“He replied to me that it was of God, and told me to go and do as commanded by the messenger.” — Joseph Smith Jr.1
On September 22, the night after all his visitations from Moroni, Joseph Jr was sent home by his father who thought his son was sick. Joseph didn't make it and collapsed while climbing over a fence.2
As the young man lay there, Moroni appeared again. He gave the same message as the night before and told Joseph to go back to his father and tell him of all that had happened. Joseph Smith Sr. believed his son, telling him the message "was of God," and he advised Joseph Jr. to do as Moroni commanded.3
This was not the first experience with visions that Joseph Sr. had encountered. Lucy Mack Smith recorded that Joseph Sr. had seven dreams or visions, but she could only remember five of them. He began having them around 1811.4
