The boy, Joseph Smith, was present in the massing of men and women, in a "psychological crowd," so-called, in a camp-meeting even. There were skilful speakers present to engage the attention and to play upon the chords of imagination and emotion. While he was neither wholly primitive, nor very superstitious, he was, to be sure, unlettered. He had certainly not passed through the higher stages of culture and experience. Indeed, there was present in him a combination of conditions--physical, mental, and social--that would lead one to expect in him the usual display of emotional excitement in a sympathetic religious movement. Yet, he displayed unusual self-restraint through it all. He was not "brought under the mysterious and potent influence of the psychological 'crowd.'" He confesses to experiencing feelings both deep and poignant, and to becoming excited at times; yet he kept himself aloof from all the contending parties. He seemed to possess a strongly developed "capacity for individual self-control." He became somewhat partial to the Methodists; but since he could not determine, amid such scenes of confusion and strife, whether or not they were wholly right, he refrained from allying himself with any sect. While his friends and associates lost themselves in a kind of religious frenzy, this boy, scarce fourteen years of age, asserted his independence of thought and feeling, and held himself aloof from the religious excitement of his day. However, it must not be forgotten that his mind was exercised over religious conditions. He longed to know the truth. He sought earnestly to find it out. And in a condition of calmness, clearness of vision and perfect self-control--perplexed in mind, but not weakened by emotion or excitement--Joseph Smith, Junior, sought the Lord in prayer. From that moment, almost, the name of the Smiths became known the world over for good or for ill. II. A VISION OF THE FATHER AND THE SON. It was a clear, beautiful morning in the early spring. Joseph Smith, the boy, awoke from his slumbers with an insistent desire to know what church he should join. The revival was drawing to a close. If he were to be "converted" during the progress of the revival, he must "get religion" soon. Yet, he could not determine which of the contending sects was right. Only one thing seemed indelibly impressed upon his mind. It was the sermon of his friend, the Rev. Mr. Lane of the Methodist church, and the golden text of James. That, especially, seemed to weigh upon him. He found the text in his own Bible, and read again the golden words, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him."