Lyman Wight Journal
Common-stock families of Kirtland area. Visit of the Lamanite missionaries. 130 baptized in 7 weeks.
Community of Christ [RLDS] historians report the Lyman Wight journal is no longer extant. Before it perished, however, the following passages were entered into the RLDS history.   The Impact, 484n32.
History of the RLDS, 151–154.
May 1829 hears Sidney

Baptized 		I resided in this place [Warrensville, Ohio] till 1829, about the month of May, when I heard Sidney Rigdon preach what was then called the Rigdonite doctrine. After [152] hearing him go through the principle of baptism for the remission of sins I went forward and was baptized by his hands.  
John Murdock August [same year] my wife was baptized together with John Murdock and many others by S. Rigdon.
    
All things in common I now began to look at the doctrine of the apostles pretty closely, and especially that part contained in the second chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, where they had all things common.
    
Covenant with Isaac Morley, Titus Billings

February 1830 to Kirtland		 In consideration of this doctrine I went to Kirtland, about twenty miles, to see Bro. I. Morley and Billings, after some conversation on the subject we entered [153] into a covenant to make our interests one as anciently. In conformity to this covenant I moved the next February [1830] to Kirtland, into the house with Bro. Morley. We commenced our labors together with great peace and union.    
Eight more families We were soon joined by eight other families. Our labors were united both in farming and mechanism, all of which was prosecuted with great vigor.    
Millennium close We truly began to feel as if the millennium was close at hand.    
To l ead branch of 5 Mayfield families

Everything moved smoothly on till about the first of November. About this time five families concluded to join us in the town of Mayfield, about seven miles up the river. They owning each a good farm and mills, it was concluded best to establish a branch there; accordingly I was appointed to go and take the charge of the same.

    
Parley, Oliver, Peter, Ziba

Book of Mormon

Good-natured

When I had my goods about half loaded, there came along four men; namely, P. Pratt, O. Cowdery, P. Whitmer, and Ziba Peterson, and brought with them the Book of Mormon, which they wished to introduce to us. I desired they would hold on till I got away, as my business was of vital importance, and I did not wish to be troubled with romances nor idle speculators. But nothing daunted they were not to be put off, but were as good-natured as you please. Curiosity got uppermost, and I concluded to stop for a short time.

   
One saw angels, another saw plates, spiritual gifts

We called meeting and one testified that he had seen angels, and another that he had seen the plates, and that the gifts were back in the church again, etc.

   
Long meeting

The meeting became so interesting withal that I did not get away till the sun was about an hour high at night, and it was dark before I arrived at my new home.

   
Destination Missouri

But I amused myself by thinking that the trouble was over, and that I should not see them again for a long time, supposing they would start the next morning for the western boundary of the State of Missouri; but in this I was very much disappointed.

    
7 weeks, 130 baptized But to describe the scenes of the next seven weeks, [in] which one scene would be as interesting as another, would fill quite a large volume. I shall therefore content myself by saying, that they brought the Book of Mormon to bear upon us, and the whole of the common stock family was baptized. And during the seven weeks they tarried they succeeded in building [154] up a church of one hundred and thirty members.    
November 1830 baptized, confirmed, ordained Myself and family were baptized by P. Pratt on the 14th of November, 1830, in Shageen [Chagrin] River, at Kirtland, Ohio. I was confirmed on the 18th by O. Cowdery, and on the 20th ordained an elder by the same.    
    Primary sources
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