Joseph now saw how timely the angel's warning was.
Living thus in constant fear, Joseph could not do anything towards translating the records; so he moved, with his wife, to her old home in Pennsylvania.

While on the way an officer overtook him and searched his wagon for the plates, but could not find them.

They were there, however, safely hidden in a barrel of beans.
Arriving in Harmony, where his father-in-law lived, Joseph began to translate some of the writings on the plates.

As Joseph was a slow writer he did not make much progress, and so he asked the Lord to send someone to help him.

In answer to this request a man by the name of Martin Harris came to him from Palmyra, New York.