The 116 pages of the book of lehi were borrowed and then lost by martin harris. Emma recalled that at first joseph used the interpreters, called the urim and the thummim, but later he placed a smooth dark stone in his hat, then put his face in the hat. Emma smith and the translation of the book of mormon. Answering a question posed by her son joseph smith iii in 1879, emma smith indicated that the prophet joseph smith could not have been the author of the book of mormon, for he had neither the writing abilities nor adequate knowledge of ancient israel.
Joseph smith said that the book of mormon translation was performed by the gift and power of god the lost 116 pages of the book of mormon manuscript. In 1984, linda wrote, with valeen tippetts avery, mormon enigma. He joseph smith was a religious and straightforward man. Urim and thummim places the book of mormon translation on trial, presenting the latest research in one of the most comprehensive treatments of the translation process to date providing encouragement for latterday saints who fear they have been betrayed by the translation history taught by the church for over 190 years did joseph smith study and master the nephite language. The translation of the book of lehi is completed, resulting in 116 pages of translated text. The translation process of the book of mormon lds scripture.
Many people have focused almost entirely on the decisions she made in the last years of joseph smiths life and after his death, and sometimes those events trouble mormons and please non. According to the lds church, is the book of mormon a translation from a foreign language. Why joseph smiths dictation of the book of mormon is. The term translation some mormon scholars argue that the term translation was broader in meaning in 1828 than it is today, and smiths work was at the time considered a revision of the english text, rather than a translation between languages. Jan 08, 2016 during the initial stage of translation of the book of mormon in the winter of 18271828, joseph smiths wife emma would often write for him as he translated. He was referring to the clarity and depth of doctrine, to the mission and message of the book, to the spirit of inspiration that it fosters, to the divine desire that it.
Answering a question posed by her son joseph smith iii in 1879, emma smith indicated that the prophet joseph smith could not have been the author of the book. Urim and thummim places the book of mormon translation on trial, presenting the latest research in one of the most comprehensive treatments of the translation process to date providing encouragement for latterday saints who fear they have been betrayed by the translation history taught by the church for over 190 years. How did emma smith help bring forth the book of mormon. In 1956, elder joseph fielding smith knew of the seer stone, but did not believe that joseph actually used it during the translation of the book of mormon. When he was 24, smith published the book of mormon. Roger nicholson, the spectacles, the stone, the hat, and the book. His early work on the translation, with emma smith and. This is the 2nd edition biography of emma smith, wife of joseph smith, jr. Book of mormontransmission from translator to printed.
Briggs, letter to the editor, saints herald 31 june 21, 1884. The king james quotations in the book of mormon, the history of the text of the book of mormon. By invitation of the whitmer family, they moved themselves and the plates to fayette, new york. Mar 02, 2018 emma smith bidamon to emma pilgrim, 27 march 1870, in early mormon documents, 1. Emma hale smith, which has stood for nearly three decades as the definitive biography of emma. Emma smiths copy of the book of mormon discovered lds daily. Joseph and emma smith moved to harmony, pennsylvania, where joseph began translating the book of mormon in earnest. There, emma and oliver cowdery helped joseph with the translation of the book of mormon. Which scribes worked on which portions in the book of mormon. However, in 1966 several fragments of the papyri were found in the archives of the metropolitan museum of art in new york and in the lds church archives. Braden and kelley debate on divine origin of book of mormon, p, 186. Emma smith was far more involved in the coming forth of the book of.
Book of mormontransmission from translator to printed text. By the time of his death, 14 years later, he had attracted tens of thousands of followers and founded a religion that continues to the present with millions of global adherents. Why joseph smiths dictation of the book of mormon is simply. As the scribe of twothirds of the first manuscript of the book of mormon, she had a signficant impact on that effort. Emma smith witnesses of the golden plates and book of mormon. He and several of his close associates testified that the translation was accomplished by the gift and power of god. Book of mormon manuscript excerpt, circa june 1829 1 nephi 2. February 1828 martin harris took a transcript of some characters copied from the golden plates to scholars in new york city. She also took care of the domestic chores needed for the survival and comfort of those more actively involved in the translation. By february 1829, smith had begun translating sporadically with emma as scribe smith 1853, p.
A twentyfirst century believers view of the book of mormon translation, interpreter. As a firsthand witness of the translation process when she acted as his scribe, emma could testify that her husband had no notes, drafts, or books with him while. Peterson wrote an excellent article in which he cites witnesses to the book of mormon translation process, giving modern readers insight into what eyewitnesses saw regarding how joseph smith translated the book of mormon. Emma smith and the translation of the book of mormon always. Aug 04, 2015 the mormon churchs push toward transparency about its roots and beliefs took another step forward with the first published pictures of a small sacred stone it believes founder joseph smith used. It is claimed that each sentence and word in the 1830 book of mormon had supposedly come directly from god.
Sep 24, 2016 emma smith believed in and supported her husband. Joseph smith was unable to translate the golden plates when there was contention with emma. By its own terms, the book of mormon is a translation of an ancient book. These were the days never to be forgotten, oliver cowdery said of his time as joseph smiths scribe under the sound of a voice dictated by the inspiration 1 of heaven.
Emma smith on the book of mormon translation process, quote 2. Michael morse, emma smith s brotherinlaw, gave a firsthand account published in an 1879 article in the rlds publication saints herald when joseph was translating the book of mormon i had occasion more than once to go into his immediate presence, and saw him engaged at his work of translation. Emma, having been a rural school teacher of considerable native talents,8 was also joseph smith s first scribe and may have transcribed more of the book of mormon than anyone else except for oliver cowdery. Despite all that the book of mormon prophets apparently went. Emma smithwitness of the book of mormon one people. In an interview conducted by her son joseph smith iii in 1879, emma smith, wife of the prophet joseph smith, expressed her faith in the restored church of jesus christ, which was established in 1830 after the prophet had translated the book of mormon and published it to the world.
Joseph smith translated an ancient text by the gift and power of god to produce the book of mormon. We have been taught since the days of the prophet that the urim and thummim were returned with the plates to the angel. Almost all of the present book of mormon text was translated during a threemonth period between april and june 1829 with. Now, consider that famous story, told by emma smith, of a time when she was acting as a scribe for joseph smith during the translation of the book of mormon. The lost 116 pages were the original manuscript pages of what joseph smith, founder of the latter day saint movement, said was the translation of the book of lehi, the first portion of the golden plates revealed to him by an angel in 1827. Book of mormon translation by joseph smith the encyclopedia.
She attended school, and was well educated for a girl of that day. The mormon reinvention of emma smith religion news service. December 23, 1805 june 27, 1844 was an american religious leader and founder of mormonism and the latter day saint movement. See, for example, welch, opening the heavens, 100101, 115117.
Most scholars of the book of mormon believe that js and cowdery translated the portion from mosiah to moroni first, and the portion from the first book of nephi to words of mormon second. Book of mormontranslationurim and thummim fairmormon. Throughout the years, she has remained a complex topic for both mormons and nonmormons. The book of abraham papyri were thought to have been lost in the 1871 great chicago fire. Emma smith on the book of mormon translation process. And, though i was an active participant in the scenes that transpired, and was present during the translation of the plates, and had cognizance of things as they transpired, it is marvelous to me, a marvel and a. After the gold plates were discovered, emma helped joseph with the translation of the book of mormon. By the time the book of mormon was published, smith had baptized several followers who called themselves the church of christ. Emma smith on the book of mormon translation process, quote 1. Emma smiths witness of the book of mormon lds scripture. She grew up in harmony, pennsylvania, along the banks of the susquehanna river on a acre farm.
Activity after losing the 116 pages and not being able to translate for a while the translation of the book of mormon started again on april 7, 1829. It is an extremely wellresearched biography with extensive documenting notes, showing the vast amount of research done by the authors. Emma hale smith bidamon emma hale smith bidamon was born on july 10, 1804, to isaac and elizabeth hale. Four women were witnesses to book of mormon translation process. In her own words, emma explained that when acting as scribe, joseph would dictate to me hour after hour. Hart, about the book of mormon, deseret evening news, march 25, 1884. Joseph smith couldnt translate without emmas forgiveness. Joseph smith translates some of the characters himself. Timeline of the book of mormon translation scott woodward. May 03, 20 emma smith was the wife of the first mormon prophet, joseph smith. He and several of his close associates testified that the translation was accomplished by the gift and power of god hc 1. Cobb, february 14, 1879, community of christ libraryarchives.
Joseph and emmas first child, alvin, was born but died shortly thereafter. She helped joseph smith retrieve the plates, participated in the translation as a scribe, and recorded her physical encounters with the covered plates. In fact, so limited was josephs knowledge when he translated the plates that he feared he had found an error when he read from the plates of nephi that the city of jerusalem was surrounded. Assisted js as scribe during translation of book of mormon at harmony, 1828, and joined him during completion of translation at peter whitmer sr. I am not mormon, but emma smith was a woman ahead of her time, in that she was welleducated, intelligent, literate, and knew her own mind. As the person closest to joseph and with him from the beginning to the very end of the translation process, emma was arguably more intimately involved with the coming forth of the book of mormon than any other individual besides joseph, said sister eastonflake. Emma smith confirmed that joseph switched between the nephite interpreters and his own seer stone during the translation.
The book of mormon was said to be written in reformed egyptian and nobody knew. As a firsthand witness of the translation process when she acted as his scribe, emma could testify that her husband had no notes, drafts, or books with him while he. Joseph and emma s first child, alvin, was born but died shortly thereafter. Emma hale smith, and perhaps her brother reuben hale, help as scribes for a portion of the book.
When my husband was translating the book of mormon, i wrote a part of it, as. At the home of john quincy adams, they found an 1841 copy of the book of mormon that originally belonged to someone very special in church history emma smith, wife of the prophet joseph smith. Later in life, on multiple occasions, emma would tell the story of the time joseph was startled by the mention of walls surrounding jerusalem at the time of lehi. Joseph smith could neither write nor dictate a coherent and wellworded letter, let alone dictate a book like the book of mormon. Michael morse, emma smiths brotherinlaw, gave a firsthand account published in an 1879 article in the rlds publication saints herald when joseph was translating the book of mormon i had occasion more than once to go into his immediate presence, and saw him engaged at his work of translation. When joseph smith said the book of mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, it seems evident that he was not talking about grammar, punctuation, or spelling.
In 1842, when the ladies relief society of nauvoo was formed as a womens service organization, she. Joseph smiths magic spectacles dan vogel photo of joseph smith wearing breastplate and looking through the urim and thummimmany mormons believe this is how joseph smith translated the book of mormon as he sat behind a curtain dictating the translation to a scribe on the other side. Some of the sharpest detractors of the book of mormon translation have confessed that as we stated earlier, most of the 3,9 changes which we found were related to the correction of grammatical and spelling errors and do not really change the basic meaning of the text. If so, what foreign language manuscripts did joseph smith use to produce the book of mormon.
Nov 30, 2017 emma smith was far more involved in the coming forth of the book of mormon than some people may realize. In june 1829, mary and her husband, peter whitmer, opened their home to joseph and emma smith and oliver cowdery. From the approximate book of mormon translation timeline. Note that the translation was supposed to be by the power of god, not by josephs personal linguistic skill. His early work on the translation, with emma smith and martin harris serving as the main scribes, was lost in 1828. Various witnesses of the process, including emma smith and martin harris, recalled how joseph dictated the book of mormon while the plates were either. Emma smith bidamon a witness of the book of mormon. David whitmer explains how joseph had to be humble, contrite, free of contention and in tune with the holy ghost for the translators to work. She sacrificed comfort, privacy, hardship, and many demands with what appears to be steadfast character and a strong spirit and sense of self, even. The manuscript joseph smith dictated to oliver cowdery and others is known today as the original manuscript, about 28 percent of which still survives. Emma hale smith bidamon july 10, 1804 april 30, 1879 was the first wife of joseph smith and a leader in the early days of the latter day saint movement, both during josephs lifetime and afterward as a member of the reorganized church of jesus christ of latter day saints rlds church. This book flows much, much better than most biographies.
Sources originally cited and assertion originally made that emma wrote the translation for the majority of the lost 116 pages in michael hubbard mackay and gerrit j. They remained there until it became necessary to relocate again. Emma smith, who acted as an earlier scribe for joseph, gave this account in 1856. It took roughly 65 days to translate the book of mormon. Witnesses to the book of mormon give insight to the translation process and physical reality of the plates. The life of joseph smith from 1827 to 1830, when he was 2225 years old, includes some of. Book of mormon manuscript excerpt, circa june 1829 1. These pages, which had not been copied, were lost by smiths scribe, martin harris, during the summer of 1828 and are presumed to have been destroyed. Apr 22, 2016 the language in the sections of the book of mormon that correspond to parts of the bible is quite regularly selected by joseph smith, rather than obtained through independent translation. Joseph smith claimed that the book of mormon is his translation of an ancient book written on gold plates.