characters on the plates, Martin Harris coming to his assistance, and by means of the urim and thummim manages to translate some of them, which work is continued till February 1828. Harris' wife is exceedingly curious about the matter, and finally obtains possession through her husband of a portion of the manuscript.[1] About this time Harris takes a copy of
- ↑ Martin Harris ‘says he wrote a considerable part of the book as Smith dictated; and at one time the presence of the Lord was so great that a screen was hung up between him and the prophet; at other times the prophet would sit in a different room, or up stairs, while the Lord was communicating to him the contents of the plates. He does not pretend that he ever saw the wonderful plates but once, although he and Smith were engaged for months in deciphering their contents.’ Mormonism Unveiled, 14. ‘Harris rendered Smith valuable assistance by transcribing for him, since he could not write himself. Poor Martin was unfortunately gifted with a troublesome wife. Her inquisitive and domineering nature made him dread unpleasant results from his present engagement. His manuscript had reached 116 pages, and he therefore begged permission to read it to her “with the hope that it might have a salutary effect upon her feelings.” His request was at length granted; but through carelessness or perfidy, while in his house, the precious document was irrecoverably lost. Joseph suffered greatly in consequence of this hinderance, but more from the anger of heaven which was manifested against him. As soon as possible, he resumed his task, having secured the services of another scribe, Oliver Cowdery, a school-master in the neighborhood. Martin Harris, earnest as he was, had never yet been favored with a sight of the golden plates. He had not attained to sufficient purity of mind; but a copy of a small portion of their contents was placed in his hands, and this he was told he might show to any scholar in the world, if he wished to be satisfied. Accordingly he started for New York, sought Professor Anthon (Charles Anthon, LL.D., then adjunct professor of ancient languages in Columbia College), and requested his opinion.’ Taylder's Mormons, xxxviii.–ix. ‘She (Harris's wife) contrived in her husband's sleep to steal from him the particular source of her disturbance, and burned the manuscript to ashes. For years she kept this incendiarism a profound secret to herself, even until after the book was published. Smith and Harris held her accountable for the theft, but supposed she had handed the manuscript to some “evil-designing persons,” to be used somehow in injuring their cause. A feud was thus produced between husband and wife which was never reconciled. Great consternation now pervaded the Mormon circles. The reappearance of the mysterious stranger (who had before visited the Smiths) was again the subject of inquiry and conjecture by observers, from whom was withheld all explanation of his identity or purpose. It was not at first an easy task to convince the prophet of the entire innocency of his trusted friend Harris in the matter of this calamitous event, though mutual confidence and friendship were ultimately restored.’ Tucker's Orig. and Prog. Mor., 46. Of this lost manuscript Smith afterward wrote: ‘Some time after Mr Harris had begun to write for me he began to tease me to give him liberty to carry the writings home and show them, and desired of me that I would inquire of the Lord through the urim and thummim if he might not do so.’ To two inquiries the reply was no, but a third application resulted in permission being granted under certain restrictions, which were, that Harris might show the papers to his brother, his wife, her sister, his father and mother, and to no one else. Accordingly Smith required Harris to bind himself in a covenant to him in the most solemn manner that he would not do otherwise than had been directed. ‘He did so,’ says Smith. ‘He bound himself as I required of him, took the writings, and went his way. Notwithstanding…he did show them to others, and by stratagem they got them away from him.’ Smith, in Times and Seasons, iii. 785–6.
