A conference was called in November (1836—A. K.) and I was ordained an elder. I immediately formed a circuit and began to travel, preaching every night. My nephew, a young man, traveled and labored with me. One night we had appointed a meeting at a private house. After the meeting was closed a man came to me and asked me how this doctrine that I was preaching came into the world, and I told him in response all that I had been told concerning it and the origin of the Book of Mormon. The man sat down beside me, and just then my brother's son arose and began speaking in tongues, and immediately I was carried away in a vision and stood on the hill of Cumorah.

I looked and saw the box containing the plates. I stood at the southeast of the box, and the cover was removed from the southeast to the northwest corner, so that I was enabled to look into the box. The box was made of six stones, a bottom stone, a top one and four sides stones; at the corners and edges they were joined by a black cement. The bottom of the box was covered by the breastplate; in the center of the box and resting on the breastplate, were three pillars of the same black substance that was used to cement the stones.

Upon the pillars rested the plates which shone like bright gold. I saw also lying in the box a round body, wrapped in a white substance, and this I knew to be the ball or directors which so many years ago guided Lehi and his family to this land. The top stone of the box was smooth on the inner surface as were the others, but on the top it was rounded.

All this was described by the young man speaking in tongues, and as he talked I understood all he said, for I saw it in the vision. Thus was fulfilled the prophecy that had been pronounced upon my head, and the Spirit of the Lord said to me that this had been granted me that I might speak with certain knowledge when questioned concerning the origin of the Book of Mormon and the latter day work.

—Autumn Leaves, February, 1900.