Twenty-Three (1828)The Rebelliousness of the People
When Joseph returned to Pennsylvania (in the summer of 1828), he met with the
Brothers to secure the plates and Urim and Thummim. He later related in his history that he
received them back from “the former heavenly messenger.”^87 He wrote this to protect the
identity and existence of the “Three Nephites.” In making contact again with the Brothers
following this period of rest, as soon as they approached each other, the Brothers immediately
knew that Joseph’s countenance had fallen. They perceived and felt what they often felt
amongst themselves. They could feel Joseph’s pain as he “groaned within himself because of
the wickedness of the people.”^88 “The people” were his own family, friends, and early
supporters of his work.
NOTES
(^1) Former Massachusetts Governor, Mitt Romney (2012 U.S. President candidate); Democratic
Minority Leader, Harry Reid; Utah Senators Orrin Hatch and Mike Lee; former Utah Governor and
U.S. Ambassador to China, Jon Huntsman, Jr. (2012 U.S. President candidate); billionaire industrialist
Jon Huntsman, Sr. and many others too numerous to mention.
See also “Here Come the Mormons!” Christopher’s Personal Daily Journal for the Marvelous Work
and a Wonder®, 5 Mar. 2011 Marvelous Work and a Wonder Purpose Trust, 9 Apr 2011
http://marvelousworkandawonder.com/cmnblog/2011/03/05/here-come-the-mormons/.
See also http://famousmormon.org/ for profiles on famous LDS authors, actors, athletes,
and politicians. (Famous Mormons, 2011, More Good Foundation, 9 May 2011.)
(^2) Henry A. Wallace, “The Power of Books,” delivered 4 Nov. 1837 before the New York Times
National Book Fair, New York City. Reprinted in the Salt Lake Tribune, 8 Nov. 1937, 13.
(^3) Brodie, 69.
(^4) See n. 2 above. In 1900, the census of the U.S. totaled 76,212,168 people. One percent of that
number equates to just 762,122 people—not even 1 million human beings.
(^5) BOM, Moroni 10:4–5.
(^6) BOM, 2 Nephi 2:11.
(^7) See BOM, Mosiah 27:3. HR, 138, 209–10.
(^8) See HR, chapter 8 for a discussion of this topic. See also the LDS Bible Dictionary in the LDS
Standard works: “Anointed One. Jesus is spoken of as the Christ and the Messiah, which means he is
the one anointed of the Father to be his personal representative in all things pertaining to the
salvation of mankind. The English word Christ is from a Greek word meaning anointed, and is the
equivalent of Messiah, which is from a Hebrew and Aramaic term meaning anointed. See Psalms 2:2;
Isaiah 61:1–3; Luke 4:16–32; Acts 4:23–30; 10:38.”
(^9) BOM, Moroni 10:4.
(^10) 1 Peter 2:9.
(^11) BOM, 1 Nephi 10:21; 15:31–2; 2 Nephi 2:21, 30; 9:27; 33:9, among others.
(^12) BOM, 1 Nephi 1:19.
(^13) BOM, 1 Nephi 1:19. See also 1 Nephi 14:12; 2 Nephi 28:14; Jacob 2:10; Mosiah 7:26; Alma
37:29; Helaman 7:27; 3 Nephi 2:3; 7:15; 9–11; Mormon 2:18; Ether 14:25; Moroni 9:15.
(^14) See this author’s translation of The Book of Lehi in TSP, Appendix 2, 591–634.
(^15) BOM, 1 Nephi 1:18.