From: "Perry L. Porter" Subject: ---> Lesson 5 Date: 02 Feb 1997 21:15:10 -0700 Doctrine and Covenants 5-9; Joseph Smith History 1 :66-67 Scriptural Highlights 1. Martin Harris is to be one of the witnesses of the Book of Mormon plates if he repents. 2. Oliver Cowdery comes to serve as Joseph Smith's scribe. 3. Joseph and Oliver receive revelations during the time of translation. Invite one or two class members to share their experiences of gaining a testimony or receiving revelation from the Lord. Discussion and Application Questions * What did Martin Harris have to do so he could see the gold plates? (D&C 5:24-28.) What are some challenges to our becoming more humble? How can we overcome these challenges and become more humble? * What responsibility did the Lord say Martin Harris would have after seeing the Book of Mormon plates? (D&C 5:25.) Why is it important that we bear testimony of gospel truths? How have you been blessed by other people bearing their testimonies? * According to the Lord's instructions in D&C 6:6-7, what should be our purpose in serving the Lord? Why is it important that we focus on this purpose? How can we improve our commitment to establish the cause of Zion in our everyday living? * In D&C 5, 6, and 8, the Lord spoke of gifts he had given Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery and promised even greater gifts if they were obedient. (D&C 5:4; 6:10-13; 8:3-8.) How can we know when we have received a gift from the Lord? What gifts does the Lord bestow on people today? Why does he bestow these gifts? (D&C 46:8-12, 26.) * Why do you think Oliver wanted to obtain the gift of translation? (D&C 6:25-28; 8:11; 9:1.) What did the Lord tell him about this desire? (D&C 9:2-4, 10, 12.) What can we learn from this about seeking gifts or blessings from the Lord? (See also D&C 11:10; 46:8.) (end of page 9) Lesson 5 * The Lord cautioned Oliver, "Trifle not with sacred things" (D&C 6:12; see also D&C 8:10). What does this mean? How might some of us trifle with sacred things? * How did Oliver Cowdery gain a testimony that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God? (See D&C 6:14-15, 22-23, and the quotation from the Prophet Joseph Smith.) How have you gained your testimony that Joseph Smith is a prophet? * What did the Lord tell Oliver to do if he wanted a "further witness" of Joseph's divine calling? (D&C 6:22-23). Why do you think Oliver desired a further witness even after the Lord had spoken peace to his mind? Why do we sometimes seek further witnesses? How can we become more trusting of the peace that God speaks to our minds? * How can following the Lord's counsel in D&C 6:33-36 help us? * What can Oliver Cowdery's attempt to translate teach us about receiving revelation from God? (D&C 8:2-3; 9:7-9.) What have you learned from your own experiences about receiving divine revelation? As part of the process of receiving revelation, why might the Lord expect us to study matters out in our own minds? (Ether 2:22-23; 3:1-9.) Quotation The Prophet Joseph Smith: "Oliver Cowdery stated to me that after he had gone to my father's to board, and after the family had communicated to him concerning my having obtained the plates, that one night after he had retired to bed he called upon the Lord to know if these things were so, and the Lord manifested to him that they were true" (History of the Church, 1 :35). Additional Idea Suggested topic for family home evening: "Learning to Recognize the Spirit," lesson 15 in the Family Home Evening Resource Book. Next Week's Reading Assignment Doctrine and Covenants 4; 11-16; Joseph Smith - History 1 :68-75 Class member study Guide. After the loss of the 116 pages of manuscript, Martin Harris was not permitted to act as scribe for the Prophet Joseph Smith. Later, however, Martin asked the Prophet if he could be one of the three witnesses of the gold plates. Joseph inquired of the Lord and received D&C 5 (see also D&C 17). For a brief time in Harmony, Pennsylvania, Joseph translated some of the plates with Emma as his scribe. But earning a living left little time for the work. The Lord promised to provide help so that Joseph could complete the translation (see D&C 5:34). On 5 April 1829 a young man named Oliver Cowdery came to Joseph's door. He soon began serving as Joseph's scribe (see JS -H 1 :66-67). Doctrine and Covenants 6-9 were given to Joseph and Oliver during the early months of 1829 as they translated the Book of Mormon. As you study D&C 5-9, consider the following: * What did Martin Harris have to do so he could see the gold plates? (D&C 5:24-28.) What can we do to become more humble? * What did the Lord tell Oliver to do if he wanted a "further witness" of Joseph's divine calling? (D&C 6:22-23). How can we become more trusting of the peace that God speaks to our minds? * What can Oliver Cowdery's attempt to translate teach us about receiving revelation from God? (D&C 8:2-3; 9:7-9.) What have you learned from your own experiences about receiving divine revelation? Harmony, Pennsylvania, where Joseph and Emma lived for a time. Here Joseph translated much of the Book of Mormon in early 1829 and received at least fifteen revelations (D&C 3-13, 24-27). Photograph by George E. Anderson, 1907. (Bottom of page 10) "Now the first that my husband translated, was translated by use of the Urim and Thummim, and that was the part that martin Harris lost, after that [my husband] used a small stone, not exactly black, but was rather a dark color" Emma Smith Bidamon, Letter to Emma S. Pilgrim, 27 March 1876. Research Library ad Archives, RLDS, Independence, Missouri. "By fervent prayer and by otherwise humbling himself, the prophet however, again found favor, and was presented with a strange, oval-shaped, chocolate-colored stone, about the size of an egg, only more flat, which, it was promised would serve the same purpose as the missing Urim and Thummim. . . . With this stone all of the present Book of Mormon was translated" David Whitmer, Interview, 14 Jan. 1885, by Zenos H. Gurley. Archives, Historical Department, LDS church, Salt Lake, Ut. "One of Joseph's aids in searching out the truths of the [Book of Mormon] was a peculiar pebble of rock which he called a seer stone, and which was sometimes used by him in lieu of the Urim and Thummim" George Q. Cannon, "Life of Joseph Smith", 1888, p. 56. "The seer stone referred to here was a chocolate-colored, somewhat egg-shaped stone which the Prophet found while digging a well in company with his brother Hyrum, for a Mr. Clark Chase, near Palmyra, N.Y. It possessed the qualities of Urim and Thummim, since by means of it - as described above, - as well as by means of the Interpreters found with the Nephite record, Joseph was able to translate the characters engraven on the plates". B. H. Roberts, "Defense of the Faith and the Saints," 2 vols, Salt Lake City: Deseret News, 1907-12 1:257; "New Witness for God," 3 vols, Salt Lake City: DeseretNews, 1909, 2:108; "A Comprehensive History of The Church ... 6 vols, 1930, 1:129. Development of the Doctrine and Covenants 1833 The Book of Commandments Independence, Missouri 65 sections Never completed because of the destruction of the press Twenty copies known to have survived Never republished by the Church 1835 Doctrine and Covenants of the Church of the Latter Day Saints Kirtland, Ohio 102 sections Generally considered as the first standard edition Officially accepted by the Church as scripture 1844 The Doctrine and Covenants of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints 111 sections Published in Nauvoo after the Martyrdom Official full title first used 1876 The Doctrine and Covenants of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Salt Lake City, Utah Article on marriage deleted Section 132 and others added, totaling 136 sections First time divided into verses as they exist today 1908 The Doctrine and Covenants of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Addition of the "Official Declaration" Also had footnotes which had been added in the 1879 edition 1921 The Doctrine and Covenants of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Lectures on Faith deleted Double-column pages, index, present chapter headings, and revised footnote references added 1981 The Doctrine and Covenants of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Joseph Smith -- Vision of the Celestial Kingdom became section 137 Joseph F. Smith -- Vision of the Redemption of the Dead became section 138 Official Declaration 2, extending the priesthood to all worthy males, was added (Source: Seminary Handout 1) Document prepared for HTML by Andrew F. Hobbs, August 1996. Some quotes related more to earlier lessons; For your consideration: I used this quote from Wilford Woodruff in my Gospel Doctrine class to help set the religious climate in America just before the First Vision. It seemed to go over pretty well. ---------- He [Wilford Woodruff]says: "At an early age my mind began to be exercised upon religious subjects, but I never made a profession of religion until 1830 when I was twenty-three years of age. I did not then join any church for the reason that I could not find a body of people, denomination, or church that had for its doctrine, faith, and practices those principles, ordinances, and gifts which constituted the gospel of Jesus Christ as taught by Him and His apostles. Neither did I find anywhere the manifestations of the Holy Ghost with its attendant gifts and graces. When I conversed with the ministers of the various denominations or sects, they would always tell me that prophets, apostles, revelations, healing ,etc., were given to establish Jesus Christ and His doctrine, but that they have ever since been done away with because no longer needed in the Church and Kingdom of God. Such a declaration I never could and never would believe. I did believe, however, that revelation, the gifts and graces, and the faith once delivered to the Saints a faith which they have enjoyed in all ages when God has had an acknowledged people on the earth could be clone away with only through the disobedience and unbelief of the children of men I believed every gift, office, and blessing to be just as necessary now to constitute the true Church of Christ and Kingdom of God as in any age of the world. "This belief was firmly fixed upon my mind for two reasons: first, from the study of the Bible I found that the principle of cause and effect was the same in all ages, and that the divine promises made were to all generations. At the same time, I found no changes in the gospel in the days of Christ and the apostles, or that there would be any change in the plan of salvation in the last days. I learned also from the Scriptures that many of the ancient prophets, that Christ and His apostles foresaw by inspiration and revelation that the Gentile nations would apostatize and turn away from the true faith and from the Church and Kingdom of God as the Jews had anciently done; that there would be a falling away from the apostolic faith, from its doctrines and ordinances; that other systems would arise; that when these false systems should reach their fullness, the God of heaven would set up His Kingdom; that an angel would restore the gospel; and that it should be preached in all the world for a witness before the Savior should come to reign. I further believed that the gospel had been taken from the Jews and given to the Gentiles; that the Gentiles had, as foretold by the prophets, fallen into apostasy; and that in the last clays Israel should be restored and the promises concerning that people should be fulfilled. All these things I learned from the Scriptures and they made a lasting impression upon my mind. "The second reason for my peculiar belief in such principles, teachings, and doctrines was that in the days of my youth I was taught by an aged man named Robert Mason, who lived in Sainsbury, Connecticut. By many he was called a prophet; to my knowledge, many of his prophecies have been fulfilled. The sick were healed by him through the laying on of hands in the name of Jesus Christ, and devils were cast out. His son was a raving maniac. After praying and fasting for him nine days, he arose on the ninth day and commanded in the name of Jesus Christ the devil to come out of him. The devil obeyed and the boy was made whole from that very hour. This man instilled these principles into my mind as well as into the mind of my oldest brother Azmon. "Father Mason did not claim that he had any authority to officiate in the ordinances of the gospel, nor did he believe that such authority existed on the earth. He did believe, however, that it was the privilege of any man who had faith in God to fast and pray for the healing of the sick by the laying on of hands. He believed it his right and the right of every honest-hearted man or woman to receive light and knowledge, visions, and revelations by the prayer of faith. He told me that the day was near when the Lord would establish His Church and Kingdom upon the earth with all its ancient gifts and blessings. He said that such a work would commence upon the earth before he died, but that he would not live to partake of its blessings. He said that I should live to do so, and that I should become a conspicuous actor in that kingdom. "The last time I ever saw him he related to me the following vision which he had in his field in open day: 'I was carried away in a vision and found myself in the midst of a vast orchard of fruit trees. I became hungry and wandered through this vast orchard searching for fruit to eat, but I found none. While I stood in amazement finding no fruit in the midst of so many trees, they began to fall to the ground as if torn up by a whirlwind. They continued to fall until there was not a tree standing in the whole orchard. I immediately saw thereafter shoots springing up from the roots and forming themselves into young and beautiful trees. These budded, blossomed, and brought forth fruit which ripened and was the most beautiful to look upon of anything my eyes had ever beheld. I stretched forth my hand and plucked some of the fruit. I gazed upon it with delight; but when I was about to eat of it, the vision closed and I did not taste the fruit.' " 'At the close of the vision I bowed down in humble prayer and asked the Lord to show me the meaning of the vision. Then the voice of the Lord came to me saying: "Son of man, thou hast sought me diligently to know the truth concerning my Church and Kingdom among men. This is to show you that my Church is not organized among men in the generation to which you belong; but in the days of your children the Church and Kingdom of God shall be made manifest with all the gifts and the blessings enjoyed by the Saints in past ages. You shall live to be made acquainted with it, but shall not partake of its blessings before you depart this life. You will be blest of the Lord after death because you have followed the dictation of my Spirit in this life." ' "When Father Mason had finished relating the vision and its interpretation, he said, calling me by my Christian name: 'Wilford, I shall never partake of this fruit in the flesh, but you will and you will become a conspicuous actor in the new kingdom.' He then turned and left me. These were the last words he ever spoke to me unon the earth. To me this was a very striking circumstance. I had passed many days during a period of twenty years with this old Father Mason. He had never mentioned this vision to me before. On this occasion he said he felt impelled by the Spirit of the Lord to relate it to me. "The vision was given to him about the year 1800. He related it to me in 1830, the spring in which the Church was organized. Three years later when I was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, almost the first person I thought of was this prophet, Robert Mason. Upon my arrival in Missouri with Zion's Camp, I wrote him a long letter in which I informed him that I had found the true gospel with all its blessings; that the authority of the Church of Christ had been restored to the earth as he had told me it would be; that I had received the ordinances of baptism and the laying on of hands; that I knew for myself that God had established through Joseph Smith, the Prophet, the Church of Christ upon the earth. "He received my letter with great joy and had it read over to him many times. He handled it as he had handled the fruit in the vision. He was very aged and soon died without having the privilege of receiving the ordinances of the gospel at the hands of an elder of the Church. "The first opportunity I had after the truth of baptism for the dead was revealed, I went forth and was baptized for him in the temple font at Nauvoo. He was a good man, a true prophet; for his prophecies have been fulfilled. There was so much reason in the teachings of this man, and such harmony between them and the prophecies and teachings of Christ and of the apostles and prophets of old, that I believed in them with all my heart. " I had given myself up to the reading of the Scriptures and to earnest prayer before God day and night as far as I could years before I heard the fullness of the gospel preached by a Latter-day Saint. I had pleaded with the Lord many hours in the forest, among the rocks, and in the fields, and in the mill often at midnight for light and truth and for His Spirit to guide me in the way of salvation. My prayers were answered and many things were revealed to me. My mind was open to the truth so much so that I was fully satisfied that I should live to see the true Church of Christ established upon the earth and to see a people raised up who would keep the commandments of the Lord." This beautiful and inspiring story of Robert Mason reads very much like that of Simeon of old, who, having received a divine response to his steadfast supplications, exclaimed: "Lord, now lettest thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word; for mine eyes have seen thy salvation." In reading the history of the Church, one is constantly impressed by the striking comparisons between the events recorded in Holy Writ and those which have been forerunners as well as accompaniments of the Church of Christ in this dispensation. The Spirit of God makes these analogies impressive, and they in turn confirm the faith of those who have received a testimony of the divine mission of Joseph Smith and of the purposes of God to be fulfilled by the Church in these last days. No wonder Wilford Woodruff's mind was open to the truth. No wonder that doubt or misgiving never beclouded his mind from the day that the new light broke in upon his understanding to the day of his death. His life is one of the most beautiful examples of a childlike faith that has ever been given to the world. The story of it is both faith-promoting and instructive. It reads like the stories of Holy Writ. Wilford Woodruff, Cowley, Chapter 3 A Remarkable Preparation, pp 14-19. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Perry L. Porter" Subject: ---> Lesson 6 Date: 02 Feb 1997 22:08:07 -0700 Doctrine and Covenants 4; 1 1 -16; Joseph Smith History 1 :68-75 Lesson6 Scriptural Highlights 1. Serving the Lord 2. Blessings promised to those who serve faithfully 3. Priesthood keys and power restored Consider asking one or two class members to share their feelings about missionary work or to relate an experience of a friend or family member who has served a mission. Discussion and Application Questions * One way the Church helps bring people to Christ is through missionary work. What did you learn from D&C 4 and 11 -16 that can help you share the gospel more effectively? * In the scriptures the Lord repeats many ideas, often word for word. (D&C 4; 6:1-9; 11 :1-9; 12:1-8; 14:1-6; 15:6; 16:6.) Why do you think the Lord's instructions on teaching the gospel were repeated so many times? (See the quotation from President Kimball.) Why is an understanding of these instructions important to us today? * In D&C 4:2 the Lord emphasizes the need for his servants to have total commitment. What challenges did early Church members face that required their commitment to God? What challenges do we face that require our commitment to him? How can we strengthen our commitment to God? * The Lord promises everlasting salvation to those who serve him faithfully. (D&C 4:4; 6:3.) How does faithful service help us obtain salvation? How can we increase our desire to serve? * What attributes does the Lord desire in those who enter his service? (D&C 4.) How have you found one or more of these attributes to be important as you have served the Lord? How can we develop these attributes? * How can we know when the Spirit of God is directing us? (See D&C 11 :12-14; Moroni 7:11-19; and the quotation from the First Presidency.) * How can the Lord's counsel to Hyrum Smith in D&C 11 :20-22 help us as we prepare to teach the gospel? How have your experiences shown this counsel to be true? * What keys and powers did Joseph and Oliver receive when John the Baptist conferred the Aaronic Priesthood on them? (D&C 13; JS- H 1 :68-72.) Why is proper authority necessary to organize the Church and perform gospel ordinances? (John 15:16; D&C 42:11; 132:7-8; Articles of Faith 1 :5.) * The Lord revealed to John and Peter Whitmer the importance of bringing souls unto him. (D&C 15:6; 16:6.) What can we do to help in this effort? * What can you do now to prepare yourself to serve a mission? (See the quotation from Elder Haight.) Quotations President Spencer W. Kimball: "Some may wonder why General Authorities speak of the same things from conference to conference. As I study the utterances of the prophets through the centuries, their pattern is very clear. We seek, in the words of Alma, to teach people 'an everlasting hatred against sin and iniquity.' We preach 'repentance, and faith on the Lord Jesus Christ.' (Al. 37:32, 33.)" (Ensign, May 1976, p. 6). The First Presidency (Joseph F. Smith, Anthon H. Lund, Charles W. Penrose): "When visions, dreams, tongues, prophecy, impressions or any extraordinary gift or inspiration conveys something out of harmony with the accepted revelations of the Church or contrary to the decisions of its constituted authorities, Latter-day Saints may know that it is not of God, no matter how plausible it may appear" (Messages of the First Presidency, 4:285). Elder David B. Haight: "The goal of every physically able couple in the Church, just as it is for every 19-year-old young man in the Church, should be to serve a mission. No finer example can be given, no finer testimony can be borne by parents to children or grandchildren, than through missionary service in their mature years" (Ensign, May 1987, p. 61). Additional Ideas 1. Assign different class members to study one of the attributes listed in D&C 4. Have them search the scriptures for insights into the meaning of each attribute. 2. Suggested topic for family home evening: "Sharing Our Blessings," lesson 26 in the Family Home Evening Resource Book. 3. Show "The Joy of Missionary Work," segment 13 of the Family Home Evening Video Supplement (53276 or VNW2764). Next Week's Reading Assignment Doctrine and Covenants 17-19 Class Member Study Guide In February 1829, Joseph Smith, Sr., traveled to Harmony, Pennsylvania, to visit his son Joseph. He desired to know the Lord's will for him. The Prophet inquired of the Lord and received D&C 4. A few months later, Joseph received D&C 11 and 12 in response to requests by Hyrum Smith and Joseph Knight, Sr., to know the Lord's will. Because of increasing persecution in Harmony, in June 1829 Joseph and Emma moved to the home of Peter Whitmer, Sr., in Fayette, New York. Members of the Whitmer family provided assistance in the work of translation. At the Whitmer home, Joseph received revelations in behalf of David Whitmer, John Whitmer, and Peter Whitmer, Jr. These revelations became D&C 14,15, and 16. (The New York-Ohio map in the Doctrine and Covenants shows the locations of Harmony and Fayette.) * Review D&C 4:1; 11: 1; 12:1; and 14:1. Note that as the gospel was being restored in its fulness, the prophecy of Isaiah that the Lord would do "a marvelous work and a wonder" was being fulfilled (Isaiah 29:14). Also review D&C 4:4; 11 :3; 12:3; 14:3; 15:6; and 16:6. Note that the Lord emphasized the importance of missionary work in the building of his kingdom. * As you read these revelations, note the attributes that the Lord says missionaries should possess. These same attributes are needed by all those who serve the Lord. How can you more fully develop one or more of these attributes? How can you help in the effort to bring souls unto Christ? In the spring of 1829, Joseph and Oliver continued the translation of the plates. While translating 3 Nephi, they found mention of baptism for the remission of sins. On 15 May they went into the woods to pray about the subject. John the Baptist appeared to them and conferred the Aaronic Priesthood upon them. He instructed them to baptize one another and ordain each other to the Aaronic Priesthood. * Read the account of this experience in D&C 13 and Joseph Smith - History 1:68-75 (see also Oliver's description that is a footnote to verse 71). What keys and powers did Joseph and Oliver receive? Some weeks later, Peter, James, and John appeared to Joseph and Oliver and conferred upon them the Melchizedek Priesthood. An account of this experience is not included in the Doctrine and Covenants, but references to it can be found in the heading to D&C 13 and D&C 27:12-13; 128:20. * Why is proper authority necessary to organize the Church and perform gospel ordinances? (D&C 42:11; Articles of Faith 1 :5.) The Susquehanna River near Harmony, Pennsylvania. Along the banks of this river, John the Baptist appeared and bestowed the Aaronic Priesthood on Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery. Photograph by George E. Anderson, 1907. (bottom of page 12) I am sorry if the following section is not totally clear, the message passed to me had converted certain characters to "?" which in some places were obviously (") but not always: "The former heading 'REVELATION given to Joseph Smith the Prophet, at Harmony, Pennsylvania, July, 1828, relating to the loss of certain manuscripts of the first part of the Book of Mormon ..' is enlarged to read: '... relating to the loss of 116 pages f manuscript translated from the first part of the Book of Mormon, which was call the Book of Lehi.' "A similar clarification occurs in the heading to section 10." Robert J. Matthews, "The New Publications of the Standard Works"1979,1981," "BYU Studies", vol. 22, no. 4, p. 403. (Fall 1982) A description of these is in 1 Nephi 8 and Words of Mormon. 1:"God's works not frustrated 2:"God's path straight 3"4:"Man's work frustrated 5"15:"Personal reprimand to Joseph 16"20: God's work will go forward "Martin Harris ... served as Joseph Smith's scribe in the translation of the Book of Mormon from 12 April to 14 Jun 1828. ... "After Martin Harris's departure, Emma Smith gave birth to a son, on 15 Jun3 1828. The infant died the same day. When Emma had recovered sufficiently, the Prophet left for Manchester to visit his family and check on Martin Harris." "Martin Harris was excommunicated December 1837. Rebaptized 6 November 1842. Joined the Strangites and then a couple of other restoration churches. Rebaptized in Salt Lake city 1870. Lyndon W. Cook, "The Revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith: A Historical and Biographical Commentary of the doctrine and Covenants", (Deseret Book, 1985) p. 8 On Jan 14, 12:27am, Robert J. Woolley wrote on Scripture"L: Interestingly, this is not how this passage read originally. In the 1833 BOC, it explains that its purpose was so that "the knowledge of my people the Nephites, and the Jacobites, and the Josephites, and the Zoramites, come to the knowledge of the Lamanites, and the Lemuelites and the Ishmaelites." Nothing about knowledge of the Savior coming to anybody via the BOM. Section 10 A change is made in the heading of the New Edition, Robert J. Matthews, "The New Publications of the Standard Works, "BYU Studies", vol. 22, no. 4, p. 403. 4:"don't go to fast 10"19: the words changed 6"19:"The translation will be changed by wicked men. 20"23: Satan has deceived those who took the writing 38"42: Mormon had prepared two accounts 1 Nephi 8 and Words of Mormon Thumbnail sketches of People of the Doctrine and Covenants "Those who remained faithful made significant impact on Church" References: Deseret News Church Almanac; Biographical Encyclopedia, Jensen; History of the Church, Smith; Journal History; Pioneers and Prominent Men of Utah, Esshom; The Revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Cook Compiled by J Malan Heslop (Church News, Dec. 9, 1984) The first reference to each person in the Doctrine and Covenants is given. Other references may also be given. Biblical names and special names are not included. Ashley, Major N. --- Missionary (D&C 75:17); High Priest; resided in Jackson County; member of legislature in Missouri; left Church in 1838; was in mob action against Church; lived in Tallmadge, Ohio. Babbit, Almon W. --- Aspired to presidency (124:84); repented; president of Kirtland Stake; attorney for redress before Pres. James K. Polk; arrived in St. Louis in 1848; was a delegate to Congress. but was not seated; secretary of Utah Territory, 1852; killed by Indians in Ash Hollow, Nebraska on Sep. 7, 1856. Baker, Jesse --- (124:137); in elders quorum presidency, Nauvoo. Baldwin, Wheeler --- Missionary (52:31); named to obtain redress documents to send to Washington, D.C.; joined with Cutlerites and RLDS in 1863; died on May 11, 1887 at Stewartsville, Missouri. Basset, Heman --- Released from responsibility (52:37); died in 1876 at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Bennett, John C. --- Sent gospel message to kings (124:16); doctor; first Nauvoo mayor; became apostate; excommunicated on May 25, 1842; died Aug. 5, 1867 at Polk City, Iowa. Benson, Ezra T. --- In Stake Presidency, Quincy, Illinois, 1841; moved to Nauvoo; ordained and apostle on July 16, 1846; caption of 2nd company of 10 on trek to Salt Lake (136:12); arrived in Salt Lake on July 24, 1847; early government leader; lived in Logan, Utah; dided on Sept. 3, 1869 in Ogden, Utah. Bent, Samuel --- Whipped by mob in Liberty, Missouri, 1836; on High Council in Nauvoo (124:132); presiding elder in Garden Grove, Iowa; died there on Aug. 16, 1846. Billings, Titus --- Second person baptized in Kirtland, in November 1830; counselor to Bishop Edward Partridge; called to dispose of land and prepare to go to Zion (63:39); involved in Crooked River battle; reach Salt Lake valley in 1848; settled city of Manti, Utah; died on Feb. 6, 1866. Boggs, Lilburn --- Governor of Missouri; issued extermination order on Oct. 27, 1838 (124: intro.); migrated to California; died on Mar. 4, 1860 in Napa, California. Booth, Ezra --- Missionary (52:23); apostatized; wrote anti-Mormon literature (71:intro.); lived in Mantua, Ohio. Brunson, Seymour --- Missionary (75:33); on High Council in Nauvoo, 1839.; taken by the Lord unto himself; died on Aug. 10, 1840; Joseph Smith first spoke of baptism for the dead at his funeral. Burnett, Stephen --- Missionary (75:35); apostatized by 1838; lived in Orange, Ohio. Burroughs, Philip --- Non-member; John Whitmer called to labor with him (30:10). Butterfield, Josiah --- One of Seven Presidents of the Seventy, Nauvoo (124:138); worked on Kirtland Temle; missionary to Maine, 1844; later excommunicated; rebaptized; died, April 1871 in Monterey, California. Cahoon, Reynolds --- Missionary with Samuel Smith (52:30); in Stake Presidency, Adam-Ondi-Ahman; arrived in Salt Lake in 1848; settled Murray, Utahl died Apr. 29, 1861. Carter, Gideon H. --- Baptized on Oct. 25, 1831 by Joseph Smith; called to ministry (75:34); killed in the battle of Crooked River, at Far West, Missouri on Oct. 25, 1838. Carter, Jared --- Ordained priest (52:38); missionary; on High Council in Kirtland; defected in 1838; disfellowshipped in 1844; lived in Chicago, Illinois; died by 1850. Carter, John S. --- On High Council in Kirtland (102:3); missionary with his brother Jared; died of cholera on June 26, 1834, in Clay County, Missouri. Carter, Simeon D. --- Mission call (52:37); collected funds for Bible translation; on High Council at Far West; migrated to Salt Lake in 1850; died on Feb. 3, 1869 in Brigham City, Utah. Carter, William --- Called to Missouri (52:31); did not go; priesthood taken away on Sep. 1, 1831. Coe, Joseph --- Called to Missouri (55:6); on High Council in Kirtland; laid foundation stone of Kirtland Temple; helped obtain Egyptian mummies; left Church in 1837; lived in Kirtland. Coltrin, Zebedee --- Called to Missouri (52:29); one of first Seven Presidents of the Seventy; in Zion's Camp; in Kirtland Stake presidency; arrived in Salt Lake in 1847; lived in Spanish Fork; patriarch; died July 21, 1887. Copely, Leman --- Mission to Shakers (49:1); broke consecration covenant (54:4); disfellowshipped in 1834; returned in 1836; did not move west; lived in Ohio. Corrill, John --- Called to labor (50:38); 2nd counselor in Presiding Bishopric, 1831 to 1837; called to Missouri; keeper of Lord's storehouse; Church historian with Elias Higbee, 1838; excommunicated in 1839; lived in Quincy, Illinois. Covill, James --- Baptist minister, received revelation (Section 39); rejected baptism. Cowdery, Oliver --- Told to stand by Joseph Smith (6:18); ordained to Aaronic Priesthood (Section 13); one of the Three Witnesses (17:3); apostle and Second Elder; member of first High Council; excommunicated in 1838; rebaptized on Nov. 12, 1848; died on Mar. 3, 1850 in Richmond, Missouri. Cowdery, Warren A. --- Older brother of Oliver; presiding High Priest in Freedom, New York 106:1); moved to Kirtland in 1836; left the Church in 1838; died on Feb. 23, 1851. Cutler, Alpheus --- Worked on Kirland, Far West, and Nauvoo Temples; member of Nauvoo High Council (124:132); rejected Brigham Young as leader; moved to Iowa where he organized a Church; died on Aug. 10, 1864 at Manti, Iowa. Davies, (Davis) Amos --- Paid stock to Nauvoo House (124:111); did not go west with Saints, but went later for California gold; returned to Illinois in 1858; died on Mar. 22, 1872. Dodds, Asa --- Proclaimed gospel in West (75:15); was a High Priest; last known in Farmington, Ohio, 1850. Dort, David --- Converted through Lucy Mack Smith; member of Kirtland High Council (124:132); in Zion's Camp; died on Mar. 10, 1842 in Nauvoo. Eames, Ruggles --- Missionary (75:35); last known to live in Van Buren County, Iowa, 1840. Foster, James --- One of the first Seven Presidents of the Seventy (124:138); member of Krtland High Council; lived in Jacksonville, Illinois; died on Dec. 21, 1841 at Nauvoo, Illinois. Foster, Robert D. --- Held stock in Nauvoo House (124:115); chief surgeon of the Nauvoo Legion; in politics, education; excommunicated on Apr. 18, 1844; joined William Law group; moved to New York, then Illinois. Fuller, Edson --- Called to Missouri (52:38); troubled by evil spirits; excommunicated in 1831; moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan by 1850. Fullmer, David --- On Nauvoo High Council (124:132); leader in Garden Grove, Iowa; arrived in Salt Lake on Oct. 13, 1850; president of Salt Lake Stake; member of territorial legislature, delegate, territorial convention; patriarch; died on Oct. 21, 1879 at Salt Lake City. Galland, Isaac --- Paid stock in Nauvoo House (124:78); traveled with Hyrum Smith to obtain funds; wrote in defense of Church; became inactive; died on Sep. 22, 1858 at Fort Madison, Iowa. Gause, Jesse --- Quaker preacher; joined Church; counselor to Joseph Smith (81:intro.); excommunicated on Dec. 3, 1832. Gilbert, A. Sidney --- Agent to the Church (Sect. 53); established store with Newel K. Whitney; called to repentance in 1833; died of cholera in Zion's Camp on June 29, 1834. Gould, John --- Traveled with Orson Hyde to Missouri to seek redress; in Zion's Camp; saved if obedient (100:14); one of Seven Presidents of the Seventy, 1833; died on May 9, 1851 at Cooley's Mill, Iowa. Granger, Oliver --- Revelation concerning duties (Sect. 117); missionary; worked on Kirtland Temple; land agent in Nauvoo; died on Aug. 25, 1841 at Kirtland,Ohio. Griffin, Selah J. --- To travel to Missouri (52:32); missionary with Thomas B. Marsh; blacksmith; expelled from Missouri; remained in Illinois. Grover, Thomas --- On first High Council in Nauvoo (124:132); body guard for Joseph Smith; member of Nauvoo Legion; missionary; operated ferry on Platte River; arrived in Salt Lake valley on Oct. 3, 1847; member of Davis Stake High Council; member of Utah Legislature; died on Feb. 20, 1886 at Farmington, Utah. Hancock, Levi W. --- Missionary to Missouri (52:27); member of Zion's Camp; one of Seven Presidents of the Seventy; arrived in Salt Lake in 1847 with Mormon Battalion; delegate in the first legislative assembly, 1851; lived in Manti, Utah; died June 10, 1882 at Washington, Utah. Hancock, Solomon --- Missionary to Missouri (52:27); attended Kirtland Temple dedication in 1836; sung hymn at Far West temple site dedication; member of High Council in Clay County; died Dec. 2, 1847 at Pottawattamie, Iowa. Harris, Emer --- Brother of Martin; missionary (75:30); carpenter, Kirtland Temple; arrived in Salt Lake in 1850; lived in Provo, Utah; patriarch; died Nov. 28, 1869 at Logan, Utah. Harris, George W. --- On High Council at Far West and Nauvoo (124:132); bishop and High Councilor, Council Bluffs, Iowa; remained in Iowa; died in 1857 at Council Bluffs. Harris, Martin --- Scribe for Book of Mormon translation; lost 116 pages of manuscript (Sect. 3); one of the Three Witnesses; member of first High Council; assisted in choosing the Twelve; excommunicated in 1837; came to Utah in 1870; rebaptized; died July 9, 1875 at Clarkston, Utah. Haws, Peter --- Converted in Canada; helped build Nauvoo House and temple (124:62,70); missionary; left Church in 1849; lived in Nevada, then Californi, where he died in 1862. Herriman, Henry --- One of the Seven Presidents of Seventies (124:138); in Zion's Camp; expelled from Missouri; lieutenant colonel in Nauvoo Legion; arrived in Salt Lake Valley in 1848; settled Herriman, Utah; mission to England; lived in Huntington, Utah in 1887; died there, May 17, 1891. Hicks, John A. --- In elders presidency (124:137); not sustained at conference, 1841; excommunicated Oct. 5, 1841. Higbee, Elias --- Asked questions concerning Isaiah (113:7); missionary; high priest, 1834; worked on Kirtland Temple, 1835; member of Far West High Council, 1837; elected Judge, Caldwell County, Missouri; expelled from Missouri; on Nauvoo Temple Committee; accompanied Joseph Smith to see President Martin Van Buren, 1839; died of cholera on June 8, 1843 in Nauvoo. Humphrey, Solomon --- Missionary to east (52:35); assisted in laying cornerstone of the Kirtland Temple; member of Zion's Camp; died Sep. 1834 in Clay County, Missouri. Huntington, William --- Member of Nauvoo High Council (124:132) and Kirland H.C.; protected Joseph Smith; hid Egyptian mummies in his home; stone cutter on the Nauvoo Temple; pres., Mount Pisgah; died there Aug. 6, 1846. Hyde, Orson --- Member of Kirtland High Concil (102:3); clerk to First Presidency, 1833; member of Quorum of the Twelve, 1835 through 1878; attended Kirtland Temple dedication in 1836; dedicated the Holy Land; carried petition to Washington, D.C., 1844; remained at Winter Quarters until 1850; lived in Sanpete County, Utah in 1852; died Nov. 28, 1878 at Spring City, Utah. James, George --- Ordained priest (52:38); ordained elder Nov. 18, 1831; disfellowshipped; reinstated; remained in Ohio; died Nov. 1864 at Brownhelm, Ohio. Jacques, Vienna --- Baptized in Boston, 1832; requested expenses to Zion (90:28); married Daniel Shearer, Jul. 25, 1845; migrated West; died Feb. 7, 1884 at Salt Lake City/ Johnson, Aaaron --- Ordained seventy in 1838 at Far West, Missouri; member of Nauvoo High Council (124:132); bishop, Garden Grove, Iowa in 1846; captain of a pioneer company, Sep. 18, 1850; founder and first bishop of Springville Ward; chief justice of Utah County; speaker of first Legislature; died May 10, 1877 at Springville. Johnson, John --- Opened home to Joseph Smith, 1831-32; promised eternal life (96:6); member of Kirtland High Council, 1834; worked on Kirtland Temple, 1835; rejected from High Council in 1837; left the Church in 1838; died July 30, 1843 at Kirtland. Johnson, Luke S. --- Missionary (68:7); member of Kirtland High Council; member of Zion's Camp, 1834; member of Quorum of Twelve, 1835-1838; excommunicated in 1838 at Far West, Missouri; rebaptized in 1845 at Nauvoo; arrived in Salt Lake in 1847; bishop of St. John's, Utah Ward; died Dec. 9, 1861 at Salt Lake City. Johnson, Lyman E. --- Missionary (68:7); member of Zion's Camp; member of Quorum of Twelve, 1835-1838; excommunicated in 1838; drowned in Mississippi River on Dec. 20, 1856. Kimball, Heber C. --- In Quorum of Twelve (124:129); missionary to England; arrived in Salt Lake in 1847; counselor to Brigham Young, 1847-1868; first chief justice, prov. govt. of Deseret; member of Utah Senate; introduced Perpetual Emigration Fund; died June 22, 1868 at Salt Lake City after a fall at Provo. Kimball, Spencer W. --- Became 12th President of Church on Dec. 30, 1973; grandson of Heber C. Kimball; born in Salt Lake City on Mar. 28, 1895; lived in Arizona from youth until ordained apostle on Oct. 7, 1943; announced revelation extending priesthood to all worthy male members (Offical Declaration 2). Knight, Joseph --- Recognized (Sect. 12) for faith in Book of Mormon translation, was scribe; told to take up cross and pray (23:6); endowed in Nauvoo Temple in 1845; died Feb. 3, 1847 at Mount Pisgah, Iowa. Knight, Newel --- Missionary (52:32); service in Ohio (54:2, 56:6); member of Far West and Nauvoo High Councils; died Jan. 11, 1847 at Ponca, Nebraska while traveling westward. Knight, Vinson --- Asked to support Nauvoo House (124:74); bishop in Adam-Ondi-Ahman and Nauvoo; land purchasing agent; member of Nauvoo City Council, 1841; died July 31, 1842 at Nauvoo. Law, William --- Requested support of Nauvoo House (124:82); counselor to Joseph Smith, 1841-44; captain in Nauvoo Legion; excommunicated Apr. 18, 1844; died Jan. 19, 1892 at Shullsburg, Wisconsin. Lee, Ann --- Shakers believed Second Coming had occurred and Savior appeared as a woman, Ann Lee (Sect. 49 introduction). Lyman, Amasa M. --- In High Priest quorum presidency (124:136); missionary; member of Zion's Camp; ordained apostle Aug. 20, 1842; served as a counselor in First Presidency from February 1843 until Joseph Smith's death; returned to Twelve Aug. 12, 1844; deprived of apostleship Oct. 6, 1867; excommunicated on May 12, 1870; died Feb. 4, 1877 at Fillmore, Utah. Marks, William --- To preside at Far West (117:1-10); member of Kirtland High Council, 1837; president of Nauvoo Stake, 1839-44; sided with Sidney Rigdon; rejected as Stake President; followed RLDS; died May 22, 1872 at Plano, Illinois. Marsh, Thomas B. --- Subject of revelations (Sects. 31, 112); missionary; physician to Church; to publish Lord's work (118:2); member of the Twelve, 1835-38; excommunicated Mar. 18, 1839; rebaptized, July 1857 at Florence, Nebraska; arrived in Utah, 1857; died Jan. 1866 at Ogden, Utah. McLellin, William E. --- Requested revelations (Sects. 66, 68); Lord not pleased (90:35); member of High Council at Clay County; ordained apostle, 1835; attended Kirtland Temple dedication, 1836; excommunicated in 1838; died Apr. 24, 1883 at Independence, Missouri. Miles, Daniel S. --- Lived in Kirtland and Far West; one of Seven Presidents of the Seventy (124:138); among first settlers of Nauvoo; died in 1845 at Hancock County, Illinois. Miller, George --- Ordained bishop; helped build Nauvoo Temple (124:20-23); missionary; brigadeer general in Nauvoo Legion; carpenter on the Nauvoo House; appointed trustee-in-trust for Church on Aug. 9, 1844; followed James J. Strang; died in 1856 at Meringo, Illinois on way to California. Morley, Isaac --- Missionary (52:15); 1st Counselor in Presiding Bishopric, 1831-40; persecuted in Ohio and Missouri; attended Kirtland Temple dedication; patriarch; president of Lima, Illinois Stake, 1840; settled in Manti, Utah in 1849; member of general assembly, prov. state of Deseret; died June 24, 1865 at Fairview, Utah. Murdock, John --- To go to Missouri (52:8); member of Clay County High Council; missionary; bishop in Nauvoo, 1842; served on Mormon Batallion; arrived in Salt Lake Valley on Oct. 12, 1847; five times the captain of a wagon train to valley; first bishop of the 14th Ward of Salt Lake City; member of first legislature, 1849; died Dec. 23, 1871 at Beaver, Utah. Packard, Noah --- Member of Kirtland High Council; attended Kirtland Temple dedication, 1836; worked on Nauvoo Temple; counselor to Don Carlos Smith in High Priest presidency of Nauvoo (124:136); migrated to Salt Lake Valley, 1850; settled in Springville, Utah; died Feb. 17, 1860. Page, Hiram --- Satan deceived him (28:11); one of the Eight Witnesses; a founder of Far West, Missouri; left Church in 1838; died Aug. 12, 1882 near Richmond, Missouri. Page, John E. --- In Quorum of Twelve (118:6); missionary to Canada; supported James J. Strang; excommunicated June 26, 1846; died in 1847 at De Kalb, Illinois. Partidge, Edward --- Sins forgiven; called to preach (36:1-8); ordained presiding bishop in 1831 (41:9); persecuted, tarred and feathered, 1833; attended Kirtland Temple dedication; journeyed to Missouri; died May 27, 1840 at Nauvoo; received unto Lord (124:19). Patten, David W. --- high priest; worked on Kirtland Temple; member of Zion's Camp; member of Quorum of Twelve, 1835-38; mission (114:1); killed in battle of Crooked River on Oct. 25, 1838; taken unto Lord (124:19,130). Peterson, Ziba --- Lamanite missionary (32:3); chastened for sins (58:60); excommunicated in 1833; moved to Placerville, California, where he died in 1849. Phelps, William W. --- Ordained to preach and write books for children (55:1-4); editor and printer for Church; published Book of Commandments (Sect. 67); assisted in publishing first hymn book; worked on Kirtland Temple; excommunicated in 1838; returned in 1841; member of Nauvoo City Council; scribe for Book of Abraham translation; arrived in Salt Lake, 1848; in state legislature; died Mar. 7, 1872 at Salt Lake City. Pratt, Orson --- Subject of revelation (Sect. 34); missionary; worked on Kirtland Temple; called to Quorum of Twelve, 1835; excommunicated in 1842; rebaptized in 1843; missionary to Great Britain; came West in 1847; established Great Salt Lake base and meridian; Church historian; speaker of state Legislature; died Oct. 3, 1891 at Salt Lake City. Pratt, Parley --- To preach to Lamanites (32:1); leader in Ohio and Missouri; attended Kirtland Temple dedication in 1836; editor of the Millenial Star in England; member of the Quorum of Twelve, 1835-1857; arrived in Salt Lake in 1847; in constitutional convention of Deseret; assassinated while on mission, in 1857 at Van Buren, Arkansas. Pulsipher, Zera --- One of first Seven Presidents of Seventies, 1838-1862 (124:138); persecuted in Missouria and Illinois; arrived in Salt Lake on Sep. 22, 1848; patriarch; died Jan. 1, 1872 at Hebron, Utah. Rich, Charles C. --- Presidency of Nauvoo Stake (124:132); member of Zion's Camp; brigadeer general in Nauvoo Legion; missionary; arrived in Salt Lake on Oct. 3, 1847; in Salt Lake Stake Presidency; member of territorial legislature; ordained to Quorum of Twelve on Feb. 12, 1849; colonized San Bernadino, California; settled in Bear Lake area; died Nov. 17, 1883 at Paris, Idaho. Richards, Wlllard --- Doctor; missionary; called to Quorum of Twelve (118:6); member of Nauvoo council; with Joseph and Hyrum Smith in Carthage Jail; Church historian; counselor to Brigham Young, 1847-1854; died, Mar. 11, 1854, Salt Lake City. Rigdon, Sidney --- Scribe to Joseph Smith for Bible translation (Sect. 35); saw vision with Joseph Smith (76:1); counselor to Joseph Smith, 1833; attended Kirtland Temple dedication, 1836; held in Liberty Jail, 1838; member of Nauvoo city council; with Joseph Smith in Washington D.C.; vice president candidate of USA; rejected in claim to lead Church; withdrew; excommunicated on Sep. 8, 1844; died July 14, 1876 at Friendship, New York. Riggs, Burr --- Missionary (75: 17); ordained high priest; excommunicated, 1833; rebaptized, 1834; member of Zion's Camp; resided in Far West, Missouri; excommunicated, 1839; died, June 8, 1860 at Adams County, Illinois. Rolfe, Samuel --- Artisan at Kirtland; leader in Missouri and Illinois; bishop at Winter Quarters; reached Salt Lake, Sep. 24, 1847; joined Charles C. Rich at San Bemardino, California; died 1864. Roundy, Shadrack --- Seventy in Kirtland; expelled from Missouri; to preside over bishopfic (124:141); arrived in Salt Lake Valley on July 24, 1847; bishop of 16th Ward, 1849-56; on first Salt Lake Stake High Council; in territorial legislature; died, July 4, 1872, Salt Lake City. Ryder, Simonds --- Received calling (52:37); offended because name was misspelled in revelation; left Church; helped tar and feather Joseph Smith. Scott, Jacob --- Called to Missouri (52:28). Sherman, Lyman R. --- Requested revelation (108:1); one of First Seven Presidents of Seventy, 1835-37; member of Kirtland and Far West High Councils; Called to be apostle, but died Jan. 27, 1839, before ordained. Sherwood, Henry G. --- Asked to put stock in Nauvoo House (124:81); on Kirtland and Nauvoo High Councils; healed of malaria; city marshal of Nauvoo; arrived in Salt Lake, 1848; member of Salt Lake Stake High Council; died about 1862 at San Bernardino, California. Smith, Alvin --- Brother of Joseph Smith seen in vision (137 :5); died, Nov. 19, 1823 at Manchester, New York. Smith, Don Carlos --- Brother of Joseph Smith; president of high priest quorum (124:133); in charge of Elders Journal, edited Times and Seasons in Nauvoo; member of Nauvoo city council; died Aug. 7, l841 at Nauvoo. Smith, Eden --- Missionary (75:36); died Dec. 7, 1851 at Vermillion County, Indiana. Smith, Emma H. --- Married Joseph Smith on Jan. 18, 1827; served as scribe; told will of Lord (Sect. 25); called to prepare hymn book, 1830; sustained as first Relief Society president on Mar. 17, 1842; chose not to go West; married Lewis C. Bidaman on Dec. 23, 1847; died Apr. 30, 1879. Smith, George A. --- Joseph Smith's cousin; worked on Kirtland Temple; ordained apostle on Apr. 26, 1839; 1st Counselor in First Presidency; mentioned in revelation (124:129); member of Nauvoo city council; organized westward company (136:14); settled in St. George (named for him); died Sep. 1, 1875. Smith, Hyrum --- Joseph Smith's brother; subject ot revelation (Sect. 11); patriarch (124:95); counselor to President 1837-41; one of Eight Witnesses; on Kirtand Stake High Council; member of Zion's Camp; Church partriarch, assistant president to Joseph Smith; martyred, Jun. 27, 1844 at Carthage Jail in Illinois. Smith, John --- Member of Kirtland high council (102:3); worked on Kirtland Temple; missionary; president of Adam-Ondi-Ahman Stake, 1838; Iowa Stake, 1839; Nauvoo Stake, 1844; Salt Lake Stake, 1847; Church patriarch, l849; died, May 23, 1854. Smith, Joseph Jr. --- Received First Vision, 1820; given power to translate Book of Mormon (1:29); received priesthood (13:1); ordained apostle; organized and first president of Church; directed building Kirtland and Nauvoo temples; martyred, Jun. 27, 1844, Carthage Jail. Smith, Joseph Sr. --- Father of Joseph Smith; given revelation (Sect. 4); one of Eight Witnesses; Church patriarch; member of Kirtland High Council, 1833; worked on Kirtland Temple; assistant counselor to First Presidency, 1837; died, Sep. 14, 1840 at Nauvoo, Illinois. Smith, Joseph F. --- Son of Hyrum Smith; missionary; member of Salt Lake Stake High Council; ordained apostle, 1866; counselor to John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, Lorenzo Snow; became sixth president of Church on Oct. 17, 1901; received vision of Savior's visit to the spirit dead (Sect. 138); died, Nov. 19, 1918, Salt Lake City. Smith, Samuel H. --- Brother of Joseph Smith; called to strengthen Church (23:4); one of Eight Witnesses; first missionary for Church; member of Kirtland High Council, 1834-38; worked on Kirtland Temple; member of Nauvoo Legion; died, Jul. 30, 1844 at Nauvoo, Illinois. Smith, Sylvester --- Missionary (75 34): member of Zion's Camp; member of Kirtland High Council, 1835; attended Kirtland Temple dedication, 1836; excommunicated in 1838. Smith, William --- Brother of Joseph Smith; ordained apostle, 1835; rebelled but repented, 1839; member of Twelve (124:129); in Zion's Camp; member of Illinois House of Representatives; excommunicated on Oct. 12, 1845; died, Nov. 13, 1894 at Osterdock lowa. Snow, Erastus --- Missionary; attended Kirtland Temple dedication; aided Prophet in Liberty Jail; organized pioneer company (136:12); arrived in Salt Lake Valley on Jul. 24, 1847; in territorial constitutional convention; St. George city recorder; member of Quorum of Twelve, 1849-88; died, May 27, 1888 at Salt Lake City. Snider (Snyder), John --- Missionary in Canada and England; expelled from Missouri; member of Nauvoo House committee (124:22); member of Nauvoo Legion; arrived in Salt Lake, 1850; died, Dec. 19, 1875. Stanton, Daniel --- Called to preach (75:33); high priest, 1831; branch president in Jackson County; member of Adam- Ondi-Ahman Stake high council, 1838; president of Quincy, Illinois Stake, 1840; setlled in Springvillle, Utah; died, Oct. 26, 1872 at Panaca, Nevada. Sweet, Northrop --- Called to preach (33:1); left Church in 1831. Taylor, John --- Member of the Twelve (118:6); missionary to England, and France; editor of the Nauvoo Neighbor; member of committee to compile hymn book; member of Nauvoo city council; wounded at martyrdom of Joseph Smith; arrived in Salt Lake City on Oct. 5, 1847; member of Utah Legislature; became third president of Church on Oct. 10, 1880; died on July 25, 1887 at Kaysville, Utah. Thompson, Robert B. --- Promised blessings (124:12); Church recorder, 1840-41; scribe to Joseph Smith; edited Times and Seasons; died Aug 27, 1841 at Nauvoo. Wakefield, Joseph --- To strengthen Church (50:37): missionary; negative spirit developed; excommunicated in 1834. Welton, Micah B. --- Missionary (75:36); endowed in Nauvoo Temple, 1846. Whitlock, Harvey --- Missionary call (52:25); lived in Missouri; disfellowshipped in 1834, excommunicated in 1838: rebaptized in Salt Lake City, 1858; moved to California where he joined RLDS. Whitmer, David --- Subject of revelation (Sect. 16); one of Three Witnesses; called to search out Twelve Apostles; excommunicated on Feb. 13, 1838; died, Jan. 25, 1888 at Richmond, Missouri. Whitmer, John --- Revelations to (Sects. 15, 26); one of Eight Witnesses; assisted with Book of Mormon translation; Church historian; assistant president of Church; excommunicated Mar. 10, 1838; died, July 11, 1878 at Far West, Missouri. Whitmer, Peter, Jr. --- Revelation to (Sect. 16); one of Eight Witnesses; missionary; suffered Missouri persecution; died, Sep. 22, 1836 at Liberty, Missouri. Whitmer, Peter, Sr --- Opened home to Joseph Smith (Sect. 14: introduction); Church organized in home on Apr. 6, 1830, in Fayette, New York; one of first members; died, Aug. 12, 1854 at Richmond, Missouri. Whitney, Newel K. --- To retain store (63:42); bishop in KirtLand (72:8); worked on Kirtland Temple; bishop in Adam Ondi-Ahmam and Salt Lake 18th Ward; presiding bishop of Church, Apr. 6, 1847; died, Sep. 23, 1850 at Salt Lake City. Wight, Lyman --- Called to Missouri (52:7); in Zion's Camp, 1834; attended Kirtland Temple dedication; counselor in Adam-Ondi-Ahman Stake; on Nauvoo temple committee; member of Twelve, 1841; fell away, 1844; led group to Texas, 1845; excommunicated, 1848; died, Mar. 31, 1858 at Mountain Valley, Texas. Williams, Frederick G. --- Not to sell farm (64:21); counselor to Joseph Smith, 1832; member of Zion's Camp; attended School of Prophets; worked on Kirtland Temple, 1834; fell from unity with Prophet; rejected from First Presidency, 1837, excommunicated, Mar. 17, 1839; rebaptized, Apr. 1840; died, Oct. 25, 1842 at Quincy, Illinois. Williams, Samuel --- Member, elders quorum presidency (124:137); came to Salt Lake Valley before 1850. Wilson, Calves --- Called to preach in Cincinnati (75:15). Wllson, Lewis Dunbar --- On Nauvoo high council (124:132); arrived in Salt Lake, 1853; lived in Ogden where he died on Mar. 11, 1856. Woodruff, Wilford --- Member of Zion's Camp, 1834; ordained elder, 1835, seventy, 1836; missionary; called to Quorum of Twelve (118:6); presided over European missiLon, 1844; arrived at Salt Lake on July 24, 1847; mission to England, 1848; assistant Church historian, 1856; became fourth president of Church on Apr. 7, 1890; issued "Manifesto," Sep. 24, 1890; died Sep. 2, 1898 at San Francisco, California. Young, Brigham --- Worked on Kirtland Temple; ordained apostle in 1835; missionary; president of Twelve (124:127); led pioneers West, arrived in Salt Lake on July 24, 1847; became second president of Church on Dec. 27, 1847; died on Aug. 29, 1877 at Salt Lake City. Young, Joseph --- One of the Seven Presidents of Seventies (124:138); missionary; at Haun's Mill massacre; arrived in Salt Lake in 1850; died on July 16, 1881 at Salt Lake City. Document prepared for HTML by Andrew F. Hobbs, August 1996. Abbreviations and shortened forms expanded. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Perry L. Porter" Subject: ---> Lesson 7 Date: 02 Feb 1997 22:33:30 -0700 Doctrine and Covenants 17-19 Lesson 7 Scriptural Highlights 1. Witnesses to see the Book of Mormon plates 2. Twelve Apostles to be called 3. The Atonement and repentance Read aloud D&C 19:15-19 and testify of the Savior's atoning sacrifice. You might also invite class members to sing or read the words of "I Stand All Amazed" (Hymns, no.193). Discussion and Application Questions * Why was it necessary that witnesses see the Book of Mormon plates? (See 2 Nephi 27:12-14; Ether 5:2-4; and the witnesses' testimonies in the introductory pages of the Book of Mormon.) How are the testimonies of these witnesses a blessing to us today? How has your own testimony of the Book of Mormon been a blessing to you? * If we had lived in Jesus' day, how would we have recognized Jesus as the Messiah? (John 5:36-37; 8:17-18; 15:26-27.) What witnesses do we have today to help us recognize the Savior? * What witnesses has the Lord provided of Joseph Smith's prophetic calling? What witnesses do we have that our living prophet is called of God? What must we do to recognize and benefit from divine witnesses? * As we gain testimonies of the gospel, what are our responsibilities as witnesses? (D&C 18:3-5, 34-36; 19:29-31.) * How have your experiences shown you that "the worth of souls is great in the sight of God"? (D&C 18:10). * What can we learn about the Atonement from D&C 18:11 and 19:15-19? How is the Atonement a blessing to you? Why is it important that we ponder the Lord's atoning sacrifice? (See the quotation from Elder Smith.) * What is the relationship between the Lord's atonement and our repentance? (D&C 18:11-13; D&C 19:15-19.) How can we show the Lord our gratitude for the Atonement? * The Lord promises that we will have great joy in his Father's kingdom as we bring souls unto him. (D&C 18:15-16.) How have you experienced this joy? * The Lord cautioned Martin Harris to revile not against revilers. (D&C 19:30.) How should we respond to those who speak against the Church or against us personally? (See the quotation from Elder Ashton.) * What must we do to gain exaltation? (D&C 18:22-25, 42-47.) What does it mean to take upon ourselves the name of Christ? How can we do this? Why must we do this to be saved from the penalties for our sins? (2 Nephi 2:4-9; Alma 22:14; Helaman 14:13; Moroni 6:1-4.) (bottom of page 13) * When the latter-day Quorum of the Twelve was organized in 1835, nearly six years after D&C 18 had been given, verses 26-36 were read to them. What is the mission of the Twelve? (D&C 18:26-29, 32; 107:23, 33; Ephesians 4:11-14.) How are the Twelve fulfilling this mission today? How has the witness of one of the present-day Twelve strengthened your testimony? * While admonishing Martin Harris to keep his promise to pay for the printing of the Book of Mormon, the Lord emphasized the principle of repentance. (D&C 19:15, 20.) In what ways do we suffer if we do not repent? (D&C 19:4, 20; Alma 5:18; 36:12-13; 42:22, 24.) How can a person who feels troubled by his sins find peace? How might the unrepentant be "stirred up unto repentance"? (D&C 18:6). * How does the Lord's counsel to Martin Harris in D&C 19:21 and 31 apply to us? Why do you think the Lord wants us to emphasize repentance? * The Lord commanded Martin Harris, "Thou shalt not covet shine own property" (D&C 19:26). How is it possible to covet our own property? How can we be sure we are correctly using the material blessings the Lord has given us? (Jacob 2:18-19; Mosiah 4:16, 21, 26; D&C 42:30.) Quotations Elder Joseph Fielding Smith: "The punishment of physical pain coming from the nails driven in [Jesus'] hands and feet was not the greatest of his suffering, excruciating as that surely was. The greater suffering was the spiritual and mental anguish coming from the load of our transgressions which he carried. If we understood the extent of that suffering and his suffering on the cross, surely none of us would wilfully be guilty of sin. We would not give way to the temptations, the gratification of unholy appetites and desires and Satan could find no place in our hearts" (The Restoration of All Things, p.199). Elder Marvin J. Ashton: "When others disagree with our stand we should not argue, retaliate in kind, or contend with them.... Ours is to explain our position through reason, friendly persuasion, and accurate facts. Ours is to stand firm and unyielding on the moral issues of the day and the eternal principles of the gospel, but to contend with no man or organization. Contention builds walls and puts up barriers. Love opens doors" (Ensign, May 1978, pp. 7-8). Additional Idea Use your next class to view How Rare a Possession: The Book of Mormon (53285 or VNW2855), or suggest that class members view it for family home evening. Next Week's Reading Assignment Doctrine and Covenants 20-22 Class Member Study Guide Lesson 7 The Lord has declared that "in the mouth of two or three witnesses" every word shall be established (Matthew 18:16; 2 Corinthians 13:1). While translating the Book of Mormon plates, Joseph Smith learned that the Lord would provide three special witnesses of the plates. Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, and Martin Harris asked Joseph to inquire of the Lord to learn whether they could be these witnesses. Joseph went to the Lord and received D&C 17. In June 1829, not long after this revelation was received, Joseph, Oliver, David, and Martin went into the woods near the Whitmer home and prayed earnestly for the promised manifestation. They prayed for some time with no result. Martin Harris decided to leave the group, feeling that his unworthiness was the reason they did not obtain what they asked for. Shortly thereafter an angel appeared to the Prophet, Oliver, and David. He held the plates in his hands and "turned over the leaves one by one." The three men also heard a voice out of the bright light above them, saying: "These plates have been revealed by the power of God, and they have been translated by the power of God. The translation of them which you have seen is correct, and I command you to bear record of what you now see and hear" (History of the Church, 1:54-55). Joseph then went to find Martin, who had gone some distance away and engaged in fervent prayer. Joseph joined him in prayer, and soon they were able to see and hear the same things that Oliver and David had. Several days later, Joseph Smith showed the plates to eight other witnesses in a secluded setting near the Smith family home in Manchester, New York. Read "The Testimony of Three Witnesses" and "The Testimony of Eight Witnesses" at the beginning of the Book of Mormon. Notice that the Three Witnesses saw an angel and witnessed the glory and power of God, while the Eight Witnesses were shown the plates by Joseph Smith and were able to handle them. Although several of these witnesses later left the Church, not one of them ever denied his testimony of the Book of Mormon plates (see Truth Restored, pp. 22-28). As you study D&C 17, consider the following: * Why was it necessary that witnesses see the Book of Mormon plates and testify of them? (2 Nephi 27:12-14; Ether 5:2-4.) How are the testimonies of these witnesses a blessing to you today? When John the Baptist appeared to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, he promised that the higher priesthood would be conferred upon them. In June 1829, Joseph, Oliver, and David Whitmer received D&C 18, in which the Lord confirmed that they were called as Apostles (see D&C 18:9). The Lord told them that at a future time, Twelve Apostles would be ordained to serve in his kingdom. He also taught the great worth of souls and the importance of bringing souls to him. * As you read D&C 18, consider how your experiences have shown you that "the worth of souls is great in the sight of God" (D&C 18:10). How have your efforts to bring souls to God brought you joy? Doctrine and Covenants 19 was directed to Martin Harris. In this revelation the Lord described his great suffering for each of us and commanded us to repent. He instructed Martin to pay the cost of printing the first 5,000 copies of the Book of Mormon as Martin had already promised to do. Martin did this by selling part of his farm. (See D&C 19:34-35.) * What insights do you gain from D&C 19 about eternal punishment and the Atonement? How has the Atonement blessed your life? Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, and Martin Harris were the three witnesses who were shown the Book of Mormon plates by an angel of God. Paintings by Lewis Ramsey,1911. When Joseph had taken a little nourishment [after his arrival from Harmony] ... he requested us to send immediately for Mr. Harris. This we did without delay... For a short time previous to Joseph's arrival, Mr. Harris had been otherwise engaged, and thought but little about the manuscript. When Joseph sent for him, he went immediately to the drawer where he had left it, but, behold it was gone! He asked his wife where it was. She solemnly averred that she did not know anything respecting it. He then made a faithful search throughout the house... ?[After we had sent for Martin j4arris], we commenced preparing breakfast for the family, and we supposed that Mr. Harris would be there, as soon as it was ready, to eat with us, for he generally came in such haste when he was sent for. At eight o'clock we set the victuals on the table, as we were expecting him every moment. We waited till nine, and he came not??till ten, and he was nor there??till eleven, still he did not make his appearance. But at half past twelve we saw him walking with a slow and measured tread towards the house, his eyes fixed thoughtfully upon the ground. On coming to the gate, he stopped, instead of passing through, and got upon the fence, and sat there some time with his hat drawn over his eyes. At length he entered the house. Soon after which we sat down to the table, Mr. Harris with the rest. He took up his knife and fork as if he were going to use them, but immediately dropped them. Hyrum, observing this, said, "Martin, why why do you not eat; are you sick? Upon which, Mr. Harris pressed his hands upon his temples, and cried out, in a tone of deep anguish, "Oh, I have lost my soul! I have lost my soul!" Joseph, who had not expressed his fears till now, sprang from the table, exclaiming, Martin, have you lost that manuscript? have you broken your oath, and brought down condemnation upon my head, as well as your own?" "Yes, it is gone, " replied Martin, "and I know not where." "Oh, my God!'" said Joseph, clinching his hands. "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." He wept and groaned, and walked the floor continually. At length he told Martin to go back and search again. "No," said Martin, "it is all in vain; for I have ripped open beds and pillows; and I know it is not there." "Then must I," said Joseph, "return to my wife with such a tale as this? I dare not do it, lest I should kill her at once. And how shall I appear before the Lord? Of what rebuke am I not worthy from the angel of the Most High?" I besought him not to mourn so, for perhaps the Lord would forgive him, after a short season of humiliation and repentance. But what could I say to comfort him, when he saw all the family in the same situation of mind as himself; for sobs and groans, and the most bitter lamentation filled the house. However, Joseph was more distressed than the rest, as he better understood the consequences of disobedience. And he continued, pacing back and forth, meantime weeping and grieving, until about sunset, when, by persuasion, he took a little nourishment ... The manuscript [Martin Harris lost] has never been found; and there is no doubt but Mrs. Harris took it from the drawer, with the view of retaining it, until another translation should be given, then, to alter the original translation, for the purpose of showing a discrepancy between them, and thus make the whole appear to be a deception. "Lucy Smith, Biographical Sketches, "pp.120" 21, 123. Quoted in Milton v. Backman, Jr., "Eyewitness Accounts of the Restoration", (Grandin Book, 1983) p. 87-88. The Yearly Moroni Visits >From D. Michael Quinn's _Early Mormonism and the Magic World View,_ Salt Lake, 1987, pp. 133 - 143. Some text has been skipped indicated by ellipses. Ellipses in quote marks are as Quinn has presented them. Some footnotes are included in "{}". Bibliographic references can be found in Quinn's book. --begin text-- All official and unofficial, traditional and nontraditional, friendly and unfriendly sources agree that Smith was not able to obtain the gold plates on 22 September 1823. Instead he returned to the hill on exactly the same day each year until 1827. None of these accounts explains why the visits had to occur each year on exactly the same day. ... The specific day continued to coincide with the autumn equinox. Thus Smith visited the Hill Cumorah annually from 1823 to 1827 to fulfill his original quest to "commune with some kind of messenger". Although absent from Smith's presently available first-person narratives, both early Mormon and non-Mormon sources agree that on 22 September 1823 Moroni required Smith to bring his oldest brother Alvin to the hill the following year in order to obtain the gold plates. About ten years later, one of Smith's devout followers, Joseph Knight, recorded Smith's relating that the following dialogue occurred on the hill in 1823: "Joseph says, if you Bring the right person with you. Joseph says, 'who is the right Person?' The answer was 'your oldest Brother.' But before September [1824] Came his oldest Brother Died. Then he was Disappointed and did not [k]now what to do. (Jessee 1976a, 31; also Hartley 1986, 20). The Smith's non- Mormon Palmyra neighbor Willard Chase reported in 1833: "He then enquired when he *could* have them, and was answered thus: come one year from this day, and bring with you your oldest brother, and you shall have them. This spirit, he said was the spirit of the prophet who wrote this book, and who was sent to Joseph Smith, to make known these things to him. Before the expiration of the year, [Smith's] oldest brother died" (W. Chase 1833, 241-42, emphasis in original). Nearly forty years later, Fayette Lapham remembered that Smith's father told him in 1830 that "Joseph asked when he could have them; and the answer was, 'Come in one year from this time, and bring your oldest brother with you; then you may have them.' During that year, it so happened that his oldest brother died" (F. Lapham 1870, 2:386). In 1884, a third Palmyra neighbor, Lorenzo Saunders, Benjamin Saunders's brother, was asked, "Did you ever hear Joe give an account of finding the plates?" He replied: "Yes. He gave the account in my father's house. He said he was in the woods at prayer and the angel touched him on the shoulders and he arose, and the angel told him where the plates were and he could take his oldest Brother with him in a year from that time and go and get them. But his oldest Brother died before the year was out" (L. Saunders 1884a, 9-10; also Saunders 1884c, 16). At present, no available evidence explains why Moroni in September 1823 required Alvin's presence the following year. ... Joseph was the son who had the theophany, but according to the family's Palmyra neighbors, prior to 1823 Lucy and Joseph Sr. both had said they looked to their first son Alvin, not their third, as the family seer. Orsamus Turner first met the Smiths in Palmyra about 1819-20 and later commented: "Their son, Alva [sic], was originally intended, or designated, by fireside consultations, and solemn and mysterious out door hints, as the forth coming Prophet. The mother and father said he was the chosen one; but Alvah ... sickened and died" (O. Turner 1851, 213). J. H. Kennedy said that in Vermont, Lucy Mack Smith "announced the advent of a prophet in her family, and on the death of Alvah [sic], the first born, the commission that had been intended for him was laid upon Joseph." (Kennedy 1888, 12) {Both Turner and Kennedy mistakenly referred to Joseph Smith's brother Alvin by the name of Joseph's first child Alva(h), named after Emma Hale's brother.} Although Joseph Jr. was a treasure seer in New York and in Pennsylvania by 1822 (Blackman 1873, 580- 81; W. Chase 1833, 240-41), the Palmyra neighbors also identified Alvin as a treasure-seeker and seer prior to his death in November 1823 (L. Saunders 1884c, 9; cf. W Chase 1833, 240-41; Quinn 1987, chap 2). Moreover, his mother observed that "Alvin manifested, if such could be the case, greater zeal and anxiety in regard to the Record [of the Book of Mormon] that had been shown to Joseph, than any of the rest of the family" (L. M. Smith 1853, 89-90). But with Alvin's unexpected death on 19 November 1823, it seems that Joseph Jr. again shouldered the primary responsibility in his family's search for treasure. Given the messenger's requirement for the second visit to the Hill Cumorah, the intensity of the Smith family's despair over Alvin's death less than two months later is understandable. Alvin's last words to his brother Joseph were to "do everything that lies in your power to obtain the Record. Be faithful in receiving instruction, and keeping every commandment that is given to you. Your brother Alvin must leave you" (L. M. Smith 1853, 88). Alvin's final charge underscored the dilemma Joseph now faced: he had been commanded to meet the angelic treasure-guardian at the hill the following 22 September 1824 and to bring Alvin with him. By some accounts, Smith had been violently jolted three times and severely chastised for disobeying instructions during his first visit, and Mormon convert Joseph Knight wrote that now Smith "did not [k]now what to do" (Jessee 1976a, 31). One can only imagine the turmoil Smith would have experienced during the ten months between the death of his eldest brother on 19 November 1823 and his next solitary visit to the hill. Smith's own available histories give no details of the visits to the hill between 1824 and 1826, but it seems likely that he hoped to obtain the plates on 22 September 1824 even though he did not bring Alvin. The day was a stinging disappointment. According to Smith's 1832 autobiography, the messenger told him "to come again in one year from that time [1823]. I did so [in 1824], but did not obtain them" (Jessee 1984b, 77; Faulring 1987, 51). His friend Joseph Knight wrote, "But when the 22nt Day of September Came he went to the place and the personage appeard [sic] and told him he Could not have it now" (Jessee 1976a, 31). Lorenzo Saunders remembered that Smith told him, "At the end of the time he went to the place to get the plates the angel asked where his Brother was. I told him he was dead." Fayette Lapham recalled the story as "Joseph repaired to the place again, and was told by the man who still guarded the treasure, that, inasmuch as he could not bring his oldest brother, he could not have the treasure yet" (L. Saunders 1884a, 10; Lapham 1870, 2:386). As Smith left the hill in disappointment on 22 September 1824, apparently the message he had received was: without your dead brother Alvin, you cannot have the gold plates. Within days of this second unsuccessful visit to the hill, local events indicated that someone evidently contemplated remedying the impasse by exhuming Alvin's body. Joseph Smith, Sr., published a notice, dated 25 September 1824, in the Palmyra newspaper, denying "reports [that] have been industriously put in circulation, that my son, Alvin, had been removed from the place of his internment and dissected." He chastised town gossips for disturbing the peace of mind of a still-grieving parent, and then made two comments that allude to his son Joseph as target of such gossip: "[these rumors] deeply wound the feelings of relations ... [and] have been stimulated more by desire to injure the reputation of certain persons than a philanthropy for the peace and welfare of myself and friends" (Wayne Sentinel, 29 Sept.-3 Nov. 1824; Kirkham 1951, 1:147; Rich 1970, 256). Biographers of Joseph Smith to the present have consistently ignored Mormon and non-Mormon sources concerning Moroni's requirement to bring the now- deceased Alvin to the hill, and therefore have regarded this as a bizarre incident explainable only by neighborhood malice (Brodie 1945, 28; D. Hill 1977, 60; Gibbons 1977, 42; Bushman 1984, 65). However, the treasure-guardian's unfulfilled requirements to bring the now-deceased Alvin provided a context for such rumors and denials. ... Even though they were influenced by the magic world view, none of the Smiths may have actually considered this drastic option, but someone in the family obviously described the angel's requirement and Joseph's predicament to neighborhood friends, since Willard Chase, Lorenzo Saunders, and Fayette Lapham all knew about the situation. Someone evidently talked openly about the possibility of using part of Alvin's remains to fulfill the requirement of the treasure guardian by necromancy, and village rumors required the denial, which Joseph Smith, Sr., published in six consecutive issues of the local weekly. Without providing details, E. D. Howe's Mormonism Unvailed claimed that young Joseph became "very expert in the arts of necromancy" (E. D. Howe 1834, 12). And a year later, Oliver Cowdery's published history of the new church also referred, without details, to rumors that Smith dug treasure "by some art of nicromancy" (O. Cowdery 1835, 2:201; Kirkham 1951, 1:103). All existing second-hand accounts agree that the treasure-guardian next required Smith to bring another person with him in September 1825. Mormon convert Joseph Knight wrote that in 1824 the "personage appeard [sic] and told him he Could not have it now. But the 22nt Day of September nex[t] he mite have the Book if he Brot with him the right person. Joseph says, 'who is the right Person?' The answer was you will know" (Jessee 1976a, 31). {Knight added that the person required was Smith's future wife Emma Hale. This would seem to be wrong, though, because by her father's and Smith's own accounts, he and Emma did not meet until he was working for Josiah Stowell in Harmony, Pennsylvania, in October-November 1825 (I. Hale 1834; HC 1:17). It is likely that Knight omitted the 1825 visit involving Samuel F. Lawrence because of its unsuccessful outcome.} One visit to the hill between 1823 and 1827 seems to be missing in several accounts, and the omission was somehow connected to Samuel F. Lawrence, a neighborhood seer. Knight indicated that Lawrence had something to do with a visit to the Hill Cumorah. "I will say there [was] a man near By [sic] By the name Samuel Lawrance [sic]. He was a Seear [sic] and he had Bin to the hill and knew about things in the hill" (Jessee 1976a, 32). Lorenzo Saunders remembered Smith telling him, "The angel told him there would be another appointed. Joseph chose Samuel Lawrence. But he did not go" (L. Saunders 1884a, 10). Neighbor Willard Chase provided the fullest account in 1833: "Joseph believed that one Samuel T. [sic] Lawrence was the man alluded to by the spirit, and went with him to a singular looking hill, in Manchester, and shewed him where the treasure was. Lawrence asked him if he had ever discovered any thing with the plates of gold; he said no: he then asked him to look in his stone, to see if there was any thing with them. He looked, and said there was nothing; he told him to look again, and see if there was not a large pair of specks with the plates; he looked and soon saw a pair of spectacles, the same with which Joseph says he translated the Book of Mormon." That this visit to the hill with Lawrence occurred in 1825 is indicated by Chase's next comment: "Lawrence told him it would not be prudent to let these plates be seen for about two years, as it would make a big disturbance in the neighborhood [which did occur in September 1827]. Not long after this, Joseph altered his mind, and said L. was not the right man, nor had he told him the right place" (W. Chase 1833, 242). >From existing accounts, there may be an explanation for what seems to be the intentional omission of one visit to the hill as Joseph Knight and Joseph Smith referred to the events from 1823 to 1827 (Jessee 1976a; Jessee 1984b, 77; Faulring 1987, 51-52). Although indicating that the visit with Lawrence occurred in 1825, Willard Chase did not indicate that the visit occurred on 22 September. Joseph Smith may have taken Lawrence to the hill to look for the plates prior to the required date in 1825, and Chase's account does indicate that Joseph Smith was not happy about the results of their activities on that occasion. This may be why Lorenzo Saunders reported of the visit on 22 September 1825 that Lawrence "did not go," even though Joseph Smith had previously chosen him. Both Chase and Saunders report that the effort to obtain the plates with Lawrence was a failure. That failure may be directly indicated by the fact that none of these accounts of Smith's visit to the hill with Lawrence mention the angel. If the messenger did not appear on the hill in September 1825, the nonappearance of Moroni may be the reason for the omission of the one visit. The hope and disappointment Smith may have experienced with Lawrence in the quest for Cumorah's treasure in September 1825 was repeated later that year in Harmony, Pennsylvania. Joseph Smith's treasure seeking expedition with Josiah Stowell ended first in failure to obtain the treasure, and then in a nearby court the following March (Quinn 1987, chap. 2). But the redeeming incident of his second disappointment in 1825 ultimately resolved Smith's continuing dilemma about whom he should take to the hill. While engaged in this treasure-seeking venture in the fall of 1825, Smith met Isaac Hale and his twenty-one-year-old daughter Emma at Harmony, and she immediately attracted this young man's interest (I. Hale 1834, 262-63; L. M. Smith 1853, 92; HC 1:17; Newell and Avery 1984, 17-18). Smith, however, was only nineteen years old, and men in his family generally married much later. His eldest brother died unmarried at 25, the next oldest married at 25, their father had married at 24, and three of his uncles had married at 28,34 and 38. Uncle Jesse had been the youngest man in two generations of the Smith family to marry, and he waited until 21 (M. Anderson 1929, 65-66, 74). Joseph Jr. appears to have broken with that expectation in order to fulfill the requirements of Moroni to obtain the gold plates. >From every available account, Smith had little reason to hope for success as he ascended the hill to commune with the messenger on 22 September 1826. His own disobedience as an over-eager treasure-seeker had thwarted the visit of 1823, Alvin's death had left the requirement unfulfilled in 1824 and had caused a village uproar over rumors of necromantic grave-robbing, Samuel Lawrence had apparently failed him as a fellow seer in 1825, and now Smith went to the appointed spot with no idea what he should do next. Joseph Knight described the condition of renewed hope and anxiety when Smith met "with the personage which told him if he would Do right according to the will of God he might obtain [the plates] the 22nt Day of September Next and if not he never would have them." Smith learned from his seer stone what the requirement was: "Then he looked in his glass and found it was Emma Hale, Daughter of old Mr. Hail of Pensylvany, a girl that he had seen Before, for he had Bin Down there Before with me" (Jessee 1976a, 31- 32; Hartely 1986, 21). But, as Palmyra neighbors learned, the requirement was not simply to bring an acquaintance to the hill. Henry Harris testified in 1833 that Smith told him that "an angel appeared, and told him he could not get the plates until he was married, and that when he saw the woman that was to be his wife, he should know her, and she would know him." Smith also related this requirement to Lorenzo Saunders (H. Harris 1833, 252; L. Saunders 1884c, 16). Other residents remembered that "it was freely talked among the neighbors that Jo Smith said he had a revelation to go to Pennsylvania and get him a wife" (S. Walker 1888, 1; W. R. Hine 1888, 2). His visit to the hill in September 1826 seems to have been the reason the twenty-year-old Smith was determined to set aside his family's tradition of delayed marriage and even to ignore the opposition of his intended father- in-law: he had to marry Emma Hale within a year or the gold plates of Cumorah would be lost forever. The number of visits he subsequently made to the Hale home in Pennsylvania is unclear, but there were several. When Smith asked permission of Isaac Hale to marry his daughter, Hale, in his affidavit, said he refused because of the young man's treasure-seeking background (I. Hale 1834, 243). ... His money-digging friends were hardly the allies Smith needed to overcome Hale's opposition, but they, more than anyone else, would have understood the necessity of complying with the requirement of the treasure guardian. First, Joseph Smith turned to Samuel F. Lawrence for assistance. Willard Chase testified that sometime during "the fall of 1826, [Joseph] wanted to go to Pennsylvania to be married; but being destitute of means, he now set his wits to work, how he should raise money, and get recommendations, to procure the fair one of his choice. He went to [Samuel F.] Lawrence with the following story, as stated to me by Lawrence himself. That he had discovered in Pennsylvania, on the bank of the Susquehannah River, a very rich mine of silver, and if he would go there with him, he might have a share in the profits ... When the got to Pennsylvania, Joseph wanted L. to recommend him to Miss H[ale]., which he did ... L. then wished to see the silver mine, and he and Joseph went to the river, and made search, but found nothing" (W. Chase 1833, 243-244). This incident only reinforced Smith's reputation for treasure seeking, got him no closer to the kind of secular respectability Hale demanded, and probably led to the final estrangement between him and his previous treasure-seeking associate Samuel F. Lawrence. >From among the treasure diggers, Smith turned next to the prosperous Joseph Knight to borrow horses and a sleigh for an impressive, but still unsuccessful, attempt for Hale's permission as the winter's snow fell (Jessee 1976a, 32; Newell and Avery 1984, 18-19). When Smith turned twenty-one in late December, he was still nine months away from the night when he was to bring Emma to the hill as his wife. He no doubt felt that the gold plates would be lost if he had to depend on obtaining permission from Emma's father to marry. Less that a month later, Smith enlisted the help of a third treasure-seeker to obtain Emma Hale as a wife according to the requirement of Moroni. Emma did not mention her father's claim that this happened while he was away from home on business, but later told her children, "I was visiting at Mr. [Josiah] Stowell's, who lived at Bainbridge, and saw your father there. I had no intention of marrying when I left home; but, during my visit at Mr. Stowell's, your father visited me there. My folks were bitterly opposed to him; and, being importuned by your father, aided by Mr. Stowell, who urged me to marry him, and preferring to marry him to any other man I knew, I consented." The couple eloped on 18 January 1827 (E. Smith 1879, 289; I. Hale 1834, 363; HC 1:17; D. Hill 1977, 69; Youngreen 1982, 5-6). In commenting about this, Mormons typically speak of romance and Smith's love for Emma as the reason for their elopement (e.g. Cadwell 1879). It is more probable, however, that Smith risked alienating his parents-in-law from his new bride by eloping - not for love alone - but to fulfill the requirement of Moroni. According to Palmyra neighbors, as the appointed day in September 1827 approached, Smith made additional preparations to assure the success of his last opportunity to obtain the gold plates. Willard Chase stated that Smith was required to "repair to the place where was deposited this manuscript, dressed in black clothes, and riding a block horse with a switch tail, and demand the book in a certain name ... They according fitted out Joseph with a suit of black clothes and borrowed a black horse." Chase thought that this applied to the 1823 visit, but all of Smith's own accounts of the events of 1823 preclude the time necessary for such preparations. And Lorenzo Saunders said that the requirement for blackness applied to the 1827 visit (W. Chase 1833, 242; L. Saunders 1884b, 11). Without mentioning the color, both Joseph Knight and Lucy Mac Smith noted that Smith borrowed Knight's horse and carriage for the September 1827 visit to the hill (Jessee 1976a, 33; L. M. Smith 1853, 100-101). Contemporary evidence may support the neighbors' claim that Smith used the color black to help obtain the gold plates in 1827. Dr. Gain Robinson, "an old friend" of the Smith family (L. M. Smith 1853, 95; L. Porter 1971, 74), owned a store in Palmyra, and his account books of the purchases by the Smiths from 1825 to 1829 show that the first time any of the Smiths purchased lampblack from his store was on 18 September 1827 - four days before Smith's final visit to the hill - the entry for this particular purchase beginning "Joseph Smith for Son" (G. Robinson 1825; G. Robinson 1826; G. Robinson 1827). Lampblack was a common pigment used to paint objects a deep black color (Webster's 1981). ... After the anticipation and frustration of the four previous visits, Smith prepared "about twelve o'clock" midnight on Friday, 21 September 1827, to go with Emma to the hill for the plates. Josiah Stowell and Joseph Knight, his only treasure-seeking associates not now arrayed against him, had arrived on 20 September and were asleep in the Smith home (L. M. Smith 1853, 99-100; Hartley 1986, 23). ... Smith's sister later stated that in order to obtain the gold plates "he was commanded to go on the 22d day of September 1827 at 2 o'clock" (Salisbury 1886) ... Emma's cousins reported that she "stood with her back toward him, while he dug up the box" (Lewis and Lewis 1879). Husband and wife did not return from the hill until the family met for breakfast on 22 September 1827. Joseph Knight best captured the excitement Smith expressed that morning: "'it is ten times Better than [sic] I expected.' Then he went on to tell the length and width and thickness of the plates, and said he, 'they appear to be Gold' " (Jessee 1976a, 33; also L. M. Smith 1853, 100-101). According to Joseph Smith, his mother, and early converts, he spent the next several months defending himself and the plates from the efforts of his former treasure-digging associates to seize what the regarded as a gold treasure rightly theirs. Doctrine and Covenants -Section 5- 2-4: God gave Joseph the gift to translate 11-13,15: Three witnesses 14: Church is terrible Instructions to Martin Harris -Section 6- 9: teaching the gospel should have repentance of sins as a goal. (#1, p 77) -"In the revelation to Oliver Cowdery, and to several others who came to ask what the Lord would have them do, the Lord said:[D&C 6:9]. We must not infer from this expression that those who went forth to preach were limited in their teachings so that all they could say was 'repent of your sins', but in teaching the principle of the Gospel they should do so with the desire to teach repentance to the people and bring them in humility to a realization of the need for remission of sins. Even today in all of our preaching it should be with the desire to bring people to repentance and faith in God. That was the burden of John's message as he wnt forth to prepare the wa for the Lord: 'Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand,' he declared to the people, but he also taught them the necessity of baptism and officiated in that ordinance for all who repented of their sins." Joseph Fielding Smith, "Church History and Modern Revelation", 1:39-40. 22-24: Oliver had prayed & received an answer HC, p 35. 25-28: Oliver was writing, and probably wanted to translate -"This revelation was received during the same month that Oliver Cowdery first started to serve as scribe for Joseph Smith in the translation of the Book of Mormon. As Oliver Cowdery witnessed the gift of translation being manifested through Joseph, it would seem only natural that he would wonder about the gift and desire it for himself. Here the Lord counsels Oliver to be patient and faithful to the opportunities that had been given to him, so that additional power could be given to him later to 'assist in bring to light' those scriptures or parts of scriptures that were then not available to the peoples of the earth." Daniel H. Ludlow, "A Companion to Your Study of the Doctrine and Covenants", Vol. 1, (Deseret Book Company, 1978) p. 32 -Section 7- John the Beloved remained in the flesh until the second coming background, HC. p. 35-36 Translated beings, "Teachings", p. 171 HC 4:425 probably reading 1 Nephi 14:19-27 (19-21, 27) -Section 8- background HC p. 30 6-9: "Gift of Aaron" Oliver was the first to deliver a public discourse. Joseph Fielding Smith, "Church History and Modern Revelation", (Salt Lake City: Council of the Twelve Apostles, 1953), 1:52. 1-2: Oliver permitted to translate. -Section 9- Oliver thought that translating was an easy task, when it did not come qickly, his faith wavered, and he didn't continue trying. The Lord had shown Oliver the difficulty of translation (#1, p. 92) -"It seems probable that Olver Cowdery desired to translate out of curiosity, and the Lord taught him his place by showing him that translating was not the easy thing he had thought it to be. In a subsequent revelation (Sec. 9), the explanation was made that Oliver's failure came because he did not continue as he commenced, and the task being a difficult one, his faith deserted him. The lesson he learned was very necessary, for he was shown that his place was to act as scribe for Joseph Smith and that it was the latter who was called and appointed by command of the Lord to do the translating. There must have been some impatience in having to sit and act as scribe, but when he failed to master the gift of translating, he was then willing to accept the will of the Lord." Joseph Fielding Smith, "Church History and Modern Revelation", 1:50-51 . background HC p. 36 1-2, 5: Oliver will translate later 7-9: Study things. "There is much in Oliver's experience that is profitable for our instruction in obtaining an understanding of the spirit of revelation. first, let us consider the instruction given him before his attempt to translate. That Oliver might have the assurance that he was translating by the spirit of revelation, the Lord said: [D&C 8:2-3].... We observe that neither he nor Joseph was to experience any suspension of their natural faculties in the process of obtaining revelation. Quite the contrary, their hearts and minds were to be the very media through which the vice of the Lord echoes, nor are they mechanical recording devices; prophets are men of passion, feeling, and intellect. One does not suspend agency, mind, or spirit in the service of God. It is only with heart, might, mind and strength that we have been asked to serve, and in nothing is this more apparent than the receiving of revelation. There is no mindless worship or service in the kingdom of heaven." Joseph Fielding McConkie, "The Principle of Revelation," "Studies in Scripture, Volume One: The Doctrine and Covenants", edited by Robert L. Millet and Kent P. Jackson, (Randall Book Co., 1984) p. 82-83. -Book of Commandments- (section 5) 5 And thus, if the people of this generation harden not their hearts, I will work a reformation among them, and I will put down all lyings, and deceivings, and priestcrafts, and envyings, and strifes, and idolatries, and sorceries, and all manner of iniquities, and I will establish my church, like unto the church which was taught by my disciples in the days of old. 6 And now if this generation do harden their hearts against my word, behold I will deliver them up unto satan, for he reigneth and hath much power at this time, for he hath got great hold upon the hearts of the people of this generation: and not far from the iniquities of Sodom and Gomorrah, do they come at this time: and behold the sword of justice hangeth over their heads, and if they persist in the hardness of their hearts, the time cometh that it must fall upon them. Behold I tell you these things even as I also told the people of the destruction of Jerusalem, and my word shall be verified at this time as hath hitherto been verified. -1981 Edition- 18 And their testimony shall also go forth unto the condemnation of this generation if they harden their hearts against them; 19 For a desolating scourge shall go forth among the inhabitants of all the earth, and shall continue to be poured out from time to time, if they repent not, until the earth is empty, and the inhabitants thereof are consumed away and utterly destroyed by the brightness of my coming. 20 Behold, I tell you these things, even as I also told the people of the destruction of Jerusalem; and my word shall be verified at this time as it hath hitherto been verified. Lyndon W. Cook, "The Revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith", (Deseret Book, 1985) p. 12 Section 6 Received on or after 7 April, 1829. Oliver Cowdery was excommunicated from the church for apostasy on 12 April 1838 at Far West, Missouri. He was rebaptized on 12 November 1848 at Kanesville, Iowa. Lyndon W. Cook, "The Revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith", (Deseret Book, 1985) p. 113-14. Section 7 "The text of section 7, as published in the Book of Commandments, was much shorter than that contained in our present edition. The additional verses were first placed in the 1835 edition of the Doctrine and Covenants. "And the Lord said unto me, John my beloved, what desirest thou? and I said Lord, give unto me power that I may bring souls unto thee.-And the Lord said unto me: Verily, verily I say unto thee, because thou desiredst this, tou shalt tarry til I come in my glory: And for this cause, the Lord said unto Peter:"If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee" for he desiredst of me that he might bring souls unto me: but thou desiredst that thou might speedily come unto me in my kingdom: I say unto thee, Peter, this was a good desire, but my beloved has undertaken a greater work. Verily I say unto you, ye shall both have according to your desires, for ye both joy that which ye have desired." Lyndon W. Cook, "The Revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith", (Deseret Book, 1985) p. 15. Section 8 "Book of Commandments"w this is not all, for you have another gift, which is the gift of working with the rod: behold, it has told yo things: behold there is no other power save God, that can cause this rod of nature, to work in your hands. -1981 Edition- 6 Now this is not all they [sic] gift; for you have another gift, which is the gift of Aaron; behold, it has told you many things; 7 Behold, there is no other power, save the power of God, that can cause this gift of Aaron to be with you. 8. Therefore, doubt not, for it is the gift of God; and you shall hold it in your hands, and do marvelous works; and no power shall be able to take it away out of your hands, for it is the work of God. Lyndon W. Cook, "The Revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith", (Deseret Book, 1985) p. 16 Description of Oliver Cowdery's use of diving rod. D. Michael Quinn, "Early Mormonism and the Magic World View", (Signature Books, 1987) p. 31-35. "...intellectual activity can be and act of worship." Richard F. Haglund, Jr. and David J. Whittaker, "Intellectual History", "Encclopedia of Mormonism". "... the elusive balance of academic, or intellectual, pursuits and learning to rely on the promptings of the Spirit. How can we avoid relying too much on the intellectual while ignoring the Spirit, or expecting spiritual solutions while ignoring our own power to reason things out for ourselves? "[D&C 9:7-9] Of this scripture Elder Bruce R. McConkie has commented, 'Implicit in asking in faith is the precedent requirement that we don everything in our power to accomplish the goal that we seek.' "On one side of the spectrum is the person within or without the Church who sees very little need to call upon the Lord because this person is a scholar. He wants to be independent and free in his thinking and not tied to absolute truths that the gospel tells us do exist. He may spend his life chasing down every intellectual loose end. All counsel from general or local authorities is taken with a grain of salt because, after all, their knowledge is so minimal compared to that which the scholar has amassed. "The other end of the speectrum is just as dangerous and is probably a greater threat to the majority of this audience. A person on this end of the spectrum thinks like this: 'I know the Church is true and I have received the gift of the Holy Ghost. I am a worthy member of the Church and, therefore, have access to the Spirit.' When faced with a problem he will pray for an answer, and the first thought that comes to mind is cannonized. I would purpose that an idea or solution that comes without appropriate reasoning is nothing better than a hunch. There are times of instant inspiration, but they are rare and usually involve an emergency. "There is a sentence used in Church circles that sends a chill up my spine. It's a perfectly good sentence that packs a spiritual wallop when used by someone who has been acted upon by the Spirit, but unfortunately is too often used b those who have wandered off-center in the spectrum. I've heard it said in my ward, at Church headquarters, and I have said it myself. The sentence that turns me cold is thins: 'I feel real good about it.' Every time I hear it, I see a red flag go up. It's a perfectly good way of expressing a feeling of the Spirit, but far too often the literal translation is 'I haven't done my homework.' Some very bad decisions have been made by people who 'feel really good' about something they have to reason out in their minds." Glenn L Pace, "The Elusive Balance," "BYU 1985-86 Devotional and Fireside Speeches." Section 10 "After Joseph Smith had received section 3, both the gold plates and the Urim and Thummim were taken from him. But 'in the few day they were returned to me,' declared the Prophet, 'when I inquired of the Lord, and the Lord said ths unto me... Lyndon W. Cook, "The Revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith", (Deseret Book, 1985) p. 17-18. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Perry L. Porter" Subject: ---> Information on translating by the gift and power of god. Date: 09 Feb 1997 22:33:36 -0700 There has been a weeks discussion on Mormon-Hist on the topic of whether there is a better word than "translate", to describe how Joseph produced the BoM, "Divined" to me seems more accurate, since it appears that JS did not lean Egyptian well enough to translate from one language to another. The discussion (argument) centered around the following points. 1. Translate could also mean to reword, transform, and did not always relate to a natural linguistic conversion from one language to another. 2. Examples of other people that had "translated" a piece of work from a language that they did not know, and an example from the BoM it's self was produced, but no other. 3. The Koran was an example of how a book could claim to be produced by the power of god. It's relationship or contrast to how the BoM was produced, did not yield any significant discussion. 4. Examples of translating using a computer were used to show that a person did not have to know both languages to translate. In contrast it was pointed out that in this case it is the programmer that is doing the translating and must know bother languages. It was countered that some language translations software have been produced that where the programmers did not know either languages. In response it was argued that the computer was acting as a computer searching took to look up dual language dictionaries and produce stilted translations, and that computers can not think, and that these programs are only used to take the drudgery out of translation, and that human translating was always the final word. 5. One argued that Channeling was the best term for the process of producing the BoM. But like "Divining" it has good and bad connotations, thus some held strong to their position. 6. The assertion surfaced that the Mormon use of the word "Translate" was unique to Mormonism. It was counted that JS always included the caveat that it was done with the "gift and power of god." It was never determined exactly who did the translating, God or JS with a divine tutor. There was argument that the misleading term "translate" was interpreted by most Mormons that JS did the interpreting, rather than just transcribing the converted English to Oliver Cowdry. This just led to more discussion of translation being used differently, without distinguished between when it is within the same language and between languages. 7. Few argued that JS know Egyptian, except that he may have pick up some from Angle Moroni, on his frequent visits, which produced the counter that the such detailed visions that would leave residual foreign language skills later, does not account for supposed translation errors of confusing horses for tapirs, as well as JS problem with the Kinderhook plates, dismissed further argument about JS retaining Egyptian language skills. 8. The argument that if was simply the inspired oracle, and not the translator, then why were there interments of translation involved. My vague memory of OC or DW wanting to translate and being un-able to use the Unim and Thumin, was left mute, either I am remembering wrong, or who ever taught me this as a young man, was mixing up the story of revelation and translation. Anyone know more about this please tell me. Very little was concluded or new terminology adjusted as very little is know about what exactly it meant by "the gift and power of god." At any rate here is some quotes on the subject. ------------------ Omni 1:20 20 And it came to pass in the days of Mosiah, there was a large stone brought unto him with engravings on it; and he did interpret the engravings by the gift and power of God. ------------------ The Testimony of Three Witnesses Be it known unto all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, unto whom this work shall come: That we, through the grace of God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, have seen the plates which contain this record, which is a record of the people of Nephi, and also of the Lamanites, their brethren, and also of the people of Jared, who came from the tower of which hath been spoken. And we also know that they have been translated by the gift and power of God, for his voice hath declared it unto us; wherefore we know of a surety that the work is true. And we also testify that we have seen the engravings which are upon the plates; and they have been shown unto us by the power of God, and not of man. ------------------ AN ACCOUNT WRITTEN BY THE HAND OF MORMON UPON PLATES TAKEN FROM THE PLATES OF NEPHI Wherefore, it is an abridgment of the record of the people of Nephi, and also of the Lamanites--Written to the Lamanites, who are a remnant of the house of Israel; and also to Jew and Gentile--Written by way of commandment, and also by the spirit of prophecy and of revelation--Written and sealed up, and hid up unto the Lord, that they might not be destroyed--To come forth by the gift and power of God unto the interpretation thereof--Sealed by the hand of Moroni, and hid up unto the Lord, to come forth in due time by way of the Gentile--The interpretation thereof by the gift of God. ----------------- D&C 135:3 3 Joseph Smith, the Prophet and Seer of the Lord, has done more, save Jesus only, for the salvation of men in this world, than any other man that ever lived in it. In the short space of twenty years, he has brought forth the Book of Mormon, which he translated by the gift and power of God, ----------------- WOW, there are 4 scriptures that have the phrase " by the gift and power of God" and infobase97 had 471 hits for the phrase. A quick look, indicates that JS said it in "print" about 8 of those 471 hits, and it has been repeated by other about 400 times, as some of the later references were not related to translation. Some interesting quotes with that phrase: Joseph Fielding Smith Jr., Doctrines of Salvation, Vol.3, p.91 It is a most serious error to believe that Jesus did everything for men if they would but confess him with their lips, and there is nothing else for them to do. Men have work to do if they would obtain salvation. It was in harmony with this eternal law that the angel directed Cornelius to Peter, and that Ananias was sent to Paul. It was likewise in obedience to this law that Moroni, who understood the writings upon the Nephite plates, did not do the translating, but under the direction of the Lord gave to Joseph Smith the Urim and Thummim by which he was able to accomplish that important work by the gift and power of God. ----------------------- Oliver Cowdery's Return Joseph Fielding Smith, The Restoration of All Things, p.114 Friends and Brethren: My name is Cowdery, Oliver Cowdery. In the early history of this Church, I stood identified with her, and one in her councils. True it is that the gifts and callings of God are without repentance; not because I was better than the rest of mankind was I called, to fulfill the purposes of God. He called me to a high and holy calling. I wrote with my own pen, the entire Book of Mormon (save a few pages) as it fell from the lips of the Prophet Joseph Smith, as he translated it by the gift and power of God, by means of the Urim and Thummim, or, as it is called by the book, "holy interpreters." I beheld with my eyes, and handled with my hands, the gold plates from which it was translated. I also saw with my eyes and handled with my hands the "holy interpreters." -------------------------- James R. Clark, Messages of the First Presidency, Vol.1, p.137 - p.138 These records were engraven on plates which had the appearance of gold, each plate was six inches wide and eight inches long, and not quite so thick as common tin. They were filled with engravings, in Egyptian characters, and bound together in a volume as the leaves of a book, with three rings running through the whole. The volume was something near six inches in thickness, a part of which was sealed. The characters on the unsealed part were small, and beautifully engraved. The whole book exhibited many marks of antiquity in its construction, and much skill in the art of engraving. With the records was found a curious instrument, which the ancients called "Urim and Thummim," which consisted of two transparent stones set in the rims of a bow fastened to a breast plate. Through the medium of the Urim and Thummim I translated the record by the gift and power of God. -------------------------- Plates Translated By Power of God Parley P. Pratt, A Voice of Warning, p.89 Having provided himself with a home, he commenced translating the records, by the gift and power of God, through the means of the Urim and Thummim; and being [p.90] a poor writer, he was under the necessity of employing a scribe to write the translation as it came from his mouth. In the meantime, a few of the original characters were accurately transcribed and translated by Mr. Smith, which, with the translation, were taken by a gentleman named Martin Harris to the City of New York, where they were presented to a learned gentleman named Anthon, who professed to be extensively acquainted with many languages, both ancient and modern. He examined them, but was unable to decipher them correctly, but he presumed that if the original records should be brought he could assist in translating them. But to return. Mr. Smith continued the work of translation, as his pecuniary circumstances would permit, until he had finished the unsealed part of the records. The part translated is entitled "The Book of Mormon." LeGrand Richards, A Marvelous Work and a Wonder, Ch.8, p.70 "Translated by the Gift and Power of God" LeGrand Richards, A Marvelous Work and a Wonder, Ch.8, p.70 Let us give consideration to the statement of the Lord to the witnesses that the plates were "translated by the gift and power of God." When Moroni told Joseph Smith of the record deposited in the Hill Cumorah, he said: LeGrand Richards, A Marvelous Work and a Wonder, Ch.8, p.70 Also, that there were two stones in silver bows -- and these stones, fastened to a breastplate, constituted what is called the Urim and Thummim -- deposited with the plates; and the possession and use of these Stones were what constituted "seers" in ancient or former times; and that God had prepared them for the purpose of translating the book. (Joseph Smith 2:35.) LeGrand Richards, A Marvelous Work and a Wonder, Ch.8, p.70 - p.71 It was through the use of the Urim and Thummim that Joseph Smith was able to translate into English, from the gold plates, the Book of Mormon, consisting of over five hundred printed pages. This was accomplished in about sixty days time, from April 7, 1829, to the first week in June, 1829. We doubt that any other writer has ever written even a book of fiction of such magnitude in such a comparably short period of time. LeGrand Richards, A Marvelous Work and a Wonder, Ch.8, p.71 The Urim and Thummim LeGrand Richards, A Marvelous Work and a Wonder, Ch.8, p.71 Would it be unfair to ask what the spiritual leaders of Joseph Smith's day knew about the Urim and Thummim? Would Joseph Smith, of himself, have thought of claiming that he translated the Book of Mormon with the assistance of the Urim and Thummim? Yet, the use of the Urim and Thummim was known to the prophets of old: LeGrand Richards, A Marvelous Work and a Wonder, Ch.8, p.71 Urim and Thummim, (i.e., `Light and Perfection') mentioned as the means by which the High Priest inquired of the Lord, Ex. 28:30; Lev. 8:8; Nu. 27:21; Deut. 33:8; 1 Sam. 28:6. The Urim and Thummim were clearly material objects of some kind; it has been suggested that they were (I) stones in the High Priest's breastplate. (II) sacred dice, (III) little images of "truth" and "justice" such as are found hung around the neck of an Egyptian priest's mummy. The Urim and Thummim did not exist after the Captivity -- Ezra 2:63. (A Concise Biblical Encyclopedia, p. 154.) LeGrand Richards, A Marvelous Work and a Wonder, Ch.8, p.71 Since the Urim and Thummim was used by the ancient prophets as a means by which they inquired of the Lord, and since it was preserved by the hand of the Lord and delivered to Joseph Smith along with the gold plates, it would demonstrate the wisdom of God in preserving it for this sacred purpose. These facts account for the statement of the scribes for the Prophet Joseph Smith that they wrote as he dictated, and that he made no corrections. Follow the testimony of Oliver Cowdery, the chief scribe: LeGrand Richards, A Marvelous Work and a Wonder, Ch.8, p.71 - p.2 I wrote, with my own pen, the entire Book of Mormon (save a few pages) as it fell from the lips of the Prophet Joseph, as he translated it by the gift and power of God, by the means of the Urim and Thummim. . . . I beheld with my eyes, and handled with my hands, the gold plates from which it was transcribed. . . . That book is true. (B. H. Roberts, A Comprehensive History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1965, vol. 1, p. 139.) B.H. Roberts, The Seventy's Course in Theology, Second Year, p.215 4. Joseph Smith's Description of the Book of Mormon: "The records (in plates of the Book of Mormon) were engraven on plates which had the appearance of gold, each plate was six inches wide and eight inches long, and not quite so thick as common tin. They were filled with engravings, in Egyptian characters, and bound together in a volume as the leaves of a book, with three rings running through the whole. The volume was something near six inches in thickness, a part of which was sealed. The characters on the unsealed part were small, and beautifully engraved. The whole book exhibited many marks of antiquity in its construction, and much skill in the art of engraving. With the records was found a curious instrument, which the ancients called "Urim and Thummim," which consisted of two transparent stones set in the rim of a bow fastened to a breast plate. Through the medium of the Urim and Thummim I translated the record by the gift and power of God. I. The Manner of Translating the Book of Mormon. (From the Y. M. M. I. A. Manual (Senior), 1905-6.) B. H. Roberts, Defense of the Faith and the Saints, Vol.1, p.255 Relative to the manner of translating the Book of Mormon the prophet himself has said but little. "Through the medium of the Urim and Thummim I translated the record by the gift and power of God,"(Wentworth letter, Mill. Star, Vol. XIX., p. 118.) is the most extended published statement made by him upon the subject. Of the Urim and Thummim he says: "With the record was found a curious instrument which the ancients called a 'Urim and Thummim,' which consisted of two transparent stones set in a rim of a bow fastened to a breastplate."(Wentworth letter, Mill. Star, Vol. XIX., p. 118.) B. H. Roberts, Defense of the Faith and the Saints, Vol.1, p.276 That is the only theory the Manual has upon the subject. The foregoing quotation from the prophet is all he has said with reference to the manner of the translation, and we could wish that all other persons, necessarily less informed upon the subject than the prophet himself, had been content to leave the matter where he left it. In this, however; they did not follow his wise example; but must needs undertake to describe the manner of the translation; and, from such description has arisen the idea that the Urim and Thummim did all, in the work of the translation, the prophet, nothing; except to read to his amanuensis what he saw reflected in the seer-stone or Urim and Thummim, which the instruments, and not the prophet, had translated. The men responsible for those statements, on which said theory rests, are David Whitmer and Martin Harris. The former says: B. H. Roberts, Defense of the Faith and the Saints, Vol.1, p.276 A piece of Something resembling parchment did appear, (i.e., in Urim and Thummim), 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 English to Brother Oliver Cowdery, who was his principal scribe, and then it was written down and repeated to Brother Joseph to see if it was correct; then it would disappear and another character with the translation would appear. Thus the Book of Mormon was translated by the gift and power of God, and not by any power of man.(Address to all Believers in Christ, by David Whitmer, page 12.) B. H. Roberts, Defense of the Faith and the Saints, Vol.1, p.277 "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.(Millennial Star, vol. 24, page 86-87.) ---------------------- B. H. Roberts, Defense of the Faith and the Saints, Vol.1, p.298 "But the important fact in this important matter is, that Joseph Smith really received these ancient records, containing much of the history of this continent and an account of the dealings of God with the early inhabitants thereof; that he translated them into the English language; and that, according to the testimony of the three witnesses--Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer and Martin Harris--the voice of the Lord declared that they were translated "by the gift and power of God," and therefore they were translated correctly. As to the exact modus operandi, there is nothing on record that we know of as coming from the Prophet himself. ---------------------- Collected Works of Hugh Nibley, Vol.8, Ch.3, p.96 - p.97 Why all this concern, then, about the language or languages of the Book of Mormon? If we had the original text, which we do not, and if we could read it, which we cannot, any translation we might make of it would still be inferior to that which was given, as we claim it was, by the gift and power of God. If we had the original text, scholars would be everlastingly squabbling about it and getting out endless new and revised translations, as in the case of the Bible. In fact, if our English text of the Book of Mormon came to us in any other way than by revelation it would be almost worthless! For members and investigators could ask of every verse: "But how do we know it is translated correctly?" A revealed text in English is infinitely to be preferred to an original in a language that no one on earth could claim as his own. It frees the members and leaders of the Church as it frees the investigating world from the necessity of becoming philologists, or, worse still, of having to rely on the judgment of philologists, as a prerequisite to understanding this great book. At the same time, it puts upon the modern world an obligation to study and learn, from which that world could easily plead immunity were the book in an ancient language or couched in the labored and pretentious idiom that learned men adopt when they try to decipher ancient texts. ---------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Perry L. Porter" Subject: ---> 'translated' [chronology] 1 of 4 Date: 17 Feb 1997 20:29:09 -0700 I will get off the beginnings of the BoM and on to the D&C soon, but when studying the BoM, it doves tails into the start of Church History. This was sent to the public list, Mormon-Hist this week and I thought it would be of interest to us on GDM. --------------------- To All I stand corrected in my previous posting here. for John Hajaeck Upon closer examination of the copy right application Joseph Smith did write in his own hand Author and properiter. NORMAN I meant George Reynolds when I was writing about George Q. Cannon. see reference in part 4. In the interest of further discussion regarding the Book of Mormon translation I have chosen to post my FARMS paper her for you all to read and discuss and for those of you in Gospel Doctrine you can supplement your lessons from this paper. As our gospel Doctrine teacher is doing. I will post the paper in 4 parts. This note is the first part. Part 2 is the body of the text in chronological order. I have changed the footnotes to endnotes. Numbers as so (1) Part 3 will be the portion written by John Welch in what order were the texts of the Book of Mormon translated? Part 4 End notes and bibliography. Please remember that this paper was written 10 plus years ago and a number of new items have come to light. I have made corrections and additions as needed, to include these discoveries. Of course when Dan Vogel finishes publishing his Early mormon Documents series a more complete picture of these time period will be established. Dan has discovered a number of new and unpublished documents which directly impact this important early period of the history of the restoration movement. Tim Rathbone Ciao Perry http://pobox.com/~plporter ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Perry L. Porter" Subject: ---> Re: 'translated' [chronology] 2 of 4 Date: 17 Feb 1997 20:29:46 -0700 Part 2 of 4 parts THE TRANSLATION OF THE BOOK OF MORMON: PRELIMINARY REPORT ON THE BASIC HISTORICAL INFORMATION John W. Welch and Tim Rathbone This report summarizes basic historical information pertaining to the translation of the Book of Mormon by Joseph Smith. Section I gives an annotated chronology of events from 1827 through 1830, with the supporting primary source materials cited in the footnotes and copies of some of these documents being attached at the end of this paper. (The Book of Mormon copy right application and the Cowdery, Oliver, "Letters I-VIII," Latter Day Saints' Messenger and Advocate, 1 (1834-35), pp. 13-16, 40-43, 77-80, 83-84, 94-95, 109- 12, 155-59, and 195-202 and the article by Dean Jessee, "Joseph Knight's Recollection of Early Mormon History," BYU Studies 17:1 (Autumn 1976), pp. 32-33.) Despite a few inconsistencies and uncertainties in this historical data, most of the information is reconcilable into a single logical sequence of events. In addition to providing ready access to this historical data, this report examines two other areas of interest. Section II examines two theories about the order in which the texts of the Book of Mormon were translated, and concludes that the Large Plates of Nephi (from Mosiah to Moroni and the Title Page) were most likely translated in Harmony (now Oakland), Pennsylvania, from April 7 to the end of May, 1829, and that the Small Plates of Nephi (from 1 Nephi to Omni) were translated afterwards in Fayette, New York, from the first part of June to the end of June, 1829. The order of translation may have a bearing on one's appreciation and analysis of certain portions of the Book of Mormon. Section III shows that the 590 pages printed in the 1830 edition of the Book of Mormon were translated, dictated, and written all within an extremely short and intensely busy period of time. Virtually no time existed for Joseph Smith to plan, to ponder about, to research around, to draft, to revise, or to correct the pages of this book during those three months. The Book of Mormon was dictated one time through, essentially in final form. This was done despite several significant interruptions and distractions. Such a feat, in and of itself, constitutes a considerable achievement. Section IV is a bibliography of primary documents and secondary sources. Tim Rathbone and others have provided significant research assistance particularly for Sections I and IV of this report. While we have attempted to be thorough and believe that we have made reference to all of the main documents, we recognize that further research may yet discover additional information to clarify the individual points or expand the number of sections in this report. Dates listed in the chronology are, for the most part, historically verifiable, but some have been approximated and remain in need of further documentation. We are grateful for the comments several have made clarifying or correcting earlier drafts of this report. Further comments are welcome. I. Chronology of Events from September 1827 to April 1830 Relating to the Translation and Publication of the Book of Mormon 21-22 September 1827: This was the appointed time when Joseph Smith received the plates from Moroni, with a charge that Joseph "should be responsible for them," and that he would be "cut off" if he should let them go carelessly.(1) This charge was strict, for there were reasons to know that "strenuous exertions" would soon be made to try to get the plates from Joseph.(2) Some tim