Joseph Smith Shows Concern and Encouragement to Young Girl

A young girl lived about two miles east of Nauvoo, near Joseph Smith's farm. One day her mother sent her to Nauvoo to purchase a paper of pins and a paper of thread (items that were not sold on spools at that time). The day was sunny and sultry, and as she trudged home in the heat, a carriage drove alongside her and stopped. The driver offered her a ride home, assisted her into the seat beside him, and talked with her about what she did to help her mother and other members of the family. When they arrived at her house, the driver hopped down from the carriage, assisted her to the ground, walked her to the house, and said to her mother: 'You have an excellent daughter. Continue the excellent training you have given her and she'll grow up to be a good wife and mother, and know how to give service to those who are unfortunate.' The narrator said this experience had never been forgotten and she always remembered Brother Joseph as a kind and considerate man. The carriage driver was Joseph Smith himself, whose thoughtful attention to a young person's character and whose recognition of parental efforts demonstrated his genuine concern for individuals and families.