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The Prophet the Book and the Church
July 1829-April 1830

"And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed . . . And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." (Daniel 2:44 and Matt. 24:14.)

The decade stretching from the spring of 1820 to 1830 was a period of preparation. It began with the call of a prophet and culminated with the translation and publication of an ancient history and the organization of a church. Early in the spring of 1830, ten years following the First Vision, the first edition of the Book of Mormon was available for distribution and Christ's church was formally organized. Responding to latter-day revelations, Joseph Smith established an organization designed to prepare people for the Second Coming of Christ and for an eternal, celestial life with God. This "marvelous work and a wonder" was so important that all who embraced it were challenged with the responsibility of warning their neighbor and carrying the message of salvation and exaltation to all the world.

Following the restoration of the priesthood and the organization of the Church, God manifested his power among the converts. Members prophesied, devils were cast out, the sick were healed, and all who received the gift of the Holy Ghost rejoiced. This manifestation of the power of God, which has continued to this day, is another evidence of the divine calling of the Prophet Joseph Smith. Although there have been many "faith healers" in the history of mankind, Joseph Smith was different from miracle workers in that he conferred the power and authority which he possessed on others.

Joseph Smith's challenges in bringing forth the Book of Mormon did not end with the completion of the translation. Securing a copyright was not difficult (Joseph Smith deposited the title page with R. R. Lansing, clerk of the Northern District Court of New York on June 11, 1829.), locating a publisher was. Recognizing the advantages of having the work printed in Palmyra village where members of the Prophet's family could supervise the publication, Joseph Smith requested E. B. Grandin, publisher of the Wayne Sentinel, to print and bind the work. Because Grandin had heard negative stories about the "golden Bible," he initially refused to print the Book of Mormon. Following Grandin's rejection, Joseph Smith traveled to Rochester, New York, where he sought assistance from Thurlow Weed, a politician and publisher of the Rochester Telegraph. According to a reminiscence written by Weed, Joseph Smith informed him that "he had been directed in a vision to a place in the woods near Palmyra, where he resided, and that he found a 'golden Bible,' from which he was directed to copy the book that he wanted published." Although Weed told the Mormon prophet that he would not print the volume, this publisher recalled that shortly following this first visit, Joseph Smith, accompanied by Martin Harris, again called on him. Harris, continued Weed, was "a substantial farmer residing near Palmyra, who had adopted the Mormon faith and . . . offered to become security for the expense of printing." Although Weed was assured that he would be paid for his services, he again declined to publish the book for he "thought" that Joseph Smith was "either crazed or a very shallow imposter."