Joseph Holbrook was born on 17 January 1806 in Florence, Oneida, New York. He was the first child born to Moses and Hannah Holbrook, who were farmers on a piece of land that was part of "Scriba's Patent." Joseph studied hard and became a teacher. He also hired himself out as a farm laborer and worked as a miner. While working as a miner, Joseph met Nancy Lampson. He married her on December 30, 1830. Joseph was a religious man. He began to hear about "Mormonites" in 1832. After attending a meeting where a universal preacher read an article from a Mormon magazine, Joseph frantically began to search for ways to obtain a Book of Mormon. His wife became convinced that the Church was true and the two of them were baptized in January 1833. He was called as a missionary in 1833 and traveled east from Kirtland to preach with his companion, Truman O. Angel. His wife survived cholera at Zion's Camp with the help of Brigham Young and others, but his mother died of quick consumption in 1836. He was driven from his home in Far West. His home was burned and his livestock and bushels of corn were stolen or destroyed, and sisters of the Church were abused. He and his family crossed the Mississippi River. His wife died in 16 July 1842. He married Hannah Flint on 1 January 1843. Joseph received his temple ordinances in the Nauvoo temple on 6 February 1846, on the same day as five hundred other Latter-day Saints.