Although a mere humble widow's son, I felt proud and blessed of God, when he honored us by coming under our roof and partaking of our hospitality. Oh! how my heart swelled with delightful emotions of heavenly love, as I selected and presented to him some of our choice apples in exchange for the golden nuggets of celestial truth, which he bestowed upon us as he partook of the humble but hearty hospitality of a widow's table! We were proud, indeed, to entertain one who had conversed with the Father and the Son, and been under the tuition of an angel from Heaven, and who, under the immediate direction of the Almighty, had organized the true church on the earth, after the exact pattern of that organized by God, through Jesus Christ, eighteen hundred years before. In parting from under our roof the Prophet expressed a desire to have a loan of a large English Book of Martyrs which we possessed, promising to return it to us when he should meet us again in Zion, in the State of Missouri, which he did, and on returning it he said, "I have, by the aid of the Urim and Thummim, seen those martyrs, and they were honest, devoted followers of Christ, according to the light they possessed, and they will be saved." For the benefit of those who have not been privileged to meet our beloved martyred Prophet, I deem it a favor to present the picture, with the incidents here narrated, for the pleasure and consideration of all who may peruse them. Joseph Smith was born December 23rd, 1805, in Sharon, Windsor County, Vermont. At about the age of eight years, he passed through an ordeal which gave remarkable evidence of heroic fortitude and indomitable power of will, under intense bodily suffering. After recovering from a severe typhus fever, a fever sore affected his leg and threatened him with the loss of the limb. Under these circumstances, a consultation of physicians was held, and after making an incision eight inches in length, and examining the bone, they decided that, if his life was to be saved, amputation of the member was absolutely necessary. This operation, however, was so strongly opposed by both parents and son that the doctors finally concluded to remove the affected parts of the bone. Accordingly, they called for a strong cord to bind the lad, and were intending to give him a stimulant; but to all this our young hero most decidedly objected, saying, "I will not touch one particle of liquor, neither will I be tied down; but I will have my father sit on the bed and hold me in his arms, and then I will do whatever is necessary to have the bone taken out." By drilling into the bone on each side of the part affected, three pieces of bone were extracted, the removal being made with a pair of forceps. The manhood and willpower of this noble youth of eight years, under so trying an ordeal, foreshadowed the story of his life--a life fraught with matchless heroism, under all manner of persecution, trials, imprisonments, hardships and finally martyrdom.