Joseph knew that he had seen a glorious vision. He could not deny it, for in doing so he knew he would grievously offend God. Though only a boy he was reviled and persecuted by all classes of men. The ministers of the different churches sought especially to make life bitter for him, and the members of his family suffered with him. Joseph's pious friends of former days became his enemies and he had to seek new associations. He says that these were sometimes not the best company, and he fell into many foolish errors. Three and a half years passed, and Joseph was nearly eighteen years old. The thought began to grow in his mind that he ought to learn how he stood before the Lord. He had often felt sorry for his wrong doing and wished to seek forgiveness. The summer of 1823 had closed and autumn had begun when Joseph decided that he would again ask for light. On the evening of the 21st of September, after he had gone to bed, he began to pray. He felt certain that an answer would come, for the prayer was from his heart. He had not finished before the darkness began to disappear. The humble bed-chamber was soon ablaze with wondrous light, and in the midst he saw an angel. The form of the messenger was that of a tall and stately man. His head and neck were bare, and a graceful robe of lustrous white hung nearly to his naked ankles. The majesty of his form was increased by the exquisite beauty of his face, which shone like lightning. He stood near the bed-side but touched neither ceiling, walls nor floor. It was a spiritual sight; nothing on earth could approach it. When Joseph's momentary fear had passed away, the angel, calling him by name, began his message. He said that he was Moroni, and that he had been sent from the presence of God. He told Joseph that his sins were forgiven and that God had a great work for him to do. This work would cause his name to be known for good or for evil among all nations, kindreds and tongues. He spoke of a record engraved on plates of gold and hidden in a nearby hill, that gave the history of the former inhabitants of this land and contained the fullness of the Gospel. He described the Urim and Thummim--those two strange, transparent stones set in silver bows and fastened to a golden breastplate--and said that God had prepared them to be used in translating the record.