1828-1829.
MARTIN HARRIS IMPATIENT--THE MANUSCRIPT LOST--GOD'S WISDOM
SHOWN--JOSEPH REPENTS--SLOW PROGRESS OF TRANSLATION.
Joseph and Martin worked together until the translation covered one
hundred and sixteen pages of foolscap paper. Martin Harris was not
a patient man, and it occurred to him that he would like to show
his friends what he had written without waiting until the work was
completed. Joseph refused to permit this, for the work was not done to
gratify curiosity; but Martin teased and Joseph inquired of the Lord.
The answer forbade Joseph's letting the manuscript go, but Martin was
not satisfied and worried him until he asked again. Once more the
Lord refused, and for a time Martin worked along without complaining;
but his wife and other members of his family desired to see what was
written of the new book, and he again induced Joseph to ask.
It was wrong for the Prophet to give way after the Lord had twice
answered him, but Martin made so many promises to be careful that there
seemed little reason for fearing injury to the manuscript. The last
time the Lord replied that Martin might take the writings on condition
that he would show them only to five persons, his wife, father and
mother, brother and sister-in-law. Joseph, too, was held responsible
for them. With very solemn vows Martin Harris covenanted to guard the
writings and return them, but he was tempted to show them to other
persons and they were stolen from him. They fell into the hands of evil
men and neither he nor Joseph ever saw them again.
The Urim and Thummim had been taken from the Prophet because he
displeased the Lord in asking so often about the writings. When Martin
had gone from Harmony after two months of work as scribe, Joseph went
to his father's home on a visit, being unable to go on with the work.
He soon returned from Manchester and the Urim and Thummim was given
back to him. He was permitted to keep it while the Lord gave him a
revelation, and then it with the plates was taken away. Do not think
that the Lord could not have given the revelation without the Urim and
Thummim. In later years Joseph did not use it, but he was still young
and the Lord perhaps thought it best to make him feel dependent by not
communing openly at all times with him.
The revelation was a rebuke to him for his weakness and a warning that
though he had been much favored he would still be rejected if he were
not faithful and humble. The Lord told him that the work should still
go on, even though he proved faithless. Joseph's sensitive spirit was
deeply hurt and he humbly repented of what he had done.
The plates and the Urim and Thummim were given back to him again and
he was directed to continue his labors. It was revealed that if he
should re-translate what Martin Harris had lost, those who had stolen
the manuscript would change it in places and would deceive the world
by saying that Joseph could not translate twice alike, and therefore
his work was not of God. But though Satan had laid a cunning plot, the
wisdom of God triumphed.
If you have read the Book of Mormon you have perhaps noticed a
difference in the books of First Nephi, Second Nephi, Jacob, Enos,
Jarom and Omni, from what follows. If you have not read this beautiful
record, remember to notice the difference when you do, and you will see
one sign of the complete wisdom and forethought of God. These books
were written on the small plates of Nephi, and when Mormon, the father
of Moroni, found them, he joined them to the abridgment he had made
of the larger plates. The two sets of plates cover the same period
of history, but the larger set deals more with government and the
political affairs, while the smaller is rather a record of the dealings
of the Lord with the people.
Nephi hardly knew why he was commanded by the Lord to make the smaller
plates and write upon them, but he obeyed. Moroni tells us he did not
know why he was moved upon to add them to his abridgment. But we now
see the purpose of the Lord in it. The translation that Martin Harris
lost was from Mormon's abridgment of the larger plates. Joseph was
commanded to translate the same part from the smaller plates, and
thus Satan's plan to deceive could not be used. This change makes the
Book of Moroni more valuable, too, because on the smaller plates were
written many choice prophecies and revelations that Mormon did not give
in the abridgment.
Joseph did not at once begin to translate, but for a time worked on
a small farm he had bought from his wife's father, Isaac Hale. He
received a number of important revelations about this time for the
comfort and instruction of himself and of others who came to him. When
he began to translate again the work went on very slowly for he had no
one to write for him regularly. Sometimes his wife Emma could spare
time and a little progress was made. But Joseph and Emma had lost their
firstborn child, a son, soon after his birth in July 1828, and the
mother through grief and poor health could give but little assistance
in the work. This state of affairs continued until April 1829.