Then on September 21, 1823, Joseph Smith was visited by the angel Moroni, who disclosed to him the depository of the ancient records from which the Book of Mormon has been since translated. Part of the angel's message on this occasion, as recorded in the words of the latter-day prophet, was "that God had a work for me to do; and that my name should be had for good and evil among all nations, kindreds, and tongues, or that it should be both good and evil spoken of among all people." (Pearl of Great Price, p. 89.) Is it conceivable that an unschooled youth, of obscure parentage and humble surroundings, would venture to assert such future distinction without the assurance of unmistakable commission? Another of Moroni's predictions is thus stated by Joseph Smith: "He informed me of great judgments which were coming upon the earth, with great desolations by famine, sword, and pestilence; and that these grievous judgments would come on the earth in this generation." Furthermore, the angel cited Scripture from both the Old Testament and the New, relating to the gathering of Israel, vicarious work for the dead, and other characteristics of the last days, declaring that all these earlier prophecies were about to be fulfilled. In 1832 a revelation was received by Joseph Smith definitely foretelling the civil war in this country, and specifying the defection of the State of South Carolina as the beginning. This portentous prediction followed: "The days will come that war will be poured out upon all nations," and that by bloodshed, famine, plagues, as well as by earthquakes and other destructive natural agencies, the inhabitants of the earth would be brought into mourning and humility. -- 6 -- WHEAT AND WEEDS Successive Apostasies from the Gospel "THE kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field; But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat." (Matt. 13:24-25.) So hath it been from the beginning; so will it be until the end. The Lord God gave commandment unto Adam, and straightway Satan countered with sophistry and falsehood disguised as half the truth. Adam preached the Gospel and administered its essential ordinances amongst his posterity; "And Satan came among them, saying: I am also a son of God; and he commanded them, saying: Believe it not; and they believed it not, and they loved Satan more than God. And men began from that time forth to be carnal, sensual, and devilish." (Pearl of Great Price, p. 21.) Thus, even during the lifetime of the first patriarch, many of his descendants fell into apostasy and denied the God with whom their great progenitor had talked face to face.