-- Apr 5, 1829
[Oliver Cowdery] According to Oliver, this was the afternoon when "my natural eyes, for the first time beheld [Joseph Smith, Jr] this brother..." at the Isaac Hale farm in Harmony, Susquehanna, PA. (1)
-- Sunday, Apr 05, 1829
Harmony, O Cowdery and Samuel arrive (about sundown). (2)
-- Apr 06, 1829 to June 16, 1829
Translation of the Book of Mormon (2)
-- Apr 6, 1829
[Lucy Mack Smith] Joseph buys 13.5 acres from Isaac Hale, securing title on 25/26 August 1830. (3)
-- Monday, Apr 06, 1829
Oliver assists Joseph w/business. (2)
-- Apr 7, 1829
Joseph Smith resumed translation of the Book of Mormon with Oliver Cowdery as scribe. (4)
Joseph Smith resumes translating the gold plates (from where he left off) with Oliver Cowdery transcribing. The missing part was re-translated last but with different content. Cowdery desires the gift of translation. (5)
[Joseph Smith] Cowdery acts as a scribe to Joseph Jr. Seven revelations are given during April and May (BC 5-11; LDS D&C 6-12; RLDS D&C 3, 6-11). Dictation continues during the summer of 1829 at Harmony, Pennsylvania, and concludes at Fayette, New York, about 1 July 1829. (6)
[Oliver Cowdery] Oliver began working with Joseph Smith, Jr. in the "translation" and recording of the supposedly ancient record. Apparently they began where the lost 116 pages had left off in the book's narrative and worked through to the end of the record before "translating" the replacement source for the lost pages. At some point Oliver also produced a second "printer's manuscript" copy, apparently working directly from the original "dictated manuscript." (1)
-- April 7-30, 1829
[Revelations] Harmony, Pennsylvania. Doctrine and Covenants 6. For Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery. Great and marvelous work to be performed. All willing are called of God. Ask, knock, receive. Seek wisdom, not riches. Declare only repentance. Oliver to use his gift to learn the mysteries. The Lord reassured Oliver on the night that he prayed for it. Like Joseph, he can translate ancient records, including those that have not yet been revealed.
Oliver and Samuel H. Smith arrived in Harmony on April 5 ( Oliver's History of the Church) and Oliver began writing for Joseph on the 7th. Verse 17 indicates Oliver had begun writing at the time of this revelation.
Book of Commandments 5 heading: A Revelation to Oliver, given in Harmony, Pennsylvania, April, 1829, when employed [as] a scribe fo[r] Joseph, while translating the book of Mormon.
1835 Doctrine and Covenants 8 heading: Revelation given April, 1829, to Oliver Cowdery, and Joseph Smith jr. (7)
[Revelations] Harmony, Pennsylvania. Doctrine and Covenants 7. Jesus grants John his wish not to die. He will live on earth, preaching Jesus returns. John's wish is better than Peter's, which was to to go to heaven with Jesus right away. John will be like a ministering angel to heirs of salvation on earth. Peter, James, and John have the keys of this ministry until the second coming (added in 1835).
Manuscript.
The manuscript, in LDS Church Archives, occupies a little less than the top half one page. Description of the bottom half:/Selected collections 1:19.
After the revelation, a horizontal line across the page.
Question asked in English & answered in hebrew.
English question For it grieveth me that I should loose this tree & the fruit thereof.
"Hebrew" answer (transliteration) Am. ofin Zimin ezmon E, Zer oms ifs veris etzer ensvones vinerie - - - -.
Translation (?) English Brethren I bid you adieu.
"Hebrew" Am efs E Zamtri.
Horizontal line across the page.
Book of Mormon characters/"Characters on the book of Mormon" and one line of characters under headings "The book of Mormon" and "The interpretation of Languages. " Two characters appear under each heading.
Interpretation.
Lehi's route, Jerusalem to Chile The course that Lehi traveled from the city of Jerusalem to the place where he and his family took ship, they traveled nearly a south south east direction untill they come to the nineteenth degree of North Lattitiege, then nearly east to the sea of Arabia then sailed in a south east direction and landed on the continent of south America in Chili thirty degrees south Lattitude.
Horizontal line across the page, near the bottom.
New Testament Background.
Peter's wish, John's wish/Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee? Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me. Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die: yet Jesus said not unto him, He shall not die; but, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? This is the disciple which testifieth of these things, and wrote these things: and we know that his testimony is true. And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen. /John 21:20-25 (concluding verses of the Gospel of John). (7)
[Revelations] Harmony, Pennsylvania. Doctrine and Covenants 8. Oliver Cowdery has the gift of revelation and the gift of working with the rod. He is to ask about the mysteries of ancient records and the Lord will reveal them to him.
Book of Commandments 7 heading: A Revelation given to Oliver, in Harmony, Pennsylvania, April, 1829.
1835 Doctrine and Covenants 34 heading: Revelation given April, 1829. (7)
[Revelations] Harmony, Pennsylvania. Doctrine and Covenants 9. Because Oliver Cowdery interrupted his own translation to write for Joseph, he should continue in that capacity until it is finished. He may help translate other records, but now he doesn't need to translate. Oliver thought all he had to do was ask, and the Lord would give him the translation. He should have tried to figure it out himself, then ask if he got it right. If the translation was correct, the Lord would cause him to feel that it was right. If it was wrong, a stupor of thought would make him forget it. That way, he could only write what was from the Lord. If he had known that, he could have translated, but it is not necessary now-Joseph can do it.
Book of Commandments 8 heading: A Revelation given to Oliver, in Harmony, Pennsylvania, April, 1829.
1835 Doctrine and Covenants 34 heading: Revelation given to Oliver Cowdery April, 1829. (7)
-- 1829 mid-Apr.
[Oliver Cowdery] Joseph Smith, Jr. (at Harmony, Susquehanna, PA) claimed to receive a message from God directed to Oliver Cowdery (LDS D&C Sec. 6). Cowdery was told in the text that God had given him a "gift" by which he (Oliver) would "assist in bringing to light" "those parts of the scriptures which have been hidden..." He was further told that his "gift" would allow him "to translate, even as my servant Joseph" and that he would receive no greater witness of the supposedly ancient record. It is possible that the "gift" mentioned in the "revelation" pertained in some way to Oliver's using a diving rod to locate and/or "translate" ancient scriptural records (see below). (1)
Footnotes:
1 - http://olivercowdery.com/history/Cdychrn1.htm
2 - http://www.eldenwatson.net/BoM.htm
3 - Lucy's Book: A Critical Edition of Lucy Mack Smith's Family Memoir, Edited by Lavina Fielding Anderson, 2001, Signature Books
4 - http://www.lds.net/forums/scripture-study-forum/12108-church-chronology-1800-2000-part-1-a.html#post214550
5 - http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dgv482t8_0d5hdn5cv
6 - Inventing Mormonism:Tradition and the Historical Record, H. Michael Marquardt Wesley P. Walters. A Chronology of Mormon Origins, p.xxvi
7 - http://saintswithouthalos.com/s/_dc.phtml
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Clair Barrus
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