The Prophet Joseph Smith’s own words about the coming forth of the Book of Mormon are:
“On the evening of the … twenty-first of September [1823] … I betook myself to prayer and supplication to Almighty God. …
“While
I was thus in the act of calling upon God, I discovered a light
appearing in my room, which continued to increase until the room was
lighter than at noonday, when immediately a personage appeared at my
bedside, standing in the air, for his feet did not touch the floor.
“He
had on a loose robe of most exquisite whiteness. It was a whiteness
beyond anything earthly I had ever seen; nor do I believe that any
earthly thing could be made to appear so exceedingly white and
brilliant. His hands were naked, and his arms also, a little above the
wrist; so, also, were his feet naked, as were his legs, a little above
the ankles. His head and neck were also bare. I could discover that he
had no other clothing on but this robe, as it was open, so that I could
see into his bosom.
“Not
only was his robe exceedingly white, but his whole person was glorious
beyond description, and his countenance truly like lightning. The room
was exceedingly light, but not so very bright as immediately around his
person. When I first looked upon him, I was afraid; but the fear soon
left me.
“He
called me by name, and said unto me that he was a messenger sent from
the presence of God to me, and that his name was Moroni; that God had a
work for me to do; and that my name should be had for good and evil
among all nations, kindreds, and tongues, or that it should be both good
and evil spoken of among all people.This is not really good news. But the angel is preparing him for his new life, filled with miracles and also great opposition.
“He
said there was a book deposited, written upon gold plates, giving an
account of the former inhabitants of this continent, Notice the angel said "this" continent. I would not take that to mean any other land besides the one Joseph was standing on. This sounds like evidence that the Book of Mormon lands are in the USA lands. and the source from
whence they sprang. He also said that the fulness of the everlasting
Gospel was contained in it, as delivered by the Savior to the ancient
inhabitants; Here is another statement that "the fulness of the everlasting Gospel" refers to the Book of Mormon, so in 3 Nephi 16 when it says the Gentiles reject the fulness of the Gospel, they are rejecting The Book of Mormon as a whole, or the teachings within it...
“Also,
that there were two stones in silver bows—and these stones, fastened to
a breastplate, constituted what is called the Urim and
Thummim—deposited with the plates; and the possession and use of these
stones were what constituted ‘seers’ in ancient or former times; and
that God had prepared them for the purpose of translating the book. … why would God prepare them for translating the book and then not have Joseph use them? (one argument against the "peep stone" theory)
“Again,
he told me, that when I got those plates of which he had spoken—for the
time that they should be obtained was not yet fulfilled—I should not
show them to any person; neither the breastplate with the Urim and
Thummim; only to those to whom I should be commanded to show them; if I
did I should be destroyed. While he was conversing with me about the
plates, the vision was opened to my mind that I could see the place
where the plates were deposited, and that so clearly and distinctly that
I knew the place again when I visited it.
“After
this communication, I saw the light in the room begin to gather
immediately around the person of him who had been speaking to me, and it
continued to do so until the room was again left dark, except just
around him; when, instantly I saw, as it were, a conduit open right up
into heaven, and he ascended till he entirely disappeared, and the room
was left as it had been before this heavenly light had made its
appearance.
“I
lay musing on the singularity of the scene, and marveling greatly at
what had been told to me by this extraordinary messenger; when, in the midst
of my meditation, I suddenly discovered that my room was again
beginning to get lighted, and in an instant, as it were, the same
heavenly messenger was again by my bedside.
“He
commenced, and again related the very same things which he had done at
his first visit, without the least variation; which having done, he
informed me of great judgments which were coming upon the earth, with
great desolations by famine, sword, and pestilence; and that these
grievous judgments would come on the earth in this generation. Having
related these things, he again ascended as he had done before.
“By
this time, so deep were the impressions made on my mind, that sleep had
fled from my eyes, and I lay overwhelmed in astonishment at what I had
both seen and heard. But what was my surprise when again I beheld the
same messenger at my bedside, and heard him rehearse or repeat over
again to me the same things as before; and added a caution to me,
telling me that Satan would try to tempt me (in consequence of the
indigent circumstances of my father’s family), to get the plates for the
purpose of getting rich. This he forbade me, saying that I must have no
other object in view in getting the plates but to glorify God, and must
not be influenced by any other motive than that of building his
kingdom; otherwise I could not get them.
“After
this third visit, he again ascended into heaven as before, and I was
again left to ponder on the strangeness of what I had just experienced;
when almost immediately after the heavenly messenger had ascended from
me for the third time, the cock crowed, and I found that day was
approaching, so that our interviews must have occupied the whole of that
night. This makes it sound like there was much time between appearances, or what was said each time was much more than what was written.
“I
shortly after arose from my bed, and, as usual, went to the necessary
labors of the day; but, in attempting to work as at other times, I found
my strength so exhausted as to render me entirely unable. My father,
who was laboring along with me, discovered something to be wrong with
me, and told me to go home. I started with the intention of going to the
house; but, in attempting to cross the fence out of the field where we
were, my strength entirely failed me, and I fell helpless on the ground,
and for a time was quite unconscious of anything. Was this just because he'd been up all night? or was it the effect of heavenly visitations on the physical body as described in the scriptures? (Although after the angel showed the 3 witnesses there is no record of such a physical effect...)
“The
first thing that I can recollect was a voice speaking unto me, calling
me by name. I looked up, and beheld the same messenger standing over my
head, surrounded by light as before. He then again related unto me all
that he had related to me the previous night, and commanded me to go to
my father and tell him of the vision and commandments which I had
received.
“I
obeyed; I returned to my father in the field, and rehearsed the whole
matter to him. He replied to me that it was of God, and told me to go
and do as commanded by the messenger. I left the field, and went to the
place where the messenger had told me the plates were deposited; and
owing to the distinctness of the vision which I had had concerning it, I
knew the place the instant that I arrived there.
“Convenient
to the village of Manchester, Ontario county, New York, stands a hill
of considerable size, and the most elevated of any in the neighborhood.
On the west side of this hill, not far from the top, under a stone of
considerable size, lay the plates, deposited in a stone box. This stone
was thick and rounding in the middle on the upper side, and thinner
towards the edges, so that the middle part of it was visible above the
ground, but the edge all around was covered with earth.
“Having
removed the earth, I obtained a lever, which I got fixed under the edge
of the stone, and with a little exertion raised it up. I looked in, and
there indeed did I behold the plates, the Urim and Thummim, and the
breastplate, as stated by the messenger. The box in which they lay was
formed by laying stones together in some kind of cement. In the bottom
of the box were laid two stones crossways of the box, and on these
stones lay the plates and the other things with them.
“I
made an attempt to take them out, but was forbidden by the messenger, Fifth appearance of the angel in less than 24 hours. Surely that would have made a lasting impression! and was again informed that the time for bringing them forth had not yet
arrived, neither would it, until four years from that time; but he told
me that I should come to that place precisely in one year from that
time, and that he would there meet with me, and that I should continue
to do so until the time should come for obtaining the plates.
“Accordingly,
as I had been commanded, I went at the end of each year, and at each
time I found the same messenger there, and received instruction and
intelligence from him at each of our interviews, respecting what the
Lord was going to do, and how and in what manner his kingdom was to be
conducted in the last days. … How would it be to know you had a standing appointment with an angel!
“At
length the time arrived for obtaining the plates, the Urim and Thummim,
and the breastplate. On the twenty-second day of September, one
thousand eight hundred and twenty-seven, having gone as usual at the end
of another year to the place where they were deposited, the same
heavenly messenger delivered them up to me with this charge: that I
should be responsible for them; that if I should let them go carelessly,
or through any neglect of mine, I should be cut off; but that if I
would use all my endeavors to preserve them, until he, the messenger,
should call for them, they should be protected. I'm noticing that Joseph was required to do all he could to protect the plates and only IF he did, the angel promised they would be protected. He didn't get to just leave them out and say, "oh, Moroni will protect them". He had to constantly change hiding places and be very careful. But he could trust that he would be successful because of this promise. I suppose if he were careless and they were stolen that the angel would just go get them from the thief when they were asleep. Angels/translated/resurrected beings can handle physical objects. Maybe this is how things became "slippery" in the Book of Mormon, and people could not hang on to things. Angels came and took them away?...
“I
soon found out the reason why I had received such strict charges to
keep them safe, and why it was that the messenger had said that when I
had done what was required at my hand, he would call for them. For no
sooner was it known that I had them, than the most strenuous exertions
were used to get them from me. Every stratagem that could be invented
was resorted to for that purpose. The persecution became more bitter and
severe than before, and multitudes were on the alert continually to get
them from me if possible. But by the wisdom of God, they remained safe
in my hands, until I had accomplished by them what was required at my
hand. When, according to arrangements, the messenger called for them, I
delivered them up to him; and he has them in his charge until this day, so it seems Moroni will be the one to deliver them again when the sealed portion is translated... being the second day of May, one thousand eight hundred and
thirty-eight.”
For a more complete account, see Joseph Smith—History in the Pearl of Great Price.
The
ancient record thus brought forth from the earth as the voice of a
people speaking from the dust, and translated into modern speech by the
gift and power of God as attested by Divine affirmation, was first
published to the world in the year 1830 as The Book of Mormon.
