Samuel H. Smith Receives His Own Revelation in the Woods at Harmony (1829)

In the spring of 1829, while Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery were engaged in the translation of the Book of Mormon in Harmony, Pennsylvania, Samuel H. Smith visited them. Samuel, who had been raised in a religious home, listened to their message and read portions of the translated manuscript but was not easily convinced of its claims. Desiring to know the truth for himself, he retired into the woods near his brother’s home to pray fervently and secretly, seeking wisdom from a merciful God to guide his judgment. His prayer was answered with a powerful spiritual confirmation; he received personal revelations that convinced him of the truth of the work. Following this spiritual experience, Samuel returned to the house filled with the Holy Spirit, glorifying and praising God. Shortly thereafter, on May 25, 1829, he was baptized by Oliver Cowdery in the waters of Pennsylvania, marking his entrance into the faith as one of the earliest converts and eventually one of the Eight Witnesses of the Book of Mormon.

Fuller account of this event (as retold in History of the Church (Manuscript), book A-1, 19):

He was not, however, very easily persuaded of these things, but after much enquiry and explanation he retired into the woods, in order that he might obtain of a merciful God, wisdom to enable him to judge for himself. The result was that he obtained revelations for himself sufficient to convince him of the truth of our assertions to him, and on the twenty-fifth day of May, 1829, Oliver Cowdery baptized him.