I’m sure many of you have had the opportunity to tour the wonderful Church History sites in Palmyra New York. You could spend an entire week at this sacred place about the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Some of you may have noticed a new small home on Highway 21 between Palmyra and the Hill Cumorah. It has a big sign in front and it is called the Oliver Cowdery Museum. It is owned by our great friend Jonathan Neville. He is trying to share with the visitors of Palmyra how important Oliver Cowdery’s eight letters were in explaining all about Hill Cumorah.
For more details about these aspects of Church history, see the books Whatever Happened to the Golden Plates? and Letter VII: Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery Explain the Hill Cumorah, both by Jonathan Neville
When you attend the Palmyra area sites the missionaries will take you on a tour and share with you wonderful information about all the sites. Jonathan Neville has created his own “Unofficial Supplemental Site Book” which explains the many ideas found in the Joseph Smith Papers about the final battled of the Book of Mormon events taking place around Hill Cumorah, the second set of golden plates, and why he believes the Hill Cunorah is the only hill, plus other new information.
Supplement for Palmyra area site books.
In recent years the Joseph Smith Papers project has assembled a collection of authoritative sources, many of which were previously unknown or long overlooked. This supplement to the Palmyra area site books includes references from the Joseph Smith Papers and other authentic sources referred to in the basic site books.
This unofficial supplement is provided for the personal use of site missionaries and those of you who would like to understand Jonathan’s opinion on some important issues.
All spelling in quoted sources is original.
Guide to Exhibits at the Book of Mormon Historic Publication Site
The Hill Cumorah
The quotation in the box is from Oliver Cowdery’s Letter VII, which is found in Joseph Smith’s personal history here:
http://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/history-1834-1836/93
All eight of President Cowdery’s letters were copied into Joseph’s history. They were republished in the Times and Seasons, the Millennial Star, the Gospel Reflector, the Prophet, and the Improvement Era.
These letters give us unique details about early Church history from the only eye-witness other than Joseph Smith to many of these seminal events.
When Joseph Smith wrote his history (Joseph Smith-History) he expected his audience to be already familiar with President Cowdery’s eight letters. Consequently, he did not provide the detail that President Cowdery had, especially regarding the visit of John the Baptist, the location and retrieval of the plates from the hill Cumorah, and the importance of the hill Cumorah as the scene of the final battles of the Jaredites and Nephites as well as the location of Mormon’s depository of Nephite records (Mormon 6:6)
Guide to Exhibits at the Joseph Smith Historic Farm Site
About Moroni
The most detailed account of Moroni’s visit was written by President Oliver Cowdery, with the assistance of Joseph Smith. The two men wrote eight historical essays, which they published as letters in the Church newspaper in Kirtland, Ohio. The essays were copied into Joseph Smith’s own history, where they can be found today in the Joseph Smith Papers.
Letter IV describes Moroni’s visit. Here are some excerpts:
”The stature of this personage was a little above the common size of men in this age; his garment was perfectly white, and had the appearance of being without seam….He then proceeded and gave a general account of the promises made to the fathers, and also gave a history of the aborigenes [sic] of this country, and said they were literal descendants of Abraham. He represented them as once being an enlightned [sic] and intelligent people, possessing a correct knowledge of the gospel, and the plan of restoration and redemption. He said this history was written and deposited not far from that place, and that it was our brother’s privilege, if obedient to the commandments of the Lord, to obtain and translate the same by the means of the Urim and Thummim, which were deposited for that purpose with the record.”
http://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/history-1834-1836/68
Letter VII gives some additional information. Writing about Moroni’s visit, President Cowdery explained:
“And though it was in the night, yet it was not a dream. There is no room for conjecture in this matter, and to talk of deception would be to sport with the common sense of every man who knows when he is awake, when he sees and when he does not see.
“He could not have been decieved in the fact that a being of some kind appeared to him; and that it was an heavenly one, the fulfillment of his words, so minutely, up to this time, in addition to the truth and word of salvation which has been developed to this generation, in the book of Mormon, ought to be conclusive evidence to the mind of every man who is priveleged to hear of the same. He was awake, and in solem prayer, as you will bear in mind, when the angel made his appearance; from that glory which surrounded him the room was lit up to a perfect brilliancy, so that darkness wholly disappeared: he heard his words with his ears, and recieved a joy and happiness indiscribable by hearing that his own sins were forgiven, and his former transgressions to be remembered against him no more, if he then continued to walk before the Lord according to his holy commandments. He also saw him depart, the light and glory withdraw, leaving a calmness and peace of soul past the language of man to paint—was he deceived?
“Far from this; for the vision was renewed twice before morning, unfolding farther and still farther the mysteries of godliness and those things to come. In the morning he went. to his labour as us[u]al, but soon the vision of the heavenly messenger was renewed, instructing him to go immediately and view those things of which he had been informed, with a promise that he should obtain them if he followed the directions and went with an eye single to the glory of God.
“Accordingly he repaired to the place which had thus been described. But it is necessary to give you more fully the express instructions of the angel, with regard to the object of this work in which our brother had now engaged— He was to remember that it was the work of the Lord, to fulfil certain promises previously made to a branch of the house of Israel, of the tribe of Joseph, and when it should be brought forth must be done expressly with an eye, as I said before, single to the glory of God, and the welfare and restoration of the house of Israel.
“You will understand, then, that no motive of a pecuniary, or earthly nature, was to be suffered to take the lead of the heart of the man thus favoured. The allurements of vice, the contaminating influence of wealth, without the direct guidance of the Holy Spirit, must have no place in the heart nor be suffered to take from it that warm desire for the glory and kingdom of the Lord, or instead of obtaining, disapointment and reproof would most assuredly follow. Such was the instruction and this the caution….
“It is sufficient to say that such were his reflections during his walk of from two to three miles: the distance from his father’s house to the place pointed out. And to use his own words it seemed as though two invisible powers were influencing or striving to influence his mind—one with the reflection that if he obtained the object of his pursuit, it would be through the mercy and condescention of the Lord, and that every act or performance in relation to it, must be in strict according accordance with the instruction of that personage, who communicated the inteligence to him first; and the other with the tho’ts and reflections like those previously mentioned—contrasting his former and present circumstances in life with those to come. That precious instruction recorded on the sacred page—pray always—which was expresly impressed upon him, was at length entirely forgotten, and as I previously remarked, a fixed determination to obtain and agrandize himself, ocupied his mind when he arrived at the place where the record was found.
http://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/history-1834-1836/86
Hill Cumorah
Letter VII gives a complete description of the hill Cumorah:
“I must now give you some description of the place where, and the manner in which these records were deposited.
“You are acquainted with the mail road [today’s route 21] from Palmyra, Wayne Co. to Canandaigua, Ontario Co. N.Y. and also, as you pass from the former to the latter place, before arriving at the little village of Manchester, say from three to four, or about four miles from Palmyra, you pass a large hill on the east side of the road. Why I say large, is because it is as large perhaps, as any in that country. To a person acquainted with this road, a description would be unnecessary, as it is the largest and rises the highest of any on that rout. The north end rises quite sudden until it assumes a level with the more southerly extremity, and I think I may say an elevation higher than at the south a short distance, say half or three fourths of a mile. As you pass toward canandaigua it lessens gradually until the surface assumes its common level, or is broken by other smaller hills or ridges, water courses and ravines. I think I am justified in saying that this is the highest hill for some distance round, and I am certain that its appearance, as it rises so suddenly from a plain on the north, must attract the notice of the traveller as he passes by.
“At about one mile west rises another ridge of less height, running parallel with the former, leaving a beautiful vale between. The soil is of the first quality for the country, and under a state of cultivation, which gives a prospect at once imposing, when one reflects on the fact, that here, between these hills, the entire power and national strength of both the Jaredites and Nephites were destroyed.
“By turning to the 529th and 530th pages of the book of Mormon120 you will read Mormon’s account of the last great struggle of his people, as they were encamped round this hill Cumorah. (it is printed Camorah, which is an error.) In this vally fell the remaining strength and pride of a once powerful people, the Nephites—once so highly favored of the Lord, but at that time in darkness, doomed to suffer extermination by the hand of their barbarous and uncivilized brethren. From the top of this hill, Mormon, with a few others, after the battle, gazed with horror upon the mangled remains of those who, the day before, were filled with anxiety, hope or doubt. A few had fled to the South, who were hunted down by the victorious party, and all who would not deny the Saviour and his religion, were put to death. Mormon himself, according to the record of his son Moroni, was also slain.
“This hill, by the Jaredites, was called Ramah: by it, or around it pitched the famous army of Coriantumr their tents.123 Coriantumr was the last king of the Jaredites The opposing army were to the west, and in this same vally, and near by, from day to day, did that mighty race spill their blood, in wrath, contending, as it were, brother against brother, and father, against son. In this same spot, in full view from the top of this same hill, one may gaze with astonishment upon the ground which was twice covered with the dead and dying of our fellow men. Here may be seen where once sunk to nought the pride and strength of two mighty nations; and here may be contemplated, in solitude, while nothing but the faithful record of Mormon and Moroni is now extant to inform us of the fact, scenes of misery and distress…
“In this vale lie commingled, in one mass of ruin the ashes of thousands, and in this vale was destined to consume the fair forms and vigerous systems of tens of thousands of the human race—blood mixed with blood, flesh with flesh, bones with bones and dust with dust! When the vital spark which animated their clay had fled, each lifeless lump lay on one common level—cold and inanimate.”
http://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/history-1834-1836/89
Letter VIII describes the stone box in detail:
“In my last I said I should give, partially, a “description of the place where, and the manner in which these records were deposited:” the first promise I have fulfilled, and must proceed to the latter:
“The hill of which I have been speaking, at the time mentioned, presented a varied appearance: the north end rose suddenly from the plain, forming a promontory without timber, but covered with grass. As you passed to the south you soon came to scattering timber, the surface having been cleared by art or by wind; and a short distance further left, you are surrounded with the common forest of the country. It is necessary to observe, that even the part cleared was only occupied for pasturage, its steep ascent and narrow summit not admitting the plow of the husbandman, with any degree of ease or profit. It was at the second mentioned place where the record was found to be deposited, on the west side of the hill, not far from the top down its side; and when myself visited the place in the year 1830, there were several trees standing: enough to cause a shade in summer, but not so much as to prevent the surface being covered with grass—which was also the case when the record was first found….
“How far below the surface these records were placed by Moroni, I am unable to say; but from the fact they had been some fourteen hundred years buried, and that too on the side of a hill so steep, one is ready to conclude that they were some feet below, as the earth would naturally wear more or less in that length of time. But they being placed toward the top of the hill, the ground would not remove as much as at two-thirds, perhaps. Another circumstance would prevent a wearing away of the earth: in all probibility, as soon as timber had time to grow, the hill was covered, after the Nephites were destroyed, and the roots of the same would hold the surface. However, on this point I shall leave every man to draw his own conclusion, and form his own speculation, as I only promised to give a description of the place at the time the records were found n 1823.—126 It is sufficient for my present purpose, to know, that such is the fact: that in 1823, yes, 1823, a man with whom I have had the most intimate and personal acquaintance, for almost seven years, actually discovered by the vision of God, the plates from which the book of Mormon, as much as much as it is disbelieved, was translated! Such is the case, though men rack their verry brains to invent falshood, and then waft them upon every breeze, to the contrary notwithstanding….
“The manner in which the plates were deposited:
“First, a hole of sufficient depth, (how deep I know not) was dug. At the bottom of this was laid a stone of suitable size, the upper surface being smooth. At each edge was placed a large quantity of cement, and into this cement, at the four edges of this stone, were placed, erect, four others, their bottom edges resting in the cement at the outer edges of the first stone. The four last named, when placed erect, formed a box, the corners, or where the edges of the four came in contact, were also cemented so firmly that the moisture from without was prevented from entering. It is to be observed, also, that the inner surface of the four erect, or side stones was smoothe. This box was sufficiently large to admit a breast-plate, such as was used by the ancients to defend the chest, &c. from the arrows and weapons of their enemy. From the bottom of the box, or from the breast-plate, arose three small pillars composed of the same description of cement used on the edges; and upon these three pillars was placed the record of the children of Joseph, and of a people who left the tower far, far before the days of Joseph, or a sketch of each…
“I must not forget to say that this box, containing the record was covered with another stone, the bottom surface being flat and the upper, crowning. But those three pillars were not so lengthy as to cause the plates and the crowning stone to come in contact. I have now given you, according to my promise, the manner in which this record was deposited; though when it was first visited by our brother, in 1823, a part of the crowning stone was visible above the surface while the edges were concealed by the soil and grass, from which circumstances you will see, that however deep this box might have been placed by Moroni at first, the time had been sufficient to wear the earth so that it was easily discovered when once directed, and yet not enough to make a perceivable difference to the passer-by….
“A few years sooner might have found even the top stone concealed, and discouraged our brother from attempting to make a further trial to obtain this rich treasure, for fear of discovery; and a few latter might have lef[t] the small box uncovered, and exposed its valuable contents to the rude calculations and vain speculations of those who neither understand common language nor fear God.
“But such would have been contra[r]y to the words of the ancients and the promises made to them: and this is why I am left to admire the works and see the wisdom in the designs of the Lord in all things manifested to the eyes of the world: they show that all human inventions are like the vapors, while his word endures forever and his promises to the last generation.”
http://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/history-1834-1836/93
Moroni’s Unexpected Appearance
The site guide paraphrases the account and gives a short quotation in the box, but the original source tells us something important about Cumorah.
The passage below is from Lucy Mack Smith’s history, taken from the Joseph Smith Papers:
Presently he smiled, and said in a very calm tone, “I have taken the severest chastisement, that I have ever had in my life”.
My husband, supposing it was from some of the neighbors, was quite angry; and observed, “I would would like to know what business any body has to find fault with you.”
“Stop, father, Stop.” said Joseph, “it was the angel of the Lord— as I passed by the hill of Cumorah, where the plates are, the angel of the Lord met me and said, that I had not been engaged enough in the work of the Lord; that the time had come for the record to <be> brought forth; and, that I must be up and doing, and set myself about the things which God had commanded me to do: but, Father,’ continued he, ‘give yourself no uneasiness concerning the reprimand that I have received; for I now know the course that I am to pursue; so all will be well.”
http://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/lucy-mack-smith-history-1845/111
Comment: This statement explains that Joseph knew the hill was named Cumorah even before he got the plates. Joseph could have learned this only from Moroni.
The Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt corroborates the statement from Lucy Mack Smith’s history. Elder Pratt includes this quotation from Oliver Cowdery’s teachings to the Lamanites in Kansas: “This Book, which contained these things, was hid in the earth by Moroni, in a hill called by him, Cumorah, which hill is now in the State of New York, near the village of Palmyra, in Ontario county.” p. 57.
Hymn 13, An Angel From On High, also teaches that it was Moroni who identified the hill in New York by name: the hill Cumorah.
An angel from on high
The long, long silence broke;
Descending from the sky,
These gracious words he spoke:
Lo! in Cumorah’s lonely hill
A sacred record lies concealed.
Lo! in Cumorah’s lonely hill
A sacred record lies concealed.
Whitmer Farm – Historic Site Guide
The Prophet Moves to Fayette
The site guide explains that David Whitmer received a third letter from Oliver Cowdery, asking if the Whitmers would open their home to allow Joseph and Oliver to continue the work of translation there. The guide says, “Due to increased interruptions and harassment from the surrounding community in Harmony, the work was moving slowly, resulting in the need for a new place to complete the translation.”
Here is the rest of the story:
Joseph wrote to David Whitmer because he was commanded to, not because the work was going slowly.
Lucy Mack Smith’s Account.
The site guide includes block quotations from Lucy Mack Smith’s account, but the first quotation begins after Lucy explains that Joseph Smith received a commandment through the Urim and Thummim to write to David Whitmer. The bolded part below is not in the site guide but it is very important to understand how Joseph used the Urim and Thummim:
In the mean time Joseph was 150 miles distant and knew naught of the matter e[x]cept an intimation that was given through the urim and thumim for as he one morning applied the<m> latter to his eyes to look upon the record instead of the words of the book being given him he was commanded to write a letter to one David Whitmore [Whitmer] this man Joseph had never seen but he was instructed to say him that he must come with his team immediately in order to convey Joseph and his family <Oliver [Cowdery]> back to his house which was 135 miles that they might remain with him there untill the translation should be completed for that an evil designing people were seeking to take away Joseph’s life in order to prevent the work of God from going forth among the world This was accordingly done and the letter received and Mr Whitmore showed it to his Father mother sisters and brothers…
http://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/lucy-mack-smith-history-1844-1845/100
also
http://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/lucy-mack-smith-history-1844-1845/252#full-transcript
From this passage we learn these key points:
- Joseph was applying the Urim and Thummim to his eyes to look upon the record. He was not looking at a seer stone in a hat.
- When he would look upon the record with the urim and Thummim, the words of the book would be given to him.
- On this occasion, instead of receiving the words of the book he received a commandment to write to David Whitmer.
- Joseph had never met David Whitmer.
- Joseph was going to complete the translation at the Whitmer farm.
Although Joseph used the Urim and Thummim primarily to translate the engravings on the plates, he occasionally received commandments through the Urim and Thummim. His mother, Lucy Mack Smith, gave another example of how this came about. When Oliver Cowdery first arrived in Harmony,
“They sat down and conversed together till late bedtime; and during the evening, Joseph told Oliver his history, as far as necessary for his present information, in the things which mostly concerned them him. And the next morning, they commenced the work of translation; in which they soon became deeply engaged.
“One morning they sat down to their work as usual, and the first thing which presented itself through the Urim and Thummim, was a commandment, for Joseph and Oliver to repair to the water, and attend to the ordinance of baptism. They accordingly did so; and, as they were returning to the house, they overheard Samuel, who was engaged in secret prayer. Joseph said, that he considered this as a sufficient testimony of his being a fit subject for baptism; and as they had now received authority to baptize, they spoke to Samuel upon the subject, and he went straitway to the water with them and was baptized. After which they proceeded with the work of translation as before.”
http://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/lucy-mack-smith-history-1845/151
Another version of Lucy’s account explains that Joseph was translating with the Urim and Thummim.
“After Samuel [Smith] left them, they still continued the work as before until about the time of the trial that took place in <the State of> New York. Not far from this time, as Joseph was translating by means of the Urim and Thummim, he received instead of the words of the Book, a commandment to write a letter to a man by the name of David Whitmer, who lived in Waterloo; requesting him to come immediately with his team, and convey them [3 words illegible] (Joseph & Oliver) to Waterloo; as an evil designing people were seeking to take away his (Joseph’s life), in order to prevent the work of God from going forth to the world.”
http://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/lucy-mack-smith-history-1845/156
Another important aspect of this history is understanding that in Harmony, Joseph had finished the translation of the plates he received from Moroni. The plates he translated in Fayette came from the Nephite depository in the Hill Cumorah.
D&C 9:1-2 tells Oliver Cowdery about “other records” in addition to the ones he was transcribing from Joseph Smith’s dictation.
”I would that ye should continue until you have finished this record, which I have entrusted unto him. And then, behold, other records have I, that I will give unto you power that you may assist to translate.”
“This record” refers to the plates Joseph received from Moroni. What were the “other records” that Oliver would assist to translate?
The next section, D&C 10, tells us.
We know that Joseph, while in Harmony, translated all of the plates he obtained from Moroni (except the sealed portion) because he reached the end of the plates—the Title Page, which was the “last leaf” of the collection of plates. Joseph translated the Title Page in Harmony because he had to get it printed as a separate document to send to the federal court as part of his copyright application.
Another indication that Joseph finished the plates in Harmony is that he and Oliver contemplated going back to re-translate the Book of Lehi (the lost 116 pages). In response, in D&C 10, the Lord told them not to re-translate the Book of Lehi.
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…
“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;
“42 And behold, you shall publish it as the record of Nephi; and thus I will confound those who have altered my words.”
They key point, often overlooked, is that Joseph did not have the plates of Nephi when he was in Harmony. The plates of Nephi were the “other records” the Lord referred to when he told Oliver in D&C 9 that he would assist Joseph in translating other records.
Before leaving Harmony, Joseph gave the plates to a divine messenger.
In Joseph Smith History, 1:60, Joseph explained:
“But by the wisdom of God, they [the plates Joseph got from Moroni’s stone box] 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, being the second day of May, one thousand eight hundred and thirty-eight.”
This makes sense because Joseph was finished with this set of plates. But as the Lord explained to Oliver Cowdery in D&C 9, there were other records to translate.
In D&C 10, the Lord told him to translate the plates of Nephi, but he didn’t have the plates of Nephi yet.
Lucy offers additional context and explanation. In her first draft, Lucy explained “When he commenced making preparations for his journey he enquired of the Lord in what manner the plates should be conveyed to their point of destination. His answer was that he should give himself no trouble about but hasten her to waterloo and after he arrived a[t] Mr. Whitmore’s house if he would repair immediately to the garden he would receive the plates from the hand of an angel to whose charge they must be committed for their safety.”
http://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/lucy-mack-smith-history-1844-1845/252#full-transcript
In the second draft, she said it this way:
“When Joseph commenced making preparations for the journey, he inquired of the Lord to know in what manner he should carry the plates; his answer was, that he should commit into the hands of an angel for their safety; and, when he should arrive at Mr. Whitmer’s, the angel would meet him again in the garden, and deliver them up again into his hands.
“Joseph and Oliver set out without delay; leaving Emma to take charge of affairs during her husband’s absence. On arriving at Waterloo, Joseph received the Record according to promise, and the next day, they resumed the work of translation, which they continued without farther interruption until the whole work was accomplished.”
http://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/lucy-mack-smith-history-1845/158
At first glance, it may seem from Lucy’s account that the messenger was simply going to carry the plates from Harmony to Fayette, which would suggest that Joseph had the same set of plates in Fayette that he had in Harmony. But instead, there was an important event that occurred during the trip that clarifies what happened.
The Prophet Travels to Fayette, New York
The site guide says:
“Joseph Smith, Oliver Cowdery, and David Whitmer traveled to the Whitmer farm in early June 1829. During their trip the men were greeted “by a very pleasant, nice looking old man.” David invited him to ride, but the man declined, saying, “No, I am going to Cumorah.” David said that this person “was the messenger who had the plates.”25
“Note 25. Joseph F. Smith letter to John Taylor, Sept. 17, 1878; see also Deseret News, Nov. 27, 1878, 674; David Whitmer Interviews, 42.”
Here is the full account from President Smith’s letter to the Twelve:
“D.W. —When I was returning to Fayette with Joseph and Oliver all of us riding in the wagon, Oliver and I on an old fashioned wooden spring seat and Joseph behind us, while traveling along in a clear open place, a very pleasant, nice-looking old man suddenly appeared by the side of our wagon who saluted us with, “good morning, it is very warm,” at the same time wiping his face or forehead with his hand. We returned the salutation, and by a sign from Joseph I invited him to ride if he was going our way. But he said very pleasantly, “No, I am going to Cumorah.’ This name was something new to me, I did not know what Cumorah meant. We all gazed at him and at each other, and as I looked round enquiringly of Joseph the old man instantly disappeared, so that I did not see him again.
“J.F.S.—Did you notice his appearance?
“D.W.—I should think I did, he was, I should think, about 5 feet 8 or 9 inches tall and heavy set, about such a man as James Vancleave there, but heavier, his face was as large, he was dressed in a suit of brown woolen clothes, his hair and beard were white like Brother Pratt’s, but his beard was not so heavy. I also remember that he had on his back a sort of knapsack with something in, shaped like a book. It was the messenger who had the plates, who had taken them from Joseph just prior to our starting from Harmony.”
David related this account to other people as well. Apparently he related it as early as 1835. See the explanation here:
http://www.lettervii.com/2016/06/note-on-cumorah-david-whitmer-and-zina.html
and
http://www.lettervii.com/2016/06/more-on-david-whitmer-zina-young-and.html
The key point here is that the messenger was not taking the plates to Fayette. He even expressly turned down the offer of a ride to Fayette. Instead, he took the plates to Cumorah, and then he went to Fayette.
The reason?
He took the Harmony plates to Mormon’s depository of Nephite records in the hill Cumorah and picked up the small plates of Nephi, as the Lord required in D&C 10. Then the messenger took these plates of Nephi to Fayette, where Joseph translated them as 1 Nephi through Words of Mormon 1:12.
We can see this from the Title Page, which describes the contents of the record Moroni buried in the stone box. The Title Page refers to two abridgements, plus Moroni’s “sealing” of the book (his comments, plus the Book of Ether). But the Title Page does not mention any original records.
The plates of Nephi were original records, not abridgments. They were not mentioned in the Title Page, so they were not in the collection of plates in the stone box.
The Eight Witnesses
Lucy Mack Smith explained that “They all that is the male part of the company repaired to a little grove where it was customary for the family to offer up their secret prayers— as Joseph had been instructed that the plates would be carried there by one of the ancient Nephites.”
Lucy makes a distinction between “one of the ancient Nephites” and “the Angel.” Presumably the Angel is Moroni and the ancient Nephites are the three Nephites. Joseph did not make this distinction; in Joseph Smith-History, he referred to Moroni as a messenger, not as an angel. He also referred to John the Baptist as a messenger (JS-H 1:68), not naming him until several verses later.
Oliver Cowdery referred to John the Baptist as an “angel of God” in Letter I, included in JS-H as a footnote. Martin Harris also referred to Moroni as an angel (JS-H 1:64).
Lucy’s account suggests that the “ancient Nephite” who brought the plates to Palmyra so Joseph could show them to the 8 witnesses was the same one who took the Harmony plates to Cumorah, picked up the plates of Nephi from the depository in Cumorah, and took those plates to Fayette. If so, then the plates viewed and handled by the 8 witnesses were probably the plates of Nephi. This makes sense because these witnesses never said anything about the plates, or any portion of them, being sealed.
Lucy’s account continues:
“Here <it> was that those 8 witnesses recorded in the Book of Mormon looked upon the plates and handled them of which they bear witness in the following words, [the Testimony of the Eight Witnesses].
“After the witnesses returned to the house the Angel again made his appearance to Joseph and received the the [sic] plates from his hands.”
http://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/lucy-mack-smith-history-1844-1845/105
The final sentence gives us another event during which Joseph delivered the plates to an angel or messenger. However, Lucy doesn’t tell us when this happened.
We now have four occasions upon which Joseph obtained plates from a messenger:
- In September 1827 when he first obtained them from Moroni’s stone box.
- In September 1828 when the messenger returned them after Joseph had given them up because Martin Harris lost the 116 pages.
- In June 1829 when Joseph received them in the garden at Fayette after the messenger brought them from Cumorah.
- In June 1829 when Joseph received them in Palmyra to show to the Eight Witnesses.
Brigham Young explained that, “When Joseph got the plates, the angel instructed him to carry them back to the hill Cumorah, which he did. Oliver says that when Joseph and Oliver went there, the hill opened, and they walked into a cave, in which there was a large and spacious room.”
Brigham doesn’t tell us which occasion this was, but we assume it was after he obtained the plates in Palmyra from one of the “ancient Nephites” to show to the Eight Witnesses.
However, Brigham also explained that Joseph and Oliver made multiple trips to the depository in Cumorah.
“They laid the plates on a table; it was a large table that stood in the room. Under this table there was a pile of plates as much as two feet high, and there were altogether in this room more plates than probably many wagon loads; they were piled up in the corners and along the walls. The first time they went there the sword of Laban hung upon the wall; but when they went again it had been taken down and laid upon the table across the gold plates; it was unsheathed, and on it was written these words: “This sword will never be sheathed again until the kingdoms of this world become the kingdom of our God and his Christ.” I tell you this as coming not only from Oliver Cowdery, but others who were familiar with it, and who understood it just as well as we understand coming to this meeting, enjoying the day, and by and by we separate and go away, forgetting most of what is said, but remembering some things. So is it with other circumstances in life. I relate this to you, and I want you to understand it. I take this liberty of referring to those things so that they will not be forgotten and lost. Carlos Smith was a young man of as much veracity as any young man we had, and he was a witness to these things. Samuel Smith saw some things, Hyrum saw a good many things, but Joseph was the leader.”
It is possible that the first time they went to the depository, they were returning the plates they had shown to the Eight Witnesses. The second time they went was when they transported the plates and other artifacts to another location, “not far from” the hill Cumorah, as David Whitmer later explained.
For more details about these aspects of Church history, see the books Whatever Happened to the Golden Plates? and Letter VII: Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery Explain the Hill Cumorah, both by Jonathan Neville
