<​September 14. 1840​> He was born on the 12th day of July 1771 in Topsfield, Essex County, Massachusetts; he was the second of <​the​> seven sons of and Mary Smith. was born in Topsfield <​by ​> March 7th. 1744; he was the youngest son of Samuel and Priscilla Smith. Samuel was born Jany 26th. 1714, in Topsfield; he was the eldest son of <​Samuel and Rebecca Smith. Samuel was born in Topsfield Jany. 26th. 1666 and was the son of​> Robert and Mary Smith who emigrated from Old England.

My father removed with his father to Tunbridge, Orange County Vermont in 1791, and assisted in clearing a large farm of a heavy growth of Timber. He married , daughter of and Lucy <​Lydia​> Mack on the 24th of Jany. 1796 by whom he had

At his marriage he owned a handsome farm in Tunbridge: in 1802 he rented it and engaged in mercantile business, and soon after embarked in a venture of Ginseng to send to China, and was swindled out of the entire proceeds by the ship-master and agent; he was consequently obliged to sell his farm and all of his effects to pay his debts. About the year 1818 he removed to , Wayne County New York bought a farm and cleared 200 acres which he lost in consequence of not being able to pay the last installment of the purchase money at the time it was due. This was the case with a great number of farmers in who had cleared land under similar contracts. He afterwards moved to , Ontario County, New York, procured a comfortable home with 16 acres of land where he lived until he removed to Ohio. He was the first person who received my testimony after I had seen the angel, and exhorted me to be faithful and diligent to the message I had received. He was baptized April 6th 1830. In August 1830 in company with my brother , he took a mission to New York, touching on his route at several of the Canadian Ports where he distributed a few copies of the Book of Mormon, visited his father, brothers and sister residing in , bore testimony to the truth which resulted eventually in all the family coming into the Church excepting his brother Jesse and sister Susan. He removed with his family to in 1831; was ordained Patriarch and President of the High Priesthood, under the hands of , , and myself on the 18th of Decr. 1833: was a member of the First High Council organized on the 17th of Feby. 1834 (when he conferred on me and my brother a father’s blessing). In 1836 he travelled in company [p. 20 [addenda]]