CHAPTER III.
THE ANGEL MORONI.
When Joseph told of his vision to some of his friends he was surprised to
find that they did not believe him, but made fun of what he said. The strangest
thing to the boy was that the preachers of religion, instead of being glad at
such glorious news, told him it was from the devil, and that God did not give
any more revelations from heaven. All such things had ceased with the apostles
of old, they said. Another strange thing was that these preachers began to tell
untruths about him, and seemed to hate him for what he told. Still Joseph would
not deny his story. "I have actually seen a vision," he said again and again. "I
know it, and I know that God knows it, and I dare not deny it."
So three years went by.
On the evening of September 21, 1823, after Joseph had retired to his room,
he prayed earnestly that the Lord would forgive him his sins and show him if he
was yet accepted of him. While he was yet praying a very bright light came into
the room, and immediately a person stood in the air by his bedside. As this
person was an angel—a being who had died and had been resurrected with an
immortal body—it is interesting to know how he looked.
Joseph describes him as a man having on a robe whiter than anything he had
ever seen. His hands were naked, and his arms also, a little above the wrists.
His feet were also bare a little above the ankles. His head and neck were also
bare. Not only was his robe very white but his whole person
shone with great glory. The room was very
light, but not so bright as close around the angel's person.
The angel called Joseph by name, and said that he was a messenger sent from
God to him, and that his name was Moroni. He told Joseph that God had a work for
him to do, and because of this work, good and evil would be spoken about his
name in all nations. The angel then told him of a record written on gold plates
which were hidden in a hill not far away. This record was a history of the
peoples who had lived on this continent, of whom the Indians were a part. With
the plates was an instrument called the Urim and Thummim, which God had prepared
for the translating of the records. After a time these things would be given to
Joseph, but he must take great care of them and show them to no one except those
to whom the Lord would direct. Then Moroni showed Joseph, by a vision, the
place, where the plates were hidden.
After giving much other instruction, the light in the room began to gather in
towards the person of the angel, leaving the room again in darkness, except just
around the heavenly visitor, who soon disappeared in a shining path into heaven.
Three times that same night Moroni visited Joseph and told him nearly the
same things over again. About the plates Joseph was further told that he would
be tempted to get them for the purpose of getting rich, as the plates were of
great value; but he must not yield to that spirit as they were sacred, and he
must have no other purpose in view than to do the will of God and build up his
kingdom; otherwise he would not get them. At the close of the third visit it was
morning, and then Joseph knew that he had been talking with the angel nearly all
the night.
That morning Joseph went as usual with his father to
work in the field, but he was so weak that he
could do but little. His father, seeing this, told him to go home.
On the way, as he was climbing over a fence, Joseph fell helpless to the
ground. After that the first thing he knew was that some one was calling him by
name. Looking up he again saw the angel Moroni, who once more told him all that
he had related the night before. He then told Joseph to go back to the field and
tell his father of the vision and the commandments which he had received.
Joseph obeyed at once, and went back and told all he had seen and heard. His
father believed all he said, and told Joseph to obey the angel, as the teachings
and commandments were surely from the Lord.
Topics.—1. Beginning of persecution. 2. Visit of the angel Moroni. 3.
What Moroni told Joseph.
Questions and Review.—1. What did people say of Joseph's first vision?
2. Why did people persecute a young boy like Joseph? 3. Name the date of
Moroni's visit. 4. What is an angel? (See Doc. and Cov. Sec. 129, also Key to
Theology, Chap. 12.) 5. Describe the Angel Moroni. 6. Why did the angel repeat
so often his instructions to Joseph? 7. How old was Joseph at this time?
