When Joseph was 10 his family moved to Palmyra New York.
They bought a farm and began clearing land.
They began to notice that there were many religious arguments going on. The Methodist fought for the Catholic to join them, the Catholic argued with the Presbyterian, and so forth.
Lucy, Joseph's mother, went to all of the churches taking her kids along with her. She had been trying to find the correct church of Christ her whole life.
Joseph Sr. wanted the truth like his wife, but he had felt that none of the churches were right. He disliked the arguing.
This left fourteen year old Joseph Jr. confused.
People told his family they would not be saved if they did not get baptized into their church.
Joseph decided to find out for himself which church was right. After he had read James 1:5-6, which says,
"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
"But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed."
So he did just that. On a spring morning in 1820 he went off in to the woods to pray and find out for himself.
To be continued next week...
