I have come to realize that the words uttered by Prophets and many others, “by the gift and power of God“, is such an overwhelming, and powerful definition of how the Book of Mormon came forth into the world. It’s meaning is extraordinary!
By the Gift and Power of God
“I translated the record by the gift and power of God” Joseph Smith Wentworth Letter
“As he [Joseph Smith] translated it by the gift and power of God, by the means of the Urim and Thummim.” Oliver Cowdery JSH 1:75
I call the Interpreters or Urim and Thummim, or “these stones fastened to a breastplate” JSH 1:35 the same incredible resource. I call them “The Lord’s Instruments.” These instruments have to be “THEM” [Plural], in my opinion.
Interpreters has a plural “s”, the Urim and Thummim constitute several items, and the these stones with an “s” means plural. A single seer stone is not the Lord’s Instrument of translation according to the scriptures. Now I will agree with you that “a stone” may be an instrument of the Lord, i.e., Brother of Jared, 18 individual stones, but a single stone by itself is not an instrument that was used to translate records. (See Scriptures, JSH 1:35,52,62,75*; Mosiah 28:13, 20; Ether 3:22-23; 4:5; Alma 37:21, 24-25)
In Alma 37:23 “a stone” in my opinion means, “a seer.” This is the only place in the scriptures speaking about a single stone in anything close to acting in a type of translation, and I think I have proven the editors added a comma where they shouldn’t have. See my blog here:
The Lord’s Instrument
“We are awed by the perspicacity and discernment of the scientists, whose accumulated knowledge is great, but there is still greater knowledge; there are more perfect instruments; there is much more to learn. Most of us can but imagine how the great truths have been transmitted through the ages. Exactly how this precious instrument, the Urim and Thummim, operates we can only surmise, but it seems to be infinitely superior to any mechanism ever dreamed of yet by researchers. It would seem to be a receiving set, or instrument. For a set to receive pictures and programs, there must be a broadcasting set. The scripture above quoted indicates that the abode of God is a master Urim and Thummim, and the synchronization of transmitting and receiving apparatus of this kind can have no limitation.” (Spencer W. Kimball, Faith Precedes the Miracle, Pg.52 – Pg.53)
“In a short period man has so improved his communication techniques as to hear voices around the world. A few years ago, even with earphones, we could decode only part of the static over the newborn radio. Our first television pictures were very local and very amateurish. Today, we see in our homes a fight in Madison Square Garden, a football game in the Cotton Bowl, the Tabernacle Choir in Chicago, an astronaut on his way to the moon. Is it hard to believe that with such accomplishments by puny man Omnipotent God has precision instruments with which to enlarge the knowledge of those who have the skill to use them? Is it difficult to believe that the Urim and Thummim could be such a precision instrument to transmit messages from God to his supreme creation — man? Can God have limitations? Can atmosphere or distance or space hold back his pictures? Would it be so difficult for Moses or Enoch or Abraham or Joseph to see a colorful, accurate, moving picture of all things past and present, and even future? The Creator said to Moses, “ . . . look, and I will show thee the workmanship of mine hands; but not all, for my works are without end.” (Moses 1:4.) (Spencer W. Kimball, Faith Precedes the Miracle, Pg.53)
With an instrument or the power of the Lord as described above, I think these are a few great descriptions of what Joseph’s or Moses’ or Lehi, or the Brother of Jared’s countenance must have looked like.
1- “And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face shone: and Moses put the veil upon his face again, until he went in to speak with him. Exodus 34:35
2- “They [Joseph Smith & Oliver Cowdery] looked so exceedingly white and strange…The power of God was so great in the room that they could hardly endure it; at times angels were in the room in their glory, which nearly consumed them.” Oliver B. Huntington, History of the Life of Oliver B. Huntington, p. 49-50
3- “And after the brother of Jared had beheld the finger of the Lord, because of the which the brother of Jared had obtained by faith, the Lord could not withhold anything from his sight; wherefore he showed him all things, for he could no longer be kept without the .” Ether 12:21
4- “And it came to pass that I did go forth and partake of the thereof; and I beheld that it was most sweet, above all that I ever before tasted. Yea, and I beheld that the fruit thereof was white, to exceed all the that I had ever seen.” 1 Nephi 8:11
“Generally, when we think of witnesses of the Book of Mormon, we think of the Three Witnesses or the Eight Witnesses. However, there were many other indirect witnesses of the Book of Mormon. These incidental witnesses may have seen part of the plates, like Josiah Stowell did. Others may have handled the plates, like Emma Smith did. One witness was converted to the church simply by witnessing the effect that the translation process had on Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery. Her name was Sally Heller Conrad.(Note 3 Below)
In June of 1829, Mary Whitmer was hard at work taking care of her own family, but she also faced the added burden of taking care of Joseph and Oliver, who were translating the Book of Mormon in her home. Exhausted and overworked, Mary hired Sally to help her around the house. Eighteen-year-old Sally likely thought this would be a job like any other, but she soon noticed something unusual. She later told a friend that she saw Joseph and Oliver “come down from the translating room several times when they looked so exceedingly white and strange” that she asked Mary Whitmer what was going on.
Because of the sacred nature of the work and fear of persecution, the Whitmer’s did not tell Sally what was happening. But finally, after seeing this happen multiple times, Sally said she would leave if Mary did not tell her what was going on. Mary finally explained that Joseph and Oliver were translating a sacred record from golden plates, “and that the power of God was so great in the room that they could hardly endure it: at times angels were in the room in their glory, which nearly consumed them.”
Mary’s explanation satisfied Sally, who not only stayed to help the Whitmer’s, but eventually joined the church because of her experiences. She would eventually marry in the church, come west with the Saints, and die in Provo, Utah at the age of 92.
(Note 3) Her actual name was Sarah, but she went by Sally (sometimes spelled Sallie). See John W. Welch, “The Miraculous Timing of the Translation of the Book of Mormon,” in Opening the Heavens: Accounts of Divine Manifestations, 1820–1844, ed. John W. Welch, 2nd edition (Salt Lake City and Provo, UT: Deseret Book and BYU Press, 2017), 109, primary document no. 114 (available on p. 185). See also Glenn Rawson, “Sallie Heller Conrad” in Signs, Wonders, and Miracles: Extraordinary Stories from Early Latter-day Saints, ed. Glenn Rawson and Dennis Lyman (American Fork, UT: Covenant Communications, 2015), 199.” Book of Mormon Central Know Why #385
Here is the story about Sally Conrad in Oliver Huntington’s journal.
Exceedingly White
Sarah Heller Conrad By Oliver B. Huntington
“Sunday, June 13, 1897- I conversed with one old lady eighty-eight years old who lived with David Whitmer when Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery were translating the Book of Mormon in the upper room of the house, and she, only a girl, saw them come down from [the] translating room several times when they looked so exceedingly white and strange that she inquired of Mrs. Whitmer the cause of their unusual appearance, but Mrs. Whitmer was unwilling to tell the hired girl the true cause, as it was a sacred, holy event connected with a holy, sacred work which was opposed and persecuted by nearly everyone who heard of it.
The girl felt so strangely at seeing so strange and unusual appearance, she finally told Mrs. Whitmer that she would not stay with her until she knew the cause of the strange looks of these men.
Sister Whitmer then told her what the men were doing in the room above and that the power of God was so great in the room that they could hardly endure it; at times angels were in the room in their glory, which nearly consumed them. This satisfied the girl.” (Oliver B. Huntington, History of the Life of Oliver B. Huntington, p. 49-50)
Transfigured, Exceedingly White, Strange
After listening to the various examples of descriptions pertaining to the “gift and power of God”, or being in the presence of God, or seeing the countenance of a person who has been in the presence of God, do these descriptions make sense? What a glorious sight that must be. Now we know what it means in the Book of Moses, “But now mine own eyes have beheld God; but not my natural, but my spiritual eyes, for my natural eyes could not have beheld; for I should have withered and died in his presence; but his glory was upon me; and I beheld his face, for I was transfigured before him.” Moses 1:11
In my opinion this description of Sally Conrad, that “they [Joseph & Oliver], were “exceedingly white and strange” makes complete sense. I can imagine after Joseph and Oliver sat together in a room with the Interpreters as you see in the painting below, the glory and radiance of God would shine all over their persons. I feel if Joseph had simply translated by putting his head in a hat to see a stone, would not only be blinding but would block all that radiance from the room and the face of Oliver as well.
This may seem like a simple statement, but I think the brilliance of light from the Lord as Sally described it, is “another witness” to me that Joseph used “these stones fastened to a breastplate” (JSH 1:35), not a silly stone in a hat.
“Oliver Sat Beside Him”
“When Brother Samuel W. Richards was eighty-two, (1906) he dictated a statement reporting Oliver Cowdery’s recollections of Book of Mormon translation:
“He represented Joseph as sitting at a table with the plates before him, translating them by means of the Urim and Thummim, while he (Oliver) sat beside him writing every word as Joseph spoke them to him. This was done by holding the ‘translators’ over the hieroglyphics, the translation appearing distinctly on the instrument, which had been touched by the finger of God and dedicated and consecrated for the express purpose of translating languages. Every word was distinctly visible even to every letter; and if Oliver omitted a word or failed to spell a word correctly, the translation remained on the ‘interpreter’ until it was copied correctly.” Richard Lloyd Anderson https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1977/09/by-the-gift-and-power-of-god?lang=eng
Oliver was a Special Witness
It seems that Oliver Cowdery was the second special witness as described in the Bible that “in the mouth of two or three shall every word be established.” 2 Corinthians 13:1
Just think of how many important things during the Restoration were done by Joseph when Oliver was the second witness.
First and Second Baptism
Receiving both Priesthoods JSH 1:68-72
Translation of the Book of Mormon
Given Keys of the Dispensation
Joseph’s journal entry for April 3, 1836, says that they [Jooseph & Olicer] “saw the Lord standing upon the . . . pulpit before them.” He was followed in succession by Moses, Elias, and Elijah, each authorizing some aspect of the gospel, the gathering of Israel, or the preparation of the world for the impending millennium. “The keys of this dispensation are committed into your hands,” the messenger told Joseph and Oliver (D&C 110:16).
Oliver saw the Gold Plates, the Interpreters and the Breastplate.
Only Joseph and Oliver could say they saw all three of the Lord’s Instruments, probably in the same room often and without a blanket between them. However Lucy Mack Smith did see the spectacles and breastplate under a thin handkerchief and she also beheld the plates according to her journal.
“When Cowdery returned to Church membership in 1848 he spoke to an Iowa conference. His words there were recorded by Reuben Miller: “I wrote with my own pen the entire Book of Mormon (save a few pages) as it fell from the lips of the Prophet as he translated it by the gift and power of God by means of the Urim and Thummim, or as it is called by that book, holy interpreters. I beheld with my eyes and handled with my hands the gold plates from which it was translated. I also beheld the Interpreters. That book is true. … I wrote it myself as it fell from the lips of the Prophet.”
The Miller journal can be tested by comparing it with official records of the Cowdery speeches, and it is clearly accurate. Thus the above words are likely to be Cowdery verbatim. This judgment is essential because in the report Oliver Cowdery says, “I … handled with my hands the gold plates.” Yet another Witness, David Whitmer, insisted that he had never handled the plates; he only watched as the angel in the vision displayed the plates and other sacred objects. Since Whitmer and Cowdery were together at this impressive vision, one must infer that Cowdery did not handle the plates at that time. Thus a distinction emerges between the key secretary and his witness brother-in-law: at some time during the translation process Oliver Cowdery evidently handled the plates.” By the Gift and Power of God By Richard Lloyd Anderson
The Lord’s Instruments were seen by the same two eyewitnesses that also received the priesthood, were baptized, and saw the Son of Man and other messengers. These two, Oliver and Joseph, witnessed all key and important moments of the restoration. Joseph did not use a rock in a hat to translate. Nowhere in the scriptures does it say this. But you can read all these scriptures below, that say the spectacles and the breastplate were used. I believe the scripture.( JSH 1:35,52,62,75*; Mosiah 28:13, 20; Ether 3:22-23; 4:5; Alma 37:21, 24-25)
