The missing 116 pages and the alleged alterations

[_cinepro]

Another often forgotten aspect of the story is that the Book of Mormon wasn't published for another two years after the 116 pages were lost!

So the Lucy Harris Gang would have to patiently wait for two years before their plan could be realized! They could be chess grandmasters with patience and long-range planning skills like that.

Of course, if it turned out that the plotters ended up losing interest before the publication, then there was no need for the alternate small-plates version. By all accounts, Joseph kept translating from where the 116 pages left off (Mosiah chapter 1) and didn't revisit the Lehi story until he finished the Book of Moroni and rounded back to the beginning.

So by that time, if the Lord knew that the plan had unraveled, there would be no need for an alternate version. The 116 pages were lost, the wicked men found other wicked schemes to embark on, and the Large Plates could be retranslated without danger of being compared to an altered version.

That's the kind of stuff that can happen when you have an omnipotent deity calling the plays for your team.

[_Dr. Shades]

However, you might want to view the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

Why? What's the connection?

[_sock puppet]

D&C 10

38 And now, verily I say unto you, that an account of those things that you have written, which have gone out of your hands, is engraven upon the plates of Nephi;

39 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.

40 And now, because 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—

Wonder if the plates of Lehi version had conveniently left out the part about Nephi having committed murder for the Lord, and the Plan B version had it in there?

D&C 10
41 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;

There's goes that Omniscient One again. It wasn't JSJr translating the engravings. It was the magic rock on which English words would appear. Of course, for JSJr to understand, there did not need to be a prop like gold plates, JSJr understood what elohim and/or Jehovah and/or Moroni said at the 1st Vision, right?--but then, maybe JSJr did the plates as props and to think he was translating if elohim did not want JSJr to keep altering the account as JSJr later did the 1st Vision.

I really like that the Omniscient One gave JSJr the option of re-translating down to either the reign of king Benjamin or to the point of the already translated/retained part. 'You're call, Joe'. Elohim must have not thought it wise to direct him on that one either way, even though this was a ver batim translation taking place, and the English words wouldn't disappear (and new phrase appear) until it proofed by the scribe reading it back. Or, the Omniscient One simply didn't know to what point JSJr had retained already translated portions.

D&C 10

42 And behold, you shall publish it as the record of Nephi; and thus I will confound those who have altered my words.

"Those". More than one. A cabal, to be sure. The 116 pp had already been altered.

D&C 10
43 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.

44 Behold, they have only got a part, or an abridgment of the account of Nephi.

45 Behold, there are many things engraven upon 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.

Per Don's FAIR presentation, if the lost 116 pages had all these story elements that are not found in the published Book of Mormon, which give us further insights into temple worship and so forth, then the Lord must have been wrong about "many things engraven upon the plates of Nephi which do throw greater views upon my gospel."

It would truly be strange if the plates of Lehi had more details than than the plates of Nephi, of which the plates of Lehi were a mere abridgement.

by the way, why wasn't scripture study this much fun when I was in seminary?

[_kairos]

Could someone comment on the implications of Joseph Smith taking up the translation at mosiah rather than starting at the very beginning again. could it mean he was working from a script and the116 first pages of the script were originals and no longer available?

to start a story a quarter into it seems odd to me.

has anyone written extensively on this like vogel, metcalf, the FARMERS?

thanx

k

[_MCB]

he was working from a script and the116 first pages of the script were originals and no longer available?

That is the theory. It has been discussed quite extensively here. Look for threads in which Uncle Dale has participated.

[_dblagent007]

Another odd thing about the "plan" in D&C 10 is that the "evil men" were so evil that they knew without any doubt that Joseph Smith was a true prophet at the time they took the manuscript because they altered its words before even giving Joseph a chance to reproduce the original. Ordinary evil men would have at least waited to see if Joseph produced an exact copy before altering the words, but not these guys. They were so evil that they knew without a doubt that Joseph as a true prophet so they preemptively altered the manuscript.

That or Joseph needed an excuse for why he couldn't produce an exact copy.

I'll leave it to you to decide which is more probable.

[_sock puppet]

Another odd thing about the "plan" in D&C 10 is that the "evil men" were so evil that they knew without any doubt that Joseph Smith was a true prophet at the time they took the manuscript because they altered its words before even giving Joseph a chance to reproduce the original. Ordinary evil men would have at least waited to see if Joseph produced an exact copy before altering the words, but not these guys. They were so evil that they knew without a doubt that Joseph as a true prophet so they preemptively altered the manuscript.

That or Joseph needed an excuse for why he couldn't produce an exact copy.

I'll leave it to you to decide which is more probable.

Probabilities run against Mormonism's claims.

Ever diminishing possibilities provide the furtive ground of apologists.

[_moksha]

However, you might want to view the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

Why? What's the connection?

The missing 116 pages.

Naw, I'm just messing with you. Try whistling the five notes from Close Encounters around thirty times.