Translation

of the Nephite Record

In the Darkness of the New Moon

            At just a little past midnight on 22 September 1827[1], Lucy Smith was still awake, and sitting by the fire. Joseph Smith, Jr. came into the room, and asked her if she had a small chest that could be locked with a key. At that moment, she was certain that Joseph would be going out in the dark night to obtain the ancient metal plates that an angel messenger had revealed to him. Joseph had first been shown the plates on the same calendar date in 1823. Because he was not careful to follow the angel’s instructions precisely at that time, he failed to obtain possession of the plates. Every year since then, Joseph had gone back up on that hill, at the time of the autumnal equinox.[2] But, because, of weakness of faith, and his personal transgressions, he had only been permitted to look into the stone box which contained the sacred plates. He had not been allowed to take the plates into his possession. Anxiously, Lucy told him that she did not have such a chest. All of the Smiths were very eager for Joseph to be successful in obtaining the plates. They believed that this would be Joseph’s last opportunity to get them, and they wanted everything to be just right. Joseph calmed his mother, and assured her that he could still obtain the plates without the chest.

            In the darkness of the new moon, Joseph and his young bride, Emma, drove off toward the hill in a borrowed wagon. Joseph was dressed all in black, to make it as difficult as possible to be seen, should someone be watching for him. Two days earlier, a family friend, Joseph Knight, had come to visit the Smith family. He was one of several people outside the immediate Smith family who had been told about the existence of the plates. He had come from Colesville to stay with the Smiths for a few days during this critical time. Knight had been told about the sacred records which were buried on the nearby hill, and he was hoping to be present in the event that Joseph was successful in obtaining them. Joseph Smith had hitched Knight’s horse to his wagon, and he and Emma drove off down the road to the hill that would later be known as ‘Cumorah’. Lucy listened to them driving off, and then stayed awake all night, praying for Joseph’s success.

            From the road at the bottom of the hill, Joseph and Emma walked up to the place where he had been shown that the sacred record was buried. Before the sun had set several hours earlier, Joseph had sent his father to spy on the house of Samuel Lawrence – to make certain that Lawrence did not leave his house after dark. Joseph had confided in Lawrence the story of the angel having shown him the ancient plates, including the general location of where the plates were concealed. Lawrence and others, aware of the potential monetary value of the plates, would later try to steal them from Joseph. As Joseph and Emma carefully made their way up the hillside, in the dark of the moonless night, they used no lantern to guide their steps. Even though Lawrence had not been seen leaving his house, Joseph felt he could take no chances at being spotted on this momentous night.

            When they arrived at the most special site, Emma stood with her back turned toward Joseph, while he pried up the edge of the rock under which was the stone box that held the ancient Nephite records and other sacred objects. Joseph took the plates from the box, as well as the Interpreters. By that time, it was nearly 2 a.m. Saturday morning. Not wanting to take any chances that someone might ambush him that night, Joseph carefully hid the Nephite plates in a cavity inside a birch log that he had previously hollowed out for this purpose. He kept the stone Interpreters with him.

The Morning After

            After her all-night prayer vigil, Joseph’s mother began to prepare breakfast. The Smith family and their guest, Joseph Knight, began to stir. Lucy was very anxious about Joseph and Emma having been gone for several hours. Joseph had not mentioned to Knight that he intended to borrow his horse and wagon, in order to avoid being recognized that night. Knight went outdoors to tend his horse; discovering it was missing, he returned inside, where Lucy suggested that it had probably just wandered off into some corner of the pasture. Joseph Knight, realizing his wagon was missing, suspected it had been stolen.

            Joseph, Sr. was eager to have his son, Joseph, join him for breakfast, to learn whether he had obtained the plates. Lucy told him that she was letting Joseph and his new bride sleep late. As the tension in the Smith home grew that morning, Joseph and Emma returned to the frame house in Knight’s wagon.

            Lucy immediately noticed that it appeared as if Joseph did have the plates with him. She felt heartsick, assuming that Joseph had failed at this final attempt to get them. She left the main room in order to hide her feelings of disappointment. Joseph followed her, and said: “Do not be uneasy; all is right. See here, I have got the key.” He handed her an object covered with a silk handkerchief. Lucy said that she felt what she would describe later as “two smooth three-cornered diamonds [3] set in glass and set in silver bows.” She said that whole thing “resembled old fashioned spectacles.”

            During breakfast, Joseph avoided discussion about him having obtained the plates. However, when he asked his mother about making arrangements to get a small chest made, with a secure lock, she knew for certain he had gotten the plates from their hiding-place on the hill.

            After breakfast, Joseph Smith took Joseph Knight aside, and explained about having taken his horse and wagon, and then excitedly told him about the visit to the hill in the middle of the night. Smith described the dimensions of the plates, and said, “They appear to be gold”. Joseph Knight recalled that what the young Smith was most excited about was the Interpreters. “I can see any thing; they are Marvelus [sic].” Joseph Smith did not yet realize that the writing on the Nephite plates would need to be translated into English. He was naive enough to incorrectly assume that the ancient record would be written in language he could easily read. If the angel messenger had told Joseph otherwise, it seems he had not understood.

Money-Digging

            Within a few days, Joseph would go back to the hiding place on the hill and get the plates. In the meanwhile, he kept the Interpreters with him at all times. They fascinated him.

For a number of years, Joseph had been involved in the curious pursuit of searching for buried treasure. His father and his brothers, Alvin and Hyrum, had also been involved in what was commonly called ‘money digging’. Some nights, after chores were done, the Smiths would go out, with others, seeking for buried treasure. Since he was a teenager, Joseph, Jr. had been the individual who directed his family and others where to dig, based on hunches and what all felt were spiritual insights. The Smith family took an active interest in folk magick[4]. Joseph Jr. was talented as a scryer [a person who can gaze into a special stone or object and see supernatural images therein]. Joseph had at least two different ‘seer stones’ which he would use on various occasions. He would place one of the stones into the crown of an old white stovepipe hat, then hold the hat tightly to his face, so as to block out the surrounding daylight.

Joseph used this method to help people locate stray livestock or other lost objects.[5] Young Joseph became popular as the ‘seer’ for various expeditions to locate buried treasure, believed to have been buried in the area by long-ago pirates, or by Spaniards in earlier centuries, or, possibly, by members of ancient civilizations. He was sometimes hired by others to lead expeditions to dig for hoped-for treasures. In fact, it was during just such and expedition to Harmony, Pennsylvania, that Joseph first met Emma Hale, whom he would later marry.

Joseph abandoned his association with midnight treasure-hunting, money-digging, and similar practices early in the year 1827.

Jealousy & Greed

            Once Joseph Smith gained custody of the collection of ancient metal plates, many of his neighbors and former money-digging associates tried to steal them from him. Joseph said “I soon found out the reason why I had received such strict charges to keep them [the plates] safe...multitudes were on the alert continually to get them from me, if possible.”

            Fueled by greed, the treasure-hunters put forth what they felt was a reasonable argument. Because they had dug for buried treasures in partnership with Joseph [and his father and brothers], sometimes drawing up amateur contracts defining who would receive what percentage of any treasure found, they felt entitled to share the monetary value of the newly-discovered plates. A few of them had even been told that the plates were located on that particular hill before Joseph actually obtained them, which caused them to feel even more convinced that they deserved to share in the wealth. The greed of the former associates was heightened by the fact that Joseph had been forbidden to show the plates to anyone once he had them in his possession. Several people made offers of money or even property to be permitted to glimpse the mysterious plates.

Following Joseph’s repeated refusals to share or even display the plates, people began to scheme to steal them from him. The Smiths had to keep the plates hidden – first in one place, and then another. Under the hearth. In the cooper shop. Some people actually stormed into the Smith home, scattering the furniture, and looking into and under everything they could think of, in their frenzy to find the plates. Money-diggers and treasure-hunters from as far away as 60 miles were involved in the efforts to steal the ‘golden plates’. On one occasion, a mob of about 50 people invaded the Smith farm to search for the plates.
 

Seeking For a Translator

After Joseph Smith obtained the long-hidden abridgement of the Nephite records, it was still necessary to translate them into English. From the earliest historical accounts, as well as the sequence of events recorded within the Book of Mormon, it is apparent that Joseph Smith had not initially understood that he would need to translate the plates. Within hours of obtaining the plates, he told Joseph Knight, “They are written in Caracters [sic], and I want them translated.” Knight’s account, with original spelling retained, includes the following recollection:

“He now Began to be anxious to git them translated. He therefore with his wife Drew of[f] the Caricters exactley like the ancient and sent Martin Harris to see if he Could git them Translated. He went to Albeny and to Philadelpha and to new york and he found men that Could Translate some of the Carictors in all those places. Mitchel [Samuel Mitchill] and Anthony [Charles Anthon] of New York were the most Larded [learned] But there were some Caricters they could not well understand. Therefore Anthony [Anthon] told him that he thot if he had the original he culd translate it. And he rote a very good piece to Joseph and said if he would send the original he would translate it. But at Last Martin Harris told him that he Could not have the original for it was Commanded not to be shone. And he was mad and said what Does this mean, and he tore the paper that he wrote all to pieces and stampid it under his feet and says Bring me the original or I will not translate it. Mr. Harris, seeing he was in a passion, he said “well I will go home and see, and if they can be had I will wright to you immediately.” So he Came home and told how it was and they went to him no more. Then was fulfild the 29^th Chapter of Isiah. Now he [Joseph Smith] Bing [being] an unlearned man did not know what to Do. Then the Lord gave him Power to Translate himself. Then were the Larned men Confounded, for he, By the means he found with the plates [the Interpreters], he Could translate those Caricters Better than the Larned.”

            Joseph Knight’s account is in harmony with the description found in the 2 Nephi 27:15-20 [11:136-142]. As David Whitmer wrote, “No man could read it, but God gave to an unlearned boy the gift to translate it.”

Moving to Harmony

            Eventually, the persecution and attacks aimed at the Smith family became so intolerable that Joseph and Emma were compelled to move out of the area. They decided to move to Harmony, Pennsylvania, and stay with Emma’s family. Friend Martin Harris gave the couple $50 to help with moving and living expenses. The move took place in December, 1827. While in transit, the Nephite plates were concealed in the bottom of a barrel of dry beans.

            Once in Harmony, Joseph and Emma initially lived with her parents. Isaac Hale could not bear to listen to the stories about the Nephite plates or the sacred interpreters, and warned Joseph that he could not continue to enjoy the hospitality of his house unless he would stop talking about them. Joseph and Emma made arrangements to purchase a small house elsewhere on her father’s property, and moved out of her parents’ house.

The Interpreters & the Seer Stone

            According to every early account, Joseph initially employed the Nephite Interpreters in the translation process. These are familiarly described as two stones set into a silver frame, similar to spectacles. Beginning in 1833, the Interpreters were incorrectly referred to as the “urim and thummim” that are mentioned in the Bible.[6] Unfortunately, this misnaming was eventually widely adopted, even by some of the witnesses of the translation. Scriptural descriptions of the uses of the Urim and Thummim, compared with Nephite description of the Interpreters, and historical description of the translation of the Book of Mormon, make it obvious that Joseph Smith never had in his possession the Urim and Thummim. 

            Although the Interpreters were similar in their appearance to ‘spectacles’, they were actually too large to enable any person to hold them to his face and look through both stones simultaneously, as one would see through a pair of eyeglasses. Witnesses stated that the stones were approximately four to six inches apart. The only way a person could look through both stones at once would be to hold them at arms-length, and, even at that, a person could not look through them in the same way as one can look through a pair of glasses.

            Joseph Smith used the Interpreters to translate the Book of Lehi, which was written on foolscap-size paper [17x13.5”] paper, making 116 pages of script. This manuscript was later stolen, because Joseph had foolishly allowed it out of his custody. Following this loss, the angel who was the custodian of the records, appeared to Joseph and gave him a severe reprimand. In the early summer of 1828, the angel made Joseph forfeit both the plates and the Interpreters.

            In September 1828, at the time of the equinox, the Nephite plates were returned to Joseph, but the Interpreters were withheld from him. From that point onward, he used a single seer stone; he did not use the Interpreters to read the Nephite records.

            Evidence indicates that Joseph could spiritually see anything he desired by means of the Interpreters, and that he used them to discover things that he should not have investigated. By contrast, the Seer Stone restricted his gift of seership. It is worth noting that, contrary to current legend, with the exception of the first few pages of Mosiah, none of the text of the Book of Mormon was translated through the Nephite Interpreters – it was all done with the assistance of the Seer Stone. The Seer Stone is mentioned in the Nephite text as one of the sacred objects that was kept with the ancient records. “And the LORD said, I will prepare unto my servant Gazelam a stone which shall shine forth in darkness unto light.” [Alma 37:23 (17:55)] In the next verse in Alma, the Interpreters are mentioned as separate and distinct objects. A few years later, Joseph Smith indicated that Heavenly Father sometimes referred to him as ‘Gazelam’.

Eyewitness Descriptions of the Translation

Most of the time during the translating of the Nephite scriptures, Joseph placed the Interpreters [and later, the Seer Stone] into the crown of his white stovepipe hat He would hold the hat up to this face so as to exclude the light, and would read the translation as it would appear on the stone. Whenever he came to a proper name for the first time, he would spell it letter-by-letter to the scribe who was assisting him. Unfamiliar or difficult words were either spelled, or pronounced carefully syllable-by-syllable. When Joseph read a complete phrase, he would ask the scribe to read it back to him. If the phrase had not been written correctly, the vision he would see on the stone would not change, until the scribe corrected what had been written. All of the witnesses to the translation process were in agreement that Joseph put the stone[s] into his hat, and gazed into it, in order to read the translation. Likewise, they were all in accord when they stated that Joseph did not look directly at the ancient plates during the process.

Witnesses testified that Joseph was only able to translate when his heart was right. If he had had a spat with Emma, for example, his ability to translate was temporarily lost. “He could do nothing save he was humble and faithful,” David Whitmer commented.

When Joseph stopped work on the plates for a meal break or at the end of a day, his scribes said that he was able to resume dictation at the exact place where he had left off – without ever having to ask where they had left off.

“When my husband was translating the Book of Mormon, I wrote a part of it, as he dictated each sentence, word for word; and when he came to proper names he could not pronounce, or long words, he spelled them out; and while I was writing them, if I made a mistake in spelling, he would stop me and correct my spelling, although it was impossible for him to see how I was writing them down at the time. Even the word ‘Sariah’ he could not pronounce at first, but had to spell it, and I would pronounce it for him. One time while he was translating, he stopped suddenly, pale as a sheet, and said, ‘Emma, did Jerusalem have walls around it?’ When I answered, ‘Yes,’ he replied ‘Oh! I was afraid I had been deceived.” He had such a limited knowledge of history at the time that he did not even know that Jerusalem was surrounded by walls.” ~ Emma Smith {A Visit to Nauvoo in 1856, E. C. Briggs, Journal of History, Jan. 1916}

            “I will now give you a description of the manner in which the Book of Mormon was translated. Joseph Smith would put the seer stone into a hat, and put his face in the hat, drawing it closely around his face to exclude the light; and in the darkness, the spiritual light would shine. A piece of something resembling parchment would appear, and on that appeared the writing. One character at a time would appear, and under it was the translation in English. Brother Joseph would read off the translation in English to Oliver Cowdery, who was his principal scribe, and when it was written down and repeated to Brother Joseph to see if it was correct, then it would disappear, and another character with the interpretation would appear. Thus the Book of Mormon was translated by the gift and power of God, and not by any power of man.” ~ David Whitmer {An Address to All Believers, 1887}

“With the sanction of David Whitmer, and by his authority, I now state that he does not say that Joseph Smith ever translated in his presence by the aid of the Urim and Thummim; but by means of one dark colored, opaque stone, called a “Seer Stone”, which was placed into the crown of a hat, into which Joseph put his face, so as to exclude the external light. Then a spiritual light would shine forth, and parchment would appear before Joseph, upon which was a line of characters from the plates, and under it, the translation in English; at least, so Joseph said.” ~ J. L. Traughber {[RLDS] Saints’ Herald, 15 November 1879} 

“The mode of the procedure consisted of Joseph’s placing the Seer Stone in the crown of a hat, then putting his face into the hat, so as to entirely cover his face, resting his elbows on his knees, and then dictating, word after word, while the scribe – Emma, John Whitmer, O. Cowdery, or some other, wrote it down” ~ David Whitmer {W. W. Blair interview with David Whitmer, appearing in the [RLDS] Saints’ Herald, 15 June 1879}

“Joseph Smith did not see the plates in translation, but would hold the interpreters to his eyes and cover his face with a hat, excluding all light, and before him would appear the characters of the plates on a line at the top, and immediately below would appear the translation in English.” ~ David Whitmer {Kansas City Journal, 5 June 1881}

            “Now the way he translated was he put the urim and thummim into his hat and Darkened his Eyes, then he would take a sentance, and it would appear in Brite Roman Letters. Then he would tell the writer and he would write it. Then that would go away [and] the next sentance would Come and so on. But if it was not Spelt rite it would not go away till it was rite, so we see it was marvelus. Thus was the hole [whole] translated.” ~ Joseph Knight {Knight’s personal history, written about 1840; LDS archives}

            “Now the first that my husband translated was translated by the use of urim and Thummim, and that was the part that Martin Harris lost. After that he used a small stone, not exactly black, but was rather a dark color.” ~ Emma Smith {Letter to Emma Pilgrim, 27 March 1870; RLDS archives}

            “In writing for [Joseph] I frequently wrote day after day, often sitting at the table close by him, he sitting with his face buried in his hat, with the stone in it, and dictating hour after hour with nothing between us.” ~ Emma Smith {[RLDS] Saints’ Herald, 1 October 1879}

            “ Day after day I continued, uninterruptedly, to write from his mouth, as he translated with the Urim and Thummim, or, as the Nephites would have said, “Interpreters”, the history, or record, called the Book of Mormon.” ~ Oliver Cowdery {Latter Day Saints’ Messenger and Advocate, October 1834}

            “...he would be translating from plates, through “the Urim and Thummim”, and the plates not be in sight at all. But I believed both in the Seer and in the “Seer Stone”. ~ Oliver Cowdery {This quote is taken from Defence in a Rehearsal of My Grounds for Separating Myself from the Latter Day Saints, published under the name of Oliver Cowdery in 1839. There is disputation as to whether Oliver Cowdery actually wrote this pamphlet.}

            “By aid of the seer stone, sentences would appear, and were read by the Prophet and written by Martin; and when finished, he would say ‘Written’; and if correctly written, that sentence would disappear and another appear in its place; but if not written correctly, it remained until corrected, so that the translation was just as it was engraven on the plates, precisely in the language then used. Martin said further that the seer stone differed in appearance entirely from the Urim and Thummim that was obtained with the plates, which were two clear stones set in two rims, very much resembling spectacles, only they were much larger.” ~ Martin Harris {Report of a lecture given by Martin Harris, published in the [LDS] Millennial Star, 6 February 1882}

            “The two stones set in a bow of sliver were about two inches in diameter, perfectly round, and about five-eighths of an inch thick at the centre, but not so thick at the edges where they came into the bow. They were joined by a round bar of silver, about three-eighths of an inch in diameter, and about four inches long, which, with the two stones, make eight inches. The stones were white, like polished marble, with a few gray streaks.” ~ Martin Harris {Tiffany’s Monthly, May 1859}

            “The instrument was too wide for [my] eyes, as also for Joseph’s.... The instrument caused a strain on Joseph’s eyes, and he sometimes resorted to the plan of covering his eyes with a hat to exclude the light in part.” ~ William Smith [Joseph’s brother] {J. W. Peterson in The Rod of Iron, February 1924}

“I cheerfully certify that I was familiar with the manner of Joseph Smith’s translation of the Book of Mormon. He translated the most of it in my Father’s house. And I often sat by and saw and heard them translate and write for hours together. Joseph never had a curtain drawn between him and his scribe while he was translating. He would place the director in his hat, and then place his face in the hat, so as to exclude the light.” ~ Elizabeth Whitmer Cowdery [Oliver Cowdery’s widow, and one of the Whitmer children] {Quoted in a letter by W. E. McLellin, February 1870; RLDS archives}

“The manner in which this was done was by looking into the Urim and Thummim, which was placed in a hat to exclude the light, (the plates lying near by covered up), and reading off the translation, which appeared in the stone by the power of God.” ~ William Smith {William Smith on Mormonism, 1883}

The Translation Progresses

            In late 1827, Joseph transcribed “some of the Egyptian characters” to give Martin Harris, to take to a scholar to get it translated. Martin Harris recalled that Joseph spent some considerable time carefully copying the characters correctly. [The transcript of the characters that is in the RLDS archives is a copy of the original made by Joseph Smith.]

            Between December 1827 and February 1828, Joseph translated a small portion of the Book of Lehi, with Emma, and her brother Rueben, serving as scribes. It was during these initial weeks of translation that Joseph separated himself from his scribes by a blanket hung as a partition between them. Not much later, as he became more skilled at the process, he abandoned this practice, feeling comfortable translating while others looked on. At first, the translation process went very slowly. Apparently, Joseph was not exercising very great faith at this time, still hoping that Martin Harris would find some linguistic scholar who would do the translation.

           Some time between the fall of 1827 and February of 1828, Martin Harris took the copy of the ‘reformed Egyptian’ characters to Philadelphia, Utica, Albany, and New York City. He showed them to professors Samuel Mitchell, Charles Anthon, and others, and received mix opinions from them. Charles Anthon [who earned part of his income by translating ancient texts, and publishing English translations of ancient books] offered to do the translation if they would bring him the original. When Harris explained that the plates were sacred, and showing them to others was not permitted, Anthon ejected Harris from his office in rage. By some time in April of 1828, Martin returned from calling upon the various scholars. The work of translating the Nephite Records would have to depend upon the faith of an unlearned young man, and not upon the learned scholars of the day.

          Shortly after Martin returned to Pennsylvania, he served Joseph as his primary scribe for the slow-paced translation of the book that Lehi had written. Martin had brought his wife, Lucy, with him. She had very keenly wanted to see the plates; her husband had been contributing money and his time to the mysterious project, and she felt she had a right to see the plates for herself. After searching the house and the grounds unsuccessfully, she went and stayed elsewhere while Martin lodged with Joseph and Emma. Shortly thereafter, Lucy returned to New York.

            From the middle of April to early June 1828, the translation of the Book of Lehi was completed. It covered one hundred sixteen legal-size handwritten pages. During that time, Martin Harris, Emma Smith, and Rueben Hale [Emma’s brother] had been the scribes.

Loss of the Book of Lehi

            Eventually, in hopes of quieting a crescendo of ridicule from his wife and friends, Martin Harris begged and cajoled Joseph to permit him to take the 116-page manuscript of the Book of Lehi to Palmyra. Harris felt that if he could show his doubtful wife and friends the evidence of the translation, they would stop mocking him.

           Joseph had been instructed in revelation not to permit anyone to have custody of the manuscript other than himself. Martin begged Joseph to pray for an exception. Although Joseph had been plainly forbidden to allow the manuscript out of his custody, feeling pressure from Martin [who was providing the main financial support of the Smiths during the translation process], he appealed to his Heavenly Father for permission for Martin to take the manuscript to New York. Joseph’s request was refused. A few days later, Martin, probably promising Joseph to be very responsible, coaxed Joseph into asking permission to release the manuscript again. The second time, the LORD’s answer was ‘No!’ Eventually, after more earnest pleading, Martin convinced Joseph to beg in prayer one more time. This third time, Joseph said that God had granted Martin’s wish.[7]

            Joseph gave the custody of the manuscript version of the Book of Lehi to Martin Harris. Joseph would never see it again. It was believed by Lucy Smith and others that Martin’s wife stole the 116 pages, with the intent of frustrating what she considered to be a religious fraud.

Chastening & Suspension of the Gift

            On June 15^th, within days of Joseph trusting Martin with the manuscript, his and Emma’s first child [a boy they named Alvin] died, and Emma, herself, nearly died of puerperal fever.

            Also in June, the angel returned to Joseph, and took the Nephite plates and the Interpreters from him. Three months later, the plates were finally returned to Joseph – after he had sufficiently repented, on the 22^nd of September. “When Joseph delivered the 116 pages of the translation to Martin Harris, his plates, his interpreters, and his gift were taken from him for some two [three] months. The plates and gift of translation were returned to him, but not the Interpreters. He translated the entire Book of Mormon by the use of a little stone....” {William E. McLellin letter to Joseph Smith III, 1870; RLDS archives} David Whitmer recollected that the Interpreters were never returned to Joseph, but that the angelic visitor gave him a single “strange, oval-shaped, chocolate-colored stone, about the size of an egg, only more flat” as a replacement for the “pair of transparent stones set in a bow-shaped frame”. {Chicago Inter-Ocean, October 17, 1886}

            In July 1828, Joseph received a Divine revelation that relates to his mistake of allowing the manuscript out of his hands. It is the earliest of his revelations which survived, verbatim, to the present. It was later to become Chapter 2 of the Book of Commandments. “The works, and designs, and the purposes of God can not be frustrated...it is not the work of God that is frustrated, but the works of men; for although a man may have many revelations, and have power to do many mighty works, yet, if he boasts in his own strength, and sets at naught the counsels of God, and follows after the dictates of his own will, and carnal desires, he must fall, and incur the vengeance of a just God.”   

            In September, the revelation published as Chapter 9 of the Book of Commandments was given to Joseph as instruction. “Now behold, I say unto you, that because you delivered up so many writings, which you had power to translate, into the hands of a wicked man, you have lost them, and you also lost your gift at the same time; nevertheless, it has been restored unto you again. Therefore, see that you are faithful, and go on unto the finishing of the remainder of the work you have begun. And now, verily I say unto you, that an account of those things that you have written, which have gone out of your hands, are engraven upon the plates of Nephi...therefore, you shall translate the engravings which are on the plates of Nephi, down even till you come to the reign of King Benjamin, or until you come to that which you have translated, which you have retained; and behold, you shall publish it as the record of Nephi. Behold, there are many things engraven upon the plates of Nephi which do throw greater views upon my gospel; therefore, it is wisdom in me that you should translate this first part of the engravings of Nephi, and send forth in this work.”

Translation Resumes

                  Between September 22^nd 1828 and the beginning of April 1829, Joseph translated only the equivalent of a few printed pages of the Book of Mosiah. [He had begun the translation of Mosiah, with Martin Harris as his scribe, shortly before Martin took the manuscript of the Book of Lehi to New York.]

           Lyman Cowdery [Oliver’s brother] was hired by Hyrum Smith [Joseph’s brother] as a schoolteacher. When Lyman became ill, Oliver took his place as the local teacher. As was the custom in those times, the various families in the school district would board the schoolteacher while school was in session. Eventually, Oliver spent some time living with the Smith family. During that time, they told him of the discovery of the ancient Nephite plates. Oliver received a spiritual testimony of the work, and felt impressed to help if he could. As soon as the spring term of school ended, Oliver set out for Harmony, Pennsylvania, to volunteer to help Joseph as a scribe.

            On April 5^th, 1829, Oliver arrived at Harmony. Two days later, on the 7^th, Joseph, with Oliver as his scribe, began an earnest translation of ‘the record of Nephi’.[8]  Joseph and Oliver began their cooperative labors somewhere in the Book of Mosiah. They had gotten as far as the 11^th [5^th] chapter of 3^rd Nephi by mid-May, 1829. In response to reading the Messiah’s emphatic teaching to the Nephites concerning proper baptism, Joseph and Oliver sought their Heavenly Father in earnest prayer. They realized that they knew of no ministers or churches who baptized in that manner, nor did they know of any minister who claimed the authority to do so. For that reason, they prayed for direction – wanting to humble themselves in baptism, but not knowing how to proceed. On the morning of the 15^th of May, 1829, when Joseph looked into the stone to begin the day’s work of translation, he saw a commandment for him and Oliver to be baptized. They went to the river, and knelt in ardent prayer, awaiting direction. In response to their prayers, they heard the voice of the LORD. A heavenly messenger appeared to them, and conferred the priesthood authority upon them.[9] They went down into the water, and baptized one another according to the pattern in the Nephite Record. Upon coming out of the water, they were both spontaneously filled with the gift of the Holy Spirit, and manifested this by the gift of prophecy.

            During the time of the most active translating, Joseph and Oliver would occasionally have to pause to earn money. They had to take the occasional odd job, such as chopping wood, to help put food on the table. There was at least one occasion during the translation process that they had to temporarily suspend the work because of a lack of writing paper.

The Whitmers Become Involved

            During the early spring of 1829, David Whitmer first heard of the ancient Nephite scriptures. His brother, Christian, had been constable of the county in which the Whitmers lived. After Christian was crippled in an accident, David took over his responsibilities. In that capacity, he had to travel to Palmyra; while there, he heard the story of the Smiths and the ancient records. He also heard about how Martin Harris had taken the transcript to be read by scholars, and about the Book of Lehi having been translated, and then suspiciously ‘lost’. Some time later, Joseph Smith, Sr. and Lucy stopped by the Whitmer farm for a rest, while on their way to Pennsylvania to visit Joseph Jr. and Emma. During that visit, they related the whole story to David and the other Whitmers.

            In late May, Joseph Jr., learning of David Whitmer’s interest from his parents, contacted him by letter, and asked him to come to Pennsylvania to help move him and his family back to New York. The letter arrived during a very busy time. David prayed earnestly for direction from On High that would indicate whether he ought to get involved or not. He had a few days of farming that had to be done immediately, and felt he could not leave until they were accomplished. David testified many times that he was able to get two day’s harrowing accomplished in one day. But, he was distressed because he still had to spread lime on the fields before he could leave home. The next day, when he set out to begin the task, he discovered that someone had already limed the fields. When he asked the family what had happened, the younger children said that they had seen three men working in the fields, spreading lime faster than they had ever seen anyone work before. The family assumed that David had hired someone to do the job. Once the family discovered that this was not the case, they realized that these were Divine messengers who had been sent to assist with the farm work. Awed by these events, David accepted this as the answer to his prayers, and set off for Pennsylvania.

            During the first days of June, 1829, David Whitmer drove a team and wagon to Harmony, and moved Joseph, Emma, and Oliver back to the Whitmer home in Waterloo. It was there that the translation was completed.

‘Brother Nephi’

            Before David arrived in Harmony, Joseph prayed for direction on how he ought to safely transport the plates back to New York. An angelic personage appeared to him, and took custody of the plates once again. Joseph was told that the plates would be waiting for him in the Whitmer garden once he got back to New York. On the trip to Harmony, David met an older man walking northward, carrying what appeared to be a very heavy knapsack on his shoulders. They stopped to chat, and David said the man told him he was going to a place called ‘Cumorah’. Once the little group arrived at the Whitmer farm, the angel returned the custody of the plates to Joseph.

            Mary Whitmer, mother of the witnesses, was in the barn one day, attending to the milking. Having extra people living in their small home had been a considerable burden for her. Once the family became aware that there would be a few people chosen to be witnesses to the plates, she prayed that her sons might be chosen among that number. She was, herself, anxious to have a personal witness that the work was of Heavenly origin. Although others had experienced miraculous signs and wonders, she still wondered. Mary Whitmer testified that a messenger appeared to her in the barn, and showed her the Nephite plates. She was irrevocably convinced of the Divinity of the work from that point forward.  Mary always referred to the angelic messenger as “brother Nephi.”[10]

Signs & Wonders

            David Whitmer described to a newspaper reporter the scene of the translating that took place in the small upstairs room of his father’s house: “Prayer preceded each session of translation. The scribes sat at the table opposite [Joseph] Smith, and worked in shifts. Those not writing would sit casually about the room.” The primary scribe continued to be Oliver, but John Whitmer and also David assisted somewhat during this time.

            During the translation of the plates, there were various miraculous signs manifested. A young girl, temporarily hired by the Whitmers to help as a servant, said she saw the faces of the men become exceedingly white during the translation process. Until the Whitmers explained what was going on, she was afraid to stay in the house. There were other accounts of the faces of Joseph Smith and others seeming to glow [similar to Moses’ countenance having been changed]. Some of the witnesses, including the servant girl, said that they saw angels in and around the small Whitmer house, during the translation.

Translation Completed

            By the middle of June of 1829 the translation was completed. Considering the time spent in moving, taking off a few days to work to earn a living, etc., it is estimated that there were approximately 45 working days devoted to the translation of the bulk of the Book of Mormon. This means that, “through the gift and power of God”, Joseph translated the equivalent of 13 printed pages per day [based upon the 592 pages in the 1830 publication]

            Emma Smith stated that Joseph had no book or manuscript of any kind that he may have read from during the translation process.[11] She said that Joseph was so unlearned that he “could neither write nor dictate a coherent and well-worded letter.”

“My belief is that the Book of Mormon is of divine authenticity – I have not the slightest doubt of it. I am satisfied that no man could have dictated the writing of the manuscripts, unless he was inspired; for, when acting as his scribe [Joseph] would dictate to me hour after hour; and when returning after meals, or after interruptions, he would at once begin where he had left off, without either seeing the manuscript or having any portion of it read to him. This was an unusual thing for him to do. It would have been improbable that a learned man could do this; and for one so ignorant and unlearned as he was, it was simply impossible.” ~ Emma Smith {[RLDS] Saints’ Herald, 1 October 1879}

In March of 1830, the first copies of the Book of Mormon had been completed, printed by E. B. Grandin’s press in Palmyra, and were offered for sale at $1.25.

Epilogue

To our modern minds, the idea of Joseph Smith translating the majority of the Book of Mormon by means of a Seer Stone placed in the crown of his hat seems incredible, and perhaps even unnerving. People with a ‘Restoration’ background have been taught a highly-romanticized [and inaccurate] version of how the Nephite Records were translated. Children’s church school classes and missionary lessons taught a very different version of the story.

Most Latter Day Saints were taught that Joseph looked through the Urim and Thummim [one and the same as that mentioned in the Bible] as a person would look through a pair of eyeglasses, directly at the writing on the Nephite plates. The fact that he actually used a Seer Stone for almost all of the translation, and that he placed the stone in a hat so it was easier for him to read the words that would appear miraculously in the stone, while the plates were often not even in the same room where the translation was taking place, is, for many people, utterly unbelievable.

Sadly, through the years, there have been many who believed in the story of how the Book of Mormon came forth much more than they believed in the contents of the book. Hundreds of thousands, and possibly even millions of people, were more tangibly converted to the ‘official’ version of how the book came forth, than they were to the Nephite Record, itself. When such people are first made aware of the facts told by the witnesses, it may cause their faith to falter [or even to crumble].

To our high-tech, late 20^th century way of thinking, the supernatural events that led to the publishing of the Nephite records as the Book of Mormon seem unbelievable. For some reason, using the Urim and Thummim seems more romantic, and even more believable than the use of a Seer Stone.

For the benefit of all who believe in [or would at least desire to believe in] the Divine origin of the Book of Mormon, but feel perplexed by the method of interpretation, the following scriptural references ought to be helpful.

 Special Power in Inanimate Objects

Jacob’s use of rods to influence the outcome of cattle-breeding. [Genesis 30:37-43]

Joseph’s silver cup used for divination. [Genesis 44:2-5, 15]

Moses’ rod, also called the Rod of God. [Exodus chapter 4:1-5, 17; 17:9-12]

Aaron’s rod. [Numbers 17:8; Exodus 7:12, 17-20]  

Amulets [mezuzzot, tefillin, phylacteries] [Deuteronomy 4:4-9; 11:18-21; Exodus 12:21-23, 13:14-16]

The Urim & Thummim [Numbers 27:18-21; 1^st Samuel 28:6]

Elijah’s mantle [tallit]. [2 Kings 2:8-14]

Elisha’s staff [2 Kings 4:20-31]

Elisha’s use of arrows [2^nd Kings 13:14-19]

Elisha’s bones. [2 Kings 13:21]

The casting of lots. [Leviticus 16:8-10; 1^st Chronicles 24:5, 25:8, 26:13; Proverbs 16:33; Acts 2:24-26]

Messiah’s use of spittle. [Mark 7:33; John 9:6]

Use of handkerchiefs in healing. [Acts 19:12]

Peter’s shadow [Acts 5:15]

Use of oil to anoint the sick. [Mark 6:13; James 5:14]

A special white stone promised for the Righteous. [Revelation 2:17]

Liahona / Director [1 Nephi 16:10-29 (5:11-36); Alma 37:38-47 (17:71-84)]

Nephite Interpreters [Mosiah 8:13-19; 28:11-20 (5:73-83; 12:15 – 13:2)]

Seer Stone [Alma 37:23 (17:55)]

Jaredite Interpreters [Ether 3:23 & 28, 4:51 (1:88, 93, 99)]

16 Jaredite stones [Ether 3:1 & 6, 6:2-3 (1:60 & 68, 3:2-3)]

~ SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

The following books are useful sources of information relative to early ‘restoration’ history.

Book of Commandments

Bushman, Richard L. Joseph Smith and the Beginnings of Mormonism

Kirkham, Francis W. A New Witness for Christ in America

[Knight, Joseph.] BYU Studies, Vol. 17 No. 1. Joseph Knight’s Recollection of Early Mormon History.

Grunder, Rick. Photograh of a seerstone owned by Joseph Smith before he received the Nephite Plates

Morgan, Dale. Dale Morgan on Early Mormonism

Quinn, D. Michael. Early Mormonism and the Magick World View

Smith, Lucy Mack. Joseph Smith and His Progenitors

Welch, John / FARMS. The Translation of the Book of Mormon: Basic Historical Information

Whitmer, David. An Address to All Believers.

David Bruce Clark