Gift of Aaron

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Gift of Aaron

5 Behold thou hast a gift, and blessed art thou be cause of thy gift. Remember it is sacred and cometh from above; and if thou wilt inquire, thou shalt know mysteries which are great and marvelous: therefore thou shalt exercise thy gift, that thou mayest find out mysteries, that thou mayest bring many to the knowledge of the truth; yea, convince them of the error of their ways. Make not thy gift known unto any, save it be those which are of thy faith.- Trifle not with sacred things. If thou wilt do good, yea and hold out faithful to the end, thou shalt be saved in the kingdom of God, which is the greatest of all the gifts of God; for there is no gift greater than the gift of salvation.<br>
11 ...And behold I grant unto you a gift if you desire of me, to translate even as my servant Joseph.<br>
12 Verily, verily I say unto you, that there are records which contain much of my gospel, which have been kept back because of the wickedness of the people; and now I command you, that if you have good desires, a desire to lay up treasures for yourself in heaven, then shall you assist in bringing to light, with your gift, those parts of my scriptures which have been hidden because of iniquity.

The Joseph Smith Papers, Revelation, April 1829-A [D&C 6], pgs 15-16

Joseph Smith Jr.

April, 1829

5 Behold thou hast a gift, and blessed art thou be cause of thy gift. Remember it is sacred and cometh from above; and if thou wilt inquire, thou shalt know mysteries which are great and marvelous: therefore thou shalt exercise thy gift, that thou mayest find out mysteries, that thou mayest bring many to the knowledge of the truth; yea, convince them of the error of their ways. Make not thy gift known unto any, save it be those which are of thy faith.- Trifle not with sacred things. If thou wilt do good, yea and hold out faithful to the end, thou shalt be saved in the kingdom of God, which is the greatest of all the gifts of God; for there is no gift greater than the gift of salvation.
11 ...And behold I grant unto you a gift if you desire of me, to translate even as my servant Joseph.
12 Verily, verily I say unto you, that there are records which contain much of my gospel, which have been kept back because of the wickedness of the people; and now I command you, that if you have good desires, a desire to lay up treasures for yourself in heaven, then shall you assist in bringing to light, with your gift, those parts of my scriptures which have been hidden because of iniquity.

A Revelation to Oliver he being desirous to know whether the Lord would grant him the gift of Translation given in Harmony Susquehannah Pennsylvania<br>
...now this is not all for thou hast another gift which is the gift of working with the sprout Behold it hath told you things Behold there is no other power save God that can cause this thing of Nature to work in your hands for it is the work of God & therefore whatsoever ye shall ask to tell you by that means that will he grant unto you that ye shall know remember that without faith ye can do nothing trifle not with these things do not ask for that which ye had not ought ask that ye may know the mysteries of God & that ye may Translate all those ancient Records which have been hid up which are Sacred & according to your faith shall it be done unto you Behold it is I that have spoken it & I am the same which spake unto you from the begining amen

The Joseph Smith Papers, Revelation, April 1829-B [D&C 8], pgs 12-13

1829 Revelation "the gift of working with the sprout"

Joseph Smith Jr.

April, 1829

A Revelation to Oliver he being desirous to know whether the Lord would grant him the gift of Translation given in Harmony Susquehannah Pennsylvania
...now this is not all for thou hast another gift which is the gift of working with the sprout Behold it hath told you things Behold there is no other power save God that can cause this thing of Nature to work in your hands for it is the work of God & therefore whatsoever ye shall ask to tell you by that means that will he grant unto you that ye shall know remember that without faith ye can do nothing trifle not with these things do not ask for that which ye had not ought ask that ye may know the mysteries of God & that ye may Translate all those ancient Records which have been hid up which are Sacred & according to your faith shall it be done unto you Behold it is I that have spoken it & I am the same which spake unto you from the begining amen

Now this is not all, for you have another gift, which is the gift of working with the rod: behold it has told you things: behold there is no other power save God, that can cause this rod of nature, to work in your hands, for it is the work of God; and therefore whatsoever you shall ask me to tell you by that means, that will I grant unto you, that you shall know.<br>
Remember that without faith you can do nothing. Trifle not with these things. Do not ask for that which you ought not. Ask that you may know the mysteries of God, and that you may translate all those ancient records, which have been hid up, which are sacred, and according to your faith shall it be done unto you.

The Joseph Smith Papers, Book of Commandments, 1833, pgs 19-20

1833 Revision "the gift of working with the rod"

Joseph Smith Jr.

Now this is not all, for you have another gift, which is the gift of working with the rod: behold it has told you things: behold there is no other power save God, that can cause this rod of nature, to work in your hands, for it is the work of God; and therefore whatsoever you shall ask me to tell you by that means, that will I grant unto you, that you shall know.
Remember that without faith you can do nothing. Trifle not with these things. Do not ask for that which you ought not. Ask that you may know the mysteries of God, and that you may translate all those ancient records, which have been hid up, which are sacred, and according to your faith shall it be done unto you.

Now this is not all thy gift; for you have another gift, which is the gift of Aaron: behold it has told you many things: behold there is no other power save the power of God that can cause this gift of Aaron to be with you; therefore, doubt not, for it is the gift of God, and you shall hold it in your hands, and do marvelous works; and no power shall be able to take it away out of your hands; for it is the work of God. And therefore, whatever you shall ask me to tell you by that means, that will I grant unto you and you shall have knowledge concerning it: remember, that without faith you can do nothing. Therefore, ask in faith. Trifle not with these things: do not ask for that which you ought not: ask that you may know the mysteries of God, and that you may translate and receive knowledge from all these ancient records which have been hid up, that are sacred, and according to you faith shall it be done unto you.

The Joseph Smith Papers, Doctrine and Covenants, 1835, pgs 161-162

1835 Revision "the gift of Aaron"

Joseph Smith Jr.

Now this is not all thy gift; for you have another gift, which is the gift of Aaron: behold it has told you many things: behold there is no other power save the power of God that can cause this gift of Aaron to be with you; therefore, doubt not, for it is the gift of God, and you shall hold it in your hands, and do marvelous works; and no power shall be able to take it away out of your hands; for it is the work of God. And therefore, whatever you shall ask me to tell you by that means, that will I grant unto you and you shall have knowledge concerning it: remember, that without faith you can do nothing. Therefore, ask in faith. Trifle not with these things: do not ask for that which you ought not: ask that you may know the mysteries of God, and that you may translate and receive knowledge from all these ancient records which have been hid up, that are sacred, and according to you faith shall it be done unto you.

A man by the name of Winchell, as he called himself when he came here, was the first man who used the hazel rod. From what we have learned of him, he was, undoubtedly, an expert villain. He sought to accomplish his purposes by working upon the hopes and fears of individuals, and by a kind of sorcery, which he performed with great skill. The time he came here I cannot give, but it was, undoubtedly, sometime in the year 1799. He was a fugitive from justice from Orange county, Vermont, where he had been engaged in counterfeiting. He first went to a Mr. Cowdry's, in Wells, who then lived in that town, near the line between Wells and Middletown, in the house now owned and occupied by Robert Parks, Esq. Cowdry was the father of Oliver Cowdry, the noted Mormon, who claimed to have been one of the witnesses to Joe Smith's revelations, and to have written the book Mormon, as it was deciphered by Smith from the golden plates. Winchell, I have been told, was a friend and acquaintance of Cowdry's, but of this I cannot be positive, they were intimate afterwards; but Winchell staid at Cowdry's some little time, keeping himself concealed, and it is the opinion of some with whom I have conversed that he commenced his operations of digging for money in Wells, but I have been unable to determine as to that. It is well known that there was a good deal of money digging in that part of Wells. Whether it commenced at the time spoken of, when Winchell went there, or afterwards, is, to my mind, unsettled.<br>
Winchell next turns up in Middletown, at Ezekiel Perry's, in the fall or forepart of the winter of 1799. Perry lived at the extreme south part of the town, on the road to Pawlet. Here he staid all winter, keeping himself from the public eye, practicing his arts of deception as he had opportunity to do so, without attracting too much attention; and here he began to use the hazel rod (whether he had before used it at Cowdry's, in Wells, I cannot say).

The History of Middletown, Vermont, in Three Discourses, pgs 46-47

The Wood Scrape and William Cowdery

Barnes Frisbie

A man by the name of Winchell, as he called himself when he came here, was the first man who used the hazel rod. From what we have learned of him, he was, undoubtedly, an expert villain. He sought to accomplish his purposes by working upon the hopes and fears of individuals, and by a kind of sorcery, which he performed with great skill. The time he came here I cannot give, but it was, undoubtedly, sometime in the year 1799. He was a fugitive from justice from Orange county, Vermont, where he had been engaged in counterfeiting. He first went to a Mr. Cowdry's, in Wells, who then lived in that town, near the line between Wells and Middletown, in the house now owned and occupied by Robert Parks, Esq. Cowdry was the father of Oliver Cowdry, the noted Mormon, who claimed to have been one of the witnesses to Joe Smith's revelations, and to have written the book Mormon, as it was deciphered by Smith from the golden plates. Winchell, I have been told, was a friend and acquaintance of Cowdry's, but of this I cannot be positive, they were intimate afterwards; but Winchell staid at Cowdry's some little time, keeping himself concealed, and it is the opinion of some with whom I have conversed that he commenced his operations of digging for money in Wells, but I have been unable to determine as to that. It is well known that there was a good deal of money digging in that part of Wells. Whether it commenced at the time spoken of, when Winchell went there, or afterwards, is, to my mind, unsettled.
Winchell next turns up in Middletown, at Ezekiel Perry's, in the fall or forepart of the winter of 1799. Perry lived at the extreme south part of the town, on the road to Pawlet. Here he staid all winter, keeping himself from the public eye, practicing his arts of deception as he had opportunity to do so, without attracting too much attention; and here he began to use the hazel rod (whether he had before used it at Cowdry's, in Wells, I cannot say).

That the system of religion promulgated by Nathaniel Wood, and adopted by his followers in 1800, was the same, or much the same, as the Mormons adopted on the start, is beyond question. It was claimed by the Mormons, so says a writer of their history, that pristine christianity was to be restored, with the gift of prophecy, the gift of tongues - with power to heal all manner of diseases - that the fulness of the gospel was to be brought forth by the power of God, and the seed of Israel were to be brought into the fold, and that the gospel would be carried to the Gentiles, many of whom were to receive it. These were the doctrines of the Woods, as may be inferred from what appears in the foregoing. The Woods were very fruitful in prophecies, especially after the hazel rod came to their use; so were the Mormons in the beginning of their creed, and both the Woods and the Mormons claimed to have revelations, and sought for them and received them, as they pretended not only in matters of religion, but in matters of business. They pretended to be governed by the Divine will as revealed to them on the occasion.<br>
   The question now arises, how came the Mormons by these religious doctrines of the Woods? Was it a mere accident, that the Mormons afterwards got up a system like that concocted by Nathaniel Wood, years before, as the Wood affair collapsed in 1801 or 1802, two or three years before Joe Smith was born, and they (the Woods,) and their followers were at once scattered in various parts of the country, and Mormonism did not appear to the world, until about 1830. It might have been purely accidental, but it seems to me hardly probable.<br>
   Now then, if this system of religion inaugurated by the Woods was transmitted to the Mormons, what is the evidence. I will give all the evidence I have been able to procure on that subject, and it is for you to weigh and give to it such effect as it is entitled to.<br>
   In the first place, their religious theories being the same, would have have great weight, and would be almost conclusive in the matter, unless overcome by facts and circumstances, showing the contrary. This same Winchell or Wingate, the counterfeiter, who introduced the rod here, and was with the Woods in their operations, afterwards went to Palmra, New York, the home of Joe Smith, when he (Smith) set on foot the Mormon scheme. What time Winchell went to Palmyra, I am unable to say, but he was there early enough to get Joe Smith's father to digging for money, some years before Joe was old enough to engage in the business - but Joe was at it as soon as he was old enough, and if his biographers can be relied on, he followed it until about the time he pretended to have found the golden bible. I have been told that Joe Smith's father resided in Poultney at the time of the Wood movement here, and that he was in it, and one of the leading rods-men. Of this I cannot speak positively, for the want of satisfactory evidence, but that he was a rods-man under the tuition of this counterfeiter after he went to Palmyra has been proven, to my satisfaction, at least. I have before said that Oliver Cowdry's father was in the Wood scrape. He then lived in Wells, afterwards in Middletown, after that went to Palmyra, and there we find those men with the counterfeiter, Winchell, searching for money over the hills and mountains with the hazel rod, and their sons Joe and Oliver, as soon as they were old enough, were in the same business, and continued in it until they brought out the vilest schome that ever cursed the country.<br>
   It appears from some of the Mormon histories, that the Mormon organization first consisted of the Smith family, Oliver Cowdery and Martin Harris, the name of the counterfeiter, whether it was Winchell or Wingate, does not appear in any account that I have seen, unless he had by this time assumed another name, but he had been at Palmyra for some years and went with them from Palmyra to Ohio. He was not a man who could endure the gaze of the public, but his work was done in secret; that he was at Palmyra, acted the part I have indicated, and went off with the Mormons when they left Palmyra, has been fully proven by men who were here during the Wood affair, and afterwards removed to Palmyra, and knew him in both places.<br>
   What I have now said of the Smiths, Cowdry and Winchell, has been obtained from living witnesses, to which I will add a few quotations from authors.<br>
   Gov. Ford of Illinois, in his history of the Mormons, says of Joe Smith, That his extreme youth was spent in idle, vagabond life, roaming in the woods, dreaming of buried treasures, and exerting the art of finding them by twisting a forked stick in his hands, or by looking through enchanted stones. He and his father before him, were what are called water witches, always ready to point out the ground where wells might be dug and water found.

The History of Middletown, Vermont, in Three Discourses, pgs 61-63

The Wood Scrape and Mormonism

Barnes Frisbie

   That the system of religion promulgated by Nathaniel Wood, and adopted by his followers in 1800, was the same, or "much the same," as the Mormons adopted on the start, is beyond question. It was claimed by the Mormons, so says a writer of their history, "that pristine christianity was to be restored, with the gift of prophecy, the gift of tongues - with power to heal all manner of diseases - that the fulness of the gospel was to be brought forth by the power of God, and the seed of Israel were to be brought into the fold, and that the gospel would be carried to the Gentiles, many of whom were to receive it." These were the doctrines of the Woods, as may be inferred from what appears in the foregoing. The Woods were very fruitful in prophecies, especially after the hazel rod came to their use; so were the Mormons in the beginning of their creed, and both the Woods and the Mormons claimed to have revelations, and sought for them and received them, as they pretended not only in matters of religion, but in matters of business. They pretended to be governed by the Divine will as revealed to them on the occasion.
   The question now arises, how came the Mormons by these religious doctrines of the Woods? Was it a mere accident, that the Mormons afterwards got up a system like that concocted by Nathaniel Wood, years before, as the Wood affair collapsed in 1801 or 1802, two or three years before Joe Smith was born, and they (the Woods,) and their followers were at once scattered in various parts of the country, and Mormonism did not appear to the world, until about 1830. It might have been purely accidental, but it seems to me hardly probable.
   Now then, if this system of religion inaugurated by the Woods was transmitted to the Mormons, what is the evidence. I will give all the evidence I have been able to procure on that subject, and it is for you to weigh and give to it such effect as it is entitled to.
   In the first place, their religious theories being the same, would have have great weight, and would be almost conclusive in the matter, unless overcome by facts and circumstances, showing the contrary. This same Winchell or Wingate, the counterfeiter, who introduced the rod here, and was with the Woods in their operations, afterwards went to Palmra, New York, the home of Joe Smith, when he (Smith) set on foot the Mormon scheme. What time Winchell went to Palmyra, I am unable to say, but he was there early enough to get Joe Smith's father to digging for money, some years before Joe was old enough to engage in the business - but Joe was at it as soon as he was old enough, and if his biographers can be relied on, he followed it until about the time he pretended to have found the golden bible. I have been told that Joe Smith's father resided in Poultney at the time of the Wood movement here, and that he was in it, and one of the leading rods-men. Of this I cannot speak positively, for the want of satisfactory evidence, but that he was a rods-man under the tuition of this counterfeiter after he went to Palmyra has been proven, to my satisfaction, at least. I have before said that Oliver Cowdry's father was in the "Wood scrape." He then lived in Wells, afterwards in Middletown, after that went to Palmyra, and there we find those men with the counterfeiter, Winchell, searching for money over the hills and mountains with the hazel rod, and their sons Joe and Oliver, as soon as they were old enough, were in the same business, and continued in it until they brought out the "vilest schome that ever cursed the country."
   It appears from some of the Mormon histories, that the Mormon organization first consisted of the Smith family, Oliver Cowdery and Martin Harris, the name of the counterfeiter, whether it was Winchell or Wingate, does not appear in any account that I have seen, unless he had by this time assumed another name, but he had been at Palmyra for some years and went with them from Palmyra to Ohio. He was not a man who could endure the gaze of the public, but his work was done in secret; that he was at Palmyra, acted the part I have indicated, and went off with the Mormons when they left Palmyra, has been fully proven by men who were here during the Wood affair, and afterwards removed to Palmyra, and knew him in both places.
   What I have now said of the Smiths, Cowdry and Winchell, has been obtained from living witnesses, to which I will add a few quotations from authors.
   Gov. Ford of Illinois, in his history of the Mormons, says of Joe Smith, "That his extreme youth was spent in idle, vagabond life, roaming in the woods, dreaming of buried treasures, and exerting the art of finding them by twisting a forked stick in his hands, or by looking through enchanted stones. He and his father before him, were what are called "water witches," always ready to point out the ground where wells might be dug and water found."

Judge Frisbie, in his history of Middletown, writes at considerable length concerning the origin of Mormonism, that it took its rise in Middletown from a class of persons denominated as rodsmen, and that one Winchell or Wingate, a refugee from justice in the eastern part of Vermony, and sought his abode in back or secluded places, and that he spent one winter with this same William Cowdry, whose sketches we are now giving, and that Cowdry was connected with them. We have taken considerable pains, if the statements of the Judge could be verified. We find that Winchell did reside with Mr. Cowdery in the winter of 1799 and 1800. Two men of this town by the name of Benjamin and Joseph Lillie were connected with this crew of imposters, for we can call them by no other name. There was a man named Mr. Harmon, who lived under Pond Mountain, who was so infatuated, that the money they were seeking was put there by two Spaniards, and that he often see them in the air. We received a letter a few days since from an old lady who was born in this town and whose veracity is beyond reproach. She is now in her seventy-ninth year. Mr. Parks, sir, I have read your letter and will answer your request as far as I know them. As for Mr. Cowdry's people, I know but little about their history. The first of them, they were living on a place above where Capt. Parsons lived. They lived there all the while we lived in Vermont; after we came away his wife died of consumption, and he married again a woman living in Middletown, so he moved there, but I do not know as he ever lived in Poultney. I was born in the year '90, and it must have been when I was 10 or 11 years old, when the rodsmen were there; I was about 11 when we moved away from there, and Mr. Cowdry's oldest child, Warren, was but a little older than me, so I think Oliver - he was the youngest - was not in being at that time; if any one was engaged in it, it must have been the old gentleman; I rather think it was, but won't be positive. This money was thought to be put there by the Spaniards; old Mr. Harmon, who lived down under Pond Mountain, was extensively engaged in it; he could see the Spaniards at work in the day time, in the rocks; they came in the air; I think Mr. Hubbard, that married Prudence Butts, was one; not a word must be spoken while digging for money; if they did the money would fly away. There was an old Mr. Fry, who lived down by Mr. Howe's; he was digging one day alone; he came on to one box and he got it out, but it was so heavy he could not life it, so he went for some one to help, and when they returned the box was gone; he supposed the Spaniards got it; they could often strike their spades through on to the boxes, but before they could be excavated they would move away; it was like going to the bottom of a rainbow for a treasure. One Sunday they came into our house; I saw their rods, all made of witch hazel so they would turn in their hands and point where the money lay; then they went and looked Train (Pine) Hill rocks all over, in every crevice; they scrutinized it well but found no money; but it took years for it to die out; there were men from Middletown engaged in it; they had quite a number of rodsmen engaged in the business.<br>
   NANCY F. GLASS.<br>
   Where the old lady, speaking of Mr. Harmon, the same was corroborated by Joseph Parks, as to Mr. Cowdry being connected with the rodsmen, as stated by Judge Frisbie, we had it verified by Joseph Parks and Mrs. Charles Garner of Middletown;

History of Wells, Vermont, for the first century after its settlement, pgs 80-82

History of Wells

Hiland Paul

   Judge Frisbie, in his history of Middletown, writes at considerable length concerning the origin of Mormonism, that it took its rise in Middletown from a class of persons denominated as "rodsmen," and that one Winchell or Wingate, a refugee from justice in the eastern part of Vermony, and sought his abode in back or secluded places, and that he spent one winter with this same William Cowdry, whose sketches we are now giving, and that Cowdry was connected with them. We have taken considerable pains, if the statements of the Judge could be verified. We find that Winchell did reside with Mr. Cowdery in the winter of 1799 and 1800. Two men of this town by the name of Benjamin and Joseph Lillie were connected with this crew of imposters, for we can call them by no other name. There was a man named Mr. Harmon, who lived under Pond Mountain, who was so infatuated, that the money they were seeking was put there by two Spaniards, and that he often see them in the air. We received a letter a few days since from an old lady who was born in this town and whose veracity is beyond reproach. She is now in her seventy-ninth year. "Mr. Parks, sir, I have read your letter and will answer your request as far as I know them. As for Mr. Cowdry's people, I know but little about their history. The first of them, they were living on a place above where Capt. Parsons lived. They lived there all the while we lived in Vermont; after we came away his wife died of consumption, and he married again a woman living in Middletown, so he moved there, but I do not know as he ever lived in Poultney. I was born in the year '90, and it must have been when I was 10 or 11 years old, when the rodsmen were there; I was about 11 when we moved away from there, and Mr. Cowdry's oldest child, Warren, was but a little older than me, so I think Oliver - he was the youngest - was not in being at that time; if any one was engaged in it, it must have been the old gentleman; I rather think it was, but won't be positive. This money was thought to be put there by the Spaniards; old Mr. Harmon, who lived down under Pond Mountain, was extensively engaged in it; he could see the Spaniards at work in the day time, in the rocks; they came in the air; I think Mr. Hubbard, that married Prudence Butts, was one; not a word must be spoken while digging for money; if they did the money would fly away. There was an old Mr. Fry, who lived down by Mr. Howe's; he was digging one day alone; he came on to one box and he got it out, but it was so heavy he could not life it, so he went for some one to help, and when they returned the box was gone; he supposed the Spaniards got it; they could often strike their spades through on to the boxes, but before they could be excavated they would move away; it was like going to the bottom of a rainbow for a treasure. One Sunday they came into our house; I saw their rods, all made of witch hazel so they would turn in their hands and point where the money lay; then they went and looked Train (Pine) Hill rocks all over, in every crevice; they scrutinized it well but found no money; but it took years for it to die out; there were men from Middletown engaged in it; they had quite a number of rodsmen engaged in the business.
   NANCY F. GLASS."
   Where the old lady, speaking of Mr. Harmon, the same was corroborated by Joseph Parks, as to Mr. Cowdry being connected with the rodsmen, as stated by Judge Frisbie, we had it verified by Joseph Parks and Mrs. Charles Garner of Middletown;

A Revelation given to Oliver, in Harmony, Pennsylvania, April, 1829.<br>
   BEHOLD I say unto you, my son, that, because you did not translate according to that which you desired of me, and did commence again to write for my servant Joseph, even so I would that you should continue until you have finished this record, which I have intrusted unto you: and then behold, other records have I, that I will give unto you power that you may assist to translate.<br>
   Be patient my son, for it is wisdom in me, and it is not expedient that you should translate at this present time. Behold the work which you are called to do, is to write for my servant Joseph; and behold it is because that you did not continue as you commenced, when you begun to translate, that I have taken away this privilege from you. Do not murmur my son, for it is wisdom in me that I have dealt with you after this manner.<br>
   Behold you have not understood, you have supposed that I would give it unto you, when you took no thought, save it was to ask me; but behold I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right, I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you: therefore, you shall feel that it is right; but if it be not right, you shall have no such feelings, but you shall have a stupor of thought, that shall cause you to forget the thing which is wrong: therefore, you cannot write that which is sacred, save it be given you from me.<br>
   Now if you had known this, you could have translated: nevertheless, it is not expedient that you should translate now. Behold it was expedient when you commenced, but you feared and the time is past, that it is not expedient now: for, do you not behold that I have given unto my servant Joseph sufficient strength, whereby it is made up? and neither of you have I condemned.

The Joseph Smith Papers, Revelation, April 1829-D [D&C 9], pgs 20-21

Gift Taken Away

Joseph Smith Jr.

   A Revelation given to Oliver, in Harmony, Pennsylvania, April, 1829.
   BEHOLD I say unto you, my son, that, because you did not translate according to that which you desired of me, and did commence again to write for my servant Joseph, even so I would that you should continue until you have finished this record, which I have intrusted unto you: and then behold, other records have I, that I will give unto you power that you may assist to translate.
   Be patient my son, for it is wisdom in me, and it is not expedient that you should translate at this present time. Behold the work which you are called to do, is to write for my servant Joseph; and behold it is because that you did not continue as you commenced, when you begun to translate, that I have taken away this privilege from you. Do not murmur my son, for it is wisdom in me that I have dealt with you after this manner.
   Behold you have not understood, you have supposed that I would give it unto you, when you took no thought, save it was to ask me; but behold I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right, I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you: therefore, you shall feel that it is right; but if it be not right, you shall have no such feelings, but you shall have a stupor of thought, that shall cause you to forget the thing which is wrong: therefore, you cannot write that which is sacred, save it be given you from me.
   Now if you had known this, you could have translated: nevertheless, it is not expedient that you should translate now. Behold it was expedient when you commenced, but you feared and the time is past, that it is not expedient now: for, do you not behold that I have given unto my servant Joseph sufficient strength, whereby it is made up? and neither of you have I condemned.

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