The phrase "a marvelous work is about to come forth among the children of men" appears in Joseph's revelations starting in section four, and appears frequently in many of his other revelations. This phrase refers to the translation and publication of the Book of Mormon from the golden plates. Mormon belief states that Joseph was given engraved gold plates by an angel of God. These plates contained a history of the ancient people of America, but more importantly, it contained the teachings of the prophets among them as they taught the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Joseph was commanded to publish these records as the Book of Mormon. The Lord called it "a marvelous work"
near the beginning of Joseph's translation work.
While Joseph may have partially understood the importance that the Book of Mormon would play in the world, certainly he did not understand the scope of it all. He understood that the plates would be an instrument in the hands of the Lord, but did he know how much? I don't believe so. Joseph was led by his revelations as much as the other Saints were led by the same revelations. Receiving golden plates and being told to translate them must have seemed like a big enough task in itself. He hadn't had experience translating anything, and he was asked to translate what turned out to be 600 pages of religious and secular history (not including the 116 lost pages). I can only imagine his anxiety as the Lord called it a marvelous work--much bigger than what Joseph had imagined it to be up to this point. He did not know where the translation of this book would lead him, and how it would define and prove his prophetic mission.
So what was so "marvelous" about the translation? While Joseph translated a large number of pages in very little time, this was not the only marvel. Thousands of people in the United States and in Europe read the Book of Mormon and accepted it, without ever meeting the prophet that translated it. Even after Joseph's death, thousands of people flocked to the Rocky Mountains because of the spiritual power the Book of Mormon lent them. Even today, millions more are joining the church after reading parts or all of the Book of Mormon, without ever meeting the long-dead Joseph Smith. I saw many families converted in the mission field after reading from the Book of Mormon and praying to know of its truth. The Book stands as a testament of the truth that God has called a prophet to the earth once again, and that His Church has also been restored to the face of the earth.
In short, the marvelous work that the Lord spoke about is still happening, and the Book of Mormon is the engine and force behind that work. While Joseph Smith knew the Book of Mormon was true before he even translated it, I don't think he understood right away how important it would be for the Church or for the Lord's people. The Book of Mormon has stood the test of time, and it is truly a marvelous work, as the Lord stated nearly two centuries ago.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
A Necessary Loss
The loss of the Book of Lehi, the infamous 116 pages, had always been a tragedy in my mind. Would history have been different if we could have read them? What new mysteries (or old ones) do they contain? Who has them today? The curious mind is inevitably drawn towards the 116 pages and the "lost" knowledge that we could have had. However, as I was studying about the 116 pages and how they were lost by Joseph Smith and Martin Harris, I realize that it's probable, in fact, it was necessary that those pages be lost to cause a change of heart or growth in Joseph’s understanding of his prophetic mission.
There is a similarity between Joseph’s grueling experience with the lost pages and the conversion stories of many of the prophets in the Bible and the Book of Mormon. I think immediately of Saul of Tarsus in the New Testament, or Alma the Younger, a character from the Book of Mormon trying to destroy the church. Both had life-changing experiences when an angel or the Lord himself appeared and warned them to change their lives or perish. While Joseph had not sunk to the depths of Saul or Alma the Younger, he had made a mistake in releasing the pages despite repeated warnings from the Lord not to do so.
Alma and Saul could only be turned from their ways by a severe rebuking from the Lord. Although their experiences were glorious, they were frightening, and both were smitten down. However, after those horrible experiences, they were both healed by the Spirit and went on to build the Kingdom in great ways. In a similar way, Joseph had to experience a severe chastening, which brought him to the depths of sorrow and humility. It is only when he had been brought low that the Lord could raise him even more.
As I was studying about this episode in Joseph’s life, my mind kept going back to my mission in El Salvador, and I realized that most missionaries have that same experience on the mission. Many never learn the language or teach with the Spirit because they want to earn it themselves. Only the missionaries who allowed the Lord to bring them down were brought above their trials. I had learned about this time in Joseph’s life many times before, but never before had it brought a personal meaning to me. I saw it as curious that a prophet would be so stupid to ignore the warnings of the Lord, but then I realized that I do the exact same things. We all do. We refuse to be humble, and so the Lord must humble us through trial, until we allow him to lift us up. While studying the life of Joseph Smith, I learned that it is only when I have been brought low that the Lord can raise me to unforeseen heights. In the end, it doesn’t matter what was on the lost pages as much as what we have learned about ourselves from Joseph’s experience of repentance and humility.
There is a similarity between Joseph’s grueling experience with the lost pages and the conversion stories of many of the prophets in the Bible and the Book of Mormon. I think immediately of Saul of Tarsus in the New Testament, or Alma the Younger, a character from the Book of Mormon trying to destroy the church. Both had life-changing experiences when an angel or the Lord himself appeared and warned them to change their lives or perish. While Joseph had not sunk to the depths of Saul or Alma the Younger, he had made a mistake in releasing the pages despite repeated warnings from the Lord not to do so.
Alma and Saul could only be turned from their ways by a severe rebuking from the Lord. Although their experiences were glorious, they were frightening, and both were smitten down. However, after those horrible experiences, they were both healed by the Spirit and went on to build the Kingdom in great ways. In a similar way, Joseph had to experience a severe chastening, which brought him to the depths of sorrow and humility. It is only when he had been brought low that the Lord could raise him even more.
As I was studying about this episode in Joseph’s life, my mind kept going back to my mission in El Salvador, and I realized that most missionaries have that same experience on the mission. Many never learn the language or teach with the Spirit because they want to earn it themselves. Only the missionaries who allowed the Lord to bring them down were brought above their trials. I had learned about this time in Joseph’s life many times before, but never before had it brought a personal meaning to me. I saw it as curious that a prophet would be so stupid to ignore the warnings of the Lord, but then I realized that I do the exact same things. We all do. We refuse to be humble, and so the Lord must humble us through trial, until we allow him to lift us up. While studying the life of Joseph Smith, I learned that it is only when I have been brought low that the Lord can raise me to unforeseen heights. In the end, it doesn’t matter what was on the lost pages as much as what we have learned about ourselves from Joseph’s experience of repentance and humility.
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