From: AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MARY E. LIGHTNER I was born in the town of Lima, Livingston County, state of New York, April 9, 1818. My father, John D. Rollins, came from one of the New England States; I think it was Vermont. My mother, Keziah Keturah Van Benthuysen, was born in...
Joseph’s heart was full of joy for many days after the First Vision. When Joseph told us that he had seen the Father and His Son Jesus Christ and he had conversed with them, we rejoiced with Joseph and praised the Lord for His goodness. We looked forward to the...
In 1829 when Joseph Smith was living in Harmony, Pennsylvania, and was in the middle of translating the Book of Mormon, he began to have difficulty with some of the residents of that area. He made arrangements to leave Harmony and live with the Whitmer family in Fayette, New York...
In June of 1830 Joseph, his wife, Oliver Cowdery and John & David Whitmer went to Colesville to visit Mr. Knight. Several people were baptized the morning after the Sabbath meetings. Joseph said, “we had appointed a meeting for this evening, for the purpose of attending to the confirmation of...
On the 6th of May I gave the parting hand to the brethren in Independence, and in company with Brothers Rigdon and Whitney, commenced to return to Kirtland, by stage to St. Louis, from thence to Vincennes, Indiana; and from thence to New Albany, near the falls of the Ohio...
Today I want to tell you about what I saw happening in Joseph’s life when he was 12 to 14 years of age before he had his First Vision, and then I want to go on to this glorious Vision that he had. These were the years of the Religious...
Philo Dibble I was in Clay County, Missouri, when Zion’s camp came up. I met them on Fishing River. There the power of the Lord was manifested by His sending a thunder storm, which raised Fishing River ten feet higher than it was ever known to rise before. I saw...
Saints then, like Saints now, came in all sorts. Some knew from the beginning the dimension of the commitment that they were making, others recognized only the sweet, strong taste of the truth and, hungering for more, followed where the search led them, step by step. One of these people...
Another remarkable incident was reported by Mary Elizabeth Rollins Lightner, an early convert in the vicinity of Kirtland. Shortly after her conversion, Joseph Smith and others moved from New York to that vicinity in Ohio. Upon his arrival, the Prophet lived for a time in part of Newel K. Whitney’s...
Did you know that Joseph’s father, Joseph Sr., had 5 prophetic dreams or visions in the years of 1818 and 1819 in Palmyra before Joseph had his First Vision in 1820? Joseph Smith Sr. had a total of 7 visions. His first two visions were given to him before the...
