Sacred Texts: Mormons

Doctrine and Convenants: 10. Revelation to Joseph Smith, Harmony, Pennsylvania, summer of 1828.

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This is Section 10 of the Doctrine and Covenants, a volume of Latter-day Saint scripture containing revelations received by Joseph Smith, presented as direct divine speech in the first-person voice of God/Jesus Christ. The section addresses a specific historical crisis: Smith had lost 116 pages of translated manuscript (the Book of Lehi) to a associate named Martin Harris, and the revelation explains why he should not simply re-translate the lost pages. The core argument is that enemies had already altered the stolen manuscript with the intent to expose Smith as a fraud by comparing any new translation against their corrupted version — so God instead directs Smith to translate a different, more detailed source (the plates of Nephi) that covers the same period, thereby preempting the trap. The revelation closes with a broader theological statement, defining Christ's church minimally as anyone who repents and comes to him, and warning that building up rival churches for worldly gain will face divine judgment. Distinctively, the text frames the entire conflict as a cosmic battle in which Satan personally orchestrates the manuscript conspiracy, while also offering a universalist note — the gospel is said to be intended for all nations, tongues, and peoples, including the Lamanites and any who might possess the American continent.

Doctrine and Convenants: 10. Revelation to Joseph Smith, Harmony, Pennsylvania, summer of 1828.

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