Book of Mormon/Translation

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This page is based on an answer to a question submitted to the FAIR web site, or a frequently asked question.

Questions

• What do we know about the method used to translate the Book of Mormon?
• Were the plates sometimes not in the room while Joseph was translating them?
• Critics claim that each sentence and word in the 1830 Book of Mormon "had supposedly come directly from God."

Source(s) of the Criticism

• Richard Abanes, Becoming Gods: A Closer Look at 21st-Century Mormonism (Harvest House Publishers: 2005). 57, 358-9 n. 47. ( Index of claims )
• Fawn M. Brodie, No Man Knows My History: The Life of Joseph Smith (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1945), 43. ( Index of claims )
• Walter Martin, The Kingdom of the Cults (Revised) (Minneapolis: Bethany House Publishers, 1997), 195. ( Index of claims )
• Richard N. and Joan K. Ostling, Mormon America: The Power and the Promise, (New York:HarperCollins Publishers, 2000), 26. ( Index of claims )
• Grant H. Palmer, An Insider's View of Mormon Origins (Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 2002) 2–3. ( Index of claims )
• Jerald and Sandra Tanner, The Changing World of Mormonism (Moody Press, 1979), 80–84, 132.( Index of claims )
• Wikipedia article "Joseph Smith, Jr."–Primary editor: COgden, with additional contributions by multiple editors. ( FAIR's Analysis of this Wikipedia article)

Response

The Church does not take any sort of official stand on the exact method by which the Book of Mormon translation occurred. In 1993, Elder Russell M. Nelson stated that "[t]he details of this miraculous method of translation are still not fully known." ^[1] Joseph Smith himself never recorded the precise physical details of the method of translation:

"Brother Joseph Smith, Jun., said that it was not intended to tell the world all the particulars of the coming forth of the Book of Mormon; and also said that it was not expedient for him to relate these things" ^[2]

All that we know for certain is that Joseph translated "by the gift and power of God." (DC 135:3)

What we do have are a number of accounts of the translation process from the perspective of various contemporary second-hand witnesses who viewed the Prophet as he dictated to his scribes. The only person other than Joseph who attempted to directly translate was Oliver Cowdery. Oliver, however, did not record any details regarding the exact physical process that he employed during his attempt. We are given some insight into the spiritual aspect of the translation process, when the Lord says to Oliver:

"But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right." (DC 9:8)

It is known that the Lord provided a set of physical "interpreters," the Urim and Thummim, along with the plates. This device was intended to assist Joseph in the translation process, yet the manner in which it was employed was never explained in detail. The fact that the Urim and Thummim resembled a pair of spectacles has led some to believe that they may have been worn like a pair of glasses, with Joseph viewing the characters on the plates through them.

There are also accounts that Joseph employed his seer stone during part of the translation process. Martin Harris states that Joseph used the Urim and Thummim and then later switched to using the seer stone "for convenience." ^[3] In fact, Elder Nelson refers to the use of the seer stone in his 1993 talk. It also appears that the seer stone was sometimes referred to as the "Urim and Thummim," indicating that the name could be assigned to any device that was used for the purpose of translation.^[4]

People are sometimes troubled when they see artists' depictions of the Prophet and Oliver sitting at a table while Joseph views the plates as they sit in plain sight. Obviously, the plates never sat exposed in plain view, and these artistic interpretations originate purely in the mind of the artist. Some accounts indicate that the plates sat on a table covered with a cloth "in plain view," with Emma indicating that she actually moved them around in order to perform her household chores.^[5] Some witness accounts suggest that Joseph was able to translate while the plates were covered, or when they were not even in the same room with him.^[6]

Conclusion

It is important to remember that what we do know for certain is that the translation of the Book of Mormon was carried out "by the gift and power of God." We do not know the exact method of translation. Many have offered their own opinions, but it should be kept in mind that these opinions are given by people who never performed the translation process itself: They can only report on what they observed the Prophet doing at the time. Whether Joseph used the "original" Urim and Thummim or the seer stone to perform this sacred task is beside the point, and it does not diminish the power of the resulting work. One should read the Book of Mormon itself and evaluate its message rather than get wrapped up in the detail of its exact method of translation.

Endnotes

1. [note] Russell M. Nelson, "A Treasured Testament," Ensign (July 1993): 61.off-site
2. [note] Joseph Smith, History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 7 volumes, edited by Brigham H. Roberts, (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1957), 1:220. Volume 1 link
3. [note] Brigham H. Roberts, Comprehensive History of the Church (Provo, Utah: Brigham Young University Press, 1965), 1:128–129. GospeLink "[Martin Harris] said that the Prophet possessed a Seer Stone, by which he was enabled to translate as well as with the Urim and Thummim, and for convenience he sometimes used the Seer Stone."
4. Stephen D. Ricks, The Translation and Publication of the Book of Mormon, Featured Papers, Maxwell Institute, Provo UT. off-site
5. [note] Interview of Emma Smith by her son Joseph Smith III, "Interview with Joseph Smith III, 1879," Dan Vogel (editor), Early Mormon Documents (Salt Lake City, Signature Books, 1996–2003), 5 vols, 1:541–542.
6. [note] Interview of Emma Smith by her son Joseph Smith III, "Interview with Joseph Smith III, 1879," in Dan Vogel (editor), Early Mormon Documents (Salt Lake City, Signature Books, 1996–2003), 5 vols, 1:539.

Further reading

FAIR wiki articles

• Anthon transcript
• Book of Mormon translation chronology
• Joseph Smith and seer stones

FAIR web site

• FairMormon Topical Guide: Book of Mormon Translation Process FairMormon link
  
• FairMormon Topical Guide: Coming forth of the Book of Mormon FairMormon link
  

External links

• Richard L. Anderson, "By the Gift and Power of God," Ensign (September 1977): 79.off-site
• Neal A. Maxwell, "By the Gift and Power of God," Ensign (January 1997): 36.off-site
• David E. Sloan, "The Anthon Transcripts and the Translation of the Book of Mormon: Studying It Out in the Mind of Joseph Smith," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 5/2 (1996). [57–81] link
• Royal Skousen, "Towards a Critical Edition of the Book of Mormon," Brigham Young University Studies 30 no. 1 (Winter 1990), 41–69.off-site
• Royal Skousen, "How Joseph Smith Translated the Book of Mormon: Evidence from the Original Manuscript," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 7/1 (1998). [22–31] link

Printed material

• Matthew B. Brown, "The Translation Process," in Plates of Gold: The Book of Mormon Comes Forth (American Fork, UT: Covenant, 2003), 185–201. ISBN 1591563704.
• Richard L. Bushman, "The Recovery of the Book of Mormon," in Book of Mormon Authorship Revisited: The Evidence for Ancient Origins, edited by Noel B. Reynolds, (Provo, Utah : Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1997), Chapter 2. ISBN 093489325X ISBN 0934893187 ISBN 0884944697. off-site GL direct link
• Stephen D. Ricks, "The Translation and Publication of the Book of Mormon," Provo, Utah: FARMS, 1994.
• Brigham H. Roberts, Comprehensive History of the Church (Provo, Utah: Brigham Young University Press, 1965), 1:127–33. GospeLink
• Royal Skousen, "Translating the Book of Mormon: Evidence from the Original Manuscript," in Book of Mormon Authorship Revisited: The Evidence for Ancient Origins, edited by Noel B. Reynolds, (Provo, Utah : Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1997), Chapter 4. ISBN 093489325X ISBN 0934893187 ISBN 0884944697. off-site GL direct link
• John W. Welch, The Sermon at the Temple and the Sermon on the Mount: A Latter-day Saint Approach (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book and FARMS, 1990), 130–144. ISBN 0875793010. ISBN 978-0875793016. off-site
• John W. Welch and Tim Rathbone, "The Translation of the Book of Mormon: Basic Historical Information," (Provo, Utah: FARMS, 1986), 3–32.
• John W. Welch and Tim Rathbone, "Book of Mormon Translation by Joseph Smith," in Encyclopedia of Mormonism, 4 vols., edited by Daniel H. Ludlow, (New York, Macmillan Publishing, 1992), 1:210–213.