For this reason Joseph did not go to school much, but he learned to read, to write fairly well, and to work some examples in arithmetic.

Though Joseph did not get much of an education at school, yet he was a great student; and then God became his teacher, so that before he died, as you will see, he became one of the most learned men in the world.
When Joseph was ten years old they all moved from Vermont to Palmyra, in the western part of the state of New York.

Four years later they moved again to the small town of Manchester, in Ontario, now Wayne County, New York.
While the family was living at Manchester there arose a great religious excitement all through the country.

The different religious sects held many meetings and tried to get people to join them.

Joseph was now in his fifteenth year and he also became interested, as his parents had always taught him to believe in God and the Bible.