LDS Priesthood Unveiled Appendix 1Chapter 24 of this biography discusses the original manuscript of the Book of
Mormon. For a few months, the transcript was held by Joseph (sometimes by Oliver) and
shared with whoever was interested. That same chapter also explains that those who
accepted the Book of Mormon as a divine source of scripture had come from different
Christian backgrounds prevalent in the area. The people were accustomed to having some
form of authority and priesthood and participating in certain church ordinances and rituals.
The completed Book of Mormon did not give specific instructions on how to set up a
church, by what authority, or how the ordinances and rituals of the church should be
administered. In spite of what had been disclosed, Oliver, Hyrum, Samuel Smith, the
Whitmers, Martin Harris, and a few others still had many questions about priesthood
authority, the Holy Ghost, and other things about which the record was not clear. According
to these men, it did not give proper directions in regard to how they should operate as an
organization or a group of people resolved to living the fullness of the gospel of Christ.
Joseph could not believe that these men were so shortsighted, or rather long-sighted
to such a degree that they looked far “beyond the mark.”^169 In August 1829, Joseph inquired,
by means of the Urim and Thummim, for direction. As a result, God gave the people what
they desired. Joseph received his instructions.
Chapter 24 explains how Joseph told Oliver that they had made a mistake in the
complete translation and needed to go back over the last words of Moroni and ensure that
he (Joseph) had translated “all the characters on the last unsealed plate.” Not questioning
Joseph as to why the mistake was not noted and disclosed by Moroni before he took the
plates back, Oliver returned to his duty and Joseph retranslated Moroni’s words. This time
the manuscript included five new chapters—an insertion in the book of Moroni that added
the new chapters 2 through 6—setting up the stumbling blocks that the people desired for
the organization and ordinances of a church.
All one needs to do is read Moroni chapter one, then go directly to chapter seven,
and one will see the proper flow and continuation of the record. Joseph’s later interpolation
to satisfy the “desires of the people” and set a standard for church administration and
ordinances is very easy to locate and recognize among Moroni’s other words.
The people wanted ordinances. They wanted power to ordain and to administer in
empirical manifestations of their religious faith as they were used to seeing and observing in
their former corrupted Christian churches. They wanted their own church. Joseph, under
mandate, gave them what they wanted so that they would stumble.
The Book of Mormon—A Great Stumbling Block
Before Oliver and Joseph had completed the translation, at the time they were
isolated from the world on the banks of the Susquehanna River in May of 1829, Joseph
attempted to explain everything he was allowed to expound upon to Oliver and Hyrum. He
taught them about the symbolism presented in the Book of Mormon. He pointed out that
Mormon [Joseph] was not allowed to write the “greater things,” not “even a hundredth part
of the things which Jesus did truly teach unto the people.”
And now there cannot be written in this book even a hundredth part of the
things which Jesus did truly teach unto the people; But behold the plates of
Nephi do contain the more part of the things which he taught the people. And
these things have I written, which are a lesser part of the things which he