Moroni's Appearances to Joseph Smith

The angel Moroni appeared to Joseph Smith multiple times over several years, beginning in 1823, to instruct him on his future mission and the restoration of the Gospel, including the location of the golden plates.

In his history, Joseph Smith describes the angel's physical appearance in greater detail, noting that he wore a loose robe of 'exquisite whiteness' that was open to reveal his bosom, with his hands, arms, feet, and legs bare above the wrists and ankles. The messenger also warned Smith that Satan would attempt to tempt him due to his father's indigent circumstances to seek the plates for financial gain, emphasizing that he must have no motive other than glorifying God. After his third vision in the bedroom, Smith recounts how, while attempting to work the next morning, he collapsed from exhaustion and lost consciousness, only to have the messenger appear a fourth time to command him to inform his father of the vision. Following his father's instruction, Smith went to the Hill Cumorah and, by removing a stone covering with a lever, looked into a stone box to see the plates, the Urim and Thummim, and the breastplate, though he was forbidden from removing them at that time.

Fuller account of this event (in the witness’s own words):

On the evening of the above-mentioned twenty-first of September, after I had retired to my bed for the night, I betook myself to prayer and supplication to Almighty God for forgiveness of all my sins and follies, and also for a manifestation to me, that I might know of my state and standing before him; for I had full confidence in obtaining a divine manifestation, as I previously had one. While I was thus in the act of calling upon God, I discovered a light appearing in my room, which continued to increase until the room was lighter than at noonday, when immediately a personage appeared at my bedside, standing in the air, for his feet did not touch the floor. He had on a loose robe of most exquisite whiteness. It was a whiteness beyond anything earthly I had ever seen; nor do I believe that any earthly thing could be made to appear so exceedingly white and brilliant. His hands were naked, and his arms also, a little above the wrist; so, also, were his feet naked, as were his legs, a little above the ankles. His head and neck were also bare. I could discover that he had no other clothing on but this robe, as it was open, so that I could see into his bosom. Not only was his robe exceedingly white, but his whole person was glorious beyond description, and his countenance truly like lightning. The room was exceedingly light, but not so very bright as immediately around his person. When I first looked upon him, I was afraid; but the fear soon left me. He called me by name, and said unto me that he was a messenger sent from the presence of God to me, and that his name was Moroni; that God had a work for me to do; and that my name should be had for good and evil among all nations, kindreds, and tongues, or that it should be both good and evil spoken of among all people. He said there was a book deposited, written upon gold plates, giving an account of the former inhabitants of this continent, and the source from whence they sprang. He also said that the fulness of the everlasting Gospel was contained in it, as delivered by the Savior to the ancient inhabitants; Also, that there were two stones in silver bows—and these stones, fastened to a breastplate, constituted what is called the Urim and Thummim—deposited with the plates; and the possession and use of these stones were what constituted “seers” in ancient or former times; and that God had prepared them for the purpose of translating the book.