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Get to Know Joseph Part 11: Pages Lost, Power to Translate Lost

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Joseph Smith and Martin Harris worked together on the translation of the gold plates into English from spring to early summer of 1828.  By June 14, 1828, Smith and Harris had translated 116 pages of the manuscript.  Martin Harris’s wife Lucy doubted the work of translation.  She felt Harris was being deceived by Joseph.

Martin wanted to prove the validity of what he and Joseph were working on by showing Lucy the pages they had translated.  Martin asked Joseph if he could take the transcript home with him to show his wife.  Joseph Smith asked the Lord for permission and received a negative response.

Martin was not satisfied with the response and asked Joseph to ask again.  Again, Joseph petitioned the Lord and received the same response.  Still, Martin needed to convince his wife and asked Joseph to again ask the Lord.

After much hesitation by Joseph and many solicitations by Martin, Joseph asked and received the answer that Martin could take the pages with the stipulation that he only shows the pages to his wife, his brother, his parents, and Lucy’s sister.  Martin made Joseph a covenant that he would only show those individuals but ultimately broke that covenant.

During Martin Harris’s absence, the Smiths became first-time parents.  Emma gave birth to a boy, but the newborn only lived a short time before he passed away.  Emma’s grief was immense and she wished for death herself.  Emma’s depression continued for two weeks and Joseph struggled to sleep from worry.

As Emma began to recover Joseph’s anxiety turned from his wife to Martin Harris.  It had been nearly three weeks since  Joseph had given Martin the 116 pages and Joseph had not received any word from Martin.  Emma eventually brought up Martin Harris and offered to stay with her mother while Joseph went to Palmyra, New York to find Harris.

The Journey Back

The journey back to Palmyra was not an easy one for Joseph Smith.  He was troubled by Martin’s lack of communication and though Joseph was already worn out, he was unable to sleep all night or take food because of the possible condemnation he and Martin were under.

The stage did not take Joseph all the way to Palmyra and with twenty miles remaining, Joseph was forced to travel by foot.  Before departing a kind passenger offered to accompany Joseph to the Smith home.  When Joseph and the kind stranger arrived the stranger told Lucy Mack Smith that for the final four miles he was required to lead Joseph by the arm because Joseph would fall asleep as he was walking.

Joseph ate a small amount then immediately requested for someone to send for Martin Harris.  At eight o’clock the family set a meal on the table expecting Martin Harris at any moment.  Hours passed with no sign of Martin.  It wasn’t until half-past twelve that Harris was spotted walking slowly towards the house with his eyes downcast.

Martin Harris stopped at the gate and got on the fence, sitting there for a while with his hat over his eyes.  Harris eventually entered the house and sat down as if to eat with a knife and fork in hand.  Hyrum Smith remarked about Martin’s lack of eating at which Harris put his hands to his temples and cried, “Oh, I have lost my soul!  I have lost my soul!”

Joseph lept up from the table and exclaimed, “Martin, have you lost the manuscript?  Have you broken your oath, and brought down condemnation upon my head as well as your own?”

All Is Lost! All is Lost!

Martin Harris honestly answered Joseph’s exclamation and responded, “Yes; it is gone, and I do not know where.”

Pacing the room Joseph wept, “All is lost!  All is lost!  What shall I do? I have sinned–it is I who tempted the wrath of God.  I should have been satisfied with the first answer which I received from the Lord; for he told me that it was not safe to let the writing go out of my possession.” (History of Joseph Smith by His Mother, 125-29)

Following that encounter Joseph received a revelation from the Lord in which Joseph is reprimanded, “Behold, you should have not feared man more than God.” (D&C 3:7)

For a time Joseph Smith was not allowed to translate from the plates of the Book of Mormon.

 

Image Credit: Personally composited two images from public use images provided from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

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Get to Know Joseph Part 10: “I Cannot Read a Sealed Book”

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Once Joseph and Emma Smith arrived in Pennsylvania the translation of the plates commenced.  Joseph began by copying characters from the gold plates then he used the Urim and Thummim to translate the characters.  The Urim and Thummim are made up of two parts.  The first is what we could consider eyeglasses.  The second was a breastplate to which the glasses were attached. The Urim and Thummim were deposited in the stone box with the plates.

Martin Harris soon visited Joseph and arranged to take a copy of the characters to New York City to get verification of the authenticity of ancient characters.  Martin relates his experience:

I went to the city of New York, and presented the characters which had been translated, with the translation thereof, to Professor Charles Anthon, a gentleman celebrated for his literary attainments.  Professor Anthon stated that the translation was correct, more so than any he ahd before seen traslated from the Egyptian.  I then showed him those which were net yet translated, and he said that they were Egyptian, Chaldaic, Assyriac, and Arabic; and he said they were true characters.  He gave me a certificate, certifying to the people of Palmyra that they were true characters, and that the translation of such of them as had been translated was also correct.  I took the certificate and put it into my pocket, and was just leaving the house, when Mr. Anthon called me back, and asked how the young man found out that there were gold plates in the place where he found them.  I answered that an angel of God had revealed it unto him.

He then said to me, “Let me see that certificate.”  I accordingly took it out of my pocket and gave it to him, when he took it and tore it to pieces, saying that there was no such thing now as minstering of angels, and that if I would bring the plates to him he would translate them.  I informed himthat part of the plates were sealed, and that I was forbidden to bring them.  He replied, “I cannot read a sealed book.”  I left him and went to Dr. Mitchell, who sanctioned what Professor Anthon had said respecting both the characters and the translation. (Joseph Smith–History 1:64-65)

Prophecy Fulfilled!

What Martin Harris may not have realized at that time was that he had been a character in a revelation given by Isaiah:

11 And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed:

12 And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned.   (Isaiah 29:11-12)

Martin Harris was convinced of the validity of the translation of the plates and began assisting Joseph Smith in the translation.

Continue reading in Get to Know Joseph Part 11: Pages Lost, Power to Translate Lost

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A Proclamation for the Prophet Joseph Smith

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The First Presidency and Council of the Twelve Apostles (The prophet and the leadership of the Church) celebrated the bicentennial year of Joseph Smith’s vision with Jesus Christ and God the Father by giving the world a proclamation about the Prophet Joseph Smith.  You can get to know the life of Joseph Smith by reading more here.

 

The Restoration of the Fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ

A Bicentennial Proclamation to the World

The First Presidency and Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

This proclamation was read by President Russell M. Nelson as part of his message at the 190th Annual General Conference, April 5, 2020, in Salt Lake City, Utah.

We solemnly proclaim that God loves His children in every nation of the world. God the Father has given us the divine birth, the incomparable life, and the infinite atoning sacrifice of His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ. By the power of the Father, Jesus rose again and gained the victory over death. He is our Savior, our Exemplar, and our Redeemer.

Two hundred years ago, on a beautiful spring morning in 1820, young Joseph Smith, seeking to know which church to join, went into the woods to pray near his home in upstate New York, USA. He had questions regarding the salvation of his soul and trusted that God would direct him.

In humility, we declare that in answer to his prayer, God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, appeared to Joseph and inaugurated the “restitution of all things” (Acts 3:21) as foretold in the Bible. In this vision, he learned that following the death of the original Apostles, Christ’s New Testament Church was lost from the earth. Joseph would be instrumental in its return.

We affirm that under the direction of the Father and the Son, heavenly messengers came to instruct Joseph and re-establish the Church of Jesus Christ. The resurrected John the Baptist restored the authority to baptize by immersion for the remission of sins. Three of the original twelve Apostles—Peter, James, and John—restored the apostleship and keys of priesthood authority. Others came as well, including Elijah, who restored the authority to join families together forever in eternal relationships that transcend death.

We further witness that Joseph Smith was given the gift and power of God to translate an ancient record: the Book of Mormon—Another Testament of Jesus Christ. Pages of this sacred text include an account of the personal ministry of Jesus Christ among people in the Western Hemisphere soon after His Resurrection. It teaches of life’s purpose and explains the doctrine of Christ, which is central to that purpose. As a companion scripture to the Bible, the Book of Mormon testifies that all human beings are sons and daughters of a loving Father in Heaven, that He has a divine plan for our lives, and that His Son, Jesus Christ, speaks today as well as in days of old.

We declare that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, organized on April 6, 1830, is Christ’s New Testament Church restored. This Church is anchored in the perfect life of its chief cornerstone, Jesus Christ, and in His infinite Atonement and literal Resurrection. Jesus Christ has once again called Apostles and has given them priesthood authority. He invites all of us to come unto Him and His Church, to receive the Holy Ghost, the ordinances of salvation, and to gain enduring joy.

Two hundred years have now elapsed since this Restoration was initiated by God the Father and His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ. Millions throughout the world have embraced a knowledge of these prophesied events.

We gladly declare that the promised Restoration goes forward through continuing revelation. The earth will never again be the same, as God will “gather together in one all things in Christ” (Ephesians 1:10).

With reverence and gratitude, we as His Apostles invite all to know—as we do—that the heavens are open. We affirm that God is making known His will for His beloved sons and daughters. We testify that those who prayerfully study the message of the Restoration and act in faith will be blessed to gain their own witness of its divinity and of its purpose to prepare the world for the promised Second Coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

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The Book Saints Volume 2 is Now Available!

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This is just in!  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints released volume 2 of their Saints book series. Saints chronicles church history from the restoration with Joseph Smith down to what I imagine will be whatever will have happened from now until the publication of the last book in the series.

This book is available for free in digital form though oddly enough they charge you if you get the audiobook from iTunes or Amazon. You can download the audiobook from the church website for free.  If you prefer a paper copy it’s only $6.25.

The book is available on the Church’s website.  Don’t worry if you missed reading volume 1 because that is also available there.

Image Credit: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

 

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Get to Know Joseph Part 9: Transporting the Plates to Pennsylvania

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Once it was known that Joseph Smith had the plates, the persecution became unbearable.  Joseph and Emma determined to leave Manchester and move to Susquehanna county in Pennsylvania.  Joseph and Emma were very poor and couldn’t afford to make the move.  Fortunately, they were rescued by a fifty dollar gift from a farmer by the name of Martin Harris.

Traveling would prove to be a problem for Joseph and his wife.  Though people claimed to not believe that Joseph had the gold plates, they were certainly anxious to get their hands on them.  Joseph put the plates in a wood box then put it into the bottom of a cask which he filled with beans.  A mob of fifty men gathered together determined to take the plates.  When the mob approached Dr. McIntyre to be their leader, he called them a pack of devilish fools and told them to go home.  The mob fell apart after quarreling about who would then become their leader.

Joseph would experience other difficulties during his trip.  Joseph was stopped by an officer who presented Joseph with a search warrant.  The officer thought he could get the plates, but went away disappointed when his search came up empty.

It would be a pleasant ride in the countryside for Joseph and Emma if they were able to make it to Pennsylvania without being accosted but that was not to be.  Joseph was stopped a third time by another officer who meticulously ransacked the Smiths’ wagon and wasn’t able to find the plates.

After those attempts to steal the plates the Smiths arrived in Pennsylvania and Joseph quickly began the translation of the plates.

Continue reading in Part 10

Image Credit: Dallas Golden

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Get to Know Joseph Part 8: Joseph Receives the Plates

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The time finally arrived for Joseph to take possession of the plates.  It was known that Joseph would be receiving the plates, so in the early hours of September 22, 1827, Joseph went to the Hill Cumorah to receive the plates.  Emma accompanied Joseph and waited in the wagon for Joseph while he climbed the hill.

At the location of the plates the Angel Moroni appeared to Joseph and gave him another warning, he said, “You will have to be watchful and faithful to your trust or you will be overpowered by wicked men, for they will lay every plan and scheme that is possible to get them away from you. And if you do not take heed continually, they will succeed.” (Lucy Mack Smith, History, 1844–45, book 6, [1])

Joseph had tried to get hold of a lockbox before he retrieved the plates but was unsuccessful, so before Joseph returned home with the plates he hid the plates in a hollowed-out log until he could find a box to store the plates.

Back at the Smith home, Lucy was fretting over Joseph’s task as she served breakfast to Joseph Sr., Joseph Knight, and Josiah Stowell.  When Joseph and Emma entered the house Lucy had to leave the room when she saw that Joseph was empty-handed.  Joseph followed Lucy and reassured her that he had gotten the plates and handed her a cloth that contained the Urim and Thummim.  The Urim and Thummim were seer stones the Lord prepared for the translation of the plates.

The day after receiving the plates, Joseph Smith took a job repairing a well in order to earn some money to get a lockbox.  That same day Joseph Sr. overheard a group of men plotting to steal the plates.  Joseph rushed home to share what he’d overheard.  Joseph Jr. was an hour’s drive away working on the well, so Emma traveled to see him.

Joseph returned home and then went to recover the hidden plates.  He wrapped the plates in a shirt and headed for home.

Lucy Smith writes about Joseph’s trip back home with the plates, “After proceeding a short distance, he thought it would be safe to leave the road and through the woods.  Traveling some distance after he left the road, he came to a large windfall, and as he was jumping over a log, a man sprang up from behind it and gave him a heavy blow with a gun.  Joseph turned around and knocked him down, then ran at the top of his speed.  About half a mile farther he was attacked again in the same manner as the former and ran on again; and before he reached home he was assaulted the third time.  In striking the last one, he dislocated his thumb, which, however, he did not notice until he came within sight of the house, when he threw himself down in the corner of the fence in order to recover his breath.  As soon as he was able, he arose and came to the house.  He was still altogether speechless from fright and fatigue of running” (History of Joseph Smith by His Mother, 107-8).

Joseph had successfully made it home with the plates!  Joseph needed a place to keep the plates so he sent his youngest brother Don Carlos down the road to the home of his older brother Hyrum to get a box in which to store the plates.  It wasn’t until the plates were safe in the box that Joseph relaxed.

Continue reading in Part 9

Image Credit: David A. Baird/Historical Arts and Castings -Creative Commons –

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What Exactly is the Book of Mormon?

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What is the Book of Mormon

I asked my daughter what the Book of Mormon is and she said, “Some people talking about Jesus and their lives and some stuff like that.”  That is the answer of a 10-year-old who has grown up in a home where she has grown up learning different stories and memorizing passages from the Book of Mormon.

She’s not wrong.

The Book of Mormon is scripture that originated here on the American continent.  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has published a brief video about what the Book of Mormon is.

 

Unfortunately, a one-minute video isn’t long enough to understand what the Book of Mormon is.  I probably won’t do it justice, but I’ll give it a try.

The History

The Book of Mormon is a compilation of the writing of prophets much like the prophets of the Bible.

The first prophet in the Book of Mormon is Lehi.  Lehi and his family lived in Jerusalem at around 600 B.C. which was in the time of Jeremiah in the Bible.

The Lord warns Lehi of the coming destruction of Jerusalem and tells him to take his family and flee.  The family traveled to the seashore where Lehi’s son Nephi (the narrator of the first part of the Book of Mormon), was instructed by the Lord how to build a ship in which the family would sail to what we now call the American continent.

Establishing a Nation

Not all was well in Lehi’s family.  The two eldest sons were real complainers and fought the trip at pretty much every point.

Once the family arrived on the new continent, those two brothers and their families separated from the rest and they would eventually become two civilizations called the Nephites for those who followed Nephi and the rest of the family, and Lamanites for those who followed the brothers Laman and Lemuel.

Over time God continued to call prophets.  One such prophet was Enos.  You can watch a video my family made about Enos Here.

Also over time, the peoples’ righteousness fluctuated and there were conflicts between the Nephites and the Lamanites.

A large portion of the book named after the principal author Alma, describes numerous wars between groups of Nephites and Lamanites.

Why the Book of Mormon is Another Testament of Jesus Christ

The crowning part of the Book of Mormon is Christ’s visit to the inhabitants of the continent.

During Christ’s ministry, He said, “And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd” — John 10:16.

Following Christ’s resurrection, He came here to the American continent and ministered to the people for a short while. This account can be found in 3 Nephi 11-27 in the Book of Mormon.

For many years following Christ’s visit, there was peace in the land, but that was not to last.  Eventually, contention crept back into their lives and the Book of Mormon was finalized with bloodshed and complete destruction of the Nephite civilization.

One of the last Nephites was Mormon, a prophet and historian.  Mormon was the one who compiled all of the available historical records and that is why the book is named after him.

Mormon had a son named Moroni to whom he passed the plates of the Book of Mormon.  Moroni was the last to record in the book.  He took the plates and buried them in what would one day become New York.

How We Got the Book of Mormon

In 1823 Moroni visited Joseph Smith and instructed Joseph in the translation of the plates into what we know as the Book of Mormon.

I encourage you to read the several posts I’ve written about Joseph Smith regarding his life, the personal visit of God the Father and Jesus Christ, the translation of the Book of Mormon, and the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  The story begins with Getting to Know Joseph Part 1

In Conclusion

I’m going to simply let you read the second half of the Introduction Page in the Book of Mormon.  It puts it best.

Concerning this record the Prophet Joseph Smith said: “I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.”

In addition to Joseph Smith, the Lord provided for eleven others to see the gold plates for themselves and to be special witnesses of the truth and divinity of the Book of Mormon. Their written testimonies are included herewith as “The Testimony of Three Witnesses” and “The Testimony of Eight Witnesses.”

We invite all men everywhere to read the Book of Mormon, to ponder in their hearts the message it contains, and then to ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ if the book is true. Those who pursue this course and ask in faith will gain a testimony of its truth and divinity by the power of the Holy Ghost. (See Moroni 10:3–5.)

Those who gain this divine witness from the Holy Spirit will also come to know by the same power that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, that Joseph Smith is His revelator and prophet in these last days, and that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord’s kingdom once again established on the earth, preparatory to the Second Coming of the Messiah.

Image Credit: Dallas Golden

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