Ensign, July 1993, “A Treasured Testament,” p 61 “The details of this miraculous method of translation are still not fully known. Yet we do have a few precious insights. David Whitmer wrote: “Joseph Smith would put the seer stone into a hat, and put his face in the hat, drawing it closely around his face to exclude the light; and in the darkness the spiritual light would shine. A piece of something resembling parchment would appear, and on that appeared the writing.
One character at a time would appear, and under it was the interpretation in English. Brother Joseph would read off the English to Oliver Cowdery, who was his principal scribe, and when it was written down and repeated to Brother Joseph to see if it was correct, then it would disappear, and another character with the interpretation would appear. Thus the Book of Mormon was translated by the gift and power of God, and not by any power of man.” (David Whitmer, An Address to All Believers in Christ, Richmond, Mo.: n.p., 1887, p. 12.)” – Russell M. Nelson
Deuteronomy 18:10 “There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch.”
If Smith was telling Whitmer what to write as illuminated letters would show up in a hat, how does this qualify as “translating”?
Why wasn’t Smith using the infamous “urim and thummim” or translating it directly from the golden plates?
Witches and warlocks use illuminating stones and the like to predict future events. This isn’t much different than using an Ouija Board.
From what the Ensign said in Mr. Nelson’s speech it doesn’t sound like few precious details are known about Smith’s translation process. From the “scant” info he shared we have all the info we need to know Smith wasn’t from God and neither was the Book of Mormon.
Oh, what a tangled web we weave…
Originally post 2013.
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