Mia Tovar

01/15/24

REL275C

Origin of The Book of Mormon

In 1829, the young Prophet Joseph Smith and the Church he aimed to restore faced a

pivotal year. Moroni had returned the plates and the Urim and Thummim, promising a new scribe

for translation. Joseph's parents found him in good spirits, relieving their earlier worries. The

Lord fulfilled the promise by sending Oliver Cowdery in the spring of 1829, accelerating the

translation of the Book of Mormon.

Oliver, initially skeptical, gained the trust of the Smiths and joined Joseph in the

translation work. This period produced significant revelations, with Oliver receiving guidance on

his righteous desires. The translation process accelerated, and the doctrines of the resurrected

Savior and baptism were revealed. In a momentous event by the Susquehanna River, John the

Baptist appeared, conferring the Aaronic Priesthood upon Joseph and Oliver, restoring it to the

earth after centuries.

This transformative time included the restoration of the Melchizedek Priesthood by Peter,

James, and John, granting Joseph and Oliver the authority to build the kingdom of God. The

stage was set for the organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints the

following year. The translation not only brought forth the Book of Mormon but also paved the

way for crucial developments in the early history of the Church.