A presentation given at Zone Conference. Follow along with accompanying notes: http://www.slideshare.net/iamse7en/zone-conference-translation-of-the-book-of-mormon

1. Concealed Truth
Oct. 25, 1831 Conference minutes: “Brother Hyrum Smith said, ‘That he thought best that the information of the coming
forth of the Book of Mormon be related by Joseph Himself, to the elders present, that all might know for themselves.’
Brother Joseph Smith, Jr., 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, etc.’”
Martin Harris’ Test of the Prophet:
“Martin said that after continued translation they would become weary and would go down to the river and exercise in
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 labors of translation Martin put in place [of the Seer Stone] the stone that he had
found. He said that the prophet remained silent unusually and intently gazing in darkness, no trace of the usual sentence
appearing. Much surprised, Joseph exclaimed: 'Martin! what is the matter? all is as dark as Egypt.' Martin's 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.”
Problem With Accounts of Translation
Care very little of what these men say on the subject. Care for what the LORD has said on the subject. Where did these
people obtain such knowledge? From Joseph, for they claim no revelation on the subject. And this knowledge was not
announced until the later years of their life. Plus the factor of apostasy.
Plates Present or Absent?
Sometimes present, sometimes absent?
PURPOSE OF PLATES?
Evidence (11 Witnesses & Joseph himself); Help Joseph concentrate, learn language; Test Joseph
HAVE TO HAVE PLATES?
TURN TO D+C 7: Suppose Joseph had never received the Nephite plates, and had been called to just give the world
the translation of the record. He could have done this! In fact, he did it with the manuscript John the Beloved wrote
anciently and hid away--Joseph translated the document, which is now our D&C 7. As far as Church History is concerned,
Joseph never actually received or touched John's ancient manuscript--rather, he saw the characters of John's text in the
Urim and Thummim--as he did when he translated the Nephite characters--and provided a translation without ever having
John's original manuscript!
Writings of Abraham - Papyri Issue
Martin Harris’s description of interchangeable use of a seer stone with the interpreters, or Urim and Thummim, refers only
to the portion of translation he was witness to—the initial 116 pages. The second point of agreement is even more
consistent: The plates could not have been used directly in the translation process. The Prophet, his face in a hat to exclude
exterior light, would have been unable to view the plates directly even if they had been present during transcription.
Seer Stone History
DISCOVERY: Willard Chase, a neighbor of the Smiths in Palmyra, New York , relates how the stone was discovered on
his property.
“In the year 1822, I was engaged in digging a well. I employed Alvin and Joseph Smith to assist me.... After digging about
twenty feet below the surface of the earth, we discovered a singularly appearing stone, which excited my curiosity. I
brought it to the top of the well, and as we were examining it, Joseph put it into his hat, and then his face into the top of his
hat.... The next morning he came to me, and wished to obtain the stone, alleging that he could see in it; but I told him I did
not wish to part with it on account of its being a curiosity, but I would lend it.”
THE PIN: “I was at the house of his 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 him--I 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 hat--the old white hat--and placed his face in his hat. I watched him
closely to see that h e did not look to one side; he reached out his hand beyond me on the right, and moved a little stick an d
there I saw the pin, which he picked u p and gave to me. I know he did not look out of the hat until after he had picked up
the pin.” – Martin Harris

2. VISION OF PLATES: Confirmed by Martin Harris, Joseph Smith Sr., and Brigham Young: “President Young
exhibited the ‘seer’s stone’ with which the Prophet Joseph discovered the plates of the Book of Mormon.”
VISION OF EMMA: An interesting account related by Joseph Knight, Sr., suggests that Emma Smith’s involvement in
the recovery of the plates on 22 September 1827 was shown in vision through the Chase Seer Stone: “Joseph says when can
I have it [the Nephite Record] the answer was the 22nt Day of September next f f you bring the right person with you
Joseph says who is the right person the answer is your oldest Brother But before September Came his oldest Brother Died
[Alvin died 19 November 1823] then he was disappointed and did not [k]now what to do but when the 22nt day of
September came he went to the place and the personage appeared and told him he could not have it now But the 22nt day of
September next he might have the Book if he brot with him the right person Joseph says who is the right person the answer
was you w ill know then he look ed in his glass and found it w as Emma Hale daughter of old Mr. Hale of Pennsylvny ,”
GAVE AWAY STONE: Patriarch Zebedee Coltrin, an early acquaintance of Joseph Smith, related in an 1880 high
priests’ meeting in Spanish Fork, Utah, that he had once asked Joseph what he had done with the Urim and Thummim and
that “Joseph said he had no further need of it and he had given it to the angel Moroni. He had the Melchizedek Priesthood,
and with that Priesthood he had the key to all knowledge and intelligence.”
Urim and Thummim Doctrine
Look INTO / Every man entitled to seer stone
Brigham Young was shown the Urim and Thummim with the Twelve by Joseph Smith, and Joseph explained its operation
to them:
I met with the Twelve at brother Joseph's. He conversed with us in a familiar manner . . . and explained to us the Urim and
Thummim. . . . He said that every man who lived on the earth was entitled to a seer stone, and should have one, but they are
kept from them in consequence of their wickedness, and most of those who do find one make an evil use of it; he showed
us his seer stone. (Millennial Star, 26:118-9; underlining added; see also 40:787.)
Subsequently, President Young explained how the Urim and Thummim (or a seer stone) operated:
The breastplate of Aaron that you read of in the Scriptures was a Urim and Thummim, fixed in bows similar to the one
Joseph Smith found. Aaron wore this Urim and Thummim on his breast, [it was attached by the rod,] and looked into it like
looking on a mirror, and the information he needed was there obtained. This earth, when it becomes purified and sanctified,
or celestialized, will become like a sea of glass; and a person, by looking into it, can know things past, present, and to
come; though none but celestialized beings can enjoy this privilege. They will look into the earth, and the things they desire
to know will be exhibited to them, the same as the face is seen by looking into a mirror.
Urim & Thummim ~ Science “…it cannot be more difficult to believe that God's will may appear through the agency
of special ‘stones in silver bows,’ than to concede that invisible ether waves, become luminous when they fall upon a piece
of uranium glass.” – John A. Widstoe
According to the Lord
BRM: D+C is probably the only reliable account of how the translation process worked.
D+C 8:2-3: How Oliver could have translated; D+C 9:8: Why it failed for Oliver.
PAPYRI STORY: Joseph Prepared an Egyptian Alphabet and arranged an Egyptian Grammar. WHY? HE HAD TO
BEND ALL THE ENERGIES OF HIS INTELLECTUAL POWERS TO OBTAIN A TRANSLATION.
Translation Not A Mechanical Process
DAVID WHITMER’S THOUGHTS: “At times when Brother Joseph would attempt to translate he would look into
the hat in which the stone was placed, he found he was spiritually blind and could not translate. He told us that his mind
dwelt too much on earthly things, and various causes would make him incapable of proceeding with the translation. When
in this condition he would go out and pray, and when he became sufficiently humble before God, he could then proceed
with the translation. Now we see how very strict the Lord is, and how he requires the heart of man to be just right in his
sight before he can receive revelation from him.”
INCIDENT WITH EMMA: “He was a religious and straightforward man. He had to be; for he was illiterate and he
could do nothing of himself. He had to trust in God. He could not translate unless he was humble and possessed the right

3. feelings towards everyone. To illustrate so you can see. One morning when he was getting ready to continue the translation,
something went wrong about the house and he was put out about it. Something that Emma, his wife, had done. Oliver and I
went up stairs and Joseph came up soon after to continue the translation, but he could not do anything. He could not
translate a single syllable. He went down stairs, out into the orchard, and made supplication to the Lord; was gone about an
hour—came back to the house, asked Emma's forgiveness and then came up stairs where we were and then the translation
went on all right. He could do nothing save he was humble and faithful.”
Principles of Revelation
God – Constant; Man – Variable
2 Cor 3:17: Everyone’s testimony is different than another
Human  Variable; GOD  Constant; Resulting testimony will always vary when there’s that variable
“…human souls are of varied capacity with respect to the higher powers. But as the medium is purified, as obstructions are
removed, so resistance to the energy decreases, and the forces manifest themselves with greater intensity. By analogous
processes of purification our spirits may be made more susceptible to the forces of life, which are emanations from the
Holy Spirit.” – James E. Talmage
The more you comply with the Law of Revelation (the more you fulfil the prerequisites), the higher
degree of clarity and power the revelation will come.
FACTORS: language and phraseology of the Prophet, Nephite facts and ideas, Prophet’s life and experience, SPIRIT of
the LORD upon him, Visitations from Nephite Prophets (the latter two enhancing him beyond his natural ability)
Variety and Fallibility of Prophets and Scripture
“Although the visions which the prophet beheld and the predictions of the future which he announced were wholly
announced by the divine Spirit, yet the form of the communication, the imagery in which it is clothed, the illustrations by
which it is cleared up and impressed, the symbols employed to bring it more graphically before the mind—in short, all that
may be considered as its garb and dress, depends upon the education, habits, association, feelings and the whole mental,
intellectual and spiritual character of the prophet. Hence the style of some is purer, more sententious, more ornate, or more
sublime than others.”
IOW: It is against the laws of God for revelation to be a puppet affair. Its form, imagery, illustrations, symbols
depend on the education, habits, association, feelings, and the whole mental, intellectual and spiritual character.
Just because a prophet is under inspiration of the Spirit doesn’t mean the grammar and phrases will b perfect as if God ad
spoken it himself – even the most inspired prophets will misuse the English Langage. [see Acts 4:13]
TRANSLATION PROCESS SUMMARIES:
Joseph used every power of his mind and interpretation would be reflected in the instrument. Interpretation was a reflex
from the Prophet’s mind.
“There can be no doubt either but what the interpretation thus obtained was expressed in such language as the prophet
could command, in such phraseology as he was master of and common to the time and locality where he lived; modified, of
course, by the application of that phraseology to facts and ideas in the Nephite Scriptures he was translating—ideas new to
him in many respects, and above the ordinary level of the prophet's thinking; and also the phraseology was superior to that
he ordinarily used, because of the inspiration of God that was upon him.” – B.H. Roberts
“The Prophet saw the Nephite characters in the Urim and Thummim; through strenuous mental effort, theexercise of faith
and the operation of the inspiration of God upon his mind, he obtained the thought represented by the Nephite characters,
understood them in the Nephite characters, understood them in the Nephite language, and then expressed the
understanding, the thought, in such language as he was master of; which language, as his mind by mentalprocesses
arranged it, was reflected and held to his vision in Urim and Thummim until written by his amanuensis. That leaves all the
factors involved in the work of translation in their true relation: The Urim and Thummim an aid to the Prophet in the work,
yet not necessarily, and contrary to human experience and knowledge revealed of God, endowed with intellectual power;
the mind of the Prophet, touched through his faith by the inspiration of God, the chief factor; the testimony of Messrs.
Harris and Whitmer that both Nephite characters and the English translation appeared in the Urim and Thummim,
undisturbed and unimpaired.” – B.H. Roberts
IOW: The intpretation, after being wrought out in the Prophet’s mind, was reflected into the Urim and Thummim
and held visible there until written. The English translation was a reflex from the Prophet’s mind. (Urim and Thummim
reflects thoughts.)

4. BEST SUMMARY/EXPLANATION
“It was not a word-for-word translation. As nearly as can be understood, the ideas set forth by the characters were revealed
to the Prophet. He then expressed the ideas in English as best he could; that is, the language of the English Book of
Mormon is to a large degree the language of the Prophet as used in his every day conversation on religious subjects, but
brightened, illuminated, and dignified by the inspiration under which he worked. It must be said, however, that the
vocabulary of the Book of Mormon appears to be far beyond that of an unlettered youth. – John A. Widtsoe
IOW: Spirit put interpretation as thoughts in Joseph’s heart and mind. His best expression of those thoughts were
reflected in the Urim and Thummim and he would dictate the visible words. Oliver would repeat; if translation was
correct, words would disappear and the next characters would replace the previous ones. Revelation in the form of visions
and visitations helped Joseph to get those thoughts correct. The Holy Ghost aided him in putting it into correct and
beautiful language.
Understanding the Translation Process can help us understand:
Why Imperfections in the Translation Manuscripts
“Thus the Lord set forth the method of translation which certainly applied to Joseph Smith or any other translator as well as
to Oliver Cowdery. The prophet, from his study of the characters which were "magnified" before him, "thought it out in his
mind," and when he had the assurance that the thought was right, spoke the thought in his own words and language to the
scribe, from whom he was separated during the process of translation by a curtain. The translation was thus subject to the
imperfections of language and grammar, which characterized the early writings of the Prophet, and the mistakes in spelling
to which the scribe was addicted.” – B.H. Roberts
Why KJV is found in Translation
“It should be understood also, in this connection, that while Joseph Smith obtained the facts and ideas from the Nephite
characters through the inspiration of God, he was left to express those facts and ideas, in the main, in such language as he
could command; and when he found that parts of the Nephite record closely paralleled passages in the Bible, and being
conscious that the language of our English Bible was superior to his own, he adopted it, except for those differences
indicated in the Nephite original which here and there make the Book of Mormon passages superior in sense and
clearness.” – B.H. Roberts
The ‘Unlearned’ Prophet
EMMA’S EXPERIENCES: “When my husband was translating the Book of Mormon, I wrote a part of it, as he
dictated each sentence, word for word, and when he came to proper names he could not pronounce, or long words, he
spelled them out, and while I was writing them, if I made any mistake in spelling, he would stop me and correct my
spelling although it was impossible for him to see how I was writing them down at the time. Even the word Sarah he could
not pronounce at first, but had to spell it, and I would pronounce it for him.”
“When he stopped for any purpose at any time he would, when he commenced again, begin where he left off without any
hesitation, and one time while he was translating he stopped suddenly, pale as a sheet, and said, ‘Emma, did Jerusalem have
walls around it?’ When I answered, ‘Yes,’ he replied, ‘Oh! [I didn’t know.] I was afraid I had been deceived.’ He had such
a limited knowledge of history at that time that he did not even know that Jerusalem was surrounded by walls.”
Defender of the Faith
“Meantime, the fact should be recognized by the Latter-day Saints that the Book of Mormon of necessity must submit to
every test, to literary criticism, as well as to every other class of criticism; for our age is above all things critical, and
especially critical of sacred literature, and we may not hope that the Book of Mormon will escape closest scrutiny; neither,
indeed, is it desirable that it should escape. It is given to the world as a revelation from God. It is a volume of American
scripture. Men have a right to test it by the keenest criticism, and to pass severest judgment upon it, and we who accept it as
a revelation from God have every reason to believe that it will endure every test; and the more thoroughly it is investigated,
the greater shall be its ultimate triumph. Here it is in the world; let the world make the most of it, or the least of it. It is and
will remain true… The Book of Mormon is presented to the world for its acceptance; and the Latter-day Saints are anxious
that their fellow men should believe it. If objections are made to it, to the manner of its translation, with the rest, these
objections should be patiently investigated, and the most reasonable explanations possible, given.” – B.H. Roberts