Joseph Smith may have been alone when he experienced his First
Vision and subsequently met with the angel Moroni, but he did
not stand alone in his home. His mother, father, and siblings
formed a supportive family network. He could confide in his
parents. He could rely on his siblings. Joseph’s wife, Emma,
bore with Joseph the demands and strains of leadership,
opposition, and persecution. Other friends, such as Martin
Harris, Oliver Cowdery, and David and John Whitmer, stood with
Joseph as he brought forth the Book of Mormon, organized the
Church, and embarked upon his quest to build a Zion society.
Equally notable among those whose connections strengthened and
sustained Joseph during his many trials and travails were the
extended Knight family and their neighbors in Colesville, New
York. Allying themselves with the young Joseph Smith, they
followed him into the budding Church, defended him, and formed
the nucleus of one of the first branches of the Church. The
story of the Knights and the Colesville Branch