Birth of Joseph Smith, what brought the Smiths to move to Palmyra ("the Cradle of the Restoration"), Caleb Howard, Joseph is carried to Palmyra by a stranger, Joseph Senior's occupation, the Smith Farm, the Burned-Over District, Reverend George Lane and James 1:5, the Sacred Grove, the First Vision, accounts of the First Vision, the original Pearl of Great Price, etc.

Welcome back :)

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Joseph Smith's youth after the First Vision, Porter Rockwell, visit by Moroni, the Hill Cumorah, family discussions about the Nephites, death of Alvin Smith, Joseph meets Martin Harris, marries Emma Hale, translation of the plates, publishing of the Book of Mormon, popular theories on how it came to be, etc.

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Martin Harris' father (Nathan) has money, his occupation, Martin's youth in the Quaker church, he manages his father's business, marries cousin Lucy Harris, war of 1812, becomes "gentleman farmer", investigates many churches, finally describes himself as an "unchurched Christian", hires Joseph Smith Sr. and Hyrum, meets Joseph, gives him money for his journey to Harmony, PA to translate, Martin takes characters from plates to New York, Martin's and Lucy's marriage strained over Joseph Smith and the gold plates, Martin takes 116 translated pages to Palmyra, breaks covenant with the Lord (to show them only to a confined group of people), pages go missing, Lucy Harris takes Joseph Smith to court, Martin is no longer asked to be scribe for Joseph to translate, Martin privileged with heavenly witness of the Book of Mormon (along with Oliver Cowdery and David Whitmer), Martin finances the publishing of the Book of Mormon, eventually makes it to Salt Lake, comments while looking over the valley, "Who would guess the Book of Mormon could have done all of this?"

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Emma's birth in Harmony, PA (1804), her father Isaac Hale, family more well-to-do than Smiths, meets Joseph, they elope, she has 11 children in all, 5 of which live to maturity, accompanies Joseph to Hill Cumorah, writes for Joseph as he translates plates until Oliver Cowdery is sent, testifies of veracity of Book of Mormon, revelation is given to Emma (Doctrine and Covenants Section 25) where she is commissioned to make a collection of sacred hymns, Joseph and Emma move to Hyrum, OH, Joseph is tarred and feathered, son Joseph Murdock Smith dies, they move to upper floor of Newel K Whitney's store, Emma receives patriarchal blessing in which she is promised she will be saved in the kingdom of heaven, they move to Far West, extermination order by Lilburn W Boggs leads to Joseph being sent to jail, Emma is left to flee Missouri with children without husband, goes to Quincy, IL, living with Sarah Cleveland, then to Commerce, IL (later named Nauvoo), 1842 Emma is elected president of the newly-organized Relief Society, selects Elizabeth Whitney and Sarah Cleveland as counselors, Eliza R Snow as secretary, women didn't teach each other, taught by Joseph Smith, John Taylor, Willard Richards, Joseph taught women to bridle tongues and provoke husbands to righteousness, Relief Society lasts 2 years, Joseph is martyred, Emma becomes a widow, last son David Hyrum is born, Brigham Young instructs saints to leave Nauvoo (and United States), many departing saints give their property to Emma, Battle of Nauvoo, puts Mansion House up for sale, moves to Fulton, IL, finds out her furnishings are being sold, comes back to Nauvoo, opens her house as hotel, Lewis Bidamon, a formerly-married bachelor, moves into hotel, Emma and he are married, Nauvoo loses appeal when temple is destroyed, hotel business tanks, Bidamon goes to California for gold, this fails, he returns, he has illicit relationship with a Nancy, they have a child (Charlie), and continue to reside in Emma's house, in 1860 joins Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, of five children Julia marries catholic man and becomes catholic, Joseph Smith III serves as prophet of Reorganized Church for ~50 years, Frederick dies at age 26, Alexander and David serve as apostles of Reorganized Church, David briefly in first presidency, David ultimately is incarcerated in insane asylum for the rest of his days, Emma dies at age 74, friction between Emma and Brigham Young, concluding thoughts.

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This episode is about Oliver Cowdery and David Whitmer, two of the Three Witnesses of the Book of Mormon (along with Martin Harris). Both men performed great service in the early days of the restored Church. Both in time separated themselves from the Church and the prophet Joseph Smith. Oliver Cowdery at the end of his life responded to efforts to seek him out and joined the Church before his death. David Whitmer never did come back in his lifetime. Both men stayed true to their testimonies of the Book of Mormon their whole lives.

Good to see you back!

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Learn the amazing story of how the Book of Mormon came forth, and some popular theories.

Translation "by the gift and power of God", printing by E. B. Grandin in Palmyra, NY, its sale, various theories on how Joseph Smith produced the book, how often it speaks of Christ, His several names as stated in the Book of Mormon, what it reveals about the nature of God, what it says about how to find happiness and peace, how to know for yourself if it is true, etc.

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April 6, 1830 "The Church of Christ" is officially organized in Fayette, New York in the home of Peter and Mary Whitmer. Just one month prior, the Book of Mormon had been published. Between then and the Church's organization believers in the Book of Mormon would meet on weekdays but go to their old churches on Sunday. Some members had been baptized before the organizational meeting on April 6.

A revelation (Doctrine and Covenants Section 20) was given at that founding meeting, which contained basic principles including the duties of members and of the priesthood, their meetings, and the sacrament, and can be considered a kind of constitution for the Church.

The first official missionary for the church is Samuel Smith, brother of the prophet, who goes to Mendon, NY. The mission lasts three days, he is unable to sell any copies of the Book of Mormon, but gives two away, one of which later falls into the hands of Brigham Young and Heber C. Kimball.

More missionaries are called (they're not called missionaries - they're called to "go on a journey" to preach the gospel). First "foreign" missionaries are Oliver Cowdery, Parley P. Pratt, Peter Whitmer Jr., and Ziba Peterson, who are called to go west "unto the Lamanites". They go as far as Independence, Missouri and are thus the first to step foot in the land soon to be designated as Zion, or the New Jerusalem. As they pass through Kirtland, Ohio, many are baptized (127 people), including Sidney Rigdon, Edward Partridge, and Newell K. Whitney.

Statistics of the early church: More men than women, most common first name is John for men, Mary for women, most common surname is Smith, average age is 23, ancestry is mostly from the British Isles, 2nd generation get a lot of Book of Mormon names.

In the early days the Church was commanded to gather - first to Kirtland, then to places like Nauvoo and the Salt Lake Valley. It wasn't until Heber J. Grant (in 1923?) that members in California were told they didn't need to gather, that they could be "in the world but not of the world".

Missionaries continue to be called today, including young Elders, young Sisters, and senior missionaries. We hope you'll talk to them!

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In February of 1831, the Lord having just previously commanded the people of the church to gather to Ohio, Joseph and Emma arrive (first) in Kirtland. Two months later Emma gives birth to twins, both of whom die within a few hours. Shortly thereafter Joseph and Julia Murdock’s twins are born but Julia dies in childbirth, and Joseph gives the twins to Joseph and Emma, who adopt them. Their names are Joseph Smith Murdock (Smith) and Julia Murdock (Smith).

Joseph is instructed by the Lord to translate the bible, and selects as his scribe Sidney Rigdon, a recent convert from Ohio and Parley P. Pratt’s former minister and friend.

When Joseph and Emma first came to Ohio they lived in Kirtland on the upper floor of Newell K. Whitney’s store. There were many visitors and it became very difficult for Joseph to translate. A way opened for them to go to a nearby town called Hiram and stay in the home of John and Elsa Johnson.

The Johnsons had joined the church just previously. “Father” John Johnson had been curious about Joseph Smith and the Church, Joseph had visited him (with John’s Methodist minister Ezra Booth present) and Joseph had been an instrument in healing Elsa’s arm. John, Elsa, and Ezra had been baptized.

Ezra had been called on a mission back to Hiram, a result of which was that a local Campbellite minister named Symonds Ryder was converted. Symonds, the wealthiest man in town in terms of land and a prominent citizen, is called on a mission replacing a 17-year-old who had changed his mind, and asks for Joseph to write out his ordination certificate. In it Joseph misspells his name, Symonds reasons he can’t be a true prophet and at least partly for this reason apostatizes. Ezra also apostatizes, sending a series of letters to the Ohio Star with his grievances.

Ok this is taking too long. Summarizing more: After Joseph receives the glorious revelation on the kingdoms of glory (Section 76) he is tarred and feathered by Symonds and others, which, to be clear, is an attempt on his life, he survives.

The story is really interesting, so I hope you can listen! Have a great one!

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