Using Sources

Unfortunately, people who tend to perpetuate errors seem absolutely oblivious to the truth of the matter to which they seem to devote some time in discussing and spreading as though they know something no one else does. In a recent inquiry, a reader stated in their blog: “Did the Angel Moroni tell Joseph that, or was it the Angel Nephi? We can't really be sure because the original manuscript (which postdates the events in the Book of Mormon by 1400 years) says both.”

One source (left) can lead provide the information for a number of other sources (right)—if the original source is wrong, no matter how many other works quote that source, it is still wrong

 

As can be readily seen, the "Nephi" sources all derive from a single manuscript and subsequent copies. On the other hand, a variety of earlier sources (including one hostile source) use the name "Moroni," and these are from a variety of sources.

This, then, is not an example of Joseph Smith changing his story over time, but an example of a detail being improperly recorded by someone other than the Prophet, and then reprinted uncritically. Clear contemporary evidence from Joseph and his enemies—who would have seized upon any inconsistency had they known about it—shows that "Moroni" was the name of the heavenly messenger before the 1838 and 1839 histories were recorded.

What sources mention Nephi as the angelic visitor who told Joseph Smith about the gold plates? It was actually only one source that claims the heavenly messenger was Nephi, which was an error. Critics cite a variety of sources that repeat the Nephi identification—the key point to understand is that there is really only one source involved that claims the heavenly messenger was Nephi; the other sources which mention Nephi are merely citing this one source, thus perpetuating the error.

The problematic document is the June 1839 Manuscript History of the Church Book—which was a copy of an April 1838 document—when James Mulholland copied George W. Robinson's earlier text. Unfortunately, Robison’s 1838 document is no longer extant.

However, there are as an example, other documents copied the error from the original source

• Later drafts of the Manuscript History of the Church reproduced the error (see discussion below).

• The 1839 document was then published in the 1842 Times and Seasons as follows:

“He called me by name, and said unto me that he was a messenger sent from the presence of God to me, and that his name was Nephi. That God had a work for me to do…”

In his account of this experience, Joseph quoted Moroni as saying: “God had a work for me to do; and that my name should be had for good and evil among all nations, kindreds, and tongues, or that it should be both good and evil spoken of among all people” (Joseph Smith—History 1:33.)

In England, the Church's periodical, called the Millennial Star, reprinted the same erroneous article by an unknown writer, in August 1842, perpetuating the error, stating: “He called me by name and said unto me, that he was a messenger sent from the presence of God to me, and that his name was Nephi ("History of Joseph Smith from the 'Times and Seasons'," Millennial Star 3 no. 4, August 1842, p53).

The Millennial Star

 

This idea was repeated again, in the same volume of the Millennial Star, in an editorial written on 1 August 1842 either by Parley P. Pratt or Thomas Ward: “Again, when we read the history of our beloved brother, Joseph Smith, and of the glorious ministry and message of the angel Nephi, which has finally opened a new dispensation to man, and commenced a revolution in the moral, civil, and religious government of the world…” (Millennial Star, 3 no. 4, August 1842, p7).

The Pearl of Great Price, published in England in 1851 (but not yet canonized), identified its source for the story as "Times & Seasons, vol.iii, p726).

On page 41 it is said, “He called me by name and said unto me, that he was a messenger sent from the presence of God to me, and that his name was Nephi” (Franklin D. Richards, The Pearl of Great Price, 1st edition, R. James, Liverpool, 1851, pp40–41).

The Times and Seasons account was also inserted into the autobiography of the Prophet's mother (Lucy Mack Smith) by an editor in 1853. The Prophet's mother, therefore, did not make this statement (as some claim). The source is identified on page 81 as Times and Seasons, vol.iii., p729. (Supp. to Mil. Star, vol.xiv., p4)" It reads:

“He called me by name, and said unto me that he was a messenger sent from the presence of God to me, and that his name was Nephi.” However, on the bottom of page 79 of this autobiography—where the above quotation occurs—there is a note about the name “Nephi,” which says, “Moroni, see Doc & Cov. sec. L., par. 2, Elders' Journal, vol. i., pp. 28 and 129; History of Joseph Smith under year 1838; Deseret News, no. 10, vol.iii. O.P.” The initials at the end probably stand for Orson Pratt—who had the autobiography published in 1853.

Thus, one simple and singular error in the Manuscript History had a ripple effect through several published accounts of the vision. These accounts are not independent proof, as theorists and critics claim, that Joseph was changing the story—they all depend upon a single initial error (which may have been caused by the 1838 or 1839 scribes). Most of these occurred in England. The work on the Joseph Smith Papers Project now allows us to examine the various drafts of the history of Joseph and the early events of organizing the history of the Church, with some confidence in accuracy.

The point is, when quoting a source, we need to make sure the original source is accurate and not just someone’s opinion, a clerical mistake, or scribal error. The best way to do this is to compare the source quoted to the scripture reference, but where not possible, then track down the sources until you find the original from which it is claimed—and always keep in mind that in the “mouth of two or three witnesses” the truth will be found. Seldom will an important point be hanging on a branch alone—usually, it can be found somewhere in the scriptural record, or other known and trusted source.