March 18, 1843

Nauvoo, Illinois

Joseph Smith spent most of the morning in the office in “cheerful conversation” with Willard Richards and others. About noon he lay down on the writing table with his head on a pile of law books and said, “Write and tell the world I acknowledge myself a very great lawyer; I am going to study law, and this is the way I study it.” He then fell asleep. Later that day he played ball with some boys.