o other purpose in view than to do the will of
God and build up his kingdom; otherwise he would not get them. At the close
of the third visit it was morning, and then Joseph knew that he had been
talking with the angel nearly all the night.

That morning Joseph went as usual with his father to work in the field,
but he was so weak that he could do but little. His father, seeing this,
told him to go home.

On the way, as he was climbing over a fence, Joseph fell helpless to the
ground. After that the first thing he knew was that some one was calling
him by name. Looking up he again saw the angel Moroni, who once more told
him all that he had related the night before. He then told Joseph to go
back to the field and tell his father of the vision and the commandments
which he had received.

Joseph obeyed at once, and went back and told all he had seen and heard.
His father believed all he said, and told Joseph to obey the angel, as the
teachings and commandments were surely from the Lord.

Topics.--1. Beginning of persecution. 2. Visit of the angel Moroni. 3.
What Moroni told Joseph.

Questions and Review.--1. What did people say of Joseph's first vision?
2. Why did people persecute a young boy like Joseph? 3. Name the date of
Moroni's visit. 4. What is an angel? (See Doc. and Cov. Sec. 129, also Key
to Theology, Chap. 12.) 5. Describe the Angel Moroni. 6. Why did the angel
repeat so often his instructions to Joseph? 7. How old was Joseph at this
time?

CHAPTER IV.

THE SACRED PLATES.

About two miles south of Joseph's home, in Manchester, is a large hill, the
highest in that part of the country. To this place Joseph went on the
morning after the angel's visit, as this was the spot he had seen in his
vision. On the west side of this hill, not far from the top, Joseph found
a large, rounded stone, nearly covered with earth. Prying this up, he found
it to be the lid of a stone box which was buried in the earth. Raising the
lid, he looked in, and there indeed were the sacred treasures about which
the angel had told him. As he stood looking at them in wonder, the angel
Moroni came to his side, and Joseph was taught many things about the
future. He was shown in a vision the glory of the good and the darkness of
the evil.

[Illustration: THE HILL CUMORAH.]

Joseph was about to take the plates from the box, when the angel forbade
him, telling him the time had not yet arrived, but that he should come to
the hil