second visit, where he repeated everything he had said exactly as he said it before.
Then he visited a third time, repeating word-for-word what he had said in his first two visits.
He also said the devil was going to tempt me to use the golden plates to get rich. 1:46
Then Moroni ascended again and the cock crowed, so his visits must have occupied the whole night. 1:47
That morning I began my chores as usual, working with my father, but I was entirely unable to do anything. So my father sent me home. On the way back to the house, I fell down unconscious. 1:48
When I woke up, Moroni was there again, surrounded by light as before. He repeated everything he said on the previous night's three visits, and commanded me to tell my father about them. 1:49
I told my father about the visions, and he said they were from God and told me to do whatever Moroni said. So I went to the place where Moroni said the plates were buried, and I knew the place as soon as I saw it. 1:50
The plates were under a rock on the west side of a hill in Manchester, Ontario county, New York. 1:51
Within the box I found the plates, the Urim and Thummim, the breastplate, and two stones. 1:52
I tried to remove them, but Moroni forbade me, saying that it wasn't time yet to bring them out - and wouldn't be for another four years. But he said that I should return to the place each year at the same time until then. 1:53
So I came back each year and met Moroni there. 1:54
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. 1:56
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. 1:59
Although everyone tried to get them from me, but I kept them to myself until 2 May 1838, when I gave them back to Moroni. 1:60
I continued to be persecuted, so my wife and I left Manchester and went to Susquehanna county, Pennsylvania. But then we met Martin Harris, a successful farmer who lived in Palmyra, New York. He gave us $50 to help with our journey. 1:61
After we arrived in Pennsylvania, I began to copy characters off the plates, with the help of the Urim and Thummim. 1:62
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. 1:63
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. 1:64
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 hin, he would translate them.
I told him that the plates were sealed, and he said, "I can't read a sealed book." 1:65
On 5 April 1829, Oliver Cowdery came to my house. I had never met him before.
Two days later (On April 7), I began to translate the Book of Mormon, and he was my scribe. 1:66-67
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: 1:68-69
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. 1:70
So we were baptized.
I baptized him first, then he baptized me.
Then I ordained him to the same priesthood. 1:71
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. 1:72
After I baptized Oliver Cowdery, the Holy Ghost fell on him. 1:73
We were forced to keep all these things secret, because the neighbors were persecuting us. 1:74
We were threatened with being mobbed, but we were protected by my wife's father's family who were opposed to mobs. 1:75
