"Flagrant violation of basic professional standards"

Recently I saw a description of the Gospel Topics Essay (GTE) on Book of Mormon Translation that described it as a "flagrant violation of basic professional standards."

It is difficult to disagree with that assessment. 

Here is the link: 

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/gospel-topics-essays/book-of-mormon-translation?lang=eng

Anyone can read the GTE and see that it would receive a failing grade if submitted for grading in a basic History 101 class. 

It is not surprising that no historians are acknowledged by name as contributors. Instead, we read this statement at the end: "The Church acknowledges the contribution of scholars to the historical content presented in this article; their work is used with permission."

The reputation of any historian who is associated with this GTE would be severely damaged if he/she were named.

We can only speculate why it is so poorly written from an academic perspective, but we can offer suggestions for improvement going forward.

Fixing this GTE would be easy, if anyone cared enough to do it.  

An improved GTE would greatly enhance credibility and clarity for Latter-day Saints and their friends around the world.

_____

We previously discussed the AHA Historians' Standards of Professional Conduct on this blog. (AHA is the American Historical Association.)

https://www.ldshistoricalnarratives.com/p/aha-historians-standards-of.html

While the GTE violates several basic standards of professional conduct, here are some of the most obvious examples. Original language from the AHA in blue, my comments in red, third party quotations in green.

Professional integrity in the practice of history requires awareness of one’s own biases and a readiness to follow sound method and analysis wherever they may lead.

Throughout the GTE, the anonymous authors' bias against the teachings of Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery is evident. Their bias is to strongly promote the stone-in-the-hat theory (SITH) of translation, which rejects what Joseph and Oliver said.

That bias explains the failure to follow sound method and analysis, as we'll see below. A revised essay should overcome this bias by presenting and evaluating the relevant sources instead of misquoting and censoring them.

Historians should practice their craft with integrity. 

The term "integrity" is subjective and vague, but in this context this dictionary definition applies: INTEGRITY is firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values. In the context of writing and publishing history, the AHA standards provide a code of conduct. Presumably every historian involved with writing the GTE has been trained to adhere to the AHA standards. For that reason, the "flagrant violation" of those standards is all the more disturbing.

They should honor the historical record. 

We can all see that the GTE not only does not honor the historical record, it selectively dishonors specifically the statements from Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, along with those who corroborated what they said about the translation. No historian who adheres to the AHA standards would omit what the principals explained about the events in question. Yet the GTE studiously avoids what both Joseph and Oliver actually said about the translation.

They should document their sources.

A failure to document sources can be unintentional, but when the failure is deliberate--when the omission promotes a specific narrative--the failure is a blatant violation of the AHA standards.

For example, the GTE says "Joseph received the plates in September 1827" but does not provide a source. Because the GTE had previously cited Joseph Smith-History, an obvious citation would be verse 59, and the reader naturally wonders why that citation was omitted. 

But when we see the source, readers can reasonably infer that the reason no citation is given is because the source contradicts the narrative promoted by the GTE. Here is verse 59.

59 At length the time arrived for obtaining the plates, the Urim and Thummim, and the breastplate. On the twenty-second day of September, one thousand eight hundred and twenty-seven,

(Joseph Smith—History 1:59)

Contrary to the narrative in the GTE, Joseph did not merely say he received the plates. The plates were part of a package that included the Urim and Thummim and the breastplate. A proper citation to the source would have explained that obvious fact, but the GTE instead misleads readers.

The GTE appropriately documents some sources, but avoids documenting others that it purports to present to the reader. For example, the GTE says "Much can be known about the coming forth of the English text of the Book of Mormon through a careful study of statements made by Joseph Smith," but then it ignores most of Joseph's statements and omits relevant context from the few statements it does present.

Readers have no clue that the GTE is not only not offering a "careful study" of the few quotations it provides, but is also not even citing (let alone quoting) most of Joseph Smith's statements on the topic. 

Historians should not misrepresent their sources. 

The GTE misrepresents the few statements it provides from Joseph and Oliver by omitting the relevant context. Look at these examples.

1. The first paragraph includes three excerpts from Joseph Smith-History 1:33. Note 3 cites and quotes verses 33-34. But then, rather than quote or even cite verse 35, the GTE instead paraphrases that part of the narrative.

Notice the context omitted by the GTE:

35 Also, that there were two stones in silver bows—and these stones, fastened to a breastplate, constituted what is called the Urim and Thummim—deposited with the plates; and the possession and use of these stones were what constituted “seers” in ancient or former times; and that God had prepared them for the purpose of translating the book.

(Joseph Smith—History 1:35)

The omission of verse 35 becomes more significant later in the GTE when the GTE misrepresents what Joseph referred to as the Urim and Thummim.

2. The GTE says this:

Of his experience as scribe, Cowdery wrote, “These were days never to be forgotten—to sit under the sound of a voice dictated by the inspiration of heaven.”7

Note 7 says this:

Joseph Smith History, ca. summer 1832, in Joseph Smith Histories, 16; Oliver Cowdery to William W. Phelps, Sept. 7, 1834, in Messenger and Advocate 1 (Oct. 1834): 14; italics in original.

In this example, both the original quotation and the citation are "flagrant violations of basic professional standards."

The GTE truncated the quotation from Cowdery to omit his reference to the Urim and Thummim:

“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 with the Urim and Thummim, or, as the Nephites would have said, ‘Interpreters,’ the history or record called ‘The Book of Mormon.’

(Joseph Smith—History, Note, 1)

By omitting Oliver's explanation of how Joseph translated, the GTE conveys the false impression that Joseph was merely reciting by inspiration instead of by translating.

Note 7 cites the Messenger and Advocate, an obscure reference that few people have access to, without noting that Cowdery's statement is also canonized in Joseph Smith-History as a note to verse 71. The AHA standard of documenting sources is flagrantly violated when historians cite an obscure source when an easily accessible one is readily available--especially when they already cited the easily accessible one in this very GTE.

3. The section of the GTE on "Translation Instruments" is full of "flagrant violations of basic professional standards." We've discussed those previously on this blog, such as here:

https://www.ldshistoricalnarratives.com/p/gospel-topics-essay-on-translation.html

One of the most flagrant is this statement:

Joseph found the interpreters buried in the hill with the plates.¹⁶

The statement misrepresents the source because Joseph always said he found the Urim and Thummim with the plates. He did not say he found the "interpreters" there. 

The misleading paraphrase of Joseph's actual statements is hidden by the unhelpful citation in Note 16.

Michael Hubbard MacKay, Gerrit J. Dirkmaat, Grand Underwood, Robert J. Woodford, and William G. Hartley, eds., Documents, Volume 1: July 1828–June 1831, vol. 1 of the Documents series of The Joseph Smith Papers, edited by Dean C. Jessee, Ronald K. Esplin, Richard Lyman Bushman, and Matthew J. Grow (Salt Lake City: Church Historian’s Press, 2013), xxix. 

As we saw above, Joseph explained exactly what he found in the hill, right in Joseph Smith-History. But instead of providing that easily accessible reference (available in many languages as part of the scriptures), the GTE provides an obscure citation to a source few people would have access to. 

They should report their findings as accurately as possible and not omit evidence that runs counter to their own interpretation.

Among the obvious problems, the GTE studiously omits every statement by Joseph and Oliver regarding the Urim and Thummim. The obvious reason is that what Joseph and Oliver said directly "runs counter" to the narrative promoted by the GTE.

_____

The GTE is not broken beyond repair. The "flagrant violations" of basic professional standards could be easily fixed by simply reporting the actual historical record.

The authors of the GTE have demonstrated a determination to prefer decades-old statements by David Whitmer and Emma Bidamon over the specific, unambiguous statements of Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery. 

And that's fine, if that's what they want to do.

But they should do so explicitly by accurately informing readers what Joseph and Oliver actually said so that readers can make informed decisions about the way the GTE promotes the SITH agenda.

Making adjustments and improvements

The Church announced adjustments and improvements to the scripture study aids.

Minor Adjustments Made to Select Study Helps in Doctrine and Covenants, Book of Mormon

https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/minor-adjustments-to-select-study-helps-in-doctrine-and-covenants-and-book-of-mormon-announced

“These adjustments bring the section introductions in line with what we have learned from more than twenty years of careful study of Joseph Smith’s documents. The minor changes to dates and places reflect the careful attention with which we believe this remarkable legacy of divine revelation ought to be treated,” Elder Kyle S. McKay, General Authority Seventy and Church Historian, said. “We hope the contextual additions help readers better understand why and how the Lord communicated with the Church through His Prophet.”

It is wonderful to see such adjustments, improvements and clarifications.

This is good precedent for making similar improvements to correct errors in the commentary in: 

- the Joseph Smith Papers

- the Gospel Topics Essays

- the Saints books

- curriculum, and 

- Church websites.

We have noted many such improvements on this blog.

The announcement explains how the adjustments are being rolled out:

The adjustments are available now on ChurchofJesusChrist.org and the Gospel Library

mobile app for most languages, with additional languages to follow.

Printed copies will begin reflecting these adjustments in the coming months.

Members are not expected to obtain new scriptures as a result of these updates.

This is the model that could (and should) be followed to make adjustments, improvements and corrections.

Let's hope that happens!

High agency and fixing problems

This graph illustrates what we try to do on this blog. It depicts "high agency" employees.

Because we're independent, we obviously cannot fix the problems we identify.

Only the Church History and other departments can do that.

But we do offer possible solutions to the problems we identify and then make specific recommendations to correct and/or improve the content.

(click to enlarge)

It says there are 5 levels of work:

Level 1: “There is a problem.”

Level 2: “There is a problem, and I’ve found some causes.”

Level 3: “Here’s the problem, here are some possible causes, and here are some possible solutions.”

Level 4: “Here’s the problem, here’s what I think caused it, here are some possible solutions, and here’s the one I think we should pick.”

Level 5: “I identified a problem, figured out what caused it, researched how to fix it, and I fixed it. Just wanted to keep you in the loop.”

Improving the Moroni-Cumorah narrative

This is an excellent reference that could be improved with some additional material from authentic historical sources.

https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/content/moroni-messenger-of-the-restoration?lang=eng

Original in blue, my suggestions in red.

_____

Moroni: Messenger of the Restoration

Introduction

On the night of September 21, 1823, Joseph Smith prayed to know God’s further will toward him. 

Steadily a light grew “as though the house was filled with consuming and unquenchable fire.”1 

Replace the sentence with this: Oliver Cowdery wrote that, "to use his [Joseph's] own description, the first sight was as though the house was filled with consuming and unquenchable fire."

1. Letter from Oliver Cowdery to William W. Phelps, Feb. 1835, Kirtland, Ohio, published in Messenger and Advocate, Feb. 1835, 79.

1. Add the following link to the footnote: https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/history-1834-1836/67

Moroni, a messenger sent from God, stood before him. In mortal life Moroni had been the last of ancient American prophets having authority2 from God and whose teachings were recorded for our time.

2. “The permission granted to men on earth called or ordained to act for and in behalf of God the Father or Jesus Christ in doing God’s work” (Guide to the Scriptures, “Authority,” scriptures.ChurchofJesusChrist.org)

No suggestions.

Moroni declared “that the time was at hand for the Gospel3 in all its fullness to be preached in power, unto all nations” and that Joseph was “to be an instrument in the hands of God” in that work.4 

3. “God’s plan of salvation, made possible through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. The gospel includes the eternal truths or laws, covenants, and ordinances needed for mankind to enter back into the presence of God. God restored the fulness of the gospel to the earth in the 19th century through the Prophet Joseph Smith” (Guide to the Scriptures, “Gospel,” scriptures.ChurchofJesusChrist.org).

4. History of the Church, 4:537.

4. Replace HC reference with JSP: "Church History," aka the "Wentworth letter," https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/church-history-1-march-1842/2 

He quoted ancient prophets who had foreseen that this time would come. As Moroni stood before him, Joseph was shown in vision “the place where the plates were deposited” (Joseph Smith—History 1:42).

He quoted ancient prophets who had foreseen that this time would come. Moroni explained that "a history of the aborigines of this country... was written and deposited not far from" Joseph's home, and that "the record is on a side hill on the Hill of Cumorah 3 miles from this place." 5 As Moroni stood before him, Joseph was shown in vision “the place where the plates were deposited” (Joseph Smith—History 1:42).

5. See https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/history-1834-1836/68 and https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/lucy-mack-smith-history-1844-1845/41.

Every September for four years, Joseph went to the Hill Cumorah and was taught by Moroni. In September 1827 Joseph met Moroni at the hill and received the gold plates. Twenty-one months later, having completed the translation, Joseph returned the plates to Moroni.5

Every September for three years, Joseph went to the Hill Cumorah and was taught by Moroni. In early 1827, Joseph came home late from Manchester and explained to his concerned parents that "as I passed by the hill of Cumorah, where the plates are, the angel of the Lord met me and said, that I had not been engaged enough in the work of the Lord; that the time had come for the record to ​be​ brought forth."6 In September 1827 Joseph met Moroni at the hill and received the gold plates. When he finished the translation, Joseph returned the plates to Moroni.7

5. See History of the Church, 1:13.

6. https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/lucy-mack-smith-history-1845/111

7. Because the cited reference in note 5 does not say what the narrative claims, it is better to cite JS-H 1:60

Quotes

Joseph Smith Quotes

“This messenger [Moroni] proclaimed himself to be an angel of God, sent to bring the joyful tidings that the covenant which God made with ancient Israel was at hand to be fulfilled, that the preparatory work for the second coming of the Messiah was speedily to commence; that the time was at hand for the Gospel in all its fullness to be preached in power, unto all nations that a people might be prepared for the Millennial reign. I was informed that I was chosen to be an instrument in the hands of God to bring about some of His purposes in this glorious dispensation” (History of the Church, 4:536–37).

Replace reference with JSP

“Let us take the Book of Mormon, which a man took and hid in his field, securing it by his faith, to spring up in the last days, or in due time; let us behold it coming forth out of the ground, which is indeed accounted the least of all seeds, but behold it branching forth, yea, even towering, with lofty branches, and God-like majesty, until it, like the mustard seed, becomes the greatest of all herbs. And it is truth, and it has sprouted and come forth out of the earth, and righteousness begins to look down from heaven, and God is sending down His powers, gifts and angels, to lodge in the branches thereof” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith (1976), 98).

Replace reference with JSP

Witnesses

Joseph Knight, Early Member of the Church 

“[In] the forepart of September [1827,] I went to Rochester on business and returned by Palmyra to be there about the 22nd of September. . . . That night we all went to bed and in the morning I got up and my horse and carriage were gone. . . . After a while he [Joseph Smith] came home [with] the horse. All came into the house to breakfast. But no thing [was] said about where they had been. After breakfast Joseph called me into the other room. . . . He set his foot on the bed and leaned his head on his hand and said, . . . ‘It is ten times better than I expected.’ Then he went on to tell the length and width and thickness of the plates, and said he, ‘They appear to be gold’” (Reminiscenses of Joseph Knight, Church History Library, Salt Lake City; spelling, grammar, and capitalization standardized. This manuscript, written between 1833 and 1847, has been published in Dean C. Jessee, “Joseph Knight’s Recollection of Early Mormon History,” BYU Studies, vol. 17, no. 1 [Fall 1976], 30–39).

John A. Widtsoe, Apostle, 1921–1952 

“The first visitation of Moroni came in answer to prayer. So came the First Vision. The Lord is ready to give, but he requires that his children ask. It would not be natural or wise to force blessings on anyone. The power of prayer is inestimable. One prays for little; usually much comes in answer. . . . The most marvelous part of the message to the young man, lying upon his wakeful pillow, was that he, Joseph Smith, was the chosen instrument in the hands of the Lord to inaugurate the great work planned for the last days of the world. It was astonishing! It was wonderful!” (Joseph Smith: Seeker after Truth, Prophet of God [1951], 32–33; paragraph divisions altered).

Questions

How many times did Moroni visit the Prophet Joseph?

There is no record of the exact number of visits from Moroni, but 22 have been documented (see H. Donl Peterson, “Moroni—Joseph Smith’s Tutor,” Ensign, Jan. 1992, 22–29).

What did Joseph Smith learn in his visits with Moroni?

Moroni taught Joseph Smith from scripture, quoting Malachi, Isaiah, Joel, and Acts. John Taylor explained: “Joseph Smith in the first place was set apart by the Almighty according to the [councils] of the Gods in the eternal worlds, to introduce the principles of life among the people. . . . The principles which he had, placed him in communication with . . . Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Noah, Adam, Seth, Enoch, and Jesus and the Father and the apostles that lived on this continent as well as those who lived on the Asiatic continent. . . . Why? Because he had to introduce a dispensation which was called the dispensation of the fulness of times, and it was known as such by the ancient servants of God” (Deseret News, June 9, 1880, 280).

What did Moroni teach Joseph Smith about the ancient Americans?

Joseph also learned about the ancient inhabitants of the Americas, “who they were, and from whence they came; a brief sketch of their origin, progress, civilization, laws, governments, of their righteousness and iniquity, and the blessings of God being finally withdrawn from them as a people” (History of the Church, 4:537).

Replace reference with JSP

Readings

Online Resources at ChurchofJesusChrist.org

Moroni 8:16

“A Period of Preparation, 1823–29”—Church History in the Fulness of Times Student Manual (Church Educational System manual, 2003), 37–51

“Many Angels Visited Joseph Smith”—in “Joseph Smith: First President of the Church,” Presidents of the Church Student Manual (Church Educational System manual, 2004), 7

“Joseph Told His Father about Moroni’s Visit”—in “Joseph Smith: First President of the Church,” Presidents of the Church Student Manual (Church Educational System manual, 2004), 7

“Coming Forth of the Book of Mormon”—in “Establishing the Foundations of the Church,” Our Heritage: A Brief History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (1996), 5–11

Online Resources at the Joseph Smith Papers

https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/history-1834-1836/68

https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/lucy-mack-smith-history-1845/111

Online Resources at BYU

“Katharine Smith Salisbury’s Recollections of Joseph’s Meetings with Moroni”—Kyle R. Walker, BYU Studies, vol. 41, no. 3 (2002), 4–17

Newspaper report of speech given by Joseph Smith’s younger sister.

Improving Saints: example 1

I offer these suggestions for improvement in the spirit of "You can’t solve a problem you don’t know exists."

_____

Over the years, many people have asked me to annotate the Saints books for accuracy. I'm finally getting around to annotating the Saints book, volume 1. 

We continually meet people who have read Saints and believe it is accurate.

I wish it was more accurate than it is now. It could easily be corrected, except no one in the Church History Department seems to care about correcting errors.

Here is an example from chapter 3:

Look at this last sentence:

Moroni said that God had chosen Joseph to renew the covenant, and that if he chose to be faithful to God’s commands, he would be the one to reveal the record on the plates.¹¹

Notice that note 11 cites Letter IV. 

Oliver Cowdery, “Letter IV,” LDS Messenger and Advocate, Feb. 1835, 1:78–79 (see also later version, in JSP, H1:59); Lucy Mack Smith, History, 1844–45, book 3, [11].

However, instead of linking to Letter IV in the Joseph Smith Papers, which would be easy and clear, the link goes to the cover of the Messenger and Advocate on archive.org!

Of the subset of readers who actually check footnotes and citations, some will give up when they go to the link and see this.

Those who persist have to figure out how to navigate archive.org and find pages 78-9 which looks like this:

​

Now get this: it is the wrong page!

Moroni's instructions to Joseph, paraphrased in Saints, are on page 80.

Below is the passage on page 80, which of course they would never actually quote verbatim in Saints because Moroni specifically told Joseph he had the privilege to translate with the Urim and Thummim that came with the plates. 

Instead, the historians want to make people think Moroni told Joseph he would "reveal the record;" i.e., that instead of using the Urim and Thummim and actually translating the engravings as Moroni told him, Joseph would instead read words that appeared on the stone-in-the-hat (SITH).

It would be far more accurate, and clearer to readers, if Saints simply quoted the reference instead of paraphrasing it and completely changing the meaning.

It is fascinating to see how the committee who wrote Saints chooses what to quote and what to paraphrase. When the original historical account contradicts a modern theory of scholars, they choose to paraphrase (or omit) the original account.

Here is the actual passage.

He said this history was written and deposited not far from that place, and that it was our brother’s privilege, if obedient to the commandments of the Lord, to obtain and translate the same by the means of the Urim and Thummim, which were deposited for that purpose with the record.

https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/history-1834-1836/68

Correcting these errors and omissions would be simple for the digital versions, which is what most people read anyway. It would also be easy to translate.

I'm more than happy to volunteer to correct these errors if no one else in the Church History Department has the time or interest to do it.

I'm know many other Latter-day Saints who would help out.

The Virginia Constitution - 1776

 

Sec. 15. That no free government, or the blessings of liberty, can be preserved to any people, but by a firm adherence to justice, moderation, temperance, frugality, and virtue, and by frequent recurrence to fundamental principles.

Sec. 16. That religion, or the duty which we owe to our Creator, and the manner of discharging it, can be directed only by reason and conviction, not by force or violence; and therefore all men are equally entitled to the free exercise of religion, according to the dictates of conscience; and that it is the mutual duty of all to practice Christian forbearance, love, and charity towards each other.

https://encyclopediavirginia.org/primary-documents/the-constitution-of-virginia-1776/

Church History Conference Sept 2025

The Church History Department held an outstanding 2-day conference titled "I Am in Your Midst" Jesus Christ at the center of Church history.

https://churchhistory.cventevents.com/event/2025conference/speakers

An excellent summary by Jacob Hess was published in the Deseret News:

https://www.deseret.com/faith/2025/09/07/jesus-christ-at-the-center-of-church-history/

The byline: 

An exclusive focus on human struggle in the past misses the most important action taking place, say historians with the Church of Jesus Christ

I completely agree with that byline and the theme of the conference. I'm incorporating that theme into my presentations and publications going forward, and I hope everyone else does as well.

Here are the passages that use that phrase.

Lift up your hearts and be glad, for I am in your midst, and am your advocate with the Father; and it is his good will to give you the kingdom. (Doctrine and Covenants 29:5)

But behold, verily, verily, I say unto you that mine eyes are upon you. I am in your midst and ye cannot see me; (Doctrine and Covenants 38:7)

Behold, I will go before you and be your rearward; and I will be in your midst, and you shall not be confounded. (Doctrine and Covenants 49:27)

Wherefore, I am in your midst, and I am the good shepherd, and the stone of Israel. He that buildeth upon this rock shall never fall. (Doctrine and Covenants 50:44)

And now, verily I say unto you, and what I say unto one I say unto all, be of good cheer, little children; for I am in your midst, and I have not forsaken you; (Doctrine and Covenants 61:36)

The speakers were thoughtful and well-informed, but I have suggestions for improvement.

_____

1. Sources. One speaker emphasized the importance of primary vs secondary sources and referred to the Joseph Smith Papers. I fully agree with that principle, and I wish the Church History Department consistently did as well.

If they did, we wouldn't have the ongoing confusion about the origin and setting of the Book of Mormon. 

Hopefully the historians will re-examine their priorities and start to focus on what Joseph and Oliver taught. Then they could seek to corroborate and support what they taught instead of ignoring what they taught in favor of the theories of certain scholars. That would be a major improvement over their current approach.

2. Hiding things. One speaker joked about the Church hiding things. But the joke was not funny because he then referred to the Church's online resources (Saints, Gospel Topics Essays, historic sites pages, etc.) that actually do hide Church history by omitting what Joseph and Oliver taught about the origin and setting of the Book of Mormon.

Instead of joking about hiding things, historians could significantly improve these sites by re-correlating what Joseph and Oliver taught about the origin and setting of the Book of Mormon. Then Latter-day Saints can make informed decisions about these topics. That would be a major improvement over the current content of these resources. 

3. Plates of Nephi narratives. Elder Kyle McKay's plenary address was wonderful, explaining how Christ is "the central figure in this story." As I mentioned above, I hope everyone involved with Church history adopts that as the lens through which we view and present Church history.

I know I will.

It is a powerful message that resonates.

To illustrate his point, Elder McKay related the narrative of the lost 116 pages, which is a good example. We can see that the Lord had a backup plan for any contingency. Whether Martin lost the 116 pages or some other critical manuscript, the original materials were readily available to replace what was lost. We can all relate to that in our own lives, as we have confidence that the Lord can compensate for our weaknesses and failures. Indeed, we could say the lost 116 pages is an application of the principle from Ether 12, that the Lord will make weak things become strong.

But unfortunately he paraphrased the scriptures and related an old version of the story that deserves some discussion. 

_____

He said that Mormon added the small plates of Nephi to his abridgment before he gave it to Moroni. Then Moroni added his own material (Books of Ether and Moroni).

This insertion narrative has been a long tradition narrative, as shown in the heading to older editions of the text.

But the insertion narrative contradicts the scriptures and common sense. 

And it has been replaced in the most recent edition of the scriptures (shown below).

-- Moroni added the last two chapters to his father's Book of Mormon. If Mormon had attached the plates of Nephi, Mormon would have had to attach those final two chapters after the plates of Nephi. That would mean Joseph Smith somehow passed over the plates of Nephi to translate Moroni's addition to his father's record. There is no evidence of that in the text or in historical accounts.

-- Those who advocate the SITH narrative (stone-in-the-hat), which includes the claim that Joseph did not actually use the plates, may argue that the stone itself skipped over the plates of Nephi until Joseph got to Fayette. But in D&C 9, the Lord promised Oliver Cowdery that he could assist to translate "other records." In D&C 10, the Lord explained that Joseph needed to translate the plates of Nephi instead of retranslating the Book of Lehi (which was lost with the 116 pages). Neither D&C 9 or 10 makes sense if Joseph was not actually translating the plates. If he was merely reading words off a stone, there were no "other records" to translate and it would be superfluous for the Lord to instruct him to translate the plates of Nephi.

-- The Title Page, which was on the last leaf of the set of plates Joseph obtained from Moroni's stone box, identifies the contents of the set of plates as (i) an abridgment of the record of the Nephites, (ii) an abridgment of the record of Ether (Jaredites), and (iii) Moroni's sealing of the record (his own book). The Title Page never mentions or alludes to any original plates, as it would have if the plates of Nephi were actually bound together with the abridged plates.

_____

The current edition of the scriptures in Gospel Library replaces the old narrative by using the scriptural description, which makes more sense anyway.

Recall that in verse 10, we read that king Benjamin took the plates "and put them with the other plates." That obviously did not mean Benjamin attached them to the other plates because, as Mormon explained, "I searched among the records which had been delivered into my hands, and I found these plates." Verse 3. They were not attached, but simply among the other records.

"Put them with" means "put them with." That means nearby, adjacent, in the same area on the shelf, etc. 

People have different interpretations, but it makes sense that Mormon would "put them [the plates of Nephi] with the remainder of my record" because he wanted to use Nephi's record to guide his abridgment, to show that Nephi's "prophesyings and revelations" were fulfilled. That was the "wise purpose" for which he did it.

This way, whether Joseph or Martin lost any of what Joseph called "the Original Book of Mormon," there was always a backup because the original records were still in the repository in Cumorah.

The various scriptural and historical accounts can be reconciled by understanding that there were two separate sets of plates: 

(i) the abridged plates from Moroni's stone box that Joseph translated in Harmony and then gave to the messenger who went to Cumorah

and

(ii) the original small plates of Nephi that Joseph translated in Fayette after the messenger brought them from Cumorah.

I suggest improvement here in the sense of quoting the actual scriptures and offering a narrative that is both consistent with the scriptures and that makes common sense.

Or at least relate the two alternative working hypotheses instead of relating one theory as fact.

That would be a major improvement.

_____

For those not familiar with the two sets of plates narrative, here is a short explanation.

Joseph translated the abridged plates in Harmony, PA. When he and Oliver finished these, they considered re-translating the abridgement of the plates of Lehi (the lost 116 pages). Instead, in D&C 10 the Lord told them to translate the engravings on the plates of Nephi (the small plates). But they didn't have those plates yet. The small plates were the "other records" that the Lord promised Oliver he would assist to translate (D&C 9).

Before leaving Harmony, Joseph gave the abridged plates to a messenger he later identified as one of the Three Nephites. This messenger explained to David Whitmer that he was going to Cumorah before coming to Fayette. The messenger went to the repository in Cumorah to get the small plates, which he then took to Fayette, where Joseph translated them.

Traditional narrative that contradicts scriptures and historical accounts

Two sets of plates narrative that reconciles scriptures and historical accounts

Supporters of the traditional narrative cite their interpretation of Words of Mormon to justify their claim that Mormon attached the small plates of Nephi to his abridgment before giving it to Moroni. But the passages in Words of Mormon do not explicitly state that. There are alternative interpretations consistent with the two sets of plates narrative. For example, see https://www.lettervii.com/p/words-of-mormon-issues.html

Conclusion. The primary impetus for the traditional narrative seems to be refusal to accept the historical sources that explain that the repository of Nephite records was in the hill Cumorah in New York. Thus the traditional narrative seen as supporting the Mesoamerican/two-Cumorahs theory.

For articles on this topic, see

https://www.lettervii.com/2019/02/martin-harris-no-on-else-saw-plates.html

https://www.lettervii.com/2025/02/another-account-of-two-sets-of-plates.html

https://www.lettervii.com/2024/02/two-sets-of-plates-book-of-which-i-have.html

https://www.lettervii.com/2024/11/ether-5-answers-questions.html

https://www.lettervii.com/2017/05/from-hill-in-manchester-township.html

https://www.lettervii.com/2019/04/cumora-and-feynman-learning-strategy.html

https://www.lettervii.com/2025/01/d-5-only-3-witnesses-saw-abridged-plates.html