Description

The Book of Mormon Is a True Record

In December 1832, Joseph Smith and Jared Carter came to the area around Pontiac, Michigan preaching the Gospel. One of the families that Joseph visited was the family of Nahum and Millicent Curtis. According to family records this is the account of their visit:

“A meeting was held at my father’s house. That night after retiring, the parents were conversing upon the principles they had just listened to for the first time, when they noticed the room begin to grow light. It grew lighter and lighter until it was as bright as noonday. Then they heard a voice say, ‘Nahum, the Book of Mormon is a true record of the people that lived on this continent.’”

The family was converted, and in time, each of them joined the Church, as did some seventy others. In 1834, when Hyrum Smith led a group of recruits from Pontiac to join Zion’s Camp on the march to Missouri, Nahum and Millicent’s son, Lyman Curtis, were among those who volunteered. When Zion’s Camp was disbanded, Lyman and his new bride, Charlotte Alvord, chose to stay in Missouri. When the saints were driven from the State of Missouri by the mobs, Lyman and Charlotte were among those who made the flight between January and March 1839.

At one particular river crossing, the water had risen and their wagon was swept downstream from the ford. Their horses were unable to find good footing and couldn’t pull the wagon out of the water. Finally, men came to help them and they were able to get the wagon across the river. The account continues:

“About an hour after they got out, one of the horses, “Old Claybank,” named for his color, laid down and died. Many people gathered around the dead horse, expressing sympathy. A tall man reached through the crowd and said, ‘Mr. Curtis, here is thirty-five dollars, go and buy another horse.’ Lyman was so surprised that for a minute he could only look at the money in his hand. When he turned to thank him, the man was nowhere to be seen. Even though the crowd helped look for him, he was not found. No one had seen him come or go. With the money, they were able to buy a horse as good as the one that was lost.”

Lyman Curtis and his family were faithful members of the church. He helped in the building of the Kirtland and Nauvoo temples and was one of Joseph Smith’s bodyguards. Family records relate that Lyman was blessed by Joseph Smith, who uttered the singular prophecy that he would “strike the rock and bring forth water.” Lyman was part of Brigham Young’s original company who arrived in the valley in 1847. He returned to the east and brought his family to settle in Utah, where Joseph’s prophecy was fulfilled, as he worked to develop irrigation canals and bring water to communities in Utah.

Source:

https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/memories/KWNV-RZP

https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/memories/KWNL-NRS