July 09, 1828 - D&C 10 was received

[Hemidakota]

09 July, 1828— Harmony, Pennsylvania. Joseph Smith received D&C 10, a revelation about the designs of wicked men who had made alterations to the 116 lost manuscript pages. (History of the Church, 1:20–23)

Historical Setting:There has been some confusion in the past over the date when Doctrine and Covenants 10 was received. In all editions of the Doctrine and Covenants prior to 1921, the date of section10 was given as May 1829. Thus it was placed in order between section 9, given April 1829, and section 11, given May 1829. Yet the Prophet Joseph himself had indicated that section10 was received immediately after Doctrine and Covenants 3, and was the first revelation he received after the plates were returned to him on 22 September 1828.

In 1921, B. H. Roberts and the committee responsible for publication of the 1921 edition of the Doctrine and Covenants recognized that section10 had been misdated in previous editions, and reckoned the actual date to have been sometime in the summer of 1828, a conclusion based on History of the Church.2 The numerical order of the revelations in the Doctrine and Covenants, however, was not changed at that time. Thus, section10 is presently out of its proper chronological order, which would place it immediately after section 3. The reader is encouraged for the sake of continuity and perspective to read the sections in that order: 3, 10, 4.

The Urim and Thummim had been taken from Joseph before section 3 was given. It was returned to him for the purpose of receiving section 3, and then both the Urim and Thummim and the gold plates were taken away.3 When the angel Moroni finally returned the gold plates and the Urim and Thummim to Joseph Smith after the loss of the 116 pages, the Prophet inquired again of the Lord by the Urim and Thummim and received section10 in answer to his request for guidance.4

A few months later, in his preface to the first edition of the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith included some of the language from section10 (see vv. 10–11, 14, 41–4 (A Commentary on the Doctrine and Covenants, Vol. 1, by H. Dean Garrett, Stephen E. Robinson)

Joseph Smith, Jun. - "As soon as the 116 pages of manuscript had been lost through the carelessness of Martin Harris, the Urim and Thummim was taken from the Prophet. The sacred instrument was restored after a short time, and the Revelation in Section 3, especially rebuking Martin Harris, was received. Then both the plates and the Urim and Thummim were removed for a few days. It was necessary that the young Prophet should learn the lesson that he was entirely dependent on the Lord. When they were restored, he received the Revelation in Section 10, containing instructions to himself with regard to the lost portion of the manuscript. (See Footnote, HC 1:23.)" (Smith and Sjodahl, DCC, p. 49.)

"After I had obtained the above revelation [section 3], both the plates and the Urim and Thummim were taken from me again; but in a few days they were returned to me, when I inquired of the Lord, and the Lord said thus unto me: [section 10, follows.]" (Joseph Smith, HC 1:23,.)

Background Narration:

Stephen C. Harper:

Because Joseph disobediently delivered the Book of Mormon manuscript to a wicked man, his mind became dark and he lost the manuscript and the seer stones called the Urim and Thummin. The Lord labels Martin Harris wicked because he has taken what God entrusted to Joseph and nearly ruined Joseph's gift. As a result, the manuscript has fallen into evil, conspiring hands. Put simply, Joseph has allowed sacred things to be lost. Doctrine and Covenants 10 announces that his gift is restored, and Joseph is commanded to faithfully continue translating the rest of the Book of Mormon as diligently as he is able.

"Pray always," the Lord commands him, "that you may conquer Satan, and that you may escape the hands of the servants of Satan" (v. 5). The servants of Satan have tried to destroy Joseph. Even Martin Harris has served Satan in this way. Cunningly, Satan enticed his servants to alter the document so they could say that Joseph had only pretended to translate. The Lord will not allow Satan to accomplish this evil design. The Lord tells Joseph of the conspiracy and of the conspirators' intent to alter the original words if Joseph retranslates the portion of the plates he has already translated. They plot to "say that he has lied in his words, and that he has no gift, and that he has no power" (v. 18). They covet glory of the world and will destroy Joseph to get it. Satan holds their hearts and stirs them to sin against the good. With corrupt hearts, wicked and abominable, they love darkness. Their deeds are evil. They will not ask God but prefer to be led by Satan to destruction.

The Lord knows all about Satan's cunning conspiracy and will judge the conspirators accordingly. He knows Satan's tactics well, how he flatters his followers and assures them that lies and deceit are not sinful if used to catch another liar. Satan leads such servants to hell where the irony comes full circle as they are caught in the very trap they have laid for others. Unlike Satan, God does not justify those who lie because they suppose others are lying. He knows Satan's mind and thwarts his plan by commanding Joseph not to translate again what he lost. Instead, the Lord cautions Joseph not to reveal his knowledge of the conspiracy until the Book of Mormon is translated. He cannot always tell who to trust.

With that caution, the Lord unfolds to Joseph that the Book of Mormon plates contain a backup copy of what was lost. The Lord reminds him, "Remember it was said in those writings that a more particular account was given of these things upon the plates of Nephi" (v. 39). Joseph should therefore translate the small plates of Nephi until he gets to the reign of King Benjamin. The conspirators stole a translation of only part of Mormon's abridgment of the Nephite plates. Publishing the translation of Nephi's own small plates will derail Satan's conspiracy, demonstrating in the process that God's "wisdom is greater than the cunning of the devil" (v. 43). The writing on these plates expounds the gospel of Christ. It is wiser for Joseph to translate it than to retranslate what has been stolen. The Book of Mormon contains the gospel the prophets desired to preserve for the Lamanites and all peoples. The Lord promised them these desires would be granted according to their faith. They blessed the American continent to be free so that its inhabitants could believe the gospel and have eternal life. The Lord promised to bring the Book of Mormon in order to build upon what the land's inhabitants already knew of his gospel. This is the reason he promised to establish his church among Joseph's generation if they would not harden their hearts. He is building his church, not destroying it. True Christians need not fear. They will inherit the kingdom. But those who build up their own churches for personal gain should fear. It is they whom the Lord will disturb. He will cause the disobedient, the wicked, and the servants of the devil to tremble. "I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God" he testifies, who came to his own only to be rejected. "I am the light which shineth in darkness," though the darkness fails to apprehend or contain Christ's light (vv. 57–58). Christ teaches that his "other sheep" are also Israelites and that he will bring their miracles to light, along with the gospel they taught (v. 60). Once translated, the Book of Mormon will do this work. It will corroborate the doctrine Joseph has received from the Lord, who will use the Book of Mormon to establish his gospel and minimize the contention over doctrine that Satan stirs among those who twist the scriptures and do not understand them. The Lord will gather those who choose to believe his doctrine as a hen gathers her chicks. He will not coerce. If they will come of their own will, they may partake freely of the living water he offers. What is his doctrine? All who repent and come to Christ are his church. Those who preach their own doctrine are not his church. Christ establishes his church "upon my rock" and in safety (v. 69). Remember these words from "him who is the life and light of the world, your Redeemer, your Lord and your God" (v. 70). (Making Sense of the Doctrine and Covenants by Steven C. Harper)

Section Header Notes: Revelation given to Joseph Smith the Prophet, at Harmony, Pennsylvania, in the summer of 1828. HC 1: 20–23. Herein the Lord informs Joseph of alterations made by wicked men in the 116 manuscript pages from the translation of the “Book of Lehi,” in the Book of Mormon. These manuscript pages had been lost from the possession of Martin Harris, to whom the sheets had been temporarily entrusted. See heading to Section 3. The evil design was to await the expected retranslation of the matter covered by the stolen pages, and then to discredit the translator by showing discrepancies created by the alterations. That this wicked purpose had been conceived by the evil one, and was known to the Lord even while Mormon, the ancient Nephite historian, was making his abridgment of the accumulated plates, is shown in the Book of Mormon (The Words of Mormon 1: 3–7).

Versus amount: 70

Suggested link: D&C 3

Summary and Conclusion: We should never lose sight of the fact that, . . . [the Lord's] wisdom is greater than the cunning of the devil. (D&C 10:43) His counsel then and now is:

But as you cannot always judge the righteous, or as you cannot always tell the wicked from the righteous, therefore I say unto you, hold your peace until I shall see fit to make all things known unto the world concerning the matter. (D&C 10:37)

We see why the Lord said at the beginning of these section (Sacred Truths of the Doctrine and Covenants , vol. 1 by L. G. Otten, C. M. Caldwell):

Edited July 9, 2010 by Hemidakota