The home was originally constructed near the home of Emma's parents — Isaac and Elizabeth Hale — who first became acquainted with both Joseph Smith and his father, Joseph Sr., in 1825 when the two boarded with the Hales while they working under contract in the area then known as Harmony, Pa. The younger Smith became fond of the Hales' young daughter, and though Isaac Hale disliked their budding romance, the two were married in January 1827.

The new couple spent most of the time between December 1827 and August 1830 living in Harmony, where the young prophet translated the bulk of the Book of Mormon, with Emma Smith, Martin Harris and Oliver Cowdery serving as scribes.

Now known as Oakland township, both the Smith and Hale homes' former foundations reside close to a marker the LDS Church has erected there. Sculpted by Avard Fairbanks, it describes what Latter-day Saints believe occurred along the banks of the Susquehanna River, a few hundred yards from the former Smith home.

On May 15, 1829, Joseph Smith recorded that he and scribe Oliver Cowdery were visited by John the Baptist, who conferred the priesthood of Aaron on them — which included the authority to baptize — before directing them to baptize each other in the river. The event was a precursor to the formal establishment of the LDS Church in 1830 — the 175th anniversary of which is also being celebrated this year.

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