There was much excitement over the subject of religion in this section at the time, with no small discussion of doctrines, methodist, baptist, and the rest; and about a year later, the mother and four of the children joined the presbyterians.
But young Joseph was not satisfied with any of the current theologies, and he was greatly troubled what to do. Reading his bible one day, he came upon the passage, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God.” He retired to the woods and threw himself upon his knees. It was his first attempt at prayer.
While thus engaged a vision fell upon him. Suddenly he was seized by some supernatural power of evil import, which bound him body and soul. He could not think; he could not speak; thick darkness gathered round. Presently there appearod above his head a pillar of light, which slowly descended and enveloped him. Immediately he was delivered from the enemy; and in the sky he saw two bright personages, one of whom said, pointing to the other, “This is my beloved son; hear him.” Then he asked what he should do; to which sect he should unite himself.
stitious, having a firm belief in ghosts and witches; the telling of fortunes; pretending to believe that the earth was filled with hidden treasures, buried there by Kid or the Spaniards. Being miserably poor, and not much disposed to obtain an honest livelihood by labor, the energies of their minds seemed to be mostly directed toward finding where these treasures were concealed, and the best mode of acquiring their possession.’ Howe's Mormonism Unveiled, 11. In the towns of Palmyra and Manchester, in 1833, documents defamatory to the family were circulated for signature, one receiving 11 and another 51 names. Given with signatures in Howe's Mormonism Unveiled, 261–2, and in Kidder's Mormonism, 20–1. See also Olshausen, Gesch. d. Morm., 9–14, 103–10, 200–1; Gazette of Utah, 1874, 17; Tucker's Origin and Prog. Mor., 11–20. In one of these documents, signed and sworn to by Peter Ingersoll, he said that the Smith family employed most of their time in gold-digging. At one time Joseph Smith senior told Ingersoll to hold a mineral rod in his hand, a piece of witch-hazel, and selected a place to stand where he was to whisper directions to the rod; Smith stood apart, throwing himself into various shapes, but was unable to produce the desired effect. Again he took a stone that Ingersoll had picked up and exclaimed that it was invaluable; looking at it earnestly, he said it revealed to him chests of gold and silver at the back of his house; and putting it into his hat, threw himself into various attitudes, and soon appeared exhausted; then in a faint voice, said, ‘If you only knew what I had seen you would believe.’ Some time before Joseph's discovery of the gold plates, the elder Smith told Ingersoll that a book had been found in Canada in a hollow tree which treated of the discovery of this continent.
