On the
evening of September 21, Moroni made his first appearance to Joseph
Smith telling him of the gold plates upon which the Book of Mormon was
written. Before the night was over, Moroni made two further
appearances. The three visits consumed most of the night.
Joseph Smith records:
"After this third visit, he again
ascended into heaven as before, and I was again left to ponder on the
strangeness of what I had just experienced; when almost immediately
after the heavenly messenger had ascended from me for the third time,
the cock crowed, and I found that day was approaching, so that our
interviews must have occupied the whole of that night.
"I shortly after arose from my
bed, and, as usual, went to the necessary labors of the day; but, in
attempting to work as at other times, I found my strength so exhausted
as to render me entirely unable. My father, who was laboring along with
me, discovered something to be wrong with me, and told me to go home. I
started with the intention of going to the house; but, in attempting to
cross the fence out of the field where we were, my strength entirely
failed me, and I fell helpless on the ground, and for a time was quite
unconscious of anything.
"The first thing that I can
recollect was a voice speaking unto me, calling me by name. I looked
up, and beheld the same messenger standing over my head, surrounded by
light as before. He then again related unto me all that he had related
to me the previous night, and commanded me to go to my father and tell
him of the vision and commandments which I had received.
"I obeyed; I returned to my father
in the field, and rehearsed the whole matter to him. He replied to me
that it was of God, and told me to go and do as commanded by the
messenger. I left the field, and went to the place where the messenger
had told me the plates were deposited; and owing to the distinctness of
the vision which I had had concerning it, I knew the place the instant
that I arrived there." (Joseph
Smith History 1:47-50)
Below
is an etching found at the Smith Family Farm in Palmyra of the Log House and the
fenced field.
