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.

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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."

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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.

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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

Ignorance is a form of ingratitude--Resurrecting Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery

President Nelson's explanation that "good inspiration is based upon good information" is one reason why all Latter-day Saints should know their history--especially the authentic historical sources of what Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery taught.

Peggy Noonan, writing for the Wall St. Journal about history, made a point that relates well to LDS history.

"I said it is our job, in our generation, to bring the sturdier public values of the recent and distant past into the current moment. We have to put forward those ways from the past that helped, that were superior, or no one will know they existed. And no one will be able to imitate or absorb or reflect them."

"We Need to Know History, Especially Now," WSJ, Sept 4, 2025

https://www.wsj.com/opinion/we-need-to-know-history-especially-now-politics-policy-public-standards-dbb73889?st=HC6uMz&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

David McCullough at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, May 13, 2011

Peggy continues: 

Why does history matter? “History shows us how to behave,” McCullough begins. “History teaches, reinforces what we believe in, what we stand for, and what we ought to be willing to stand up for.”

It is not only the dry recording of facts, it has a moral quotient. “At their core, the lessons of history are largely lessons in appreciation.” Everything we have, he says, all the great institutions, the arts, our law, exists because those who came before us built them. Why did they do that? What drove them, what obstacles did they face, how are we doing as stewards and creators? “Indifference to history isn’t just ignorant, it’s rude.” This is a wonderful sentence because it is true and bluntly put. Ignorance is a form of ingratitude.

_____

Like Peggy Noonan, Brigham Young also warned that knowledge would be lost if not recorded and taught.

https://www.lettervii.com/2025/03/brigham-youngs-prophecy-about-cumorah.html

One reason why I write this blog is to resurrect what Joseph and Oliver taught about the origin and setting of the Book of Mormon. 

They were both explicit that Joseph translated the plates by means of the Urim and Thummim that came with the plates, and that the hill Cumorah/Ramah in New York is the same hill referred to in the Book of Mormon.

But new and young Latter-day Saints never learn what they taught.

Their teachings on these topics have been erased ("de-correlated") from both academic discourse and Church curriculum. 

The Joseph Smith Papers include Joseph's statements and some of Oliver's, but the commentary in the notes ignores or reframes those teachings. 

https://www.academia.edu/67756647/Agenda_driven_editorial_content_in_the_Joseph_Smith_Papers

The Gospel Topics Essays omit their teachings in favor of the theories of scholars and selected quotations from people who contradicted what Joseph and Oliver taught.

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

The Saints book omitted what Joseph and Oliver taught in favor of the theories of scholars.

https://saintsreview.blogspot.com/2018/09/chapter-7-fellow-servants.html

https://saintsreview.blogspot.com/2018/09/chapter-4-be-watchful.html

The Come Follow Me manuals omit their teachings.

But older curriculum did teach what Joseph and Oliver taught about the origin and setting of the Book of Mormon. And the original sources are still available for those who know how to do research.

https://www.bookofmormoncentralamerica.com/2022/05/institute-circa-1981-new-york-cumorah.html

But as Peggy Noonan and Brigham Young explained, the current generation has a duty to the rising generation to teach them the original sources so they can make fully informed decisions.

Church leaders on YouTube

 

The First Presidency and Quorum of the 12 all have their own dedicated YouTube channels.

(click to enlarge)

Here is Patrick Kearon's, for example:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sBicu6VBEo

President Nelson's:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3AqWXj_hUE

 

Talmage and the media

 

The X account Acts of the Apostles offers some good historical information. 

Acts of the Apostles

@actsofapostles_

Replying to

@actsofapostles_

1924 Yorkshire, England 

When Elder James E Talmage was assigned to preside over the British and European missions, anti-Mormon sentiment was at an all time high.

Nothing boosted a newspapers circulation more than  lurid tales of the Mormons. 

An article with the headline "Mormon Mysteries Unveiled - A Girl's Awful Revelations" was guaranteed to sell papers.

The Argus was the worst newspaper. They were in an all out war with the Church. So James E Talmage decided to visit the editor.

At the front desk Elder Talmage offered his calling card. It was soon returned. "Regretfully, the editor's schedule is so full he couldn't possibly find time to visit."

Elder Talmage expected this. He asked if he might have his calling card back to add a note he'd forgotten to append. With a pen, he wrote after his name F.R.S.E. F.R.M.S. F.R.G.S.

The effect on the clerk was electric. Startled, he looked at the calling card. Looked at Elder Talmage. Looked back at the card. And hastily excused himself to talk with the editors. Of course he knew what the initials meant. Every educated person did.

F.R.S.E = Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh F.R.M.S = Fellow of the Royal Microscopic Society F.R.G.S = Fellow of the Royal Geological Society

Elder Talmage was not only a peer of the greatest scientists of the British empire.

But a great scientist himself. 

The editors found time in their schedule.

Once face to face the battle was mostly won. Elder Talmage was so reasonable and kind and had such authority that it was easy to convince the editors that they were being unfair.

As Elder Talmage traveled across the country, he always made sure to visit the local papers. This was astonishingly effective.

By 1926 anti-Mormon attacks in the British press were  rare.  And when they did occur it was almost always possible to obtain a prompt retraction and apology.   (The Talmage Story pg 207-211)

I don't think there was another man in the church who could have done this.

The Lord was preparing Elder Talmage.