| Response | Joseph Smith | 1826 Trial |

An account from

Joseph Smith and His Progenitors
by Lucy Mack Smith

A short time before the house was completed, a man by the name of Josiah Stoal, came from Chenango County, New York, with the view of getting Joseph to assist him in digging for a silver mine1. He came for Joseph on account of having heard that he possessed certain keys, by which he could discern things invisible to the natural eye.

Joseph endeavored to divert him from his vain pursuit, but he was inflexible in his purpose, and offered high wages to those who would dig for him, in search of said mine, and still insisted upon having Joseph to work for him. Accordingly, Joseph and several others returned with him and commenced digging. After laboring for the old gnetleman about a month, wihtout success, Joseph prevailed upon him to cease his operations; and it was from this circumstance of having worked by the month, at digging for a silver mine, that the very prevalent story arose of Joseph's being a money-digger.

During the time that I was thus employed, I was put to board with a Mr. Isaac Hale, of that place; it was there I first saw my wife (his daughter), Emma Hale. On the 18th of January, 1827, we were married, while I was yet employed in the service of Mr. Stoal. (p. 102-103)


1This project of Stoal's was undertaken from this cause--an old document had fallen into his possession, in some way or other, containing information of silver mines being somewhere in the neighborhood in which he resided.