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Continue ShoppingEmma Smith's Account on Translating the Book of Mormon | D&C 6-9 | Come Follow Me
Lucy Mack Smith once wrote of Emma Smith:
"I have never seen a woman in my life, who would endure every
species of fatigue and hardship, from month to month, and from year
to year, with that unflinching courage, zeal, and patience, which she
has ever done; for I know that which she had to endure—she has been
tossed upon the ocean of uncertainty—she has breasted the storms of
persecution, and buffeted the rage of men and devils, which would
have borne down almost any other woman."
Though the trials of Emma Smith were many due to being married to the Prophet Joseph Smith, she was given enormous blessings, revelations, and opportunities throughout the Restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. One of these opportunities was translating the Book of Mormon for a brief period of time.
Emma Smith gave her personal account of translating the scriptures here:
“When my husband was translating the Book of Mormon, I wrote a part of it, as he dictated each sentence, word for word, and when he came to proper names he could not pronounce, or long words, he spelled them out, and while I was writing them, if I made any mistake in spelling, he would stop me and correct my spelling although it was impossible for him to see how I was writing them down at the time. Even the word Sarah he could not pronounce at first, but had to spell it, and I would pronounce it for him.”
“The plates often lay on the table without any attempt at concealment, wrapped in a small linen tablecloth, which I had given him to fold them in. I once felt of the plates, as they thus lay on the table, tracing their outline and shape. They seemed to be pliable like thick paper, and would rustle with a metallic sound when the edges were moved by the thumb, as one does sometimes thumb the edges of a book. …
“My belief is that the Book of Mormon is of divine authenticity—I have not the slightest doubt of it. I am satisfied that no man could have dictated the writing of the manuscripts unless he was inspired; for, when acting as his scribe, [Joseph] would dictate to me hour after hour; and when returning after meals, or after interruptions, he would at once begin where he had left off, without either seeing the manuscript or having any portion of it read to him. This was a usual thing for him to do. It would have been improbable that a learned man could do this; and, for one so ignorant and unlearned as he was, it was simply impossible.”
To read more about Emma Smith and the many the incredible women who partook in the Restoration of the Gospel, we highly recommend reading author Susan McCloud's new book Women of the Restoration currently on sale at cedarfort.com.
