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Phineas Young's account of receiving Book of Mormon from Samuel Smith

"In April 1830, I was on my way home from the town of Lima, where I had been to preach," recorded Phineas Young of his encounter with Samuel Smith.

"I stopped at the house of a man by the name of Tomlinson, to get some dinner. While engaged in conversation with the family, a young man came in, and walking across the room to where I was sitting, held a book toward me, saying — 'There is a book, sir, I wish you to read.'

"The thing appeared so novel to me that for a moment I hesitated, saying — 'Pray sir, what book have you?'

" 'The Book of Mormon, or, as it is called by some, the Golden Bible.'

"Ah, sir, then it purports to be a revelation."

" 'Yes,' said he, 'it is a revelation from God.'

"I took the book, and by his request looked at the testimony of the witnesses. Said he — 'If you will read this book with a prayerful heart, and ask God to give you a witness, you will know the truth of this work.'

"I told him I would do so, and then asked him his name. He said his name was Samuel H. Smith. 'Ah,' said I, 'you are one of the witnesses.'

" 'Yes,' said he, 'I know the book to be a revelation from God, translated by the gift and power of the Holy Ghost, and that my brother, Joseph Smith, Jun., is a prophet, seer and revelator.'

"I bought the book and went home, and told my wife I had got a week's work laid out, and I hoped that nothing would occur to prevent my accomplishing my task. She said, 'Have you anything new to attend to?'

"I replied, I have got a book here, called the Book of Mormon, and it is said to be a revelation, and I wish to read it and make myself acquainted with its errors, so that I can expose them to the world.'

"I commenced and read every word in the book the same week. The week following I did the same, but to my surprise I could not find the errors I anticipated, but felt a conviction that the book was true.

"On the next Sabbath I was requested to give my views on the subject, which I commenced to do. I had not spoken ten minutes in defence of the book when the Spirit of God came upon me in a marvellous manner, and I spoke at great length on the importance of such a work, quoting from the Bible to support my position, and finally closed by telling the people that I believed the book. The greater part of the people agreed with my views, and some of them said they had never heard me speak so well and with such power. My father then took the book home with him, and read it through. I asked him his opinion of it. He said it was the greatest work and the clearest of error of anything he had ever seen, the Bible not excepted.

"I then lent the book to my sister Fanny Murray. She read it and declared it a revelation. Many others did the same." (History of Brigham Young, Millennial Star vol. 25.)

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