In the Spring of 1832, Elders Samuel H. Smith and Orson Hyde, of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, came to our neighborhood and held a few meetings. Elder Smith read the 29th chapter of Isaiah at the first meeting and delineated the circumstances of the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, of which he said he was a witness. He knew his brother Joseph had the plates, for the prophet had shown them to him, and he had handled them and seen the engravings thereon. His speech was more like a narrative than a sermon. Elder Hyde made a few closing remarks and appointed another meeting. At the close of the first meeting my father, as his custom was, sprung his usual question about the spiritual gifts and was quite surprised to hear Elder Smith say, "That is our doctrine, and we have those gifts in our Church."

This meeting was held in the house of Mr. Joseph Hartshorn, one of our neighbors. At the close of the meeting I picked up the Book of Mormon, which they had left lying on the table, and began to read the preface in relation to Martin Harris losing 116 pages of the original manuscript. When I had read as far as a quotation from a revelation, now found in the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, my brother, William, took the book out of my hands and closed it, remarking that good people said it carried with it a spirit of witchcraft, which caused those who read it to be bewitched and join the "Mor- mon" church. I was then over fifteen years of age and my brother, who was next older than myself, was in his eighteenth year. He was wild and sometimes profane, especially when angry, and I was quite taken by surprise to hear him quote what "good people said," as previously I had never heard him speak of them, except in derision. The last words I read where so riveted upon my mind that I sometimes feared there was some truth in the remark about the book being bewitching. The words were, "I will show unto them" (the wicked who had designed to change the manuscript in case Joseph re-translated it) "that my wisdom is greater than the cunning of the devil."

Before leaving the place the Elders baptized three persons. My father soon became a bitter enemy. I believed every word of the first discourse referred to previously, but dared not make my belief known because of my youth and the bitterness of my father. He admitted that the "Mormon" doctrines were true, but claimed that the members of that church had adopted them to cover up a fraud. All classes of people joined in the cry, "Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing," etc , telling rediculous stories about "Old Joe Smith walking on the water," pretended miracles, angels being caught, etc. The stories were about the same as those which the Elders now have to refute.