Translation of the Book of Mormon; the Three Witnesses

(D&C sections 3, 5, 10, 17)

by Mike Parker

(Mike Parker is a long-time FAIR member who has graciously allowed us to use materials he originally prepared for the Hurricane Utah Adult Religion Class. The scripture passages covered in his lessons don’t conform exactly to the Come, Follow Me reading schedule, so they will be shared here where they fit best.)

Class Notes

Additional Reading

• Learn more about the Three Witnesses and their testimony at WitnessesOfTheBookOfMormon.org, a website created by the Interpreter Foundation.

• A complete list of all the witnesses who saw or handled the gold plates or saw or participated in the translation process is available in Royal Skousen, “The Witnesses of the Book of Mormon,” The History of the Text of the Book of Mormon, Part Seven: The Transmission of the Text, Vol. 3 of The Critical Text of the Book of Mormon (Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 2021).

• Matthew McBride, “The Contributions of Martin Harris: D&C 3, 5, 10, 17, 19,” Church History: Revelations in Context.

• Elden J. Watson, “Approximate Book of Mormon Translation Timeline.”

• Robert F. Smith, Gordon C. Thomasson, and John W. Welch, “What Did Charles Anthon Really Say?”, in Reexploring the Book of Mormon (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book / Provo, Utah: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1992), 73–75.

• “Book of Mormon Translation,” Gospel Topics Essays. This article published by the Church explores how Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon and what physical instruments he used in the translation process.

• Richard E. Turley Jr., Robin S. Jensen, and Mark Ashurst-McGee, “Joseph the Seer,” Ensign (October 2015): 45–55. Turley (who was Assistant Church Historian and Recorder) and Church historians Jensen and Ashurst-McGee examine what the historical record reveals about how Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon.

• Richard Lloyd Anderson, “‘By the Gift and Power of God’,” Ensign (September 1977): 79–91.

• From the Church History Department: Mason Allred and Mark Ashurst-McGee discuss the various historical accounts of the Book of Mormon translation process, including accounts of Joseph Smith using a seer stone to translate.

[The below is additional content not included in Mike Parker’s original lesson]

The Interpreter Foundation is offering free viewing of their “Undaunted” film about the 3 witnesses for a limited time.

 

Mike Parker is a business and marketing analyst with over twenty years’ experience in the financial services and cellular telephone industries. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Management Information Systems from Dixie State University (now Utah Tech University) of St George, Utah. He also has eight years’ experience in corporate training and currently teaches an adult religion class in southern Utah. Mike and his wife, Denise, have three children.

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