Choice of careers within the Cowdery family further indicates he importance they placed on education. Oliver's brother Lyman becamea lawyer and judge. Brothers Warren and Dyar became doctors. Warren's son Marcellus, who lived with Oliver in his youth, became a well- known educator in Ohio. Although it is difficult to piece together much of Oliver's early life, there are several interesting questions which arise from what is known about the Vermont period. The first is that of the family relationship between Joseph Smith, Jr., and Oliver Cowdery. Oliver's mother, Rebecca Fuller Cowdery, was the great-granddaughter of John Fuller and Mehitabel Rowely, who were also the second great-grandparents of Lucy Mack, Joseph Smith, Jr.'s mother. In addition, Mary Gates, a cousin of Joseph's maternal grandmother (Lydia Gates Mack) was married to Nathaniel Cowdery, Jr., the brother of William Cowdery, Oliver's grandfather. Both families, the Smiths and the Cowderys, lived in Vermont less than fifty miles apart. Neither Joseph nor Oliver wrote about their family relationship. In fact, both men suggested that they first met in April 1829 in Harmony, Pennsylvania.

. . .

Another question, which has its roots in Vemont, involves the controversy over the authorship of the Book of Mormon. A popular theory is that Joseph Smith, Jr., with the aid of Oliver Cowdery, took the plot for the book from Ethan Smith's View Of The Hebrews; Or The Tribes Of Israel In America. Ethan Smith was the pastor of the Congregational Church in Poultney, Vemont, the same small town where Oliver lived. Church records indicate that a "Mr Cowdery' had three children baptized there on August 2, 1818: "Rebeka Marie, Lucy, and Phoebe"—the same names as Oliver's half sisters. Mrs. Cowdery, the former Mrs. Keziah Pearce Austin, had been formally enrolled as a member of the same church.

The Cowdery family had a heritage in the Congregational church. In Reading, Vermont, on June 26, 1787, a Congregational church was organized, and William Cowdery was chosen as one of the four deacons. A deacon in the Congregational church of this period served as a lay preacher and occupied the pulpit occasionally. William Cowdery, Oliver's grandfather, traveled and conducted services for twenty years after the death of the pastor. In light of Oliver's grandfather's involvement in the Congregational church, it would seem likely that Oliver's family would have been actively involved in the Congregational Church of Poultney.

The first edition of View Of The Hebrews was published in 1823. In small towns news travels fast, and having a published author in town would have been news. The book addressed Indian origins, a matter of curiosity for many of that time. Ethan Smith's theory traced Indian origins back to Israel. Likewise, the Book of Mormon supported the theory that Indian origins could be traced to Israel. A second edition of the book was published in 1825, which would suggest that the book had received some degree of popularity. It is possible that Oliver would have been familiar with the book and plausible that he would have read it. He may have had discussions with Ethan Smith concerning his views on American Indian origins. It is unlikely he would not have known about the book, as Ethan Smith was the minister of his stepmother's church, and the book itself was successful. The question this information poses is, If Oliver was familiar with Ethan Smith's book, what effect, if any, did that have on the way in which the Book of Mormon was produced?

One plausible sequence of events is the following: Oliver's natural curiosity and desire for learning led him to read Ethan Smith's book. He may also have read the Travels of Lewis and Clark published in 1809, which also proposed the theory that American Indians were the lost tribes of Israel. Upon hearing about Joseph and the plates, his interest was sparked. He set out to find the answers to the theories which had intrigued him. He may have been psychologically and spiritually prepared for his encounter with Joseph Smith by being familiar with View of the Hebrews.

. . .

Oliver's older brothers and sisters had preceded him. By today's standards it is difficult to think of this move as significant. However, in 1825 much of New York State was wilderness. Walking often was the mode of travel for many poor travelers, and for those with money, searching for real speed and comfort, there was only the covered wagon. There were still problems with the Indians, and villages were scattered. Oliver's advantage over other pioneers was that his brothers and sisters already had settled and offered him a place of security.

. . .

As with the Vermont period, little is known of this three-year period when Oliver first moved to New York State. He may have worked for a time in Palmyra. How long he held particular jobs is unknown. Likewise, we are not certain who he lived with. He may have lived with his brother Lyman. The exact date of his father's arrival also is not known other than it occurred before 1828. Apparently nothing of great consequence happened in his life during this period or at least nothing he found noteworthy.

In 1828 an outstanding job opportunity came to Oliver through his brother Lyman who had accepted a job as a schoolmaster for the village of Manchester, New York. After accepting the job Lyman was unable to follow through with the assignment. Lucy Smith writes, "Circumstances had transpired which rendered it necessary for him to disappoint them, or which would not allow of his attending to the school himself." Lyman suggested that the trustees hire Oliver in his place, and Oliver's career as a teacher was launched.

. . .

Oliver's curiosity naturally would have led him to pursue the facts behind the stories of the "Gold Bible." If he was familiar with Ethan Smith's book, he would have been especially interested in Joseph's claim that the plates were a record of the lost tribes which were the ancestors of the American Indian. If Joseph's claim were true, it would validate theoies Oliver had heard and read about. Encouraged by the stories of Joseph, Sr., and Lucy, Oliver's interest grew rapidly. His inquisitiveness, no doubt, provided for interesting hours of sharing between himself and the elder Smiths. As his knowledge concerning the plates increased, his desire to meet Joseph face to face intensified. Bombarded with information he was left with many unanswered questions, and he turmed to God for reassurance. From this encounter, Oliver was filled with a compelling drive to follow the prompting he felt within him to go see Joseph in Harmony, Pennsylvania.