Most of the descriptions of the process of translating the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ have been provided by those who helped the prophet, Joseph Smith, as scribes.  Joseph would translate aloud, and the scribe would write down what he said.  Joseph did explain the use of the Urim and Thumim (in Hebrew, “lights and perfections”).  The Urim and Thummim were essentially seer stones used in Old Testament times, and surely before and after.  They were mounted on a “bow” secured to a breastplate, and are described as part of the sacred clothing of Aaron, the brother of Moses.  They were handed down from prophet to prophet and found by Joseph Smith in the stone box which contained the gold plates from which he translated. Thus, a way was provided for translation along with the record itself.  As far as use for translation was concerned some Jewish scholars claim one of the two stones showed the word in translation and the other showed its meaning.  Others say the stones were oracles that provided a yes or no answer. [1]  Joseph also possessed a single seer stone, still in the possession of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, often inadvertently called the Mormon Church. [2]  It appears that Joseph only used the stones until he was proficient at receiving direct revelation from God ((Report of) “Two Days’ Meeting at Brigham City June 27 and 28, 1874,” Millennial Star 36:32, August 11, 1874, 499).

Joseph’s wife, Emma Hale Smith, served as his scribe for a time, and she reported in 1870, “Now the first that my husband translated was translated by the use of Urim and Thummim, and that was the part that Martin Harris lost. After that he used a small stone, not exactly black, but was rather a dark color . . . ” [2]  Oliver Cowdery served the longest as Joseph’s scribe and defended Joseph in 1830. “Oliver Cowdery ‘testified under oath, that said Smith found with the plates, from which he translated his book, two transparent stones, resembling glass, set in silver bows. That by looking through these, he was able to read in English, the reformed Egyptian characters, which were engraved on the plates.’” [2]  He also said, “Day after day I continued uninterrupted to write from his mouth, as he translated with the Urim and Thummim, or, as the Nephites would have said, ‘Interpreters,’ the history or record, called the book of Mormon.” [2]

Some have derided Joseph Smith by saying he put his seer stone into a hat and hid his face in it to exclude the light.  To some this sounds clownish enough to discredit him as a prophet, but this report came from David Whitmer, who never did witness the process of translation, so it is unreliable at best.  The translation process took effort, and when Oliver Cowdery tried it, he failed, because he expected to receive without that effort.  Said Mormon scholar Stephen D. Ricks:

“…the means at Joseph’s disposal (the seerstone and the interpreters) enhanced his capacity to understand the basic meanings of the words and phrases of the book as well as to grasp the relation of these words to each other. However, the actual translation was Joseph’s alone and the opportunity to improve it in grammar and word choice still remained open. All who have had experience in translating are aware of the often considerable cleavage between being able to construe a sentence and actually rendering it in a felicitous translation. All who have translated are also keenly aware that it is a rare translation which cannot be improved. Thus, while it would be incorrect to minimize the divine element in the process of translation of the Book of Mormon, it would also be misleading and potentially hazardous to deny the human factor.” [2]

Corrections to The Book of Mormon?

Of course!  The Book of Mormon came forth in essentially one long run-on sentence.  Joseph had only about 3 years of primary school education, and his wife Emma said he could barely compose a proper sentence when he was called by God to be the prophet.  His remarkable growth over the years amazes those who read his history.  Though unschooled, he not only had a superior intellect, but was taught thoroughly from On High, and brought forth knowledge more profound than any other earthly philosopher or religious leader, and brought forth more scripture than any other prophet who has ever lived.  Some who deride Joseph and The Church of Jesus Christ exclaim that there have been 4,000 changes made to the Book of Mormon.  Since there were originally no chapters or verses in the sacred text, we would reply, “Is that all?”

How Long Did It Take to Translate the Book of Mormon?

Some claim that Joseph Smith wrote the Book of Mormon himself, while others claim he plagiarized parts.  These claims were debunked long ago, but still rear their ugly heads.  With virtually no resources available in the frontier, and with such little education, how long would it take Joseph Smith, who was constantly in flight from continuous persecution, and who had huge challenges at home (including the death of a child, illness of his wife, stolen pages of the manuscript), to write or to plagiarize the book (531 pages)?   Joseph’s wife Emma testified that Joseph never had any other text with him when he translated.

Joseph translated most of the book between April 7 and June 30, 1929.  Before that, it had taken him a considerable amount of time to complete the first 116 pages, which were “borrowed” and then lost by Martin Harris.  Joseph did not re-translate those pages, because the Lord provided like material in another part of the plates, foreseeing the situation.

The translation was a staggering achievement. It was completed within eighty-five days, from 7 April to 30 June. Of course, not all of that time was spent working on the translation. The Prophet and his scribes also took time to eat, to sleep, to seek employment (once, for money when supplies ran out), to receive the Aaronic and Melchizedek priesthoods, to make at least one (and possibly two) trips to Colesville, thirty miles away, to convert and baptize Hyrum and Samuel Smith (who came to Harmony at that time); to receive and record thirteen revelations that are now sections of the Doctrine and Covenants; to move from Harmony to Fayette; to acquire the Book of Mormon copyright; to preach a few days and baptize several near Fayette; to experience manifestations with the Three and Eight Witnesses; and to begin making arrangements for the Book of Mormon’s publication. [3]

The Book of Mormon Translation Could Only Have Been Accomplished with God’s Help

From the surviving portions of the Original Manuscript it appears that Joseph dictated about a dozen words at a time. Oliver would read those words back for verification, and then they would go on. Emma later added that after a meal or a night’s rest, Joseph would begin, without prompting, where he had previously left off (The Saints’ Herald 26 [Oct. 1, 1879]:290). No time was taken for research, internal cross-checking, or editorial rewriting. In 1834 Oliver wrote: “These were days never to be forgotten-to sit under the sound of a voice dictated by the inspiration of heaven, awakened the utmost gratitude of this bosom! Day after day I continued, uninterrupted, to write from his mouth as he translated” (Messenger and Advocate 1 [Oct. 1834]:14). [4]

Internal Proofs of the Book of Mormon

Yes, there are archaeological proofs for the Book of Mormon, and those increase in number all the time.  But there are remarkable internal proofs as well.  The perfection of geographical references, consistency in the use of names, and Hebraic poetic style are just a few:

…circumstantial evidence in the English text suggests that the translation was quite precise. For example, the independent and identical translations of 1 Nephi 1:8 and of Alma 36:22 (precisely quoting twenty-one of Lehi’s words in 1 Nephi 1:8) typify the internal accuracy manifested in this long and complex record. Moreover, several formulaic terms, Hebraisms, stylistic indications of multiple authorship, varieties of parallelism and extended chiasmus (see Book of Mormon Authorship; Book of Mormon Literature), as well as certain Semitic proper names and some textual variants, not at all evident from the King James Bible, corroborate the claim that the translation was faithful to a consistent underlying text. [4]

Additional Resources: Read the Book of Mormon online

Learn More about Joseph Smith

http://youtu.be/ByJY-N85i7s http://youtu.be/CCdiiSqqp60

Jeffrey M. Bradshaw and David J. Larsen have written a multi-part article for The Interpreter online, showing these connections, called “Ancient Affinities within the LDS Book of Enoch.”  This summary comes from Part 2 of their treatise.
Ancient texts cited by Bradshaw and Larsen refer to “gibborim and the nephilim,” sometimes assumed to be giants.  However, theses are best described as mighty warriors.  “In his Enoch writings, Joseph Smith specifically differentiated the “giants” from Enoch’s other adversaries.”  Both the Book of Moses from Joseph Smith and the Book of Giants from Qumran speak of wars and bloodshed.  Both texts also refer to mysterious covenants and alliances meant to spread works of violence and wickedness.  These are akin to references in the Book of Mormon to “secret combinations,” with Satan as their author, which have been on the earth since Cain, and which hold the secret of being able to murder to get gain.  Involved in these wicked oaths is Mahijah, whose identity and Hebrew name Joseph Smith could not have come up with without revelation, as he hadn’t the ability nor the sources.

“In preaching to the people, the Enoch of the Book of Moses refers to a ‘book of remembrance’ (Moses 6:46), in which the words of God and the actions of the people were recorded. Correspondingly, in the Book of the Giants, a book in the form of “two stone tablets”42  is given by Enoch to Mahujah to stand as a witness of “their fallen state and betrayal of their ancient covenants.”43  In the Book of Moses, Enoch says the book is written “according to the pattern given by the finger of God” (Moses 6:46). This may allude to the idea that a similar record of their wickedness is kept in heaven44 as attested in 1 Enoch: “Do not suppose to yourself nor say in your heart, that they do not know nor are your unrighteous deeds seen in heaven, nor are they written down before the Most High. Henceforth know that all your unrighteous deeds are written down day by day, until the day of your judgment.”

Thus we see that a Book of Remembrance was kept to record the acts of both the righteous and the wicked.  Enoch calls the wicked to repentance in such a way that they quake and weep.  Enoch’s power strikes them with fear.  The Book of Moses explains what happened when the only-temporarily penitent warriors begin to attack the people of Enoch:

“And so great was the faith of Enoch that he led the people of God, and their enemies came to battle against them; and he spake the word of the Lord, and the earth trembled, and the mountains fled, even according to his command; and the rivers of water were turned out of their course; and the roar of the lions was heard out of the wilderness” (Moses 7:13).

Both the Book of Giants and the Book of Moses record the roar of wild beasts as Enoch used his priesthood power to remodel the landscape.

Weeping and Exaltation

In the Book of Moses, three people weep for the wicked—God, the Heavens, and Enoch.  Meanwhile, the earth mourns.  The following, from the Jewish Midrash Rabbah, parallels the account in the Book of Moses:

At that time the Holy One, blessed be He, wept and said, “Woe is Me! What have I done? I caused my Shekhinah to dwell below on earth for the sake of Israel; but now that they have sinned, I have returned to My former habitation. . . .” At that time Metatron [who is Enoch in his glorified state] came, fell upon his face, and spake before the Holy One, blessed be He: “Sovereign of the Universe, let me weep, but do Thou not weep.” He replied to him: “if thou lettest Me not weep now, I will repair to a place which thou hast not permission to enter,90 and will weep there,” as it is said, “But if ye will not hear it, My soul shall weep in secret for pride” [Jeremiah 13:17].

In the Book of Moses, God takes up the righteous City of Enoch to remove it from the polluting presence of the wickedness on earth.  Theologian Terence Fretheim has written about Enoch’s being taken into the presence of God.  Enoch becomes part of a divine counsel, and this is the divine spark in man, the theophany of prophets that seems to have been deleted from much of our existent scripture.  Most of us don’t realize how willing God is to connect us with heaven when we have an eye single to His glory.  Says Fretheim, “The prophet becomes a party to the divine story; the heart and mind of God pass over into that of the prophet to such an extent that the prophet becomes a veritable embodiment of God.”

The pseudepigraphal Enoch literature has much in common with Joseph Smith’s Book of Moses in talking of Enoch’s gaining access to the divine throne of God.

Charles Mopsik concludes that the exaltation of Enoch is not meant to be seen as a singular event. Rather he writes that the “enthronement of Enoch is a prelude to the transfiguration of the righteous—and at their head the Messiah—in the world to come, a transfiguration that is the restoration of the figure of the perfect Man.”

In Moses 7:35, God identifies Himself as “Man of Holiness.”  This corresponds with other references in scripture, where prophets speak with God “face to face.”  God is not some nebulous spirit.  In the Book of Moses, He predicts His Only Begotten in the flesh as a separate being, not Himself, incarnate:

“Man of Holiness is [God’s] name, and the name of his Only Begotten is the Son of Man, even Jesus Christ, a righteous Judge, who shall come in the meridian of time” (Moses 6:57).

Enoch and the Temple

Late Mormon scholar, Hugh Nibley, said the following:

“…in the center of a study of matters dealing with initiation in the literature of Israel.” Enoch is the great initiate who becomes the great initiator. . . .113 The Hebrew book of Enoch bore the title of Hekhalot, referring to the various chambers or stages of initiation in the temple.114 Enoch, having reached the final stage, becomes the Metatron to initiate and guide others. “I will not say but what Enoch had Temples and officiated therein,” said Brigham Young, “but we have no account of it.”115  Today we do have such accounts.

The City of Enoch was called Zion, meaning “the pure in heart.”  In a Zion society, everyone sees eye to eye, there are no poor, and there are no wicked.  The reward for the pure in heart is that they shall see God.  This can happen while men are In the flesh, if they are prepared.  Enoch and all of his people were indeed prepared.

“Therefore,” the Lord told Joseph Smith, “sanctify yourselves that your minds become single to God, and the days will come that you shall see him; for he will unveil his face unto you, and it shall be in his own time, and in his own way, and according to his own will. Remember the great and last promise which I have made unto you” (D&C 88:68–69).

The Book of Moses

Joseph Smith had only 3 years of primary school education.  His wife Emma explained how difficult it was for Joseph to compose a sentence in English, when he began translating the Book of Mormon, just barely out of his teens.  Although the Book of Mormon had been written in “reformed Egyptian,”  Joseph set about learning basic Hebrew from a Jewish tutor after he finished the work.  Joseph lived in a rural area and had no access to scholarly books from which he could have drawn material for the writings he created.  His information regarding Enoch, amazingly (or not, once you accept that he was a prophet) coincides with ancient apocryphal writings about Enoch.

Scholars “Terryl and Fiona Givens consider the LDS account of Enoch as perhaps the ‘most remarkable religious document published in the nineteenth century.”   Joseph Smith produced it early in the history of the Church of Jesus Christ, the same year as the Book of Mormon was published.  There is absolutely no source for this record except revelation.  The eminent Yale professor and Jewish literary scholar Harold Bloom found it remarkable that Joseph could produce something that contained so many “crucial elements in the archaic Jewish religion….that had ceased to be available either to normative Judaism or to Christianity.”  He found it unlikely that Joseph Smith could have been exposed to these things even in the watered-down form in which some of it survived.

“The LDS accounts of Enoch combine both ancient elements and the results of subsequent prophetic shaping to enhance intelligibility and relevance for our day.”  Thus, Jesus Christ as we know Him appears in the Enoch narration.  Kathleen Flake explains Joseph’s method thus:  “Joseph Smith did not see himself as ‘God’s stenographer. Rather, he was an interpreting reader, and God the confirming authority.’”  

It appears that in this case and many other cases, Joseph Smith received more through revelation than he was able to impart through his writings, partly because the writing needed future reworkings, and partly because he was forbidden to reveal certain things to the public.  God imparts knowledge line upon line, and we are simply not ready to receive new information until we have built up to it.  In the beginning, letters of Joseph Smith seem to indicate that he didn’t expect his Bible translation to be published.

Joseph’s account of Enoch receiving his commission to be a prophet relates to the scene of Jesus’ baptism, when the spirit descended.  His call is similar to that of Jeremiah and Moses in that he feels unworthy and incapable.  Enoch claims to be slow of speech, but God promises to supply him with words.  This report is very close to what is written in 2 Enoch 39:5 in the Book of Enoch.   We read in the Book of Moses that through the power given him of God, Enoch was able to move mountains and rivers.   The ancient Manaean account says the following: “The [Supreme] Life replied, Arise, take thy way to the source of the waters, turn it from its course. . . At this command Tavril [the angel speaking to Enoch] indeed turned the pure water from its course.”

Next in the Book of Moses, God makes it so Enoch is able to see with spiritual eyes, and he sees all the spirits of mankind.  In 1 Enoch it says, “God touched [Enoch’s] eyes and he saw heaven.”

*Read more and see the bibliography at “Ancient Affinities within the LDS Book of Enoch, Part 1,” by Jeffrey Bradshaw and David Larsen.

Learn about Jesus Christ in Mormonism.