cation between
God and mortals.

For the fourth time since the Savior's birth in the flesh, the voice of
the Father had attested the Son's authority in matters pertaining to
earth and man.[1526] In this latter-day revelation of Himself, as on the
earlier occasions, the Father did no more than affirm the fact of the
Son's identity, and command that He be obeyed.

"A MESSENGER SENT FROM THE PRESENCE OF GOD."[1527]

For about three and a half years following the glorious appearing of the
Father and the Son to Joseph Smith, the youthful revelator was left to
himself, so far as further manifestations from heaven were concerned.
The period was one of probation. He was subjected to the sneers of
youths of his age, and to aggressive persecution on the part of older
men, "who," as he very justly and somewhat accusingly remarks, "ought to
have been my friends and to have treated me kindly, and if they supposed
me to be deluded to have endeavored in a proper and affectionate manner
to have reclaimed me."[1528] He pursued his usual vocation, that of farm
work in association with his father and brothers, from whom he received
kindness, consideration, and sympathy; and in spite of raillery, abuse,
and denunciation from the community at large he remained firm and
faithful in his solemn avouchment that he had seen and heard both the
Eternal Father and Jesus the Christ, and that he had been instructed to
join none of the contending sects or churches because they were all
fundamentally wrong.

On the night of the 21st of September 1823, while engaged in fervent
prayer to God in the solitude of his chamber, Joseph observed the room
become illuminated until the light exceeded that of a cloudless noon. A
glorious personage appeared within the room, standing a little space
above the floor. Both the body of the visitant and the loose robe he
wore were of exquisite whiteness. Calling Joseph by name he announced
himself as Moroni, "a messenger sent from the presence of God"; and
informed the young man that the Lord had a work for him to do, and that
his name should come to be spoken of both for good and for evil among
all nations, kindreds, and tongues. The angel told of a record engraven
on plates of gold, which contained an account of the former inhabitants
of the American continent, and the fulness of the everlasting gospel as
delivered by the Savior to those ancient people; and furthermore, that
with the record were a breastplate, and