Book of Mormon 121-Day 3
Now, in the authority of the sacred priesthood in me vested, I invoke my blessing upon the Latter-day Saints and upon good people everywhere. I bless you with increased discernment to judge between Christ and anti-Christ. I bless you with increased power to do good and to resist evil. I bless you with increased understanding of the Book of Mormon. I promise you that from this moment forward, if we will daily sup from its pages and abide by its precepts, that God will pour out upon each child of zion and the Church a blessing hitherto unknown--and we will plead to the Lord that He will begin to lift the condemnation--the scourge and judgment. Of this I bear solemn witness. I testify that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. Jesus is the Christ. Joseph Smith is His prophet. The Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints is true, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. (ET Benson, Solemn Assembly, April 6, 1986)
1. Outside Reading - Book of the Week, "How We Got the Book of Mormon" Richard E. Turley Jr. & Wm. w. Slaughter
2. Introduction- Written by Bruce R. McConkie for the 1981 edition of the Book of Mormon. An ideal summary of what the Book is, why we have it, how it came forth, and how we can know of its truthfulness.
3. Gary's Green Verses
Date | Reference | Favorite Verse | |
Jan. 27 | 2 Nephi 4 | 15 | When I delight in the scriptures, ponder them & pray, they will bless my children |
Jan. 28 | 2 Nephi 5 | 27 | Do I live happy? What can I do to live more happily? |
Jan. 29 | 2 Nephi 6 | 13 | The people of the Lord are those who wait for him. |
Jan. 30 | 2 Nephi 7 | 1 & 2 | The verses that shook me from my murmurings. |
Jan. 31 | 2 Nephi 8 | 7 | Who do I fear? Sometimes I fear the wrong people. |
Feb. 1 | 2 Nephi 9 | 28 & 29 | My learning is only good if I hearken to God. |
Feb. 2 | 2 Nephi 10 | 24 | I make a change to reconcile, then God saves me. |
Feb. 3 | 2 Nephi 11 | 3 | The Law of Witnesses. I want to be a witness for truth. |
4. However, let’s give Sariah a little slack. Even though she follows her husband in faith, now she is in the desert, probably without her servants and having to knead bread for the entire group by herself because she had to leave her breadmaker in Jerusalem. She also probably didn’t bring her Cuisinart and has to chop vegetables on a very old chopping board. The nearest Albertsons is of no use and anyway, their produce is weeks old. No matter how many times she sweeps the tent, the sand keeps blowing in. Because she has run out of sunscreen, her complexion is suffering. Lehi, because he has never helped with the housework, is useless – he is concerned with other things. She probably isn’t sleeping well because her four sons have been gone for at least two weeks and she is worried sick, and since they can’t get Wifi in the desert, she doesn’t get email from them. Her cell phone has died with no way to re-charge it, so not even any texts to keep her up-to-date on their whereabouts. Who knows, she might even be expecting by now, what with morning sickness, which doesn’t help her disposition. No hot water and no tub for a bath. She can’t call her best friend to commiserate either. And to think of the possibility that she might never again see her beloved Nephi who brings sunshine to her soul, who can blame her for murmuring????
5. The Coming Forth of the Book of Mormon
600 BC
321 AD-Ammaron hides plates & approaches Mormon.
326 AD- Mormon leads Nephite army
335 AD-Mormon begins keeping history
385 AD-Final battle- Mormon hides records in hill Cumorah. Moroni becomes keeper. He finishes record of father, abridges record of Jaredites and writes his own book.
421 AD- Moroni hides records. (Mormon 8:16 & 22)
Spring 1820- Joseph's 1st vision
September 21, 1823 - Sunday FIRST VISIT (Bedroom)
1. Joseph prayed for forgiveness and to know of his standing
2. He had confidence that he would receive an answer.
3. A light appeared in his room which increased in brightness until his room was as light as at midday.
4. An angel appeared and stood in the air at his bedside.
5. Called Joseph by name
6. Identified self as a messenger sent from God
7. His name was Moroni
8. Told Joseph that God had a work for him to do
9. Joseph’s name would be had for good and evil among all nations, kindreds, and tongues.
10. There is a book deposited
11. The book is written on gold plates
12. The book gives an account of the former inhabitants of this continent
13. Tells where those inhabitants came from
14. The fullness of the Everlasting gospel is contained on those plates
15. There are two stones in silver bows. They are called the Urim and Thummim.
16. Time for Joseph to receive plates not yet fulfilled
17. Restricted Joseph on who he would be able to show the plates to.
18. If Joseph was disobedient, he would be destroyed
19. Joseph was shown in vision where the plates were located.
20. 12. Quoted some Old Testament verses -a. Malachi 3 & 4 b. Isaiah 11- gathering, Savior’s coming, millennium c. Joel 2:28; d. Acts 3:19-22]
21. Light I room gathered around Moroni until whole room was dark except just around the angel.
22. A conduit opened up right into heaven and Moroni ascended until he disappeared.
SECOND VISIT -(Bedroom) 1. Repeated 1-20. 2. Told Joseph of great judgments coming upon earth. 3. Same departure as first time.
THIRD VISIT - (Bedroom)1. Instant replay - 2. Warned that Satan would tempt Joseph to use the plates for gain. 3. Explained proper motive for the work. 4. Same departure as the first two times.
FOURTH VISIT -(Farm) 1. Joseph awoke from state of unconsciousness. 2. Play it again 3. Told him to go tell his father.
FIFTH VISIT - (Hill-3miles southeast of farm)1. Joseph knew right where to go to get plates. 2.Found plates, Urim and Thummim and the breastplate. 3. Joseph made unsuccessful attempt to obtain plates; he was thrown back with a shock. 4. Told Joseph why he could not obtain the plates (See 3rd visit warning) 5. Joseph repented 6. Joseph had the heavens opened and the glory of the Lord shone round about him. 7. He also saw the Prince of Darkness surrounded by innumerable associates. 8. Taught Joseph of the magnitude of the work he was to do and that both powers would work upon him. 9. Told Joseph to return each year for 4 years 10. Last admonition was for Joseph to pray.
6th, 7th, 8th, 9th VISITS - 1. Each year, same place, same messenger and same time. 2. He was visited by angels of God unfolding the majesty and glory of the events that should transpire in the last days. (HC 4:537) 3. Received intelligence what the Lord was going to do and in what manner His kingdom was to be conducted in the last days. 4. On one occasion an angel delivered to Joseph the severest chastisement he had ever received. He was told that he, “had not been engaged enough in the work of the Lord; that the time had come for the record to be brought forth; and that he must be up and doing and set himself about the things which God had commanded him to do.” 5. Recounted to his family the ancient inhabitants of this continent, their dress, mode of traveling, and the animals upon which they rode; their cities, their buildings, with every particular; their mode of warfare; and also their religious worship. He told his family not to share the truths he taught them, persecution was sure to follow. 6. Received plates from Moroni on September 22, 1827 a little after midnight while Emma waited in a wagon borrowed from Joseph Knight and his mother prayed at home. He received a charge that Joseph should be responsible for them and that if he lost the plates due to his neglect, he would be cut off. If he did his best, they should be protected . A birch log, hearth stones, floor boards, flax, and a barrel of beans were used at various times to conceal them. He kept the plates for less than 2 years.
The plates were 6X8X6. Each plate was not quite so thick as common tin. They were filled with engravings, in Egyptian characters and bound together in a volume with 3 rings running through the whole. Marin said he thought the rings were silver. David said 2/3 were sealed. Emma never saw them, but felt them through linen cloth as they lay on a table. The plates seemed to be pliable like thick paper, and would rustle with a metallic sound when the edges were moved by the thumb.
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LARGE PLATES OF NEPHI
Mormon's abridgment and own writings
Lehi-Mosiah-Alma-Helaman-3 Nephi-4Nephi-1-7
Moroni's Abridgment and Own Writings
Mormon 8-9-Ether-Moroni
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SMALL PLATES OF NEPHI
1 Nephi-2 Nephi-Jacob-Enos-Jarom-Omni
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Words of Mormon
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SEALED PORTION
Added by Moroni
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___________________TITLE PAGE-Written by Moroni__________________
Dec. 1827 Moved to Harmony with the help of $50 from Martin. to live with in Isaac Hale's home to escape persecution Joseph began copying characters from the plates. Dad in law wouldn't let him stay in house, if he couldn't see the plates. Moved into home nearby formerly owned by Emma's brother Jessie. They stayed for 2 1/2 years.
Feb. 1828 - Martin Harris took figures copied and translated to New York City.
April 12, 1828 - Martin begins work as Joseph’s scribe.
June 14, 1828 - 116 pages finished. Martin gets permission to show the manuscript to 5 family members.
June 15, 1828 - Baby born and died. Joseph cared for Emma for 2 weeks. Joseph left on stage accompanied by one other man who volunteered to walk the last 20 miles with Joseph to his home from 10 pm. The last 4 miles of the trip he had to lead Joseph by the arm. Joseph sent for Martin. They waited from 8 am till 12:30 pm
When he returned to Harmony he surrendered the plates and the Urim and Thummim
Summer of 1828 angel again visited him and through the U & T. He received D&C 10.
After this revelation, Joseph returned the plates and the U&T to the angel.
September 22, 1828, he received them again. Translated little. Worked to raise money. At some time Emma was the scribe. Middle of March 1829 only 16 pages finished. No evidence of Emma’s handwriting in original manuscript. (Probably started in Mosiah) {See Stan Larson - Ensign, Sept. 1977} Emma bore a strong testimony that she knew the book was of divine authenticity, "Joseph would dictate to me hour after hour, and when returning after meals, or after interruptions, he would at once begin where he had left off, without either seeing the manuscript or having any portion of it read to him."
April 5, 1829 - Oliver Cowdery arrives. April 6, Joseph and Emma closed on their house.
April 7, 1829 - translation began (probably somewhere in Mosiah) About 8 pages a day.
May 15, 1829 - translation up to 3 Nephi 11.
June 1, 1829 - David moved Joseph and Oliver move to Fayette. Emma soon joined them. Mary Whitmer may have been the 2nd person to see plates.
About middle of June, 3 and then 8 witnesses view plates. A scripture in 2 Nephi 27 may have prompted this. Returning from experience with the 3, Joseph said "Father, mother you do not know how happy I am: the Lord has now caused the plates to be shown to 3 more besides myself...they will have to bear witness to the truth of what I have said....and I feel as if I was relie3ved of a burden which was almost too heavy for me to bear, and it rejoices my soul, that I am not any longer to be entirely alone in the world.
"After the 8 witnesses returned to the house," Joseph's mother said, " the angel again made his appearance...at which time Joseph delivered up the plates into the angel's hands." He had fulfilled the charge he received and could breathe a sigh of relief that the plates were safely out of his hands and that others could bear witness that they really existed." (Turley, p. 23)
June 11, 1829 - copyright secured.
July 1, 1829 - translation completed ( Oliver took about 5 wks to make printers copy)
Aug. 5, 1829 - Martin mortgages farm.
Aug. 17, 1829 - Contract signed with EB Grandin. 5000 copies for $3000. Normal would have been 500-1000 copies.
Aug. 1829 - printing began. Grandin ran his presses 14 hours a day, six days a week for 7 months. (nearly 3,000,000 pages) His 3 story building- Print, Bind, Sale. Story of Abner Cole (Obadiah Dogberry pen-name)
March 26, 1830 - Book printed, bound and advertized for sale in Grandin's own newspaper, " the Wayne Sentinel." Originally for $1.75, then $1.25, but the citizens refused to buy it. Martin tried to sale it, got discouraged and asked Joseph for a revelation. (D&C 19)
April 6, 1830 - church organized
April 7, 1831 Martin sold 150 1/2 acres of his farm for $3000 to Thomas Lakey. January 28, 1832 Lakey sold the property for $3,300 in gold. He kept $300 and gave $3000 to Martin who then paid Grandin.
In 1833 WW Phelps began printing the Book of Mormon serially in the Evening and Morning Star. He intended to publish it with the New Testament in a single volume, but the press was destroyed.
The 2nd edition of the Book of Mormon was printed in 1837 in Kirtland as a pocket edition. They intended to publish it with the Doctrine and Covenants, but that would have defeated the purpose of a pocket edition. Joseph went through the printer's manuscript and altered the grammar of the text to reflect standard English rather than Joseph's native New York English. As it turned out, Joseph had to flee Kirtland, the printing press was sold to dissenters, then burned along with many copies of the Book of Mormon. 3000 were published. Many (around 200) were taken to Great Britain with the 1837 missionaries. It is more rare than the 1st edition. Only about 3000 copies were printed and many of them were lost in the fire.
The 1840 edition of the Book of Mormon was printed in Cincinnati, Ohio under the direction of Ebenezer Robinson and Don Carlos Smith by Edwin Shepard, who risked his own business to print the book because of what he felt in his heart. This edition featured the correction of some copying errors Oliver had made in preparing the printer's manuscript and a few additional emendations and grammatical changes. They printed about 4000 copies. They made stereotype plates which allowed re-printing. Joseph at this time placed the original manuscript in the cornerstone of the Nauvoo House hotel.
In 1841, under the direction of Brigham Young, the Twelve Apostles in England printed the first European edition of the Book of Mormon. They aimed for 5000 copies but only 4050 were finished before the printing establishment went out of business. A copy was presented to Queen Victoria and it proved a great boon for missionary work in England. "Though another impression of the Book of Mormon was made in Nauvoo in 1842 from the plates used for the 1840 edition, the murder of Joseph Smith in 1844 and the driving of the Saints from Nauvoo in 1846 disrupted the printing of Latter-day Saint scriptures in America. As a result, it is from the Liverpool edition that all other LDS editions of the Book of Mormon descended." (Turley p. 78)
The lost 116 pages of the Book contained the Book of Lehi and apparently the first 2 chapters of Mosiah. When they started again with the translation, Mosiah 1 was Mosiah 3, but they changed it to chapter 1. There were originally only 7 chapters in 1 Nephi and 30 in Alma. There were no verses, but paragraphs, many of them very long. (up to 8 pages).
In 1852 Elder Franklin D. Richards of the Twelve numbered the paragraphs in an edition he printed in England. In 1879 Orson Pratt divided the large chapters and numbered paragraphs into small chapters and small verses. This became the numbering system standard in later editions. He also added III and IV to the names of the Books of Nephi in the 2nd half of the book.
In 1920 a committee chaired by George F. Richards, and joined by Anthony W. Ivins, Joseph Fielding Smith, James E. Talmage and Melvin J. Ballard made significant improvements in the readability of the Book of Mormon, they; divided the text into 2 columns, standardized the book names to Third Nephi and Fourth Nephi; made grammatical changes, continuing the tradition of updating the language to make it more consistent with that of many modern readers, introduced chapter summaries, introduced a pronouncing vocabulary, included a synopsis of chapters at the end of the book, a modern table of contents, the story of the origin by Joseph Smith, revised footnotes, and an improved index. It was finished in March 1921 and introduced in April General Conference by President Anthony W. Ivins.
The 1981 edition improved the text based on enhanced access to early manuscripts and editions and fully integrated the book with the bible and the church's other scriptures, providing study helps that point readers more than ever to Jesus Christ.
The 1982 addition added the subtitle "Another Testament of Jesus Christ.
November 28, 1941- Keystone Statement.
