One day in October, 1833, a wagon load of people stopped at the door, and great was the surprise of all, when the party proved to be old Mr., and Mrs. Nickerson and the youngest son, Levi, who, of course, was Freeman's brother. They had with them two strange men. But we will let another chapter tell who and what they were.
CHAPTER III.
Although so remote from the States, rumors of a new prophet and a "golden bible" had reached Mount Pleasant, and had been wondered over and commented upon.
Freeman had been told that his parents had joined the new Church, and he was rather disgusted with the information.
It will be necessary to say here that the old gentleman was indeed full of the gospel he had embraced, and was so anxious for the eternal welfare of his sons in Canada, that he had hitched up his carriage, gone on a visit to Kirtland and prevailed upon the Prophet Joseph Smith and Elder Sidney Rigdon to accompany him on a visit to his sons, Moses and Freeman, in Mount Pleasant.
These two brethren were the strangers who were with the aged parents.
"Well father," said Freeman when told who they were, "I will welcome them for your sake, but I would just about as soon you had brought a nest of vipers and turned them loose upon us."
Moses and Freeman were wealthy merchants and men of influence in Mount Pleasant. On the evening of the arrival, after the bustle of welcome and a warm supper were over, everyone was too tired to talk, so all retired to rest. Next morning many were the curious glances that Lydia cast at this strange man who dared to call himself a prophet.
She saw a tall, well-built form, with the carriage of an Apollo, brown hair, handsome blue eyes, which seemed to dive down to the innermost thoughts with their sharp, penetrating gaze, a striking countenance, and with manners at once majestic yet gentle, dignified yet exceedingly pleasant.
Elder Rigdon was a middle-aged man of medium hight, stout and quite good-looking, but without the noble grandeur that was so distinguishing a mark of the prophet.