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Doctrine and Covenants Week 3: D&C 3, 5, 10 & 17

1) As will be the case with most of these lessons, there is too much material to cover all of the reading assignment in class. The best we can do is to get an overview of the background behind the reading, and hit on some of the key passages. a) This weeks lesson is about the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, particularly the loss of the 116-page manuscript of the Book of Lehi, how the translation was accomplished, and the calling of three witnesses to testify of the work. 2) [SLIDE 2]Lets start with some historical background:1 a) 22 September 1827: Joseph Smith obtained the plates. Several weeks later he received the breastplate with the interpreters (later called the Urim and Thummim). He was forced to continually move the plates from one hiding place to another to prevent them from being stolen. b) [SLIDE 3] Early December 1827: To escape ongoing persecution, Joseph and his wife, Emma (who was three months pregnant at the time), moved from the Smith family home in Manchester, New York, to Emmas fathers home in Harmony, Pennsylvania.
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c) [SLIDE 4] December 1827February 1828: Joseph copied characters from the plates and translated some of them. d) [4.1] 2 February 1828: Martin Harris arrived in Harmony. i) Martin was a prominent resident of Palmyra who believed in Josephs calling. 2 ii) Martin left two days later for New York City to show some of the characters to Professor Charles Anthon.3 iii) [SLIDE 5] Anthon was an acclaimed classical scholar and professor at Columbia College. iv) Martin Harris account of what happened at that meeting differs from what Anthon later reported,4 but Martin was apparently satisfied by the answer he gothe returned to Harmony on 12 April 1828 and began service as Josephs scribe.5
1 This timeline was compiled from Elden J. Watsons Approximate Book of Mormon Translation Timeline (http://eldenwatson.net/BoM.htm). 2 Martin and Lucy Harris were a prosperous Palmyra family who had frequently given Joseph Smith work on their farm a mile and a half north of Palmyra. Martin (17831875) was a veteran of the War of 1812 who, through a combination of inheritance and skill, had built a prosperous 320-acre estate near Palmyra by 1828. For a biography of Martin Harris, see Encyclopedia of Mormonism (New York: Macmillan, 1992), s.v. Harris, Martin, 2:57476 (http://eom.byu.edu/index.php/Harris,_Martin). 3 David Whitmer, one of the Three Witnesses of the Book of Mormon, possessed a slip of paper that he claimed was the text that Martin Harris showed to Charles Anthon. This slip of paper contains seven rows of symbols, with the English heading Caractors. This transcript does not match Anthons description of what he was shown (he reported the characters were in vertical columns), but portions of the Caractors were printed in Mormon publications, so it seems likely that they were either copied from the plates or from the document carried by Harris. See Encyclopedia of Mormonism, s.v. Anthon Transcript, (New York: Macmillan, 1992), 1:4344 (http://eom.byu.edu/index.php/Anthon_Transcript). 4 Martin Harris account of his visit with Charles Anthon (17871867) can be found in Joseph SmithHistory 1:6465. Anthon himself later gave two accounts of his visit with Martin Harris (one in 1834; another in 1841), and, while they conflict with each other on a number of important details, Anthon claimed in both that he did not verify the Book of Mormon characters as authentic. However, Martin Harris immediately returned to Harmony to begin work as Josephs scribe, and later mortgaged his farm to pay for the publication of the first edition of the Book of Mormon, not the sort of actions one would expect if he had received a negative report from Anthon. See B.H. Roberts, A Comprehensive History of the Church of Jesus

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e) [SLIDE 6] AprilJune 1828: Translation commenced from Mormons abridgement of the Book of Lehi. Joseph and Martin completed more than 116 pages in 63 days (approximately 1.85 written pages per day). Joseph called this record the Book of Lehi.6 i) Martin pleaded with Joseph to ask the Lord for permission to take the manuscript to Palmyra to show his wife, Lucy. ii) Joseph asked the Lord three times for permission. The first two times the answer was no. On Josephs third request, the Lord gave him permission, on condition that Martin would show the manuscript only to members of his immediate family. 7 f) 15 June 1828: Martin left Harmony for Palmyra with 116 manuscript pages. Joseph gave the interpreters to Moroni until the manuscript was returned. Emma gave birth to her first child, a son, who died the same day. g) [6.2] 8 July 1828: After not hearing from Martin for nearly three weeks, Joseph traveled to Palmyra. He arrived on 15 July and learned that the manuscript has been lost. h) 16 July 1828: After pour[ing] out my soul in supplication to [the Lord], that if possible I might obtain mercy at his hands and be forgiven of all that I had done which was contrary to his will,8 Joseph received an angelic visitation and a revelation, which is now canonized as Doctrine and Covenants section 3. This revelation was given through the interpreters, which were returned to Joseph briefly, after which they and the plates were taken from him by Moroni. 3) This was one of the lowest points in the Prophets life. He had lost the manuscript of the Book of Lehi; lost the plates, the interpreters, and the gift to translate; and had lost his firstborn child and almost lost Emma in childbirth. 4) D&C 3. D&C 3:34; 911
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Remember, remember that it is not the work of God that is frustrated, but the work of men; 4for although a man may have many revelations, and have power to do many mighty works, yet if he boasts in his own strength, and sets at naught the counsels of God, and follows after the dictates of his own will and carnal desires, he must fall and incur the vengeance of a just God upon him. . 9 Behold, thou art Joseph, and thou wast chosen to do the work of the Lord, but because of transgression, if thou art not aware thou wilt fall. 10 But remember, God is merciful; therefore, repent of that which thou hast
Christ of Latter-day Saints: Century I (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1930), 1:99109; also, Robert F. Smith, Gordon C. Thomasson, and John W. Welch, What Did Charles Anthon Really Say?, Reexploring the Book of Mormon: The FARMS Updates (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1992), 7375 (http://maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/publications/books/?bookid=71&chapid=785). 5 Martin Harris originally returned to Harmony from New York City on 4 March 1828. He went home to Palmyra on 10 March, and then came back to Harmony with his wife Lucy on 16 March. They stayed until 31 March, returning to Palmyra on 4 April. Martin then came to Harmony alone, arriving 12 April after 68 days of travel. 6 So named in the preface to the first edition of the Book of Mormon (http://josephsmithpapers.org/paperSummary/book-of-mormon-1830#9). 7 Specifically, Martin was given permission to show the document to his brother, Preserved Harris, his own wife, Lucy,, his father and mother, and his wifes sister. History of the Church 1:21 (http://byustudies2.byu.edu/hc/1/5.html#21). 8 Lucy Mack Smith, Lucys Book: A Critical Edition of Lucy Mack Smiths Family Memoir, Lavina Fielding Anderson, ed. (Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 2001), 424 (http://signaturebookslibrary.org/?p=9209). 2012, Mike Parker http://bit.ly/ldsarc For personal use only. Not a Church publication.

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done which is contrary to the commandment which I gave you, and thou art still chosen, and art again called to the work; 11except thou do this, thou shalt be delivered up and become as other men, and have no more gift.

a) The first canonized revelation in this dispensation begins with the importance of humility. i) When we think we can do it just fine on our own, or that we know better than the Lord does, we set ourselves up for a big fall. b) Joseph was warned that he was not irreplaceable. He needed to learn early on whose work this is. i) The publication of those revelations in which he was chastened by the Lord is evidence of the truthfulness of his calling. The rules that apply to us as members of the Church apply to everyone, up to and including the Lords Prophet. No one is exempt from the commandments of God. (1) Many of historys false prophets have claimed to be exempt from the rules that govern their followers. (a) David Koresh of Wacos Branch Davidian sect demanded sexual abstinence from his followers, while he himself had sexual relations with multiple women in his group. (b) FLDS leader Warren Jeffs lived a lifestyle much better than his followers, with access to television and the Internet. When he was caught outside Las Vegas in August 2006, he and the people in his SUV were wearing shorts and shortsleeved shirts, unlike the rest of his followers who wear clothing to the wrist and ankle. 5) [SLIDE 7] Historical background, continued: a) 22 September 1828: Joseph waited for over two months, after which he reported, I had the joy and satisfacton of again receiving the urim and Thummin into my possession9 and I have commenced translating and Emma writes for me now but the angel said that the Lord would send some one to write for me and I trust that it will be so.10 It was probably on this date that Joseph received D&C 10 (or at least the first part of it). 6) D&C 10. a) There has been some confusion in the past over the date when D&C 10 was received. In all editions of the Doctrine and Covenants prior to 1921, this section was dated May 1829; thus it was placed between section 9, received in April 1829, and section 11, received in May 1829. The committee in charge of the 1921 publication of the Doctrine and Covenants recognized that section 10 had been misdated and fixed the section heading to summer 1828, but they did not change the numerical order of the

9 Lucys recollection of Josephs account of receiving the plates and the interpreters (urim and Thummin) again conflicts with David Whitmers statement in an 1885 interview that the interpreters were not returned after the loss of the 116 pages. John W. Welch and Erick b. Carlson, eds., Opening the Heavens: Accounts of Divine Manifestations (Provo, Utah: Brigham Young University Press and Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2005), 153. 10 Lucy Mack Smith, Lucys Book, 428. Original spelling retained.

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Doctrine and Covenants Sections 3, 5, 10, & 17

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revelations.11 Section 10 remains out of chronological order; it should come right after section 3. b) In the following passage, what counsel did the Lord give to Joseph to help him succeed in his calling? D&C 10:15
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Now, behold, I say unto you, that because you delivered up those writings which you had power given unto you to translate by the means of the Urim and Thummim,12 into the hands of a wicked man, you have lost them. 2And you also lost your gift at the same time, and your mind became darkened. 3 Nevertheless, it is now restored unto you again; therefore see that you are faithful and continue on unto the finishing of the remainder of the work of translation as you have begun. 4 Do not run faster or labor more than you have strength and means provided to enable you to translate; but be diligent unto the end. 5Pray always, that you may come off conqueror; yea, that you may conquer Satan, and that you may escape the hands of the servants of Satan that do uphold his work.

i) see that you are faithful (10:3). ii) do not run faster or labor more than you have strength (10:4; cf. Mosiah 4:27). iii) pray always (10:5). (1) This phrase appears eleven times in the Doctrine and Covenants,13 which underscores the importance of this commandment. c) The Lord warned Joseph that the men who had obtained the manuscript intended to alter it in the hopes of exposing Joseph as a fraud if he retranslated the lost pages (10:1033). But the Lord had long ago prepared for this event, and made arrangements for a divine replacement for the lost material. i) [SLIDE 8] The prophet Mormon used several records as his source for his own Plates of Mormon. (1) He abridged the Large Plates of Nephi, the secular record created by Nephi and handed down through the lineage of the kings (Omni 1:11). (a) The Large Plates contained an account of the reign of the kings, and the wars and contentions of [Nephis] people (1 Nephi 9:4). (b) It had a history from the time of Lehi down to Mormons own time. (2) After Mormon abridged that record, the Holy Spirit prompted him to look through the other records he had in his collection. He found another set of plates created by Nephithe Small Plates the Nephiwhich contained an account of the

Some researchers have concluded that the opening part of section 10 (verses 15?) was received in 1828, while the later portion was given in May 1829. The portions describing the translation of the Small Plates of Nephi (e.g., 10:41) certainly seem to fit better in May 1829. See Max H. Parkin, A Preliminary Analysis of the Dating of Section 10, The Seventh Annual Sidney B. Sperry Symposium: The Doctrine and Covenants (Brigham Young University, 1979), 6884. 12 The use of the phrase Urim and Thummim in verse 1 is an editorial insertion made by the Prophet Joseph in the 1835 Doctrine and Covenants. As will be discussed below, he did not refer to the interpreters he received as Urim and Thummim until at least 1833. The original wording of this verse in the 1833 Book of Commandments was Now, behold I say unto you, that because you delivered up so many writings, which you had power to translate, into the hands of a wicked man, you have lost them, and also lost your gift at the same time (1833 BofC 9:1a = 1835 D&C 36:1a = 1981 D&C 10:12; http://josephsmithpapers.org/paperSummary/book-of-commandments-1833#26). 13 D&C 10:5; 19:38; 20:33; 31:12; 32:4; 61:39; 88:126; 90:24; 93:49, 50; 101:81.
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ministry of Nephi, the scriptures, and what Nephi called the things of my soul (2 Nephi 4:15). (a) Nephi handed the Small Plates down through the lineage of the prophets. He commanded them to only put preaching which was sacred, or revelation which was great, or prophesying on these plates (Jacob 1:4). (b) These plates had a spiritual record from the time of Lehi down to the reign of King Benjamin (Words of Mormon 1:3). (c) Nephi said the Lord hath commanded me to make these [small] plates for a wise purpose in him, which purpose I know not (1 Nephi 9:5, italics added). (3) Mormon inserted the Small Plates of Nephi into his own record, without abridgement. He wrote that he did this for a wise purpose, for thus it whispereth me, according to the workings of the Spirit of the Lord (Words of Mormon 1:6 7), but he didnt know exactly why the Spirit prompted him to do this. (4) [SLIDE 9] Almost 1,500 years later, the purpose for the Small Plates of Nephi was finally revealed:14 D&C 10:3841, 45
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And now, verily I say unto you, that an account of those things that you have written, which have gone out of your hands, is engraven upon the [large] plates of Nephi; 39Yea, and you remember it was said in those writings that a more particular account was given of these things upon the [small] plates of Nephi. 40 And now, because the account which is engraven upon the [small] plates of Nephi is more particular concerning the things which, in my wisdom, I would bring to the knowledge of the people in this account41Therefore, you shall translate the engravings which are on the [small] plates of Nephi, down even till you come to the reign of king Benjamin, or until you come to that which you have translated, which you have retained; 42And behold, you shall publish it as the record of Nephi; and thus I will confound those who have altered my words. . 45 Behold, there are many things engraven upon the [small] plates of Nephi which do throw greater views upon my gospel; therefore, it is wisdom in me that you should translate this first part of the engravings of Nephi, and send forth in this work.

(5) [SLIDE 10] Joseph Smith and Martin Harris began their translation with the Book of LehiMormons abridgement of the Large Plates of Nephi from the time of Lehi to King Benjamin. This account was lost by Martin Harris. Joseph then continued translating Mormons abridgement of the Book of Mosiah up to 4 Nephi, then Mormon, Ether, and Moroni. He then translated the Small Plates of Nephi, which contain our books of 1 Nephi through Words of Mormon.

14 Neither the text of the Book of Mormon nor Josephs revelations distinguish between the Large Plates and the Small Plates of Nephi; they merely refer to these plates, and so forth. It is left to the reader to discern, by inference, which plates are being referred to. Generally speaking, in the Book of Mormon, these plates refers to the Small Plates of Nephi (e.g., 1 Nephi 6:1, 3, 6; 9:15; 10:1; 19:25; 2 Nephi 5:3132; Jacob 1:24; Words of Mormon 1:36), although sometimes they refer to the plates of brass (e.g., 1 Nephi 5:1819; Mosiah 1:34; Alma 37:3), or the Plates of Mormon (Mormon 2:18; Ether 4:4). Other plates refers to the Large Plates of Nephi (e.g. 1 Nephi 9:4; 19:4; 2 Nephi 4:14; 5:33; Jacob 1:3; Words of Mormon 1:10), except in one place where it refers to the Small Plates of Nephi (2 Nephi 5:30).

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(a) The Small Plates of Nephi contained the providential replacement for the missing record. But, more than that, we got the better record: the things of [Nephis] soul and the preaching which was sacred, [and] revelation which was great, [and] prophesying. d) The Lord further explained his reason for bringing forth the Book of Mormon: D&C 10:5256
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And now, behold, according to their faith in their prayers will I bring this part of my gospel to the knowledge of my people. Behold, I do not bring it to destroy that which they have received, but to build it up. 53And for this cause have I said: If this generation harden not their hearts, I will establish my church among them. 54 Now I do not say this to destroy my church, but I say this to build up my church; 55Therefore, whosoever belongeth to my church need not fear, for such shall inherit the kingdom of heaven. 56 But it is they who do not fear me, neither keep my commandments but build up churches unto themselves to get gain, yea, and all those that do wickedly and build up the kingdom of the devilyea, verily, verily, I say unto you, that it is they that I will disturb, and cause to tremble and shake to the center.

i) This revelation was given nearly two years before Joseph organized the Lords church. So what does the Lord mean, I do not say this to destroy my church, butto build up my church? (1) Steven C. Harper:
Doctrine and Covenants 10 gives us Christs embracing view of Christianity. [T]he restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ is the redemption of all of Christianity. Someone who restores an old house preserves all that is good and wonderful in it while fixing and renewing what is broken or missing. Verse 55 is meant to ease the fears of all Christians concerning the restored Church. The only ones who need fear are those who build their own churches, those who are Christian in name but whose hearts are far from Christ. He is not destroying the true church; he is building it. This is good news for all followers of Christ.15

(2) The true Church of Christ had been lost and obscured by apostasy. Joseph Smith wasnt called to tear down all the old systems and start completely fresh; he embraced existing truth, fixed things that were wrong, and added new truths. Whosoever belongeth to my church, then, refers to those who are part of the church of the Lamb of God Nephi talked about (1 Nephi 14:10): Those who love and serve God and seek to do his will. 7) [SLIDE 11] Historical background, continued: a) Late October 1828: Joseph recommenced translating the Book of Mormon, probably resuming with the Book of Mosiah,16 with Emma serving as scribe. The translation proceeded very slowly at this point.

15 Steven C. Harper, Making Sense of the Doctrine and Covenants: A Guided Tour through Modern Revelations (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2008), 4849. 16 None of the surviving original manuscript of the Book of Mormon is in Emmas hand, so we dont know exactly what portion they worked on. Its logical to assume Mosiah because it would have come after the portion lost by Martin Harris.

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8) Id like to pause here for a moment and discuss how the Book of Mormon was translated.17 a) [SLIDE 12] Usually when we think of Joseph Smith translating, we picture images like these: Joseph sitting at a table with his scribe, the plates open in front of him, his finger tracing the engravings. i) However, this is a romanticized or idealized version of the translation process. These paintings have taken artistic license with the events.18 ii) Whats interesting is that, in all the firsthand accounts of the translation process, not one person described it this way.19 b) Joseph himself was hesitant to describe the exact process by which the translation was done. [SLIDE 13] The most he ever said was, Through the medium of the Urim and Thummim I translated the record by the gift, and power of God.20 i) When he was invited at a conference to explain more fully how the Book of Mormon came forth, he responded that it was not intended to tell the world all the particulars of the coming forth of the Book of Mormon; andit was not expedient for [me] to relate these things.21 ii) However, we can glean some understanding from statements made by people who witnessed or participated in the translation process. c) When Joseph translated he either used the interpreters Moroni gave him, or he used a seer stone that he had obtained several years earlier. i) The interpreters22 given to Joseph were originally obtained by the brother of Jared from the Lord, and eventually came into the hands of King Mosiah2 and presumably passed down from there to Mormon and Moroni.23 (1) [SLIDE 14] Joseph Smith described them as two transparent stones set in the rim of a bow fastened to a breast plate.24 (2) Martin Harris gave a very precise description: The two stones set in a bow of silver were about two inches in diameter, perfectly round, and about five-eighths of an inch thick at the centre; but not so thick at the edges where they came into the bow. They were joined by a round bar of silver, about three-eighths of an inch in diameter, and about four inches long, which, with the two stones, would make

17 For more on this section see Encyclopedia of Mormonism, s.v. Book of Mormon Translation By Joseph Smith, 1:210 13 (http://eom.byu.edu/index.php/Book_of_Mormon_Translation_By_Joseph_Smith); Richard Lloyd Anderson, By the Gift and Power of God, Ensign, September 1977, 7991 (http://www.lds.org/ensign/1977/09/by-the-gift-and-power-of-god). 18 For more on this subject, see Appendix 1: Church art and historical realism on page 16. 19 The earliest account we have of Joseph translating by running his finger across the plates comes from a non-Mormon: Truman Coe, a Presbyterian minister who lived among the Mormons in Kirtland, Ohio. In a letter to the editor of the Hudson Ohio Observer, published 11 August 1836, Coe described Joseph Smith rendering the translation by putting his finger on one of the characters [on the plates] and imploring divine aid, then looking through the Urim and Thummim. Welch and Carlson, Opening the Heavens, 124. 20 The Wentworth Letter, Times and Seasons 3/9 (1 March 1842), 707 (http://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/cdm/ref/collection/NCMP1820-1846/id/9801); cf. JSH 1:35. 21 Conference held at Orange, Ohio, 25 October 1831. Minute Book 2, 13 (http://josephsmithpapers.org/paperSummary/minute-book-2#15). 22 The Book of Mormon never refers to them by any other name other than interpreters. See Mosiah 8:13, 19; 28:20; Alma 37:21, 24; Ether 4:5. See also Oliver Cowderys statement in the footnote to JSH 1:71: Day after day I continued, uninterrupted, to write from [Joseph Smiths] mouth, as he translated with the Urim and Thummim, or, as the Nephites would have said, Interpreters, the history or record called The Book of Mormon. 23 See footnote 40 for scriptural references. 24 The Wentworth Letter, 707. Cf. Mosiah 28:13. JSH 1:35 gives a similar description, and describes the bow as silver.

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eight inches. The stones were white, like polished marble, with a few gray streaks.25 (3) Lucy Mack Smith, the Prophets mother, held this instrument while it was wrapped in a silk handkerchief. She later wrote that the stones connected with each other in the same way that old fashioned spectacles are made.26 (4) In an 1891 interview, William Smith indicated that when his brother, Joseph, used the interpreters, his hands were left free to hold the plates.27 (5) [SLIDE 15] These images show that the interpreters and breastplate might have looked like, and how Joseph may have used them.28 ii) [SLIDE 16] Joseph also used a seer stone in connection with the translation.29 (1) Martin Harris recalled that Joseph found this seer stone while digging a well on the property of Mason Chase, and that by using it he was able to find things that were hidden or lost.30 (a) As we discussed last week,31 Joseph apparently had an ability to find hidden things with this stone, and knowledge of his gift spread widely.32

25 Joel Tiffany, MormonismII, Tiffany's Monthly (June 1859), 16465 (http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Tiffany%27s_Monthly/Volume_5/Number_4/Mormonism--No._II). Im not certain how to reconcile Martins description of the stones as whitewith a few gray streaks with Josephs description of them (above) as transparent and Lucy Mack Smiths description of them (below) as diamonds set in glass. 26 Lucy Mack Smith, Lucys Book, 379. Spelling and punctuation edited for clarity. Lucy described the stones as two smooth three-cornered diamonds set in glass, which some have read to mean each stone had three corners like a triangle, while others have understood it to mean each stone had two triangles arranged like a six-pointed star of David. 27 Among other things we inquired minutely about the Urim and Thummim and the breastplate. We asked him [William Smith] what was meant by the expression two rims of a bow, which held the former. He said a double silver bow was twisted into the shape of the figure eight, and the two stones were placed literally between the two rims of a bow. At one end was attached a rod which was connected with the outer edge of the right shoulder of the breast-plate. By pressing the head a little forward, the rod held the Urim and Thummim before the eyes much like a pair of spectacles. A pocket was prepared in the breastplate on the left side, immediately over the heart. When not in use the Urim and Thummim was placed in this pocket, the rod being of just the right length to allow it to be so deposited. This instrument could, however, be detached from the breastplate and his brother said Joseph often wore it detached when away from home, but always used it in connection with the breastplate when receiving official communications, and usually so when translating as it permitted him to have both hands free to hold the plates. J. W. Peterson in The Rod of Iron 1/3 (February 1924), 67; quoted in Stephen D. Ricks, Joseph Smith's Translation of the Book of Mormon (http://maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/publications/transcripts/?id=10). 28 The image at the top right was in the 1983 edition of the Church-published Doctrine and Covenants Reader, but doesnt appear in its 2002 replacement, Doctrine and Covenants Stories (http://www.lds.org/library/display/0,4945,8187-1-44733,00.html). 29 For a detailed account of Josephs use of seer stones, I highly recommend Brant A. Gardner, The Gift and Power: Translating the Book of Mormon (Salt Lake City: Greg Kofford Books, 2011). On online overview and response to criticisms is available at http://en.fairmormon.org/Joseph_Smith/Seer_stones. See also Richard Van Wagoner and Steve Walker, Joseph Smith: The Gift of Seeing, Dialogue 15/2 (Summer 1982), 4968 (https://www.dialoguejournal.com/wpcontent/uploads/sbi/articles/Dialogue_V15N02_50.pdf). 30 Joel Tiffany, MormonismII, 163. In this interview Martin gave an example of an experience of Joseph using his seer stone to retrieve a lost object: I was at the house of [Josephs] father in Manchester, two miles south of Palmyra village, and was picking my teeth with a pin while sitting on the bars. The pin caught in my teeth, and dropped from my fingers into shavings and straw. I jumped from the bars and looked for it. Joseph and Northrop Sweet also did the same. We could not find it. I then took Joseph on surprise, and said to himI said, Take your stone. I had never seen it, and did not know that he had it with him. He had it in his pocket. He took it and placed it in his hatthe old white hatand placed his face in his hat. I watched him closely to see that he did not look one side; he reached out his hand beyond me on the right, and moved a little stick, and there I saw the pin, which he picked up and gave to me. I know he did not look out of the hat until after he had picked up the pin. 31 See notes for week 2, page 10 (https://sites.google.com/site/hwsarc/home/dc/week02). 32 Lucy Mack Smith reported that, in 1824, a man by the name of Josiah Stoal [Stowell], came from Chenango co[unty]., New York, with the view of getting Joseph to assist him in digging for a silver mine. He came for Joseph on account of having heard that he possessed certain keys, by which he could discern things invisible to the natural eye. Lucys Book, 35960. This incident was described by Joseph in JSH 1:5556.

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(2) David Whitmer, Emma Smith, and Martin Harrisall eyewitnesses to the translation of the Book of Mormontestified that Joseph often used a seer stone in translating the Book of Mormon. (a) [SLIDE 17] David Whitmer wrote:
Joseph Smith would put the seer stone into a hat and put his face in the hat, drawing it closely around his face to exclude the light. And in the darkness the spiritual light would shine. A piece of something resembling parchment would appear, and on that appeared the writing. One character at a time would appear and under it was the interpretation in English. Brother Joseph would read off the English to Oliver Cowdery, who was his principal scribe. And when it was written down and repeated to Brother Joseph to see if it was correct, then it would disappear, and another character with the interpretation would appear. Thus the Book of Mormon was translated by the gift and power of God and not by any power of man.33

(b) [SLIDE 18] Only a few months prior to her death, Emma Smith testified:
I frequently wrote day after day, often sitting at the table close by [Joseph], he sitting with his face buried in his hat, with the stone in it, and dictating hour after hour with nothing between us.34

(c) [SLIDE 19] Edward Stevenson interviewed Martin Harris and reported:
[Martin] said that the Prophet possessed a seer stone, by which he was enabled to translate as well as from the Urim and Thummim, and for convenience he then used the seer stone. Martin explained the translation as follows: 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. [SLIDE 20] Martin said, after continued translation they would become weary, and would go down to the river and exercise by throwing stones out on the river, etc. While so doing on one occasion, Martin found a stone very much resembling the one used for translating, and on resuming their labor of translation, Martin put in place the stone that he had found. He said that the Prophet remained silent, unusually and intently gazing in darkness, no traces of the usual sentences appearing. Much surprised, Joseph exclaimed, Martin! What is the matter? All is as dark as Egypt! Martins countenance betrayed him, and the Prophet asked Martin why he had done so. Martin said, to stop the mouths of fools, who had told him that the Prophet had learned those sentences and was merely repeating them, etc.35

iii) [SLIDE 21] This drawing is a possible representation of their description of the process.
David Whitmer, An Address to All Believers In Christ (Richmond, Mo., 1887), 12 (http://archive.org/stream/addresstoallbeli00whit#page/12). This statement has been quoted in the Ensign, most recently by Elder Russell M. Nelson (A Treasured Testament, July 1993; http://www.lds.org/ensign/1993/07/a-treasured-testament). Whitmer reported that Joseph gave this stone to Oliver Cowdery just prior to 6 April 1830, and told me as well as the rest that he was through with it, and that he did not use the stone any more. (32) 34 Last Testimony of Sister Emma, The Saints Herald 26/19 (1 October 1879), 289ff. Reprinted in History of the [Reorganized] Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Independence, Missouri: Herald House, 1951), 3:356 (http://books.google.com/books?id=GboUAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA356). 35 Edward Stevenson, One of the Three Witnesses: Incidents in the Life of Martin Harris, Latter-day Saints Millennial Star 44/6 (6 February 1882), 8687 (http://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/cdm/ref/collection/MStar/id/5128). Harris testimony was given in early September 1870.
33

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iv) It appears from the evidence available that Joseph used both the interpreters and the seer stone interchangeably to suit his needs as he translated. (1) Eyewitness testimony also indicates that Joseph typically didnt have the plates open in front of him during translation, but they were usually wrapped in a cloth and perhaps even in another room.36 v) [SLIDE 22] In 1833 W.W. Phelps was the first person to make a connection between the interpreters and the Urim and Thummim mentioned in the Old Testament.37 (1) After that time Joseph and his followers began referring to any object Joseph used to translate as Urim and Thummim.38 vi) Joseph Knight recalled the day that Joseph Smith brought the plates and interpreters home from the hill. Joseph Smith came to visit the Knights, and the related the following conversation between them:
After breakfast, Joseph [Smith] called me into the other room and he set his foot on the bed and leaned his head on his hand and said, Well, I am disappointed. Well, said I, I am sorry. Well, said he, I am greatly disappointed. It is ten times better than 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. But he seemed to think more of the glasses or the Urim and Thummim than he did of the plates for, said he, I can see anything. They are marvelous.39

(1) From this I gather that the Nephite interpreters were somehow more powerful or effective in Josephs hands than the seer stone he already had. vii) Ultimately, what is the difference between a seer stone and Urim and Thummim? There isnt one; theyre the same thing: Physical objects used to aid in receiving revelation from God.40

36 This is an inference from Emma Smiths testimony. She described acting as Josephs scribe (above), and to being present while Joseph was dictating to Oliver Cowdery, but she said she never saw the plates uncovered, only wrapped in a small linen tablecloth. History of the [Reorganized] Church, 35657. 37 [The Book of Mormon] was translated by the gift and power of God, by an unlearned man, through the aid of a pair of Interpreters, or spectacles(known, perhaps in ancient days as Teraphim, or Urim and Thummim). William W. Phelps (uncredited), The Book of Mormon, Evening and Morning Star 1/8 (January 1833), 116 (http://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/cdm/ref/collection/NCMP1820-1846/id/27929). References to Urim and Thummim in Josephs revelations prior to this time (D&C 10:1; 17:1) are later insertions by the Prophet Joseph in preparation for the publication of the 1835 Doctrine and Covenants (see footnote 12). Old Testament references to the Urim and Thummim include Exodus 28:30; Leviticus 8:8; Numbers 27:21; Deuteronomy 33:8; 1 Samuel 28:6; Ezra 2:63; Nehemiah 7:65. 38 There are numerous examples of the Urim and Thummim being seen or used during the Nauvoo period, in connection with the translation of the Book of Abraham, and in the reception of the revelation on celestial marriage (D&C 132), all of these long after Joseph Smith returned the Nephite interpreters to Moroni in late 1829 or early 1830. Van Wagoner and Walker conclude that the term Urim and Thummim became so popular among the Saints that they applied it to any seer stone Joseph had. Joseph Smith: The Gift of Seeing, 5961. The confusion on this point caused Joseph Fielding Smith to write that statements of translations by the Urim and Thummim after [the organization of the Church] are evidently errors. Smith, Doctrines of Salvation (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1956), 3:225. Smith is incorrect in his conclusion, and also incorrect in his insistence that Joseph never used a seer stone in connection with the translation of the Book of Mormon (3:22526). 39 From Joseph Knight, Jr., Incidents of History from 1827 to 1844, quoted in Leonard J. Arrington and Davis Bitton, Saints without Halos: The Human Side of Mormon History (Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 1981), 6 (http://signaturebookslibrary.org/?p=5166). Spelling, grammar, and punctuation modernized. 40 In the Book of Mormon, Alma 2 mentions Gazelem (Alma 37:23). The punctuation of the verse seems to indicate that that is the name given to a stone prepared by the Lord to reveal hidden things, or perhaps name of the servant who will use the stone. In either case, it seems to refer to the two stones given to the brother of Jared, which later came into the hands of

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(1) What one calls these objects depends on how one views the user and his profession: (a) To Josephs critics, he was using a peep stone to defraud his gullible followers.41 (b) To those who have gained a testimony of Joseph as a prophet, he was using scriptural Urim and Thummim to receive divine revelation.42 viii)
[SLIDE 23] Richard Lloyd Anderson: There are many questions that we cannot answer from the evidence we have at this time: Exactly how, for example, [do] the Urim and Thummim work? Was there a basis of truth behind David Whitmers viewpoint that writing appeared on the Interpreters? Or did the stones somehow focus the thought of the translator? Or did the stones serve to confirm translation? These things the Lord has not revealed to the Church at large, and the answer must remain, We dont know.43

9) [SLIDE 24] Historical background, continued: a) 25 November 1828: [24.1] Oliver Cowdery contracted to teach at the Stafford School House in Manchester Township, New York. During his 16-week stay, he boarded with the Joseph Smith, Sr. family and learned of Joseph, Jr.s translation of the Book of Mormon. b) Early March 1829: [24.2] Joseph and Emma had completed only a little translation work, at which point Joseph received a revelationsection 5which commanded him to stop for a season (5:30). 10)
[SLIDE 25] D&C 5.

a) Joseph was also promised in this revelation that there would be others who would testify of the Book of Mormon. D&C 5:1115
11

And in addition to your testimony, the testimony of three of my servants, whom I shall call and ordain, unto whom I will show these things, and they shall go forth with my words that are given through you. 12Yea, they shall know of a surety that these things are true, for from heaven will I declare it unto them. 13 I will give them power that they may behold and view these things as they are; 14and to none else will I grant this power, to receive this same testimony among this generation, in this the beginning of the rising up and the coming forth of my church out of the wildernessclear as the moon, and fair as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners. 15 And the testimony of three witnesses will I send forth of my word.

Mosiah2, who used them to translate the Jaredite writings (Ether 3:2124; cf. Mosiah 8:819; 21:2728; 28:1219). The Prophet Joseph Smith was referred to by the codename Gazelam (note the difference in spelling) in some of the early revelations; see pre-1981 D&C 78:9; 82:11; 104:26, 43, 45, 46 (http://archive.org/stream/doctrineandcove01saingoog#page/n146). 41 On this subject, see Dean Jessee, Joseph Smiths Reputation, Ensign, September 1979 (http://www.lds.org/ensign/1979/09/joseph-smiths-reputation). 42 Similarly, today we see the garment of the holy priesthood that is respected and observed by practicing Latter-day Saints derided as magic underwear by those who wish to mock our faith. The object is same; the word use depends on the individuals beliefs about them. 43 Anderson, By the Gift and Power of God, 91. 2012, Mike Parker http://bit.ly/ldsarc For personal use only. Not a Church publication.

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i) The Book of Mormon also mentions there would be three witnesses who would testify of it (2 Nephi 27:12; Ether 5:24), but its unlikely that Joseph had translated these portions at this time. If so, this would be the first revelation to Joseph of formal witnesses of the Book of Mormon. ii) According to these verses, what was to be unique about the testimony of the Three Witnesses? (1) Called and ordained (5:11). (2) Know of a surety (5:12). (3) Their knowledge declared from heaven (5:12). (4) Given power by God to behold and view (5:13). (5) No one else to receive this same testimony (5:14). b) Martin Harris to be one of the Three Witnesses (5:2327). i) Why him, after all the mistakes he had made, even to the point of being called wicked by the Lord three times (3:12; 10:1, 7)? (1) Remember the Lords words to Joseph the previous summer: But remember, God is merciful; therefore, repent of that which thou hast done which is contrary to the commandment which I gave you, and thou art still chosen, and art again called to the work (D&C 3:10). c) The section 5 revelation also declares that those who believe in the Book of Mormon will receive a spiritual witness and conversion (5:16). i) This revelation was received before the translation of Moroni 10:35, so this would be the first indication of how individuals would gain their own witness of the Book of Mormon and the restored gospel. 11) [SLIDE 26] Historical background, continued: a) 5 April 1829: Oliver Cowdery and Samuel Smith arrived in Harmony, Pennsylvania. Two days later, Joseph recommenced the translation, with Oliver serving as scribe. They translated Alma through Moroni,44 then translated the material on the Small Plates of Nephi (1 NephiWords of Mormon). b) 7 April25 June 1829: [26.1] The translation of the remainder of the Book of Mormon was completed in less than 65 working days, approximately 6.5 of our printed pages per day. i) [SLIDE 27] During this time Joseph also: (1) Received and recorded eleven revelations.45 (2) Received the Aaronic Priesthood, along with Oliver, from John the Baptist on 15 May 1829 (D&C 13).46
44 Martin Harris was Josephs scribe during the translation of the Book of Lehi, the abridged account from the Large Plates of Nephi that included Lehis calling down the to the reign of King Benjamin. After the loss of the 116 pages, Emma served as Josephs scribe from October 1828 until March 1829. The evidence suggests that Joseph and Emma resumed where Joseph had left off, which would mean they picked up near the beginning of our current book of Mosiah. Unfortunately, the original Book of Mormon manuscript pages for all of Mosiah and the first part of Alma have been lost or destroyed; the pieces we do have start with Alma 10, which is in Oliver Cowderys handwriting. So our best guess is that Joseph and Emma got through at least most of Mosiah, and perhaps a little more, before Oliver Cowderys arrival in Harmon on 5 April 1829. 45 D&C 6, 7, 8, 9, the last portion of 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, and 17.

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(3) Baptized Samuel Smith on 25 May. (4) Moved from Harmony, Pennsylvania, to Fayette, New York (30 May2 June), where the translation was finished at the Peter Whitmer farm. (5) Registered the Book of Mormon copyright in Palmyra (11 June). c) 22 June 1829: [SLIDE 28] Joseph received the revelation now known as section 17. This was probably only a few days after translating 2 Nephi 27, which revealed that there would be three witnesses to the Book of Mormon. 12) D&C 17. a) [SLIDE 29] The Lord had already indicated that Oliver Cowdery (6:2528), David Whitmer (14:8), and Martin Harris (5:1113, 2428) might be witnesses to the work. These three requested that Joseph inquire of the Lord if they could be the Three Witnesses. Joseph inquired by the Urim and Thummim and received this revelation as an answer.47 [SLIDE 30] D&C 17:16
1

Behold, I say unto you, that you must rely upon my word, which if you do with full purpose of heart, you shall have a view of the plates, and also of the breastplate, the sword of Laban, the Urim and Thummim, which were given to the brother of Jared upon the mount, when he talked with the Lord face to face, and the miraculous directors which were given to Lehi while in the wilderness, on the borders of the Red Sea. 2And it is by your faith that you shall obtain a view of them, even by that faith which was had by the prophets of old. 3 And after that you have obtained faith, and have seen them with your eyes, you shall testify of them, by the power of God; 4and this you shall do that my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., may not be destroyed, that I may bring about my righteous purposes unto the children of men in this work. 5 And ye shall testify that you have seen them, even as my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., has seen them; for it is by my power that he has seen them, and it is because he had faith. 6And he has translated the book, even that part which I have commanded him, and as your Lord and your God liveth it is true.

b) The 5 items to be seen by the Three Witnesses (17:1): i) The plates of Mormon, the breastplate, the sword of Laban, the Urim and Thummim48 (interpreters), and the miraculous directors (Liahona). ii) Why not just the plates? Why the other items as well? (1) Possibly to show that (a) The plates were translated by divine power (represented in the breastplate and interpreters), and

See also JSH 1:6873 and Oliver Cowderys account in the footnote to JSH 1:71. HC 1:5253 (http://byustudies2.byu.edu/hc/1/8.html#52). 48 D&C 17:1 includes the phrase Urim and Thummim, although, as Ive previously indicated, that phrase was not known when this revelation was received in June 1829. (See footnote 12.) Its certain that this revelation was later edited by the Prophet to include that phrase. Unfortunately we dont know how the revelation originally read: It was not included in the 1833 Book of Commandments, the page with the handwritten copy of it in Revelation Book 1 is now missing, and the copy of it in Revelation Book 2 was penned by Frederick G. Williams in November or December 1834 (http://josephsmithpapers.org/paperSummary/revelation-book-2#133).
46 47

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(b) The Book of Mormon isnt fiction; its a historical record of an actual people (represented in the plates, the sword of Laban, and the Liahona). c) The Three Witnesses were commanded to testify of what they saw (17:3). d) The Lord himself testified of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon (17:6). 13) The Three Witnesses. i) Joseph, Oliver, Martin, and David retired to a secluded spot in a pasture on the Whitmer farm. After a period of prayer, Martin Harris, feeling unworthy, separated himself from the others. ii) [SLIDE 31] David Whitmer recounted what then followed:
We not only saw the plates of the Book of Mormon but also the brass plates, the plates of the Book of Etherand many other plates. The fact is, it was just as though Joseph, Oliver and I were sitting just here on a log, when we were overshadowed by a light. It was not the light of the sun nor like that of a fire, but more glorious and beautiful. It extended away round us, I cannot tell you how far, but in the midst of this light there appeared as it were, a table with many records or plates upon it, besides the plates of the Book of Mormon, also the Sword of Laban, the directorsi.e., the ball which Lehi had, and the Interpreters. I saw them just as plain as I see this bed [striking the bed beside him with his hand], and I heard the voice of the Lord, as distinctly as I ever heard anything in my life, declaring that the records of the plates of the Book of Mormon were translated by the gift and power of God.50

a) The fulfillment of the Lords promise came at the end of June 1829.49

iii) Joseph then left Oliver and David and found Martin Harris engaged in prayer, as he had previously been instructed by the Lord (D&C 5:24). After joining him in prayer, Joseph and Martin had the heavens open and saw the same vision as the first two.51 iv) Josephs mother recalled that in the morning, after breakfast and the subsequent daily morning services (reading, singing and prayer), they went to a grove a short distance from Peter Whitmers house. It was between 3:00 and 4:00 in the afternoon when they returned, so even leaving time for preparatory prayer and subsequent discussion, the vision must have lasted for more than four hours.52 v) [SLIDE 32] After this, Josephs expressed his relief to his mother at not being the only one to carry the burden of knowing and testifying:
Father!Mother!said [Joseph], you do not know how happy I am! The Lord has caused the plates to be shown to three more besides me who have also seen an angel, and will have to testify to the truth of what I have said, for they know for themselves that I do not go about to deceive the people. I do feel as though I [have been] relieved of a dreadful burden which was almost too much for me to endure,
49 Pinning the actual date of the Three Witnesses experience is a little tricky. There is no date given in any official Church historical records, or in their written testimony itself. Lucy Mack Smith indicated in her autobiography that the witness took place the day after the translation of the Book of Mormon was completed (Lucys Book, 452), which would put it on 26 June 1829 by my chronology. Richard Bushman believes the translation was completed around July 1, which would put the experience in early July (Bushman, Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling [New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2005], 78). 50 David Whitmer, interview with Orson Pratt and Joseph F. Smith, 7 September 1878. Report of Elders Orson Pratt and Joseph F. Smith, Latter-day Saints Millennial Star 40/49 (9 December 1878), 77172 (http://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/cdm/ref/collection/MStar/id/27175). 51 HC 1:5455 (http://byustudies2.byu.edu/hc/1/8.html#54). 52 Lucy Mack Smith, Lucys Book, 453.

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but they will now have to bear a part, and it does rejoice my soul that I am not any longer to be entirely alone in the world.53

b) The testimony of the Three Witnesses has been published in every authorized edition of the Book of Mormon since 1830. Other than the personal witness of Holy Ghost, it the most powerful evidence that Joseph Smith obtained and translated the Book of Mormon in exactly the manner he said he did.54 i) The Three Witnesses maintained their testimony their entire lives, even though all three of them eventually had disagreements with Joseph Smith and left the Church. (1) In fact, their disaffection from Joseph and the Church makes their testimony all that much stronger: It would be much easier to criticize the Witnesses if they had remained close friends of Joseph Smith to the end of his life; instead, they became estranged from him but adamantly held to their witness of what they saw on that summer day in 1829. ii) Because their testimony is so strong, critics of the restored gospel have gone after them vehemently, attacking their character and their testimony.55 (1) One of the most common criticisms is that the witnesses didnt have an actual experience, but that what they saw was only a vision, or a spiritual experience. For example, Martin Harris sometimes referred to seeing the plates and Moroni with a spiritual eye.56 (a) [SLIDE 33] David Whitmer responded to these charges:
Of course we were in the spirit when we had the view, for no man can behold the face of an angel, except in a spiritual view, but we were in the body also, and everything was as natural to us, as it is at any time.57

(2) Each of them made statements emphatically affirming that their experience was real and physical. (a) [SLIDE 34] Martin Harris:
Gentlemen, do you see [my right] hand? Are you sure you see it? Are your eyes playing a trick or something? No. Well, as sure as you see my hand so sure did I see the angel and the plates.58

(b) [SLIDE 35] David Whitmer, responding to the suggestion that he had been mistaken and had simply been moved upon by some mental disturbance or hallucination:
No sir! I was not under any hallucination, nor was I deceived! I saw with these eyes, and I heard with these ears! I know whereof I speak!59

Lucy Mack Smith, Lucys Book, 453. Spelling and punctuation edited for clarity. The seminal book on the character and testimony of the Witnesses is Richard Lloyd Anderson, Investigating the Book of Mormon Witnesses (Deseret Book, 1981). 55 For an excellent overview and response to criticisms of testimony of the Three Witnesses, see http://en.fairmormon.org/Book_of_Mormon/Witnesses. 56 See
53 54

http://en.fairmormon.org/Book_of_Mormon/Witnesses/%22Eye_of_Faith%22_and_%22Spiritual_Eye%22_statements_by_ Martin_Harris.
57 Letter from David Whitmer to Anthony Metcalf, March 1887; cited in Anderson, Investigating the Book of Mormon Witnesses, 86. 58 Recollection of William M. Glenn to O. e. Fischbacher, 30 May 1943; cited in Anderson, Investigating the Book of Mormon Witnesses, 116.

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(c) [SLIDE 36] Oliver Cowdery:


I wrote, 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 the means of the Urim and Thummim, or, as it is called by that book, Holy interpreters. I beheld with my eyes, and handled with my hands, the gold plates from which it was transcribed. I also saw with my eyes and handled with my hands the holy interpreters. That book is true.60

(3) [SLIDE 37] In response to the accusation that the Witnesses experience could be explained by juggling (slight of hand, deception), Oliver Cowdery wrote in November 1829:
It was a clear, open beautiful day, far from any inhabitants, in a remote field, at the time we saw the record, of which it has been spoken, brought and laid before us, by an angel, arrayed in glorious light, [who descended] out of the midst of heaven. Now if this is human jugglingjudge ye.61

(4) Oliver Cowderys dying words were his testimony of the Book of Mormon.62 (5) [SLIDE 38] David Whitmer had his testimony inscribed as his epitaph:
THE RECORD OF THE JEWS AND THE RECORD OF THE NEPHITES ARE ONE. TRUTH IS ETERNAL.

14)

[SLIDE 39] Next week:

a) D&C 69, 13.

Appendix 1: Church art and historical realism


An occasional concernand an all-too-frequent criticismcomes from those who say that paintings, films, and other media do not present Church history in a historically accurate manner.63 I would argue that the person who expects historical realism from Church art does not understand the role of art in society. The purpose of art is to extend and expand our shared common visual language. Artists show us new ways to see familiar things, and how to

59 Remembrance of Joseph Smith IIII; cited in Anderson, Investigating the Book of Mormon Witnesses, 88. This quote is particularly pertinent, since several non-believing critics of Joseph Smith have arguedIm not making this upthat Joseph Smith hypnotized the Three Witnesses. See, for example, Fawn M. Brodie, No Man Knows My History: The Life of Joseph Smith, the Mormon Prophet (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1971 [2nd ed.]), 7380.; Dan Vogel, The Validity of the Witnesses Testimonies, American Apocrypha: Essays on the Book of Mormon (Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 202), 9192. 60 Statement by Oliver Cowdery at Council Bluffs, Iowa, 21 October 1848. Last Days of Oliver Cowdery, Deseret News 9/6 (13 April 1859), 8; italics in the original (http://udn.lib.utah.edu/cdm/ref/collection/deseretnews2/id/7557). The original quote is from the journal of Reuben Miller, 21 October 1848, (LDS Church Archives, Salt Lake City, Utah). 61 Oliver Cowdery, letter to Cornelius C. Blatchly, 9 November 1829. Published as The New Bible, Gospel Luminary 2/49 (10 December 1829), 194 (http://www.juvenileinstructor.org/1829-mormon-discovery-brought-to-you-by-guest-erinjennings). This is earliest known testimony by any of the Three Witnesses. 62 See the statements under Olivers Last Testimony at http://www.boap.org/LDS/Early-Saints/OCowd-his.html. 63 For more on this subject, see http://en.fairmormon.org/Mormonism_and_history/Accuracy_of_Church_art

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interpret new situations and events through various kinds of visual shorthand. This creation of visual language may be the artist's intention, or it may be a side effect of other purposes.64 A famous example of this is a portion of Michelangelos painting on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel (150812), representing the creation of Adam:

It was almost certainly not Michelangelos intent to portray a literal process of the creation of manwith a white-bearded God in a flowing robe being carried down to earth by young, naked male angels to touch Adams outstretched hand with His finger. Rather, the painting portrays a message of Gods power and direct involvement; his role as a loving, personal Creator; and Adam (who reclines while nude) as a pure innocent brought to life by divine intervention. This painting has become one of the most famous in history, not for the literalness of its portrayal, but for the power of the emotions it conveys. Another famous example is Washington Crossing the Delaware, by Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze (1851):

There are numerous historical anachronisms in this painting: The event took place in December 1776, but the flag theyre flying wasnt designed until the following June and not flown until September 1777. The crossing was done at night, but there are rays of light coming through the clouds in the background. The Delaware River is much narrower at this location than the artist depicts. The crossers did not bring horses and field guns across in the boats (they used ferries). Washingtons stance would almost certainly have capsized the boat.
64

Charlotte Jirousek, associate professor at Cornell University, http://char.txa.cornell.edu/art/introart.htm http://bit.ly/ldsarc For personal use only. Not a Church publication.

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But, again, the point of the painting is not historical accuracy, but the emotion it conveys: Washingtons heroism (signified by his stance), the struggle of the rowers, the patriotism (by the flag of the emerging nation), and the dawning of a new world and possibly Gods assistance in the endeavor (by the light coming from behind and above). But perhaps the most famous historically-inaccurate painting is Leonardo da Vincis The Last Supper (149598):

The event taking place is a Renaissance artists impression based on the cultural imperatives of his own day, more than fourteen centuries after the event. Jesus and his disciples were Jewish and the event depicted is a Passover Seder, but, in virtually all aspects of the depiction, da Vinci was in considerable error: The room is a 15th-century Italian villa, with a pastoral Italian countryside outside the large, framed windows behind the figures. Jesus and his disciples are dressed like Greek philosophers from the 3rd century B.C., not in the tunic-and-cloak apparel of 1st-century Palestine. They would also likely have covered their heads with prayer shawls at the actual event. Several of the apostles are clean-shaven, contrary to the instructions on facial hair in the Law of Moses (Leviticus 21:5.). The table not a three-sided triclinium in popular use in the culture of Jesus day. As the master of ceremonies, Jesus would have sat near one end, and not in the center. All the figures in painting are sitting on the same side of the table, instead of surrounding it to face each other. Jesus and the disciples are sitting upright, when the Biblical description makes clear that they reclinednot only the correct custom when partaking a Passover meal, but ample explanation of the ease with which Jesus washed their feet and the ability of the apostle John simply to lean over and recline in Jesus bosom (John 13:23). Passover is celebrated after sunset on a full moon, whereas the painting shows daylight outside the windows, suggesting an Italian luncheon.

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Doctrine and Covenants Sections 3, 5, 10, & 17

Week 3, Page 19

The meal in the painting is comprised of loaves of leavened bread and fishes (or possibly eel, a non-Kosher food65). An actual Passover meal consists of unleavened bread and lamb, four glasses of wine, and a few other symbolic dishes like bitter herbs. Also, the painting depicts oranges, which were brought to Europe by Portuguese traders from India in the 15th century and were unknown at the time and place of the Last Supper. So in no way does The Last Supper even remotely capture the historical setting of Jesus meal. And yet, as art, it captures the feeling and the holiness of the event in a way that has made it famous the world over for over six centuries now. The same issues and principles apply to Latter-day Saint artwork depicting the restoration of the gospel: A painting like the one below may not capture the actual method by which Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormontheres no breastplate with an Urim and Thummim, let alone a seer stone in a hatbut it does show the reality of the plates, as well as Josephs intensity and effort required in the work he undertook.

Likewise with portraits of Joseph Smith himself: Much of the modern, popular artwork depicting Joseph bears little resemblance to drawings done during the life of the Prophet. For example, compare the following:

See Josh Friedland, The Last Supper Menu: Revealed!, The Food Section, 25 September 2008 (http://www.thefoodsection.com/appetizers/2008/09/the-last-supper.html).
65

2012, Mike Parker

http://bit.ly/ldsarc

For personal use only. Not a Church publication.

Hurricane Utah Adult Religion Class

Doctrine and Covenants Sections 3, 5, 10, & 17

Week 3, Page 20

The profile on the left was done by Sutcliffe Maudsley around 1842. (Its very likely that Joseph Smith sat for the painting.66) The one in the middle is by Alvin Gittins, drawn in 1959. The one on the left is by well-known LDS artist Del Parson, completed in 1998. These three paintings all portray Joseph Smith differently. Theyre not meant to be photographic reproductions of Joseph; rather, they try to capture something about the mans character and stature. The artists have combined an attempt at a faithful likeness with a desire to capture Josephs charisma, his bearing, and his personality. And all three ended up with different results. Art does not exist for the sole purpose of communicating historical reality. It operates on many different levels: Capturing emotion, mood, or feeling; telling a story or conveying a message; motivating the audience to action; expressing the artists imagination; conveying truth through symbolismall of these are legitimate functions of art.

66 The profile of Josephs face in Maudsleys painting conforms well to other early drawings of Joseph, and almost exactly matches the death mask taken of Joseph after he was killed at Carthage. See Ephraim Hatch, Joseph Smith Portraits: A Search for the Prophets Likeness (Provo, Utah: Brigham Young University Religious Studies Center, 1998), 3156 (http://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/cdm/ref/collection/rsc/id/2180).

2012, Mike Parker

http://bit.ly/ldsarc

For personal use only. Not a Church publication.

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