- The works, and the designs, and the purposes of God cannot be frustrated, neither can they come to naught, for God does not walk in crooked paths, neither does he turn to the right hand nor to the left, neither does he vary from that which he has said. Therefore, his paths are straight and his course is one eternal round.
- Remember, remember that it is not the work of God that is frustrated, but the work of men, for although a man may have many revelations and have power to do many mighty works, yet if he boasts in his own strength, and sets at naught the counsels of God, and follows after the dictates of his own will and carnal desires, he must fall and incur the vengeance of a just God upon him.
- Behold, you have been entrusted with these things, but how strict were your commandments. And remember also the promises which were made to you if you did not transgress them. And behold, how oft you have transgressed the commandments and the laws of God and have gone on in the persuasions of men; for behold, you should not have feared man more than God. Although men set at naught the counsels of God and despise his words, yet you should have been faithful, and he would have extended his arm and supported you against all the fiery darts of the adversary, and he would have been with you in every time of trouble.
- Behold, you are Joseph, and you were chosen to do the work of the Lord, but because of transgression, if you are not aware, you will fall. But remember God is merciful; therefore, repent of that which you have done which is contrary to the commandment which I gave you, and you are still chosen and are again called to the work. Except you do this, you shall be delivered up, and become as other men, and have no more gift.
- And when you delivered up that which God had given you sight and power to translate, you delivered up that which was sacred into the hands of a wicked man who has set at naught the counsels of God, and has broken the most sacred promises which were made before God, and has depended upon his own judgment, and boasted in his own wisdom. And this is the reason that you have lost your privileges for a season, for you have suffered the counsel of your director to be trampled upon from the beginning.
- Nevertheless, my work shall go forth, for inasmuch as the knowledge of a Savior has come unto the world through the testimony of the Jews, even so shall the knowledge of a Savior come unto my people, and to the Nephites, and the Jacobites, and the Josephites, and the Zoramites, through the testimony of their fathers. And this testimony shall come to the knowledge of the Lamanites, and the Lemuelites, and the Ishmaelites, who dwindled in unbelief because of the iniquities of their fathers, whom the Lord has suffered to destroy their brethren the Nephites because of their iniquities and their abominations. And for this very purpose are these plates preserved which contain these records — that the promises of the Lord might be fulfilled which he made to his people, and that the Lamanites might come to the knowledge of their fathers, and that they might know the promises of the Lord, and that they may believe the gospel and rely upon the merits of Jesus Christ, and be glorified through faith in his name, and that through their repentance they might be saved. Amen.
- After I had obtained the above revelation, both the plates and the Urim and Thummim were taken from me again. But in a few days they were returned to me when I inquired of the Lord and the Lord said thus unto me:
- Now behold, I say unto you that because you delivered up those writings, which you had power given unto you to translate by the means of the Urim and Thummim, into the hands of a wicked man, you have lost them; and you also lost your gift at the same time, and your mind became darkened. Nevertheless, it is now restored unto you again; therefore, see that you are faithful and continue on unto the finishing of the remainder of the work of translation as you have begun. Do not run faster or labor more than you have strength and means provided to enable you to translate, but be diligent unto the end.
- Pray always that you may come off conqueror, yea, that you may conquer Satan, and that you may escape the hands of the servants of Satan that do uphold his work. Behold, they have sought to destroy you, yea, even the man in whom you have trusted has sought to destroy you. And for this cause I said that he is a wicked man, for he has sought to take away the things wherewith you have been entrusted, and he has also sought to destroy your gift. And because you have delivered the writings into his hands, behold, wicked men have taken them from you. Therefore, you have delivered them up, yea, that which was sacred, unto wickedness.
- And behold, Satan has put it into their hearts to alter the words which you have caused to be written, or which you have translated, which have gone out of your hands. And behold, I say unto you that because they have altered the words, they read contrary from that which you translated and caused to be written, and on this wise the Devil has sought to lay a cunning plan that he may destroy this work, for he has put it into their hearts to do this, that by lying they may say they have caught you in the words which you have pretended to translate. Verily I say unto you that I will not suffer that Satan shall accomplish his evil design in this thing, for behold, he has put it into their hearts to get you to tempt the Lord your God, in asking to translate it over again. And then behold, they say and think in their hearts, We will see if God has given him power to translate; if so, he will also give him power again. And if God gives him power again or if he translate again, or in other words, if he bringeth forth the same words, behold, we have the same with us and we have altered them; therefore, they will not agree, and we will say that he has lied in his words, and that he has no gift, and that he has no power; therefore, we will destroy him and also the work. And we will do this that we may not be ashamed in the end, and that we may get glory of the world.
- Verily, verily I say unto you that Satan has great hold upon their hearts; he stirs them up to iniquity against that which is good, and their hearts are corrupt and full of wickedness and abominations, and they love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil; therefore, they will not ask of me. Satan stirs them up that he may lead their souls to destruction. And thus he has laid a cunning plan, thinking to destroy the work of God. But I will require this at their hands, and it shall turn to their shame and condemnation in the day of judgment. Yea, he stirs up their hearts to anger against this work, yea, he says unto them, Deceive and lie in wait to catch that you may destroy; behold this is no harm. And thus he flatters them, and tells them that it is no sin to lie that they may catch a man in a lie, that they may destroy him. And thus he flatters them and leads them along until he drags their souls down to hell, and thus he causes them to catch themselves in their own snare. And thus he goes up and down, to and fro in the earth, seeking to destroy the souls of men.
- Verily, verily I say unto you, woe be unto him that lies to deceive because he supposes that another lies to deceive, for such are not exempt from the justice of God.
- Now behold, they altered those words because Satan says unto them, He has deceived you. And thus he flatters them away to do iniquity, to get you to tempt the Lord your God. Behold, I say unto you that you shall not translate again those words which have gone forth out of your hands, for behold, they shall not accomplish their evil designs in lying against those words. For behold, if you should bring forth the same words, they will say that you have lied, that you have pretended to translate but that you have contradicted yourself. And behold, they will publish this, and Satan will harden the hearts of the people, to stir them up to anger against you that they will not believe my words. Thus, Satan thinks to overpower your testimony in this generation, that the work may not come forth in this generation.
- But behold, here is wisdom, and because I show unto you wisdom and give you commandments concerning these things, what you shall do, show it not unto the world until you have accomplished the work of translation. Marvel not that I said unto you, Here is wisdom, show it not unto the world, for I said show it not unto the world that you may be preserved. Behold, I do not say that you shall not show it unto the righteous; but as you cannot always judge the righteous, or as you cannot always tell the wicked from the righteous; therefore, I say unto you, hold your peace until I shall see fit to make all things known unto the world concerning the matter.
- And now verily I say unto you that an account of those things that you have written, which have gone out of your hands, are engraven upon the plates of Nephi, yea, and you remember it was said in those writings that a more particular account was given of these things upon the plates of Nephi. And now because of the account which is engraven upon the plates of Nephi is more particular concerning the things which, in my wisdom, I would bring to the knowledge of the people in this account; therefore, you shall translate the engravings which are on the plates of Nephi, down even till you come to the reign of king Benjamin, or until you come to that which you have translated, which you have retained. And behold, you shall publish it as the record of Nephi, and thus I will confound those who have altered my words. I will not suffer that they shall destroy my work, yea I will show unto them that my wisdom is greater than the cunning of the Devil. Behold, they have only got a part or an abridgment of the account of Nephi. Behold, there are many things engraven on the plates of Nephi which do throw greater views upon my gospel. Therefore, it is wisdom in me that you should translate this first part of the engravings of Nephi and send forth in this work.
- And behold, all the remainder of this work does contain all those parts of my gospel which my holy prophets, yea, and also my disciples, desired in their prayers should come forth unto this people. And I said unto them that it should be granted unto them according to their faith in their prayers, yea, and this was their faith: that my gospel, which I gave unto them that they might preach in their days, might come unto their brethren, the Lamanites, and also all that had become Lamanites because of their dissensions. Now this is not all. Their faith in their prayers were that this gospel should be made known also if it were possible that other nations should possess this land. And thus they did leave a blessing upon this land in their prayers, that whosoever should believe in this gospel in this land might have eternal life, yea that it might be free unto all — of whatsoever nation, kindred, tongue, or people they may be.
- And now behold, according to their faith in their prayers will I bring this part of my gospel to the knowledge of my people. Behold, I do not bring it to destroy that which they have received, but to build it up. And for this cause have I said, If this generation harden not their hearts, I will establish my church among them. Now I do not say this to destroy my church, but I say this to build up my church. Therefore, whosoever belongs to my church need not fear, for such shall inherit the kingdom of Heaven. But it is they who do not fear me, neither keep my commandments, but build up churches unto themselves to get gain, yea, and all those that do wickedly and build up the kingdom of the Devil; yea, verily, verily I say unto you that it is they that I will disturb and cause to tremble and shake to the center.
- Behold, I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I came unto my own and my own received me not. I am the light which shines in darkness and the darkness comprehends it not. I am he who said, Other sheep have I which are not of this fold, unto my disciples, and many there were that understood me not. And I will show unto this people that I had other sheep, and that they were a branch of the house of Jacob. And I will bring to light their marvelous works which they did in my name, yea, and I will also bring to light my gospel which was ministered unto them. And behold, they shall not deny that which you have received, but they shall build it up and shall bring to light the true points of my doctrine, yea, and the only doctrine which is in me. And this I do that I may establish my gospel, that there may not be so much contention. Yea, Satan does stir up the hearts of the people to contention concerning the points of my doctrine, and in these things they do err, for they do wrest the scriptures and do not understand them. Therefore, I will unfold unto them this great mystery, for behold, I will gather them as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, if they will not harden their hearts. Yea, if they will come, they may, and partake of the waters of life freely.
- Behold, this is my doctrine: whosoever repents and comes unto me, the same is my church. Whosoever declares more or less than this, the same is not of me, but is against me. Therefore, he is not of my church.
- And now behold, whosoever is of my church and endures of my church to the end, him will I establish upon my rock, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against them.
- And now remember the words of him who is the life and the light of the world, your Redeemer, your Lord, and your God. Amen.
Part 10 (July 1828)
Revelation to Joseph Smith Jr., given July 1828, concerning certain manuscripts on the first part of the Book of Mormon which had been taken from the possession of Martin Harris. [See also Section 2]
Revelation given to Joseph Smith Jr., [which he dated to] May 1829, informing him of the alteration of the manuscript of the forepart of the Book of Mormon.