Eighteen (1823)Joseph Sr. had witnessed an incredible transformation of his third son during the
last three years. Even so, Joseph Jr. had already experienced the negative effects of
speaking aloud the information he had learned in the First Visitation. So he was
somewhat leery of talking about these things, even with the man he loved as his father.
Having been slightly rebuked the next day by Moroni for not telling his father, Joseph
finally yielded to Moroni’s insistence and told Joseph Sr. Afterwards, it made sense to
Joseph Sr., helping him to understand the changes that had come over Joseph so
suddenly, beginning three years before. Although Joseph never explained to his family
why he seemed smarter and more interested in the Bible and truth than before April 6,^
1820, it did not surprise his father when his son informed him that God had chosen him
to do a very important work.
Meeting the “Three Nephites”
Joseph was physically drained when he started for the “hill of considerable size, and
the most elevated of any in the neighborhood.” But once he started, his adrenalin kicked in
and he began to run towards the hill “convenient to the village of Manchester, Ontario
County, New York.”^37 When he finally arrived at the base of the hill, he was completely out
of breath and collapsed as he had earlier, “his strength entirely failing him.” But this time it
was too much. Joseph fainted in the heat of an unusually hot September day.
The cool taste of water found his lips and ran down his cheek to his neck, waking
him up. A handsome young man, in his late 20’s to early 30’s sporting a well-groomed
beard and mustache and slightly longer hair than what was normally worn during that
time, held Joseph’s head.
“Drink this, my friend. It will give you strength,” said the Good Samaritan.
As he drank, Joseph’s eyes began to focus and his energy came back to him.
Immediately behind the man were two “Injuns” of similar appearance and stature, though
dressed in white man’s clothes. Their gentle smiles secured Joseph’s instant trust.
Joseph raised himself up with the help of the first who gave him drink.
“My name is Timothy,” said the man. “And these are my friends, Mathoni, and his
brother, Mathonihah.”
With an awakening reverence for the convenience of their hospitality, and the fact
that he began to recognize them from memories that his brain struggled to bring to
coherence, Joseph reached for each of their hands. With each touch, Joseph’s eyes widened
and his smile took control of his countenance. Making a slight gasp, Joseph took the
“Three Nephites” together in a group hug, and laughed and cried at the same time. He
was once again reunited with “those who were never to taste of death...but behold, [Joseph had,
as Mormon] seen them, and they [had] ministered unto [him while he was Mormon].”^38
Speechless, Joseph wiped away the tears of joy in being reunited with these men.
“We shall get along our way,” Timothy intervened with usual efficiency. “We can’t
keep Moroni waiting on us.”
Barely able to contain his emotions, Joseph followed the Three Nephites through
the brush and trees until they came to “the west side of the hill, not far from the top.” To
Joseph’s surprise, he saw another man sitting on the ground near “a stone of
considerable size.” It was not the expected, advanced human, Moroni; it was another
mortal man.