The Memoirs of President Joseph Smith lll p. 14-17

Joseph Smith lll shares his amusing experience with Spiritism. He goes on to share anecdotes of life during his childhood witnessing a fight outside his school grounds where his uncle Hyrum held the coat of the man doing the hitting which young Joseph Smith lll of less than 10 years old, was not impressed by. He shares more spelling bee experiences and his love of reading and of later studying some French, German and Latin and also poetry from various countries as well as his own and shares that he had a good memory for poetry and words to recite later in life. Schooling included a Mr Kelsey in 1844 & 1845 who followed Brigham Young after Joseph Smith Jun was murdered. Among school friends were the children of Brigham Young, Sidney Rigdon, Heber C Kimball and Joseph Smith lll shares a chuckle about Joseph A Young wearing a perfume of cinnamon to school and everyone wanting to have some but next day the results were of burnt hair from the sun and essence of oil Joseph A Young put on his own head. Joseph Smith lll comments Joseph A had good humour. The Rigdon family left Nauvoo and Joseph lll didn't see them again til 1905 in Salt Lake City. Joseph Smith lll speaks of being taught good manners at school and church and to take hats off to elder folk and bow. A teacher called Mr Tripp is mentioned and memories of him being the last schooling Joseph Smith lll had before the breaking up of Nauvoo. A tender story is told of protecting his younger brother Frederick and crippled friend Geoffrey from some menacing boys by whacking them with a strong umbrella and telling his mum about it when she asked why her umbrella was somewhat mishappen. Joseph often speaks of difficulty with arithmetic and goes on to teach himself book keeping and arithmetic and having some teaching in law and also studied physiology, phrenology, biographies of celebrated men, world histories, as a young adult and working as a clerk and at the postoffice while his mother Emma ran a hotel from her home boarding people before and after her second marriage.