1859 — Interview with Martin Harris, Tiffany’s Monthly, 1859, New York: Published by Joel Tiffany, vol. v.—12, pp. 163-170. This account is included because the source, Martin Harris, was a close associate of Joseph Smith during the translation of the Book of Mormon, and one of the earliest non-family members to be introduced to Joseph’s claims. His recollections are largely uninfluenced by later published accounts of Joseph Smith and therefore likely to reflect the earliest details provided to him by Joseph Smith and his family.
Principle elements of the account:
- The origin of Mormonism linked to the finding of the
gold plates
- Joseph found plates using the seer stone he found in
the well of Mason [Willard] Chase.
- Plates found in the context of money-digging
- Joseph’s family corroborated this story to Martin
Harris
- No mention of a revival
- Age 21 (1827)
- Joseph retrieves plates while out with his wife but
hides them in the woods
- Angel appeared to Joseph after finding the plates,
and told him it [Book of Mormon] was God’s work and
Joseph must “quit the company of the money-diggers.”
- Angel said the plates must be translated, printed
and set before the world.
- Angel revealed to Joseph that Martin Harris was the man to assist in this work.
The Account
Tiffany's Monthly, p. 163
“The following narration we took down from the lips of
Martin Harris, and read the same to him after it was
written, that we might be certain of giving his statement to
the world .… We did this that the world might have a
connected account of the origin of Mormonism from the lips
of one of the original witnesses, upon whose testimony it
was first received. …
Mr. Harris says: “Joseph Smith, Jr., found at Palmyra N.Y.,
on the 22nd day of September, 1827, the plates of gold upon
which was recorded in Arabic, Chaldaic, Syriac, and
Egyptian, the Book of Life, or the Book of Mormon. I was not
with him at the time, but I had a revelation the summer
before, that God had a work for me to do. These plates were
found at the north point of a hill two miles north of
Manchester village. Joseph had a stone which was dug from
the well of Mason Chase, twenty-four feet from the surface.
In this stone he could see many things to my certain
knowledge. It was by means of this stone he first discovered
these plates.
Tiffany's Monthly, p. 164
“… Joseph had had this stone for some time. There was a
company there in that neighborhood, who were digging for
money supposed to have been hidden by the ancients. Of this
company were old Mr. Stowel — I think his name was Josiah —
also old Mr. Beman, also Samuel Lawrence, George Proper,
Joseph Smith, jr., and his father, and his brother Hiram
Smith. They dug for money in Palmyra, Manchester, also in
Pennsylvania, and other places. …
Tiffany's Monthly, p. 165
“After this, on 22nd of September, 1827, before day, Joseph
took the horse and wagon of old Mr. Stowel, and taking his
wife, he went to the place where the plates were concealed,
and while obtaining them, she kneeled down and prayed. He
then took the plates and hid them in an old black oak tree
to which was hollow. …
“Joseph did not dig for these plates. They were placed in
this way: four stones were set up and covered with a flat
stone, oval on the upper side and flat on the bottom.
Beneath this was a little platform upon which the plates
were laid; and the two stones wet in a bow of silver by
means of which the plates were translated, were found
underneath the plates.
Tiffany's Monthly, p. 166
“… When Joseph had obtained the plates he communicated the
fact to his father and mother. The plates remained concealed
in the tree top until he got the chest made. He then went
after them and brought them home. …
Tiffany's Monthly, p. 167
“… The money diggers claimed that they had as much right to
the plates as Joseph had, as they were in company together.
They claimed Joseph had been traitor, and had appropriated
to himself that which belonged to them. For this reason
Joseph was afraid of them, and continued concealing the
plates. After they had been concealed under the floor of the
cooper’s shop for a short time, Joseph was warned to remove
them. He said he was warned by an angel. …
“These things had all occurred before I talked with Joseph
respecting the plates. But I had the account of it from
Joseph, his wife, brothers, sisters, his father and mother.
I talked with them separately that I might get the truth of
the matter.
Tiffany's Monthly, p. 168, p. 169, p. 170
… “A day or so before I was ready to visit Joseph, his
mother came over to our house and wished to talk with me. I
told her I had no time to spare … I waited a day or two,
when I got up in the morning, took my breakfast, and told my
folks I was going to the village, but went directly to old
Mr. Smith’s. I found that Joseph had gone away to work for
Peter Ingersol to get some flour. I was glad he was absent,
for that gave me an opportunity of talking with his wife and
family about the plates. I talked with them separately, to
see if their stories agreed, and I found they did agree.
When Joseph came home I did not wish him to know that I had
been talking with them, so I took him by the arm and led him
away from the rest, and requested him to tell me the story,
which he did as follows. He said, ‘An angel had appeared to
him, and told him it was God’s work.’” Here Mr. Harris
seemed to wander from the subject, when we requested him to
continue and tell what Joseph then said. He replied, “Joseph
had before this described the manner of his finding the
plates. He found them by looking in the stone found in the
well of Mason Chase. The family had likewise told me the
same thing.
“Joseph said the angel told him he must quit the company of
the money-diggers. That there were wicked men among them. He
must have no more to do with them. He must not lie, nor
swear, nor steal. He told him to go and look in the
spectacles, and he would show him the man that would assist
him. That he did so, and he saw myself, Martin Harris,
standing before him. That struck me with surprise. I told
him I wished him to be very careful about these things.
‘Well, ‘ said he, ‘I saw you standing before me as plainly
as I do now.’ …
“While at Mr. Smith’ I hefted the plates, and I knew from
the heft that they were lead or gold, and I knew that Joseph
had not credit enough to buy so much lead. I left Mr.
Smith’s about eleven o’clock and went home. …
“The excitement in the village upon the subject had become
such that some had threatened to mob Joseph, and also to tar
and feather him. They said he should never leave until he
had shown the plates. It was unsafe for him to remain, so I
determined that he must go to his father-in-law’s house in
Pennsylvania. … I advised Joseph that he must pay all his
debts before starting. I paid them for him, and furnished
him money for his journey.” (pp. 168-170)
Conclusion
Despite differences in tone, there are striking similarities
between this final account of Harris and the first account
by Chase:
The discovery of a gold treasure in the context of
money-digging
The use of a seer stone to find/obtain the plates
No indication that Joseph was a spiritual seeker before the
angelic visitation
Martin Harris identified as the “divinely” appointed
financier of the project
“Persecution” comes from former money-digging associates who
want their share of the treasure, not from religiously
incensed clergy
These common elements from early accounts raise questions
about what appears to be a gradual evolution of Joseph
Smith’s first vision story.
First Vision - Conclusion
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