As Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdrey worked on the translation of Third Nephi in the Book of Mormon,
they came across the record of Jesus Christ teaching
how baptism should be administered by one holding authority from God.
After pondering the Savior’s teachings, Oliver and Joseph desired to know more
about this Priesthood authority.
Joseph and Oliver later recorded, that on May 15, 1829
they went out into the woods near Joseph’s home in Harmony, Pennsylvania to inquire of the Lord.
Their simple act of reading the Book of Mormon and taking their question to the Lord,
brought about the miraculous restoration of the Priesthood.
Over the past almost 200 years, this incredible scene has been depicted repeated times
in both film and art.
One of the earliest depictions, a photograph taken in 1907,
has interestingly also lead to some of the greatest confusion about the story.
The picture was taken by George Anderson
who was the first Latter-Day Saint to photograph many of the early Church History sites,
including the Susquehanna Valley.
The photograph showed the river framed by trees,
with the caption “Susquehanna River on the banks of which the Aaronic Priesthood was conferred.”
As the photo began to be circulated in several publications, the image that the visitation of John the Baptist,
taking place on the very edge of the river, began to solidify in the minds of many.
However, it was not until historians began researching the story more closely,
for the purpose of reconstructing the home of Joseph and Emma in Harmony
that a clear picture of the significant event began to unfold.
With this new information we can piece together
a fairly accurate picture of the restoration of the Aaronic Priesthood.
In 1827 Joseph and Emma moved to Harmony, Pennsylvania
because of the intense persecution they faced while living in Palmyra, New York.
Upon arriving in Harmony, Emma and Joseph lived with Emma’s parents, Isaac and Elizabeth Hale.
After a short period the couple moved to a small home on a 13-acre lot
just down the road from the Hales.
It is here where much of the Book of Mormon was translated
and where Emma gave birth to their first infant son, who tragically died shortly after birth.
In April 1829, Oliver Cowdery arrived at the Smith’s home,
where he acted as the primary scribe for the Book of Mormon.
About a month later Joseph and Oliver went into a grove of trees
to inquire of the Lord about the authority to baptize.
From historical records, we know that the southern most part of the Smith Farm near
the river, was largely cleared of trees and used as a pasture land for animals.
We also know that the spring of 1829 was an unusually wet year which caused flooding,
putting Joseph’s pasture near the river, underwater.
In addition, Joseph’s land bordering the river was part of a large waterway known as
one of America’s great highways, frequented by upwards of eighty boats and rafts a day.
This means that the river would have been a busy thoroughfare with few trees to give privacy,
and a flooded area, making it a very poor location to choose for praying to God.
We also know that in 1829 virtually all of the property around Joseph was privately owned
and trespassing onto others property was not only illegal
but could cause even more local opposition to the already tender situation.
This would mean that Joseph would need to find a place within his own property to pray with Oliver.
With the southern part near the river being pasture land and visible to river traffic,
the central portion being near their home and local road, the only wooded private area
was to the north, in a small grove of maple trees.
This small grove would provide the perfect place to ask of God.
With this historical setting in mind, it appears that Joseph and Oliver
prayed in the seclusion of this maple grove and then later in the evening when there would be less traffic on the river,
they baptized each other.
The events of that day May 15, 1829 will forever bless the lives of the Children of God.
All of which started because Joseph and Oliver pondered and studied the Book of Mormon.