NARRATIVE: Mary Elizabeth Rollins was an early member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and a Mormon pioneer (April 9, 1818 – December 17, 1913). As a child, she learned about the church established by Joseph Smith and was anxious to read the book of scripture he had translated from ancient scripture and published, titled the "Book of Mormon." This is her experience in her own words:

“Quite a number of the residents of Kirtland accepted baptism. Mother and myself also, in the month of October, 1830. There was a meeting that evening, and we learned that Brother Morley had the Book [of Mormon] in his possession, the only one in that part of the country. I went to his house just before the meeting was to commence, and asked to see the book; Brother Morley put it in my hand, as I looked at it, I felt such a desire to read it, that I could not refrain from asking him to let me take it home and read it, while he attended meeting. He said it would be too late for me to take it back after meeting, and another thing, he had hardly had time to read a chapter in it himself, and but few of the brethren had even seen it, but I pled so earnestly for it, he finally said, ‘Child, if you will bring this book home before breakfast tomorrow morning, you may take it.’ He admonished me to be very careful, and see that no harm came to it.

If any person in this world was ever perfectly happy in the possession of any coveted treasure I was when I had permission to read that wonderful book. . . . We all took turns reading it until very late in the night as soon as it was light enough to see, I was up and learned the first verse in the book. When I reached Brother Morley’s they had been up for only a little while. When I handed him the book, he remarked, ‘I guess you did not read much in it.’ I showed him how far we had read. He was surprised and said, ‘I don’t believe you can tell me one word of it.’ I then repeated the first verse, also the outlines of the history of Nephi. He gazed at me in surprise, and said, ‘child, take this book home and finish it, I can wait.’

About the time I finished the last chapter, the Prophet Joseph Smith arrived in Kirtland. . . . Brother Whitney brought the Prophet Joseph to our house and introduced him to the older ones of the family (I was not in at the time.) In looking around he saw the Book of Mormon on the shelf, and asked how that book came to be there. He said, ‘I sent that book to Brother Morley.’ Uncle told him how his niece had obtained it. He asked, ‘Where is your niece?’ I was sent for; when he saw me he looked at me so earnestly, I felt almost afraid. After a moment or two he came and put his hands on my head and gave me a great blessing, the first I ever received, and made me a present of the book, and said he would give Brother Morley another.” (Source: "Autobiography of Mary E. Lightner," "The Utah Genealogical and Historical Magazine," July 1926)