Year:1828
Scriptures:
Isaiah
29:11
11
And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that
is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read
this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed:
In
September of 1827 Joseph Smith took the golden plates from the Hill
Cumorah to begin translating the Book of Mormon. Immediately there
were attempts made to get the plates from him. Two months later
Joseph and his wife Emma moved in with her father, Isaac Hale in
Harmony Pennsylvania. About
this time Martin Harris gave Joseph fifty dollars to help them move
to Harmony. They purchased a small home and parcel of land from Isaac
Hale and began studying the plates. During
these studies Joseph copied several pages from the plates using the
Urim and Thummim. Two months later in February, 1828 Martin Harris
received permission from Joseph to take these copied figures and
their translation to some experts in ancient languages in New York
City to have them verified.
Martin
Harris’ report of this incident is recorded in Joseph
Smith-History.
Joseph
Smith-History:64-65
64
I went to the city of New York, and presented the characters which
had been translated, with the translation thereof, to Professor
Charles Anthon, a gentleman celebrated for his literary attainments.
Professor Anthon stated that the translation was correct, more so
than any he had before seen translated from the Egyptian. I then
showed him those which were not yet translated, and he said that they
were Egyptian, Chaldaic, Assyriac, and Arabic; and he said they were
true characters. He gave me a certificate, certifying to the people
of Palmyra that they were true characters, and that the translation
of such of them as had been translated was also correct. I took the
certificate and put it into my pocket, and was just leaving the
house, when Mr. Anthon called me back, and asked me how the young man
found out that there were gold plates in the place where he found
them. I answered that an angel of God had revealed it unto him.
65
He then said to me, 'Let me see that certificate.' I accordingly took
it out of my pocket and gave it to him, when he took it and tore it
to pieces, saying that there was no such thing now as ministering of
angels, and that if I would bring the plates to him he would
translate them. I informed him that part of the plates were sealed,
and that I was forbidden to bring them. He replied, 'I cannot read a
sealed book.' I left him and went to Dr. Mitchell, who sanctioned
what Professor Anthon had said respecting both the characters and the
translation.
This
incident was a direct fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy in Isaiah
29:11
The
Book of Mormon also gives a prophecy of this event.
2
Nephi 27:15-18
15
But, behold, it shall come to pass that the Lord God shall say unto
him [Joseph Smith) to whom he shall deliver the book: Take these
words which are not sealed and deliver them to another [Martin
Harris], that he may show them unto the learned [Anthon and
Mitchell], saying: read this, I pray thee. And
the learned shall say: Bring hither the book, and I will read them:
16
And now, because of the glory of the world and to get gain they will
say this, and not for the glory of God.
17
And the man shall say: I cannot bring the book, for it is sealed.
18
Then shall the learned say: I cannot read it.
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