home
***
CD-ROM
|
disk
|
FTP
|
other
***
search
/
ftp.xmission.com
/
2014.06.ftp.xmission.com.tar
/
ftp.xmission.com
/
pub
/
lists
/
gdm
/
archive
/
v01.n007
< prev
next >
Wrap
Internet Message Format
|
1997-02-17
|
54KB
From: gdm-owner@xmission.com
To: gdm-digest@xmission.com
Subject: gdm Digest V1 #7
Reply-To: gdm@xmission.com
Errors-To: gdm-owner@xmission.com
Precedence:
gdm Digest Monday, 17 February 1997 Volume 01 : Number 007
In this issue:
---> Re: 'translated' [chronology]3 of 4
---> Re: 'translated' [chronology]4 of 4
See the end of the digest for information on subscribing to the gdm
or gdm-digest mailing lists and on how to retrieve back issues.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: "Perry L. Porter" <plporter@pobox.com>
Date: Mon, 17 Feb 1997 20:31:36 -0700
Subject: ---> Re: 'translated' [chronology]3 of 4
Part 3 of 4 parts. This is the part that John (Jack) Welch wrote.
II. In What Order Were the Texts of the Book of Mormon
Translated?
Two theories exist about the order in which the texts of the Book
of Mormon were translated in 1829. As shown above, the Book of Lehi was
translated and lost in 1828. In March 1829, the translation resumed with
Emma acting as scribe for a few pages, and in April, 1829, Oliver Cowdery
arrived and the pace of the work accelerated. Where in the text did
Joseph begin at this time? Did he pick up where the 116 pages had left
off (presumably around the time of King Benjamin near Mosiah 1), or did
he start at the beginning of the Small Plates (1 Nephi 1)? Under the "1
Nephi First" theory, Joseph began in March 1829 with 1 Nephi 1; under the
"Mosiah First" theory, he began around Mosiah 1. Most of the following
considerations make the "Mosiah first" theory seem considerably more
plausible than the "1 Nephi first" theory:
1. Which scripture triggered the experience of the Three
Witnesses in June, 1829, toward the end of the translation? Was it Ether
5:2-4 or 2 Nephi 27:12, 22? If they were translating 2 Nephi in June,
this would indicate that they had begun with Mosiah in April and had
returned after finishing Moroni in May to translate the Small Plates of
Nephi in June. On the other hand, if they were translating the Book of
Ether in June, this would support the "1 Nephi First" theory, since in
the few days remaining in June after the experience of the Three
Witnesses there would only have been enough time left to finish Ether and
Moroni.
The History of the Church first appeared in print as a serial in
the Times and Seasons in 1842.(110) There is a blank in the sentence was
to tell which passage in the Book of Mormon inspired the manifestation to
the Three Witnesses.(111) Page 23 of one of the manuscripts of the
History of the Church, however, contains a note that the relevant
scripture was found "on p. 110 [2 Nephi 27] of the first edition."(112)
This information, however, was added by a later scribe some time after
1852, as is evident since that scribe also refers to a European edition
of the D&C of that date. Therefore, the earliest recorded understanding
held that 2 Nephi 27 was the scripture involved. B. H. Roberts chose to
refer principally to Ether 5 in the published edition of History of the
Church 1:52, but he also mentions 2 Nephi 11:3 in this context. Possibly
he presumed that Joseph needed to be closer to the end of the book by the
end of June and thus assumed that the relevant scripture was the one in
Ether. In addition, the scripture in 2 Nephi 27 authorizes more precisely
what in fact transpired with the witnesses (as discussed above in Section
I under the date "Around 20 June 1829"), making it more likely that 2
Nephi 27 was the relevant scripture than Ether 5.
2. The "Mosiah first" theory allows 5 weeks (from April 7 to May
15) for the translation of Mosiah 1 through the account of the
ministry of Christ among the Nephites in 3 Nephi. The book was finished
at about the same rate in June. Under the "1 Nephi first" theory, even
more material, from 1 Nephi 1 through the account in 3 Nephi, would have
to have been translated within that short time. 3. Only the
"Mosiah first" theory leaves a significant amount of material to be
translated after May 15. This is necessary to accommodate the fact that
the translation continued at Harmony from May 15 to May 31 and that "many
pages" were translated at the Whitmer house in Fayette. One report
indicates that John Whitmer acted as scribe for as many as "sixty
pages," (113) and several other sources attest that much was translated
in Fayette.
4. The Title Page of the Book of Mormon was translated before
June 11, 1829, the date on which this text appears on the copyright
application. Since the Title Page was written by Moroni and was found at
the end of the Plates of Mormon,(114) it would appear that books up to
and including the Title Page, i.e. 4 Nephi, Mormon, Ether, Moroni and the
Title Page, were translated after May 15 but before June 11. This
strongly supports the "Mosiah first" theory.
5. The handwriting on the Original Manuscript for 1 Nephi is
neither Oliver Cowdery's nor Emma Smith's. It may be Reuben Hale's, which
would support the "1 Nephi first" theory, but it seems more likely that
it is one of the Whitmers', which would establish the "Mosiah first"
theory.
6. The Words of Mormon, which were appended to the end of the
Small Plates (W of M 5-7), are inconclusive in this inquiry. If the Small
Plates were inserted into the Plates of Mormon between the Book of Lehi
and the Book of Mosiah, and assuming that the 116 pages did not include
as translation of those Small Plates, did Joseph skip over these plates
to begin with "Mosiah first"? On the other hand, if the Small Plates were
placed at the end of the writings of Mormon, did they precede the
writings of Moroni (Ether and Moroni) or did Moroni insert his writings
at the end of the book of Mormon but before the Small Plates which his
father had "put with the remainder" of his record (W of M 6)? It seems
impossible to tell. Little is known about the Words of Mormon beyond the
fact that they were written to make a transition from the Small Plates to
Mosiah 1:1. For example, the description of the contentions in Words of
Mormon 1:12-18 leads into the statement in Mosiah 1:1 that there was "no
more contention . . . all the remainder of [Benjamin's] days." While the
Words of Mormon make good sense standing immediately before Mosiah 1,
they could just as well have stood elsewhere making reference to Mosiah
1. Thus, since it is unclear when the Words of Mormon were translated,
that transitional book tells us little about whether Mosiah or 1 Nephi
were translated first.
7. When Oliver wrote to Hyrum on June 14, 1829 (see Part I,
above), he used material which he could have learned from Mosiah 5:9-10,
Moroni 8 and 2 Nephi 9:21-23, indicating that the translation at that
time had progressed through the Large Plates and into 2 Nephi on the
Small Plates. The "Mosiah first" theory would allow for the translation
of those passages before June 14, but the 1 Nephi first" theory would
not.
8. If it is correct that portions of D&C 10, particularly
10:38-70, were received in May 1829, as discussed above in Section I
under 15 May-25 May 1829, then it would appear that the account of the
reign of King Benjamin and probably 3 Nephi had already been translated
before Joseph returned to "translate the engravings which are on the
plates of Nephi, down even till . . . the reign of king Benjamin" (D&C
10:41). The "Mosiah first" theory is most readily consistent with this
understanding of D&C 10, although it is impossible to be certain about
its dating.
In light of the foregoing, the "Mosiah first" theory seems far
more likely than the "1 Nephi first" theory. The "Mosiah first" theory
has been accepted by George Reynolds,(115) by Stanley R. Larson,(116) by
Max Parkin,(117) by Richard Bushman, (118) and by most other scholars of
early Mormonism. The "1 Nephi first" theory does not appear to have been
adopted by any writer who has considered the issue explicitly.
III. How Long Did It Take for Joseph Smith to Translate the Book of
Mormon?
A. Under the "Mosiah first theory," Mosiah 1 to Moroni 10 (390
present 1981 edition pages, with the exception of "a few pages"
translated in March) took from April 7 to the end of May. Subtracting
time to eat, to sleep, to seek employment to earn money for supplies, to
restore the Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthoods, to make at least one
(and possibly two) trips to Colesville, to baptize Hyrum and Samuel, and
to receive D&C Sections 6-13, there would seem to be about 45 possible
translating days here. This would mean Joseph translated and Oliver took
down on the average 8 present pages per day.
1 Nephi to 2 Nephi 27 (100 pages) appears to have taken about 12
days in June, since we must allow most of the first week of June for the
move from Harmony to Fayette, some time to acquire the copyright on June
11, several days for preaching and baptizing near Fayette, and we must
get at least to 2 Nephi 11:3 and probably to 27:12 before the Three
Witnesses see the plates around 20 June. This again would be about 8
pages per day. During this time, D&C Sections 14-18 were also received
and written.
The last 33 pages would have taken about 4 days if they continued
at the regular translating pace, or it is possible that the translation
of these last few pages was spread out over the last 10 days of June.
Assuming the last 33 pages took about 6 days time, whenever in the end of
June those days may have been finished, the total approximate maximum
time involved in translating the entire text can be estimated at 63 days
(45 plus 12 plus 6), averaging about 8 pages per day overall.
B. Under the "1 Nephi first theory", 1 Nephi 1 through the
account of Jesus' ministry among the Nephites in 3 Nephi (with the
exception of the "few pages" translated in March) were translated in
about 33 working days (April 7 to May 15, subtracting a few days for the
activities mentioned above). This is some 460 pages in about 33 days, or
an average of almost 14 pages per day.
The last 71 pages from the later part of 3 Nephi to the end of
the book would then have been translated from the middle of May and the
end of June, in which there would have been about 30 translating days.
Here they would have been averaging only 2.3 pages per day.
Thus, the "1 Nephi first" theory puts about 85% of the
translation into a very short time (33 days, April to May 15). The
"Mosiah first" theory still has the entire work completed in around 63
working days. Either way, the pace was blistering. Consider producing all
of King Benjamin's Speech--final copy, from start to finish--(some 13
pages, Mosiah 1-6)--in less than a day and a half (at the "Mosiah first"
rate). This is staggering. On top of all else that was going on during
these weeks, this must have been quite a time. As Oliver Cowdery says:
"These were days never to be forgotten--to sit under the sound of a voice
dictated by the inspiration of heaven, awakened the utmost gratitude of
this bosom! Day after day I continued, uninterrupted, to write from his
mouth,as he translated . . . the Book of Mormon."(119)
Ciao Perry <plporter@pobox.com> http://pobox.com/~plporter
------------------------------
From: "Perry L. Porter" <plporter@pobox.com>
Date: Mon, 17 Feb 1997 20:32:18 -0700
Subject: ---> Re: 'translated' [chronology]4 of 4
4 of 4 parts End Notes and bibliography
1 JS-H 2:59.
2 JS-H 2:60.
3 Dean Jessee, "Joseph Knight's Recollection of Early Mormon History,"
BYU Studies 17:1 (Autumn 1976), pp. 32-33.
4 Joseph had married Emma Hale on January 18, 1827. JS-H 2:57.
5 JS-H 2:59; HC 1:18; Jessee, Personal Writings, pp. 6-7;
Oliver Cowdery, "Letter VII," LDS Messenger and Advocate (July
1835), pp. 158-59. The 22nd began at midnight. Along with the plates,
Joseph also received spectacles, a rod, and a breastplate; Jessee,
"Knight," pp. 33-35; Lucy Mack Smith, Preliminary Manuscript #1, dictated
to Martha Jane Coray around 1845-47, pp. [66-68, 71, 74-75] (further
edited by Howard Coray [Ms #2], and finally published in 1853 as
Biographical Sketches of Joseph
Smith the Prophet); William Smith, according to J. W. Peterson, in Rod of
Iron, 1:3 (Feb. 1924), pp. 6-7.
6 As reported by Martin Harris to Joel Tiffany in Tiffany's Monthly 5:3
(July 1859), p. 165. In "a birch log" according to Lucy Mack Smith,
Prelim. Ms #1, p. [72]. B. H. Roberts, Comprehensive History, I:86,
90-91.
7 Joseph Smith's sister Catherine was at home "when he came in running
and burst through the door carrying the plates; his hand was injured from
striking one of the villains [who had chased him]. He told her that he
had jumped over a rail fence; when one of the villains grabbed for the
plates, he knocked him down with his right fist while carrying the plates
under his left arm clasped to his body. Then he ran the gauntlet with
several more, and when he came in the house she said he was completely
out of breath. She took the plates from him and laid them on the table
temporarily, and helped revive him until he got breathing properly and
also examined his hand, and treated it for the bruises on his knuckles,
where he had struck the villain and thus defended himself and the
plates." Interview by I. B. Ball of H. S. Salisbury, grandson of
Catherine Smith Salisbury, August 31, 1954, p. 2 (original in LDS
Archives). Lucy, Prelim. Ms #1, pp. [72-73]. On the weight of the plates,
see F.A.R.M.S. Update, "The 'Golden' Plates," (October 1984).
8 Jessee, "Knight," pp. 29-39; HC 1:18-19; Lucy Mack Smith, Preliminary
Manuscript #1, pp. [68-69]; Lucy, Biographical Sketches of Joseph Smith
the Prophet and his Progenitors for Many Generations, (Liverpool: S. W.
Richards, 1853), pp. 102-110; Journal of Discourses, Brigham Young,
February 18, 1855, 2:180-81, and July 19, 1857, 5:55 (cited in Jessee,
"Knight," p. 33, note 12).
9 Lucy, 1853, p. 107; Prelim. Ms #1, p. [74].
10 Lucy, 1853, p. 109; Prelim. Ms #1, pp. [75-76].
11 Lucy, 1853, p. 113; Prelim. Ms #1, p. [79]. Note also the Joseph Bates
Noble reminiscence of Joseph Smith and the Plates:
"My first introduction to this young Mormon [Mary A. Beman] was
at McMillians my place of boarding, She was a teaching school in the
neighbor hood her -parents- Father Alvah Beman lived a bout two miles
distance a man well off as to houses and land and goods of this world and
verry highly esteemed amoung men for his word this men was well
acquainted with the Smith family before the coming forth of the book of
Mormon. and was with Joseph at one time assisted him in hiding the
Plates, from a mob he was permitted to handle the Plates with a thin
cloth covering over them. This Mary A. Beman Brought the Book of Mormon
into the Neighbour, the first I had ever heard of." Journal of Joseph B.
Noble, Autobiographical Sketch, 1810-1836, LDS Archives, Ms d 1031, fd 1.
Likewise Mary A. [Beman] Noble speaks of her father Alvah Beman,
the mob, and the Plates:
"Father sold his place in Livonia and removed with his family to
Avon Livingston County some years previous my Father became acquainted
with Father Joseph Smith the Father of the Prophet he frequently would go
to Palmaira to see Father Smiths and his family during this time Brother
Joseph Smith come in possession of the plates that contained the Book of
Mormon as soon as it was noised around that there was a golden Bible
found (for that was what it was called at that time) the minds of the
people become so excited and it arose at such a pitch that a mob
collected together to search the house of Father Joseph Smith to find the
records my Father was there at the time and assisted in -- concealing the
plates in a boxe in a secluded place where no one could find them
although he did not see them my Father soon returned." Autobiography of
Mary Adeline Beman Noble, 1810-1834, LDS Archives, Ms d 1031, fd 1.
12 Lucy, 1853, p. 109 (Prelim. Ms #1, p. [76]), gives the impression that
this was done at the Smith home. Joseph and Emma may have begun this
work, however, after arriving in Pennsylvania. Jessee, "Knight," p. 34.
13 Jessee, "Knight," p. 34.
14 Lucy, 1853, p. 113; Prelim. Ms #1, p. [79].
15 F. W. Kirkham, A New Witness for Christ in America, 1st ed.
(Independence, Mo: Zion's Printing and Publishing, 1942), p. 135, noting
that a copy of the 1833 deed for that land is in the LDS Archives. Joseph
& Emma may have moved into a nearby house owned by Jesse Hale, one of
Isaac Hale's sons.
16 Jessee, "Knight," p. 34. "I commenced copying the characters off the
plates. I copied a considerable number of them," JS-H 62. As noted below,
Reuben Hale may have helped prepare a transcript of the characters.
17 Lucy, 1853, pp. 113-114; Prelim. Ms #1, p. [80]. Lucy Harris obtained
a copy of the transcript surreptitiously through the services of her
prospective son-in-law, a Mr. Dikes (Prelim. Ms #1, p. [81]).
18 JS-H 62; HC 1:19.
19 Jessee, "Knight," p. 35.
20 Statement of David Hale, cited in Emily C. Blackman, History of
Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia: Claxton, Remsen &
Hafflinger, 1873), p. 104.
21 Statement of Joseph Fowler Mckune, cited in Rhamanthus M. Stocker,
Centennial History of Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia: R.
T. Peck & Co., 1887), p. 556. Michael Morse, brother-in-law of Emma,
recalled seeing Joseph translate in Harmony, with Emma and others acting
as scribes, 1879 Blair interview in Saints' Herald, 26 (June 15, 1879),
pp. 190-91; but this recollection may also be of events in 1829.
22 Edmund C. Briggs, "A Visit to Nauvoo in 1856," Journal of History, 9
(Jan. 1916), p. 454. See also Edmund C. Briggs,
"Interview with David Whitmer," Saint's Herald, 31 (June 21, 1884) p. 5
(Letter dated June 4, 1884): "This brings to my mind a statement of the
Elect Lady, Emma in the winter of 1856 She said to me, 'When you see
David Whitmer you will see an honest man.' And in the same conversation,
she remarked of her husband Joseph's limited education while he was
translating the Book of Mormon, and she was scribe at the time, 'He could
not pronounce the word Sariah.' And one time while translating, where it
speaks of the walls of Jerusalem, he stopped and said, 'Emma, did
Jerusalem have walls surrounding it.' When I informed him it had, he
replied, 'O, I thought I was deceived.'"
23 M. J. Hubble Interview, November 13, 1886, original in University of
Missouri Library, Columbia, Missouri (R. L. Anderson typescript);
corrected version published by Stanley Kimball in BYU Studies, 14 (Summer
1974), 483-486.
24 David Whitmer Interview, Chicago Times, August 7, 1875. See also
Michael Morse statement, cited above.
25 See HC 1:19; F.A.R.M.S. Staff, Martin Harris' Visit With
Charles Anthon: Collected Documents on Short-Hand Egyptian, FARMS
Preliminary Report 85a; F.A.R.M.S. Update "What did Charles Anthon Really
Say? (May 1985); and S. Kimball,"The Anthon Transcript: People, Primary
Sources, and Problems, "BYU Studies, 10 (Spring, 1970). pp 328-330 (FARMS
Reprint KIM-70). W. Gunnell, "Martin Harris--Witness and Benefactor to
the Book of Mormon" (BYU, unpublished MA Thesis, 1955), p.114, and R.
James, The Man Who Knew (Cache Valley: Martin Harris Pageant Committee,
1983), pp. 56-62, note that Martin left Palmyra by wagon with Hyrum,
since the Erie Canal was closed for the winter; Lucy, Prelim. Ms #1, pp.
[80-81].
26 Joseph Smith Letterbook 1, Part I, p. 5 (LDS Archives); Jessee,
Personal Writings, pp. 7-8.
27 JS-H 1:64.
28 Jessee, "Knight," p. 34. See above at December 1827 for this and
related statements.
29 HC 1:20.
30 Lucy, 1853, p. 115; Prelim. Ms #1, p. [81].
31 Lucy, 1853, pp. 115-16; Prelim. Ms #1, p. [82].
32 Susquehanna Register [Montrose], May 1, 1834.
33 Lucy, 1853, pp. 115-116; Jessee, "Knight," p. 34.
34 HC 1:20; Millennial Star 44:86-87, from lecture of Martin Harris
recorded by Edward Stevenson, 30 Nov. 1881, reprinted with slight
differences in A. Jenson, "The Three Witnesses," Historical Record, 6
(May 1887), 216-17.
35 Ibid.
36 Dates and the words "infant son," but no name, appear on the tombstone
in Harmony; see Larry C. Porter, "A Study of the Origins of the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in the States of New York and
Pennsylvania, 1816-1831" (unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, BYU, 1971), pp.
146-47. Richard L. Anderson reports to us that that Smith family Bible
clearly reads "Alvin."
37 Lucy, 1853, pp. 120-123; Prelim. Ms #1, pp. [86, 90-93].
38 Lucy, 1853, p. 118; Prelim. Ms #1, pp. [87, 89].
39 HC 1:21. William E. McLellan mentions this period in a letter to
Joseph Smith III (from Independence, Mo, July & Sept 8, 1872):
When Joseph delivered the 116 pages of the translation to Martin
Harris, his Plates, his Interpreters, and his gift were taken from him
for some two months. The Plates and gift of translation were returned to
him, but not the Interpreters. He translated the entire book of Mormon by
the use of a little stone he had in his possession before he obtained the
plates.
RLDS Archives P13 f213. Elsewhere in his letter, McLellan cites
certificates he has from Elizabeth Ann Whitmer Cowdery (Oliver's widow),
Martin Harris, and Emma Smith, as well as testimony from John and David
Whitmer, and refers to "The Directors, or Interpreters," and
differentiates them from the Urim & Thummim (the "spectacles"). For
discussions of the possible meanings of such terminology, see Richard Van
Wagoner and Steven C. Walker, "Joseph Smith: 'The Gift of Seeing',"
Dialogue, 15:2 (Summer, 1982), 48-68; R. F. Smith, "'Translation of
Languages'
(hermeneia glosson, 1 Cor. 12:10)," unpublished paper (Independence, MO,
1980); and Lyndon W. Cook, The Revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith
(Provo: Seventy's Mission Bookstore, 1981), pp. 122-23.
40 See Lucy, Prelim. Ms #1, p. [93].
41 Lucy, Prelim. Ms #1, p. [95].
42 Whitmer interviews: December 15, 1885, in Chicago Times (December 17,
1885), p. 3; Chicago Times 20 (August 7, 1875), p. 1, Chicago Times
(January 24, 1888) p. 8; Chicago Tribune. 1 Chicago Tribune (January 24,
1888), p. 8 Millennial Star 48:36.
43 Lucy, Prelim. Ms #1, pp. [94, 96], speaks only of the "plates" or
"record," with "Urim and Thummim" added above the line later by a
different hand on p. [96]; compare Lucy, 1853, p. 125. Joseph did not use
the spectacles for translation after this time according to Emma's letter
to Mrs. Pilgrim, March 27, 1870.
44 "Last Testimony of Sister Emma," Saints' Advocate, vol. 2, no. 4
(Plano, Illinois, October 1879), pp. 50-52, and Saints' Herald, vol. 26,
no. 19 (Plano, Illinois, October , 1879), p. 290.
45 Frederick G. Mather, "The Early Days of Mormonism," Lippincott's
Magazine 36 (1880), 198-211, esp. p. 201.
46 Jessee, "Knight," pp. 35-36.
47 In Kansas City Daily Journal, June 5, 1881, reprinted in Millennial
Star 43:421-23, 437-39, David Whitmer states that he made this trip "in
the year 1828."' The trip was probably late in 1828, because Oliver
probably first arrived at the district school in Palmyra in the fall of
1828. Lucy says Oliver was there "a short time" before March 1829 (see
Lucy, 1853, p. 128), and David Whitmer says in his June 5, 1881 statement
that it was only a matter of "several months" after this visit that
Oliver went to Harmony in April 1829 to "see [Joseph] about the matter."'
It also appears that David would have been in Palmyra at a time when
Joseph Smith Sr. and Lucy were away (as they were in the first part of
the winter 1828) or else David would likely" have met them at the same
time he met Oliver. Lucy, Prelim. Ms # 1, pp. [96-98], seems to indicate
that Oliver taught the full term of fall and winter at school while
boarding with the Smiths, and was able to leave Palmyra at the close of
school.
48 Lucy, 1853, p. 124; Prelim. Ms #1, pp. [96-97]; HC 1:28.
49 Lucy, 1853, p. 128.
50 Joseph Smith Letterbook 1, Part I, p. 6 (LDS Archives) = Jessee,
Personal Writings, p. 8.
51 Joseph Smith Letterbook 1, Part I, p. 6 (LDS Archives) = Jessee,
Personal Writings, p. 8, "also my Brother Samuel H Smith."
52 W. Gunnell, pp. 29-30.
53 HC 1:32; LDS Messenger and Advocate, 1 (September 1834), p. 14; Lucy,
1853, pp. 128-31. Lucy, Preliminary Ms #1, p. [101], states that Joseph
had been praying for assistance and had been assured by the angel of the
Lord that a scribe "should be forthcoming in a few days."
54 See discussion in Section II below.
55 Jessee, "Knight," p. 35.
56 Jessee, "Knight," p. 36.
57 Lucy, 1853, p. 128; her Prelim. Ms #1, p. [97] says "He had
not been in the place long till he began to hear about the plates from
all quarters and immediately Commenced importuning Mr. Smith upon the
subject but he did not succeed in eliciting any information from him for
a long time."
58 See above at Winter 1828.
59 David Whitmer claimed that Oliver began boarding with Joseph Sr. in
1828. Larry C. Porter, "The Prophet's New York Years: Restoration,
Publication, and Organization, 1829-1830," 18 Oct 1984 BYU lecture
(forthcoming in BYU Religious Studies Center Monograph Series).
60 LDS Messenger and Advocate 1 (September 1834), p. 14. Oliver
apparently mentions his "natural eyes" because he had seen the plates and
perhaps Joseph before in a vision; see the entry under February 1829
above.
61 LDS Messenger and Advocate 1 (Letter VIII), p. 196.
62 LDS Messenger and Advocate 1 (October 1834 Letter I), p. 14.
63 LDS Messenger and Advocate 1 (October 1834 Letter I), p. 14.
64 Jessee, "Knight," p. 36.
65 HC 5:219, taken from Willard Richards' Journal. It is possible,
however, that this trip to Colesville occurred after May 25, but this
would allow little time for Joseph Knight to have made "several" visits,
HC 1:47, before Joseph and Oliver left for Fayette on June 1. HC 1:97, as
Richard L. Anderson kindly informs us, has most of the same elements,
making an 1830 date equally likely, although then the reference to only
"two or three" believers seems odd (see below at 15 May - 31 May 1829).
(This is why I argue for an 1830 date)
66 Jessee, "Knight," p. 36.
67 HC 1:47. .
68 Oliver Cowdery, LDS Messenger and Advocate 1 (September 1834 Letter
I), p. 15.
69 "[O]ne morning however they sat down to their usual work when the
first thing that presented itself to Joseph was a commandment from God
that he and Oliver should repair to the water each of them be baptized
they immediately went down to the susquehana river and obeyed the mandate
given them through the urim and Thummim" (Lucy, Prelim. Ms. #1, p.
[101]).
70 An early "copy" of the Articles of the Church of Christ initialed by
0.(?) C., bearing the date 1829 and discussed by Woodford, pp. 287-91, is
held in the LDS Archives. It is unclear of what, if anything, it is a
copy, or when the copy or its original was written. It quotes the
sacrament prayers in Moroni 4-5 and the sacramental instructions in 3 Ne.
18:29-32 which were translated late in May 1829, and in other ways
resembles D&C 20. D&C 20 took its basic present form in June 1830.
71 The dating of D&C 10 has been discussed by several scholars. Stanley
R. Larson, "A Study of Some Textual Variations in the Book of Mormon
comparing the Original and the Printer's Manuscripts, and the 1830, the
1837, and the 1840 Editions," (BYU: unpublished MA Thesis, 1974), pp.
17-18, stated: "The date of section 10 has become a problem. When the
original manuscript of the 'History of Joseph Smith' was written, the
discussion about this section was accidentally omitted. This omission was
soon noticed and two additional sheets with the text of the revelation
and the correct date of May 1829 were inserted into the history; but
unfortunately it was placed in the wrong context. This incongruity caused
later editors to attempt to rectify the situation by altering the date of
the revelation to 'the summer of 1828.' During the lifetime of Joseph
Smith the date was consistently reported as May 1829. The Book of
Commandments in 1833 first printed this revelation in its proper
chronological order and with the correct date." See also Stephen Snow in
MHA Newsletter, 44:15 (June 1980); Max Parkin in MHA Newsletter, 45:2-4
(Nov 1980); Max Parkin, "A Preliminary Analysis of the Dating of Section
10", Sidney B. Sperry Symposium January 27, 1979 (Provo: Brigham Young
University, 1979), pp. 68-84; Lyndon W. Cook, Revelations of the Prophet
Joseph Smith, pp. 17-19, 122; Robert Woodford, doctoral dissertation, at
D&C 10. Lyndon Cook and Max Parkin argue for an 1828 date for the first
part of D&C 10, with additional material being added in 1829. E.g.,
Parkin points out several clear similarities between D&C 10:49-70 and 3
Nephi which support their concurrent dating. If references to receiving
the "gospel" in D&C 10:62 and 11:16, 19 refer to the impending
translation of "which was ministered unto" the Nephites in 3 Nephi, and
if, similarly, the statement in 18:17 was made at a time after Joseph,
Oliver and David had received 3 Nephi, then those sections bracket the
translation of 3 Nephi, as Monte Nyman points out. On the other hand, it
is possible that 10:62, which speaks of "that which you have received,"
is already speaking of the account of the ministry of Christ among the
Nephites in 3 Nephi.
72 See Jessee, "Original," pp. 260, 277-278, citing also D&C 5:30.
73 HC 1:44. Lucy, Preliminary Ms #1, p. [101], however, gives the
impression that Samuel was baptized on the same day as were Joseph and
Oliver.
74 Lucy, 1853, p. 130. HC 1:44, however, reports that Samuel did not come
to visit until a few days after May 15.
75 Lucy, 1853, p. 131.
76 HC 1:44-45.
77 It is possible, but not likely, that Joseph had to appear in court in
Colesville at this time, as remembered by Addison Everett in his letter
of 17 February 1881 to Oliver B. Huntington, recorded in the Oliver
Boardman Huntington Journal 14, 31 Jan. 1881, and discussed in Porter,
Ensign 9:6 (June 1979), p. 9. See also Lucy, 1853, p. 135, but the
reference is vague ("After Samuel left them, they still continued the
work as before, until about the time of the trial that took place in New
York"). No records for such a trial are known. The sources seem to be
confusing various events with an inconclusive hearing in Lyons, Wayne
County, N.Y. (Lucy, Prelim. Ms #1, pp. [102- 104]), or with a Bainbridge,
N.Y. trial in 1830. (According to Quinn and the encyclopedia of Mormonism
this event could have taken place from June 1829 to July 1830)
78 See sources discussed in Porter, Ensign 9:6 (June 1979), p. 8- 9. See
also B. H. Roberts, CHC 1:183. Richard Bushman places this event in 1830;
Joseph Smith and the Beginnings of Mormonism (Urbana: Univ. of Illinois
Press, 1984), p. 163 and note 55.
79 As reported by Joseph F. Smith, David Whitmer told him and Orson Pratt
that Joseph prophesied to Oliver a "perfect description of what David did
on the way" before David arrived. Joseph F. Smith, Memorandum of a
Conversation with David Whitmer in Los Angeles, written April 25, 1918
(original in LDS Archives), p. 2. They travelled on "an ordinary wagon
with two long poles in it at each end across the end gates of the wagon
box, and then two boards laid across that for seats on those hickory
poles. Joseph and Emma were on the hind seat and Oliver and David on the
front seat." Ibid. The plates were carried to Fayette by Moroni in a
bundle on his back. Ibid. p. 3. Lucy, Prelim. Ms #1, p. [107], does not
include Emma on this trip to Fayette (Waterloo).
80 HC 1:49. John Whitmer later said that he wrote "sixty pages," Z.
Gurley interview with J. Whitmer, reported in Saints' Herald, 26 (15 Dec
1879), 370b.
81 She married David Edwin Bunnell in the Peter Whitmer home on April 15,
1830, and was the mother of Stephen Bunnell of Provo, Utah. See "History
of the Life of Oliver B. Huntington,"(typescript in BYU Special
Collections), pp. 49-50; Carma deJonge Anderson interview with Pearl
Bunnell Newell, January 1970, provides a similar reminiscence of Sally
Conrad (BYU Special Collections MS 011 239); marriage date of Sally
Conrad courtesy of Helen Bunnell Weeks of Orem, Utah. See article by R.
L. Anderson, "The House Where the Church was Organized," Era, 73:4 (April
1970), 16-25, for full discussion of the 1 1/2 story log house with attic
and of the Whitmers and their relatives.
82 Copy contained on obverse of letter of W. E. McLellan to "My Dear
Friends," Independence, Mo, February 1870, RLDS Archives P13 f191; the
bottom third of the letter is missing and conjectural restorations are
placed in brackets; disposition of the original certificate unknown;
another copy of this certificate (along with others) is probably
contained in the J. L. Traughber Jr. Collection, now up for sale (see
Salt Lake Tribune, July 26, 1986, Section B, pp. 1-2). (In Possession of
U of U archives as of 1996.
83 David Whitmer statement of September 15, 1882 to William Keeley and G.
A. Blakeslee, in Braden and Kelly Debate February 12 to March 8, 1884
(St. Louis: Christian Publ. Co., n.d.; and Independence Mo: Herald House,
1913), also cited in B. H. Roberts, CHC 1:131.
84 Copies of the two originals prepared by Lansing are found in the LDS
Archives and in the Library of Congress in Washington D.C., respectively.
85 HC 1:48-51.
86 Joseph Smith Letterbook 1, Part II, Letter 3 (transcribed in 1832),pp.
6-7.
87 HC 1:49. Z. Gurley's interview with J. Whitmer, reported by Gurley in
Saints' Herald, 26 (Dec 15, 1879), 370b; John stated "that he had
written" [as scribe] "sixty pages" of the Book of Mormon [about thirty
pages of manuscript?].
88 HC 1:51; D&C 27:12. In 1885 David Whitmer stated: "Sometime in June
1829 Joseph ordained Oliver Cowdery to be an Elder, and Oliver ordained
Joseph to be an Elder in the Church of Christ and during that year Joseph
both baptized and ordained me an elder in the Church of Christ."
Interview by Z. H. Gurley, January 14, 1885, p. 4 (original in LDS
Archives). Brigham Young later stated that the first apostles of this
dispensation were Joseph Smith Jr., Oliver Cowdery, and David Whitmer.
See discussion of Larry C. Porter, "The Prophet's New York Years:
Restoration, Publication, and Organization, 1829-1830," BYU lecture 18
Oct 1984, citing a Smith family prayer and B. Young. David Whitmer later
maintained that he continued to hold that apostleship--Chicago Tribune,
Dec 17, 1885, p. 3, col. 5.
89 HC 1:51.
90 The other possibility is Ether 5:2-4. Ether 5, however, only expressly
states that "unto three," i.e. a total of three, "shall they be shown." 2
Nephi 27, on the other hand, provides that "three witnesses shall behold
it, by the power of God,besides him to whom the book shall be delivered,"
and 27:13-14 refers to the eight witnesses. Since 2 Nephi 27 authorizes
more precisely what in fact eventually happened regarding the witnesses,
it appears that it was not until that passage was translated that the
manifestations to the witnesses ensued. This comports further with the
earliest notes on the manuscript history of the Church, discussed further
in Section II below.
91 Pomeroy Tucker, "Preface" to Origin, Rise, and Progress of Mormonism
(N.Y.: D. Appleton & Co., 1867), quoted in Francis W. Kirkham, A New
Witness for Christ in America (Salt Lake City: Deseret News Press, 1930),
p. 109. Memorandum of John H. Gilbert, September 8, 1892, later
remembered that Martin Harris approached Grandin twice "in the forepart
of June, 1829," although this seems a little too early. See generally HC
1:71.
92 Kansas City Daily Journal, June 5, 1881, reprinted in Millennial Star
43:421-23, 437-39.
93 Larry Porter, dissertation, pp. 86-87, citing Weed's Life of Thurlow
Weed, Including His Autobiography and a Memoir, 2 vols.,
ed. H. A. Weed (Boston: Houghton, Mifflin & Co., 1884), I:358-359. One
Rochester publisher did agree to print it. See Richard Bushman, Joseph
Smith and the Beginnings of Mormonism, p.107, citing Tucker, Origin, pp.
51-53
94 The mortgage is dated 25 August 1829, signed 26 August 1829, and was
recorded on 11 September 1829. See Miner T. Patton, "The Gold that Paid
for the Printing of the First Book of Mormon," (unpublished manuscript
with copies of documents; Sun City, AZ, August, 1983)--we are indebted to
Ken Godfrey for this item.
95 Peter Crawley, "A Bibliography of the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints in New York, Ohio, and Missouri," BYU Studies, 12
(Summer 1972), p. 471. Authenticity of contract document, however, is
uncertain.
96 Gayle G. Ord, "From Golden Plates to Printing Press," ch. 2: "A cross
sampling of 'first editions for 138 books published between 1880 and 1882
(still) show that only 28 per cent of these exeeded 1,500 copies. About
15 per cent were 2,500 or more, and the maximum printing' . . . 6,000
copies was reserved for one particularly successful book."'
97 Book 3 of Mortgages, p. 325, located in the Wayne County Courthouse,
Lyons, New York, cited in L. Porter, dissertation, p. 88.
98 Memorandum of John H. Gilbert, p. 4. Letter of John H. Gilbert to F.
M. Lyman, October 23, 1887, cited in Kirkham, p. 225.
99 Memorandum of John H. Gilbert, September 8, 1892, p. 4; see generally
Gayle G. Ord, "From Golden Plates to Printing Press," (unpublished
manuscript in LDS Archives, 1972); Richard Anderson, "Gold Plates and
Printer's Ink," Ensign 6:9 (September 1976), pp. 71-76; Wilford C. Wood,
compiler, Joseph Smith Begins His Work, I (Salt Lake City: Deseret News
Press, 1958), introductory pages.
100 Memorandum of John H. Gilbert, p. 4.
101 Memorandum of John H. Gilbert, p. 4.
102 Letter located in the L.D.S. Church archives.
103 1 Ne. 1:1 - 2:3, 2:4-15, and Alma 43:22-40, respectively.
104 Russell Rich, "The Dogberry Papers and the Book of Mormon," BYU
Studies, 10 (Spring 1970), 315-20; F. W. Kirkham, A New Witness for
Christ in America, p. 271, confuses the dates and contents.
105 They went "over on the ice."' Letter of Mr. J. L. Traughber, in Wyl,
Mormon Portraits, p. 311.
106 Ibid: See generally, B: H: Roberts, A Comprehensive History of the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Salt Lake City: Deseret,
1930), vol. 1, pp. 162-66.
107 Original in possession of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania,
according to documentation in the LDS Archives.
(For those who wonder as I did the H. P. in Oliver H.P. Cowdery. Does
not stand for High priest or His Pen it is his middle names. I will leave
it to my buddy Scott Faulring to tell you what H. P. means in his papers
of Oliver Cowdery.)
108 Wayne Sentinel (Palmyra, New York), March 26, 1830.
109 Larry C. Porter, "The Prophet's New York Years: Restoration,
Publication, and Organization, 1829-1830," 18 October 1984 lecture at
BYU. Hyrum sold copies to missionaries for $1.25, who sold them for about
$2.50; Hyrum Smith, Diary and Account Book, in the LDS Archives.
110 Times & Seasons 3:10 (15 March 1842), 726ff. = HC 1:1ff.
111 Times & Seasons 3:897a. Book Al of the "Manuscript History of the
Church" likewise has a blank at this point (see Joseph Smith Collection
Microfilm Reel 6, LDS Archives).
112 "Manuscript History of the Church," Book A2, in the LDS Archives
(Joseph Smith Collection Microfilm Reel 8).
113 Saints' Herald, 26 (15 Dec 1879), 370b.
114 "I wish to mention here that the title-page of the Book of Mormon is
a literal translation taken from the very last leaf, on the left hand
side of the collection or book of plates, which contained the record
which has been translated," HC 1:71.
115 "History of the Book of Mormon," Contributor, 5 (1883-84) pp. 41-47;
161-168; 321-327; 361-367.
116 "A Most Sacred Possession: The Original Manuscript of the Book of
Mormon," Ensign 7:9 (September 1977), pp. 87-88.
117 "A Preliminary Analysis of the Dating of Section 10," p. 76. 118
Joseph Smith and the Beginnings of Mormonism, p. 105.
119 LDS Messenger and Advocate, 1 (October 1834), p. 14.
IV. Bibliography: Documents and Sources
Anderson, Richard L., "By the Gift and Power of God," Ensign 7:9
(September 1977), pp. 79-85.
Anderson, Richard L., "Gold Plates and Printer's Ink," Ensign 6:9
(September 1976), pp. 71-76.
Anderson, Richard L., Investigating the Book of Mormon Witnesses (Salt
Lake City: Deseret, 1981).
Anderson, Richard L., "New Evidence from Modern Witnesses," Improvement
Era vol. 72: "The Scribe as Witness," 72:1 (January 1969), pp. 53-59;
"Martin Harris: The Honorable New York Farmer," 72:2 (February 1969), pp.
18-21; "The Certainty of the Skeptical Witness," 72:3 (March, 1969), pp.
62-67; "David Whitmer, The Independent Missouri Businessman," 72:4 (April
1969), pp. 74-81; "The Most Interviewed Witness," 72:5 (May 1969), pp.
76-83; "Five Who Handled the Plates," 72:7 (July 1969), pp. 38-47; "The
Smiths Who Handled the Plates," 72:8 (August 1969), pp. 28-34; "The House
Where the Church Was Organized," 73:4 (April 1970), pp. 16-25.
Anderson, Richard L., "The Whitmers," Ensign 9:8 (August 1979), pp.
35-40.
Anonymous, Letter to the Editor, "Birthplace and Family Residence of
Joseph Smith Jr," Historical Magazine (November 1870), pp. 315-16.
Backman, Milton V., Eyewitness Accounts of the Restoration (Provo:
Grandin Book, 1983, SLC: Deseret Book, 1986).
Ball, I. B., "The Prophet's Sister Testifies She Lifted the B. of M.
Plates" (interview of H. S. Salisbury, grandson of Catherine Smith
Salisbury, sister of Joseph Smith Jr., on August 31, 1954, in LDS
Archives).
Barrett, Ivan J., Joseph Smith and the Restoration: A History of the LDS
Church to 1846, rev. ed. (Provo: BYU Press, 1973), ch. 5.
Blackman, Emily C., History of Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania
(Philadelphia: Claxton, Remsen & Hafflinger, 1873).
Blair, W. W., "Letter of W. W. Blair about Mr. Michael Morse" Saints'
Herald 28:11 (June 1, 1881), pp. 166-169.
Briggs, E. C., "Interview with David Whitmer," Saints' Herald 31:5 (June
21, 1884).
Briggs, E. C., "A Visit to Nauvoo in 1856," Journal of History 9 (January
1916), p. 454.
Bushman, Richard L., Joseph Smith and the Beginnings of Mormonism
(Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1984), pp. 79-114.
CHC See Roberts, Comprehensive History of the Church.
Cook, Lyndon W., The Revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith (Provo:
Seventy's Mission Bookstore, 1981).
Copyright Certificate for the Book of Mormon, 11 June 1829, Northern
District of New York (Original in LDS Archive, Salt Lake City; microfilm
of another draft of this certificate is in 117:107, Federal Copyright
Records for N.D.N.Y., Sept. 1826-May 1831; Microfilm Reel No. 27, Room
LM-459, Copyright Office, James Madison Bldg., Washington D.C.).
Cowdery, Oliver, "Letter to Hyrum," (June 14, 1829)--LDS Archives.
Cowdery, Oliver, "Letters I-VIII," Latter Day Saints' Messenger and
Advocate, 1 (1834-35), pp. 13-16, 40-43, 77-80, 83-84, 94-95, 109- 12,
155-59, and 195-202, reprinted as Letters of Oliver Cowdery to W. W.
Phelps (Liverpool, 1844); also in Kirkham, New Witness, pp. 77-105,
393-406.
Cowdery, Oliver, W. W. Phelps ed., Letters by Oliver Cowdery to W. W.
Phelps on the origin of the Book of Mormon and the Rise of the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Liverpool: Thomas Ward & John Cairns,
1844). .
Crawley, Peter, "A Bibliography of the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints in New York, Ohio, and Missouri," BYU Studies 12:4
(Summer 1972), 465-537.
Ensign Staff "The Coming Forth of the Book of Mormon," Ensign 13:12
(December 1983), pp. 31-51.
F.A.R.M.S. Update, "The 'Golden' Plates," (October, 1984).
F.A.R.M.S. Update, "Joseph Smith: Author and Proprietor," (August, 1985).
F.A.R.M.S. Update, "How Long Did It Take Joseph Smith to Translate the
Book of Mormon?" (February, 1986).
Fenn, Lucius, "Letter to Birdseye Bronson, February 12, 1830," (original
in LDS Archives).
Gilbert, John H., "Memorandum made September 8, 1892," (original in LDS
Archives).
Godfrey, Kenneth W., "'By the Gift and Power of God': The Remarkable
Story of the Coming Forth of the Book of Mormon," A Symposium on the Book
of Mormon, BYU, 13-15 August 1986, Tenth Annual CES Symposium (SLC:
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1986), pp. 57-65.
Gunnell, Wayne C., "Martin Harris--Witness and Benefactor to the Book of
Mormon," (unpublished MA Thesis, Brigham Young University, 1955).
Gurley, Zenas, H., "Synopsis of a Discourse Delivered at Lamoni, Iowa,"
reported by S. F. Walker in Saints' Herald, 26 (15 Dec 1879), pp.
360-371.
HC See Roberts, ed., History of the Church.
History of Seneca County New York (Philadelphia: Everets, Ensign &
Everts, 1876).
Hubble, M. J., "Interview with David Whitmer," Richmond, Mo, 13 November
1886, Western Historical Manuscripts Library, University of Missouri,
Columbia, Mo. Published in BYU Studies, 14:483-486.
James, Rhett, The Man Who Knew (Cache Valley: Martin Harris Pageant
Committee, 1983).
Jenson, Andrew, "The Three Witnesses," Historical Record (May 1887),
6:195-219, from Millennial Star 44:86-87, lecture of Martin Harris,
recorded by Edward Stevenson in Salt Lake City, September 4, 1870,
published in Deseret News (November 30, 1881).
Jessee, Dean C., "The Original Book of Mormon Manuscript," BYU Studies
10:3 (Spring 1970), pp. 259-278.
Jessee, Dean C., "Joseph Knight's Recollection of Early Mormon History,"
BYU Studies 17:1 (Autumn 1976), pp. 29-39.
Jessee, Dean C., The Personal Writings of Joseph Smith (Salt Lake City
Deseret, 1984).
Joseph Smith Letterbook 1, Part I (1832 History) and Part II (Letters) in
LDS Archives, Joseph Smith Collection.
Kelley, W. H., "The Hill Cumorah," Saints' Herald, 26:2, No. 420 (June,
15, 1879), pp. 190-91.
Kennedy, J. H., "The Three Witness of the Book of Mormon," Magazine of
Western History Illustrated 9:5 (March 1890), pp. 464-478.
Kimball, Stanley B., "The Anthon Transcript: People, Primary Sources, and
Problems," BYU Studies, 10:3 (Spring 1970), pp. 325-352.
Kimball, Stanley B., "Missouri Mormon Manuscripts: Sources In Selected
Societies," BYU Studies, 14:4 (Summer 1974), pp. 483-486.
Kirkham, Francis W., A New Witness for Christ in America, 1st ed.
(Independence, Mo: Press of Zion's Printing and Pub. Co., 1942).
Larson, Stanley R., "Changes in Early Texts of the Book of Mormon,"
Ensign 6:9 (September 1976), pp. 77-82.
Larson, Stanley R., "A Most Sacred Possession: The Original Manuscript of
the Book of Mormon," Ensign 7:9 (September 1977), pp. 87-91.
Larson, Stanley R., "A Study of Some Textual Variations in the Book of
Mormon comparing the Original and the Printer's Manuscripts, and
the 1830, the 1837, and the 1840 Editions," (unpublished MA Thesis,
Brigham Young University, 1974.
Laub, Norman D., "He Knew David Whitmer," Ensign 11:9 (September 1981),
p. 63.
Mather, Frederick G., "The Early Days of Mormonism," Lippincott's
Magazine 36 (1880), pp. 198-211.
McLellan, William E., "Letter" (February, 1870) in RLDS Archives P13
f191.
"Modern Superstition--The Mormonites," Visitor or Monthly Instructor
(1841), pp. 61-64, 153-156, 237-239.
Noble, Joseph B., "Autobiographical Sketch 1810-1836," LDS Archives.
Noble, Mary Adeline Beman, "Autobiography 1810-1834," LDS Archives.
Nyman, Monte, "The Translation--A Marvelous Work and a Wonder" (n.p.,
n.d.), 2 pp.
Ord, Gayle Goble, "From Golden Plates to Printing Press," (1972
Manuscript; in LDS Archives), pp. 1-60. Cf. Ord, "The Book of Mormon Goes
to Press," Ensign, 2:12 (Dec 1972), pp. 68-69.
Parkin, Max H., "A Preliminary Analysis of the Dating of Section 10,"
Sidney B. Sperry Symposium January 27, 1979 (Provo: Brigham Young
University, 1979), pp. 68-84.
Parkin, Max H., in Mormon History Association Newsletter, 45 (Nov 1980),
pp. 2-4.
Peterson, J. W., in Rod of Iron 1:3 (Feb. 1924).
Porter, Larry C., "A Study of the Origins of the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-Day Saints in the States of New York and Pennsylvania,
1816-1831" (unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, BYU, 1971).
Porter, Larry C., "Dating the Restoration of the Melchizedek
Priesthood," Ensign 9:6 (June 1979), pp. 5-10.
Porter, Larry C., "The.Prophet's New York Years: Restoration,
Publication, and Organization, 1829-1830," 18 October 1984 BYU Lecture
(forthcoming in BYU Religious Studies Center Monograph Series).
Reynolds, George, "History of the Book of Mormon," Contributor 5:2
(November, 1883), pp. 41-47; 5:5 (February, 1884), pp. 161-168; 5:9
(June, 1884), pp. 321-327; 5:10 (July, 1884), pp. 361-367.
Rich, Russell R., "The Dogberry Papers and the Book of Mormon," BYU
Studies 10:3 (Spring 1970), pp. 315-320.
Richards, Samuel Whitney, "Memorandum dated May 21, 1907 reporting
conversations in 1848 with Oliver Cowdery," (original in LDS Archives).
Ricks, Stephen D., Joseph Smith's Means and Methods of Translating the
Book of Mormon, FARMS Preliminary Report RIC-84 (Provo: FARMS, 1984).
Roberts, Brigham H., A Comprehensive History of the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 6 vols. (Salt Lake City: Deseret, 1930).
Roberts, Brigham H., ed., History of the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-Day Saints, 7 vols., 2nd ed. rev. (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book,
1978), 1:18-80; cf. Times and Seasons 3 (May 2, 1842), pp. 772ff.
Saunders, Lorenzo, Unpublished Interview at Reading, Michigan, recorded
by William H. Kelly (17 Sept. 1884); in RLDS Archives.
Smith, Emma, "Last Testimony of Sister Emma," February 1879 Saints'
Advocate, 2:4 (Plano Illinois, October 1879), pp. 49-52, reprinted in
Saints' Herald, 26:19 (Plano, Illinois, October 1, 1879), p. 290
Smith, Emma Hale, "Emma Bidamon Letter to Mrs. George W. [Emma] Pilgrim,"
(Nauvoo, March 27, 1870), in RLDS Archives, P4 f20.
Smith, Joseph F., "Memorandum of April 25, 1918, reporting comments made
by David Whitmer to Joseph F. Smith and Orson Pratt," (original in LDS
Archives).
Smith, Lucy Mack, dictation to Martha Jane Knowlton Coray, Preliminary
Manuscript #1 (1845-1847) of Lucy Mack Smith's History of Joseph Smith,
later edited by Howard Coray (Manuscript #2), and finally published by
Orson Pratt as Biographical Sketches of Joseph Smith the Prophet in 1853.
Both manuscripts in LDS Archives.
Smith, Lucy Mack, Biographical Sketches of Joseph Smith the Prophet and
his Progenitors for Many Generations, 1st ed. (Liverpool: S. W. Richards,
1853).
Smith, Lucy Mack, "Letter to Solomon Mack, January 6, 1831," (original in
LDS Archives).
Smith, Robert F., "'Translation of Languages' (hermeneia glosson, 1 Cor
12:10)," (unpublished manuscript, 1980).
Snow, Stephen R., in Mormon History Association Newsletter 44 (June
1980), p. 15.
Stocker, Rhamanthus M., Centennial History of Susquehanna County,
Pennsylvania (Philadelphia: R.T. Peck & Co., 1887).
Tiffany, Joel, "Among The Mormons," Tiffany's Monthly 5:1-3 (May-JulY -
1859), pp. 46-51, 119-21, 163-70 (interview with Martin Harris).
Tucker, Pomery, Origin, Rise, and progress of Mormonism (New York: D.
Appleton & Co., 1867).
United States Statutes at Large, vols. 2-4 (Boston: Little & Brown, 1850,
1861, 1860, respectively)--selected sections concerning the Northern
District Circuit of New York.
Van Wagoner, Richard and Steven C. Walker, "Joseph Smith: 'The Gift of
Seeing'," Dialogue, 15:2 (Summer, 1982), pp. 48-68.
Weed, Edward Thurlow, Life of Thurlow Weed, Including His Autobiography
and a Memoir, 2 vols., ed. Harriet A. Wood (Boston: Houghton, Mifflin &
Co., 1884).
Whitmer, David, "Interview," Chicago Times (August 7, 1875), p. 1.
Whitmer, David, "The Last Man of the Men Who Attested to the Truth of the
Book of Mormon," interview and article in Chicago Times (October 17,
1881), reprinted in the Chicago Tribune (December 17, 1885), p. 3, and
reprinted but introducing typographical errors in Deseret News (November
10, 1881).
Whitmer, David, An Address to All Believers in Christ (Richmond, Mo:
David Whitmer, 1887).
Whitmer, David, interview by J. L. Traughber, Jr. (October 13, 1879),
published portions in Saints' Herald 26 (November 15, 1879), p. 341.
Whitmer, David, statement of September 15, 1882, in Braden and Kelly
Debate February 12 to March 8, 1884 (St. Louis: Christian Publ. Co.,
n.d.; and Independence, Mo: Herald House, 1913), p. 186.
Whitmer, David, "Questions asked of David Whitmer at his home in
Richmond, Ray County, Mo., Jan. 14, 1885 by Z. H. Gurley," (original in
LDS Archives).
Wood, Wilford, compiler, Joseph Smith Begins His Work, 2 vols. (SLC:
Deseret News Press, 1958).
Woodford, Robert J., The Historical Development of the Doctrine and
Covenants 2 vols. (Ph.D. Dissertation: B.Y.U., April 1974), 1:200-217.
Wyl, Wilhelm (von Wymetal), Mormon Portraits, I, Joseph Smith the Prophet
(SLC: Tribune Printing and Publishing Co., 1886).
Young, Brigham in Journal of Discourses (London: Latter-day Saints Book
Depot, 1854-1857), 2:179-81, 248-51; 3:230-31; 5:52-55; 19:36-39.
Zobell, Albert L., Jr., "Writing Paper for the Book of Mormon
Manuscript," Improvement Era 72:2 (February, 1969), 54-55.
(c) F.A.R.M.S. revised 3-OCT-86; 1st edition, 4 September 1986 Part
Ciao Perry <plporter@pobox.com> http://pobox.com/~plporter
------------------------------
End of gdm Digest V1 #7
***********************
To subscribe to gdm Digest, send the command:
subscribe gdm-digest
in the body of a message to "majordomo@xmission.com". If you want to
subscribe something other than the account the mail is coming from, such
as a local redistribution list, then append that address to the
"subscribe" command; for example, to subscribe "local-gdm":
subscribe gdm-digest local-gdm@your.domain.net
A non-digest (direct mail) version of this list is also available; to
subscribe to that instead, replace all instances of "gdm-digest"
in the commands above with "gdm".
Back issues are available for anonymous FTP from ftp.xmission.com, in
pub/lists/gdm/archive. These are organized by date.