Reviewing Rough Stone Rolling

One of the most popular "Pages" on this blog is the commentary on Richard Bushman's Rough Stone Rolling, but many readers don't know about the Pages.

We have all learned more about Church history in the years since Rough Stone Rolling was published, and while it would be great to have a new edition, that seems impractical at this point. Instead, we can offer suggestions for improvement, such as those at this link:

https://www.ldshistoricalnarratives.com/p/rough-stone-rolling-analysis-part-1.html

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Below is an excerpt from the review. The original is in blue, my comments are in red, and my revision, or emendation, is in purple.

5. p. 71. Neither Joseph nor Oliver explained how translation worked, but Joseph did not pretend to look at the "reformed Egyptian” words, the language on the plates, according to the book's own description. 

"Joseph did not pretend" assumes Joseph would have been pretending had he claimed to look at the engravings on the plates. But Joseph himself said he not only looked at the plates, but he copied the characters, studied the characters, and translated the characters. As we'll see below, Joseph's mother explained that Joseph applied the U&T to his eyes and looked on the plates, but RSJ omitted that, too.

Ironically, the Lord warned Joseph that his enemies would say "that you have pretended to translate." In our day, it is certain LDS scholars who claim Joseph merely pretended to translate.

Furthermore, in D&C 10:41, the Lord told Joseph "you shall translate the engravings which are on the plates of Nephi." In verse 45, the Lord said "it is wisdom in me that you should translate this first part of the engravings of Nephi." Neither instruction makes sense if Joseph was not actually translating the engravings.

Proposed emendation: Joseph reported, “immediately after my arrival there I commenced copying the characters off the plates. I copied a considerable number of them, and by means of the Urim and Thummim I translated some of them.” (Joseph Smith—History 1:62) Furthermore, the Lord instructed Joseph to "translate the engravings" on specific plates. (D&C 10:41, 45) However, neither Joseph nor Oliver explained in detail how the translation worked.