In May 1829 the Prophet Joseph Smith and his scribe Oliver Cowdery were working on the translation of the Book of Mormon at Joseph’s home in then-Harmony Township, Pennsylvania, when they learned about the necessity of baptism.
Seeking divine guidance on May 15, 1829 — nearly 200 years ago — Joseph and Oliver walked into nearby woods to pray about baptism and the remission of sins.
As they prayed, Oliver recorded that the voice of the Lord spoke peace to his heart as John the Baptist, a resurrected being, appeared. The heavenly messenger placed his hands on their heads and conferred upon them the Aaronic Priesthood.
That same day, Joseph and Oliver waded into the flooded Susquehanna River and baptized each other. Afterward, they ordained each other to the Aaronic Priesthood.
Oliver wrote that the day was one of joy, wonder and amazement, a post on the Young Men Worldwide account notes, pointing to the footnote on Joseph Smith—History 1:71.
“When John the Baptist appeared, he called Joseph and Oliver his ‘fellow servants’ (Doctrine and Covenants 13:1). As young men serve in the offices of the Aaronic Priesthood as deacons, teachers or priests, they act as fellow servants with John the Baptist in the work of the Lord,” states the post.
Here are three articles from the Church News about the restoration of the priesthood: More from leaders and historians; photos of the Priesthood Restoration Site, which is one of the Church’s historic sites; and the 150th anniversary of the Young Men organization.
The significant event in Latter-day Saint history that occurred 197 years ago
On Sept. 19, 2015, President Russell M. Nelson participated in what he said was, to that point in his life, “the most significant priesthood assignment I had ever received” — the dedication of the renovated Priesthood Restoration Site near what was then known as Harmony near a bend in the Susquehanna River in northeastern Pennsylvania.
“Both the anticipation of that event and the actual experience itself moved me deeply,” President Nelson wrote in his 2023 book, “Heart of the Matter.” “Other than the Sacred Grove and a few additional landmarks in and around Palmyra, New York, there may be no other location in Church history as central to the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ as is the area in and around Harmony.”
Read more about what Church leaders and historians have said about the restoration of the Aaronic and Melchizedek priesthoods.
‘Come, Follow Me’: Learn more and see photos of the Priesthood Restoration Site
In a town then known as Harmony, Pennsylvania, some 150 miles southeast of Palmyra, New York, Emma Hale Smith spent her childhood and later met Joseph Smith. Harmony was where the young couple lived for several years, where Emma had their first baby and also where the bulk of the Book of Mormon was translated.
The maple grove where on May 15, 1829, Joseph and Oliver Cowdery prayed for guidance about baptism is also located in Harmony. John the Baptist appeared to them and restored the Aaronic Priesthood. Later that day, both men went to the nearby Susquehanna River and baptized each other.
The Church reconstructed the homes of Joseph and Emma, along with the home of her parents, Isaac and Elizabeth Hale. With the surrounding area, they are part of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ Priesthood Restoration Site in what is now Oakland Township, Pennsylvania.
Learn more and see photos of the Priesthood Restoration Site.
Elder Andersen, President Lund commemorate 150th anniversary of Young Men organization
In June 2025, Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and President Steven J. Lund, then the Young Men general president, bore witness of these historic events in a video recorded at the Priesthood Restoration Site in commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the Church’s Young Men organization.
