Thomas B. Marsh's Conversion to the Church

Thomas B. Marsh couldn't find a church that was biblical, so he joined none. However, he had the spirit of prophecy and told his Methodist friend that he was sure that, "a new church would arise which would have the truth in its purity."

The Methodist said, "You no doubt mean to be a leader in that new sect." Thomas said, "Of that I have no intention." "Well," said his friend, "I hope you are a firebrand in that new church. Reformation is necessary." Thomas waited patiently for this new church. One day the Spirit whispered that he should travel west to the town of Lima, New York. Thomas was there for three months waiting for what the Spirit had told him to go there for. At the end of those three months, he felt defeated and began the journey home, wondering why the Spirit told him to go west. He wondered if he even had the ability to understand the Spirit or if it was the Spirit at all. A night or two into his return journey at a bed and breakfast, the hostess asked if he'd heard of that Golden Book found by that Joseph Smith.
Thomas hadn't heard of it, but he felt he must know every thing about it immediately.The lady didn't know anything about it but said he should look up Martin Harris. Thomas found Martin at the Palmyra printing office where the first sixteen pages of the Book of Mormon had just been struck off.
Martin gave him a copy and escorted him to the house of Joseph Smith Sr. where Thomas spent two days with Oliver Cowdery. Thomas returned to Boston with the sixteen pages. When he and his wife read them, they knew those sixteen pages were from God.

Thomas B. Marsh: Physician to the Church pg 21-22

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