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Show Today's Story, r The Smith Family In New York V. They Turn To Religion 7 rT r f Uoiith , BY PRESTON N I BLEY URING the entire year of 1819 the members of the Smith family were busily engaged in improving their farm, and supporting themselves by theiif own labor. They continued lo clear their land; they planted sugar trees; they -- sold and garden cordwood they manufactured baskets and birch brooms which they sold itr the Milage Occasionally Father Smith or Hy-ruor Joseph would help a a" few davs and bring in-- a little extra moneys Alvin, it appeaiS, had steady 1st of ;s, rs. Sit- IS. he ed iy- - - . work aa. a. xaxpenteriJieJpeft anif was emplojTd in Pahm ra or wheiever construction woik was going on in the countryside. The" familv considered that they were doing vvcHy ther had met the payments on their faim; they weie making martyr impiovements; the people of Jhe neighboihood weie kind to. them and theyr weie gaining many friends. It was sometime during this year, 1819, that the thoughts of several members of the Smith family began to turn towards , religion, it was a gradual it did not happen all at one For example, one morning Father Smith related to hi wife a dream he had had timing the night. The dream both of greatly - impressed I dreamed, be aid them. that a man with a peddlers budget (bag) on his hack, Tame in, and thus addressed me: Sir, will you trade wilh me today that this Is the last time I shall ever call on you, and that theie is but one thing that you secure your lack, in ci'deF sah atipn. Father Smith then continued: As I earnestly desired tflrknowrwh&tlrYvas that still lacked, I requested him to write the same upon pa- - I' The interest in reYgion which was exhibited by members of the Smith family was sobntTbe stirred to the boiling point by a revival which was beginning to manifest itself in the churches of Palmyra. The Presbideriarithe "Baptist and the Methodist ministers were particularly active; they were and driving two miles in the family wagon, to hear the excited and vehement discourses- of the ministers. For some reason, Mrs.s Smith, her daughter Sophronia and her sobs Hyrum and Samuel unitedLWjthlh-PresbyteriaChurch. Father Smith and the oldest boy, Alvin, were not so easily persuad- - i Joseph Jr fourteen have , at this time was eai s of age. He must been a tall, handsome y alert, interested in everything that was going on Yet his mother around him boy, eager, tells-us-th- at ire-had- net-shewn the genius which was to distinguish him later on. In her old age, when writing of. her brilliant Son, she said:.: any signs of turn-ing- I have now railed upon you seven times; I have traded with you each time, and have always found you strictly honest In all your dealings. Your measures are always heaped, and your weights overbalance; and . I have now come totell you on the boy, and as soon as be got home he ifad it again the family Bible. As he upon the advice given by James he thought of his own uncertainty as to which.1 of the c4vHrehes-wa-righ- t synd which he should Join. He determined then and theie to place the matter before the Lord, and seek an answer in prayer. THK SACRED GROVE where Joseph Smith received the visitation from God, the Father and his Son, Jesns Christ. per. He said he would do so. I then sprang to get some paper, but in my excitement I awoke. f Father Smith, waking in the night, anxious to know what . he should do to secure hissal-vaiion- . . The'" boy Joseph sleeping in the garret overhead. . . . One day he would tell his father what to do to He wrould setuie salvation. tell all the members of the famHe would tell the whole ily. woild. ... ... partaking of a movement which was sweeping over the countiy; a movement which was inviting people to take more interest in ieligion and unite themselves with one of the prevailing sects. It was an-ol- d fashioned religious revival. We can picture the members of the Smith family, after they had completed the day's work, and after they had done their chores in the evening, dressing up in their best clothes ed they still refrained from uniting with any Chuuh. Joseph Jr, we aie told, was to the Methodist minister, a certain Rev. McLane. One evening he heard Rev.' McLane preach a sermon in which the minister brought forth the verse in James 1:5: If any of yon lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that glv-et- h to all men liberally and pot, and it shah be given him. This verse made a profound impression I shall say nothing respecting him until he airiv-e- d at the jige of fourteen. However, in thisIam aware that some of my traders will be disappointed, for, I suppose, from vjuestions which are frequenily ashed me, that it is thought by some that I shall be likely to tell many remarkable incidents which -attended his childhood; but, as nothing occurred during his early life, except those trivial rireu instances which are common to that state of human existence, I pass them in silence. Mrs. Smith could not distinguish anything in her third son Joseph, which was different from her other boys. Yel there was a vast difference. He was the one that had been selected to bung forth the work of God in the lat dispensation. He had the ability and capacity to perform this work; no other (Continued on Page Twelve) |