a mid-day visitation—joseph confides in his earthly father—cumorah and the sacred box—new probation is fixed—successive visits and ministrations of the angel—joseph's growth in godliness.
at his usual hour of arising, joseph left his bed, and according to his custom went to labor in the field. the experiences of the night had swept all color from his face. his mind was filled with thoughts unutterable, and his attention was fixed beyond his earthly toil. his father observed that the boy seemed weak, and acted strangely, and told him to go home. joseph started from the field towards the house, but on his way, in attempting to cross a fence, he sank helpless to the earth. he was recalled from a partial swoon by a voice which gently spoke his name. he looked up and saw the same glorious messenger standing above his head, clothed about with an effulgence which eclipsed the splendor of the noonday sun.
once more the angel told the truths of the night before, with their commands and warnings, and he instructed joseph to return to his father, and impart to him that which he had learned of the purposes of god. he obeyed at once, and standing there in the harvest field, related to his father all that had passed. the inspiration of heaven rested upon the elder joseph as he heard the lad's words; and when the account was finished, he said "my son, these things are of god; take heed that you proceed in all holiness to do his will."
having the consent and blessing of his earthly father, joseph departed to visit the hill. and now, within a few hours of its utterance, was one of the angel's predictions fulfilled. during the journey of two or three miles beyond manchester toward the hill which had been pointed out to him in vision, joseph was made to feel within him the striving of two invisible powers. on the one hand, the evil one presented alluring prospects of worldly gain from the possession of the plates of gold—on the other, the better influence whispered that the record was sacred and must only be used for the glory of god and the fulfillment of his purposes. in this frame of mind he approached the spot which he had seen in vision. it was on the west side and near the top of a hill which stood higher than any other in that neighborhood.[1] he easily recognized the exact place which held the holy treasure; and upon reaching it, he saw the rounded top of a stone peeping from the ground, while all the edges were encased in the earth. he speedily moved the surface soil, and with the aid of a lever raised the stone, which proved to be the covering of a rock cavity or box. into this box he looked, and found that it did indeed contain the promised plates of gold and the urim and thummim.
joseph could see that the box had been fashioned by cementing stones together to form the bottom and sides; while the rock which he had lifted away, beveled thin at the edges but thick and rounded at the center, had formed a close-fitting cover to the sacred receptacle. within and across each end of the bottom of the box lay a stone; and upon these the plates and other treasures rested.
carried away for a moment by admiration and his eager desire to learn further, joseph stretched forth his hands to remove the records, but instantly the messenger was by his side and stayed his touch. moroni informed him that four years must elapse before he could be permitted to hold and examine the contents of the box; in the meantime he must prove faithful as he had proved in the past, and on each succeeding anniversary of that day, during the intervening years, he must appear at the spot to view the sacred records, renew his covenants and be instructed from the lord.
many precious truths the angel now imparted to him: telling him that he, moroni, while yet living, had hidden up the plates in the hill, four centuries after christ, to await their coming forth in the destined hour of god's mercy to man; that he, moroni, was the son of mormon, a prophet of the ancient nephites, who had once dwelt on this land; that to the nephites this sacred hill was known as cumorah, and to the jaredites (who had still more anciently inhabited this continent), as ramah; and much more did he impart to joseph concerning the mysteries of the past, and the future purposes of almighty god in the redemption of fallen mankind.
then the kingdom of heaven, in all its majesty, and the dominion of the prince of darkness, in all its terror, were brought to joseph's vision, and moroni said:
"all this is shown, the good and the evil, the holy and the impure, the glory of god and the power of darkness, that you may know hereafter the two powers, and never be influenced or overcome by that wicked one."
joseph restored the cover to the box and replaced the earth; and when the heavenly messenger had ended the counsel and disappeared, the youth again sought his home, marveling greatly at the goodness and infinite power of his creator.
happily for the comfort of the chosen prophet, at this hour he met help within the family circle. he imparted to his parents and the older children all that he had been empowered to reveal; and their understanding and faith were quickened to the acceptance of the truth. they learned to know of a surety that god had spoken and that joseph must obey.
on each recurrence of the twenty-second day of september during the next three years, joseph visited the hill cumorah. each time he opened the box, viewed its precious contents, and then restored the hiding place to its former appearance. each time, the messenger visited him on that consecrated spot; chastening him to patience, exacting anew a covenant of self-sacrificing fidelity to the trust, and extending the counsels and instructions pertaining to the re-establishment, at the proper hour, of the church of christ upon the earth.
this continued communion wrought god's purpose with joseph. it gave him a comprehension of the destiny of man, both earthly and eternal; unfolding to his view the progression of his race, from heaven through the probation of this world and back to the judgment seat of omnipotence. it filled him with a burning zeal, and a higher wisdom than that taught in the schools began to expand his intellect; he was learning the sublime principle of just government; he was being fitted to become the instrument to re-establish the church which should endure until the coming of christ to reign therein in glory. out of his all-compassing power, the lord gave to this unlearned youth, from year to year, knowledge according to the hour of his need; and the bestowal of this heavenly wisdom was continued to joseph through all the vicissitudes of the mortality which culminated in that awful day at carthage.
