Get to Know Joseph Smith Part 11: Pages Lost, Power to Translate Lost
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.
To be continued…
Image Credit: Personally composited two images from public use images provided from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
