LDS Doctrine and Covenants Critique
Downloaded from churchofjesuschrist.org in September 2026
The Doctrine and Covenants
SECTION 10
Revelation given to Joseph Smith the Prophet, at
Harmony, Pennsylvania, likely around April 1829, though portions may
have been received as early as the summer of 1828. Herein the Lord
informs Joseph of alterations made by wicked men in the 116 manuscript
pages from the translation of the book of Lehi, in the Book of Mormon.
These manuscript pages had been lost from the possession of Martin
Harris, to whom the sheets had been temporarily entrusted. (See the
heading to section 3.) The evil design was to await the expected
retranslation of the matter covered by the stolen pages and then to
discredit the translator by showing discrepancies created by the
alterations. That this wicked purpose had been conceived by the evil
one and was known to the Lord even while Mormon, the ancient Nephite
historian, was making his abridgment of the accumulated plates, is
shown in the Book of Mormon (see Words of Mormon 1:3–7).
1–26, Satan stirs up wicked men to oppose the Lord’s work; 27–33, He
seeks to destroy the souls of men; 34–52, The gospel is to go to the
Lamanites and all nations through the Book of Mormon; 53–63, The Lord
will establish His Church and His gospel among men; 64–70, He will
gather the repentant into His Church and will save the obedient.
1 Now, behold, I say unto you, that because you delivered up those
writings which you had power given unto you to translate by the means
of the Urim and Thummim, into the hands of a wicked man, you have lost
them.
Note: The Urim and Thummim were never used for translation purposes.
“So, Aaron shall bear the names of the sons of Israel on the
breastplate of judgment over his heart, when he goes into the holy
place, as a memorial before the LORD continually. And you shall put in
the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be
over Aaron’s heart when he goes in before the LORD. So, Aaron shall
bear the judgment of the children of Israel over his heart before the
LORD continually.” Exodus 28:29-30
2 And you also lost your gift at the same time, and your mind became
darkened. 3 Nevertheless, it is now restored unto you again; therefore,
see that you are faithful and continue on unto the finishing of the
remainder of the work of translation as you have begun.
Note: The gift of God is eternal life.
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23
4 Do not run faster or labor more than you have strength and means
provided to enable you to translate; but be diligent unto the end.
Note: Believers will run the race of life by looking unto Jesus Christ.
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of
witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily
ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before
us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for
the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame,
and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2
5 Pray always, that you may come off conqueror; yea, that you may
conquer Satan, and that you may escape the hands of the servants of
Satan that do uphold his work.
Note: Believers are conquerors by the love of God in Jesus Christ.
Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who
loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels
nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,
nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to
separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:37-39
6 Behold, they have sought to destroy you; yea, even the man in whom
you have trusted has sought to destroy you. 7 And for this cause I said
that he is a wicked man, for he has sought to take away the things
wherewith you have been entrusted; and he has also sought to destroy
your gift. 8 And because you have delivered the writings into his
hands, behold, wicked men have taken them from you.
Note: It was Martin Harris’s wife who took the 116 lost pages.
Martin Harris's wife, Lucy Harris, was a major skeptic who played a
central role in the loss of the first 116 manuscript pages of the Book
of Mormon translation in 1828.
9 Therefore, you have delivered them up, yea, that which was sacred,
unto wickedness. 10 And, behold, Satan hath put it into their hearts to
alter the words which you have caused to be written, or which you have
translated, which have gone out of your hands. 11 And behold, I say
unto you, that because they have altered the words, they read contrary
from that which you translated and caused to be written; 12 And, on
this wise, the devil has sought to lay a cunning plan, that he may
destroy this work; 13 For he hath put into their hearts to do this,
that by lying they may say they have caught you in the words which you
have pretended to translate. 14 Verily, I say unto you, that I will not
suffer that Satan shall accomplish his evil design in this thing.
Note: Joseph Smith could never reproduce the 116 missing pages.
When Harris returned home, he showed the manuscript to his wife, who
allowed him to lock them in her bureau. Harris then showed the pages
not only to the named relatives but "to any friend who came along." On
one occasion Harris picked the lock of the bureau and damaged it,
irritating his wife. The manuscript then disappeared.
15 For behold, he has put it into their hearts to get thee to tempt the
Lord thy God, in asking to translate it over again. 16 And then,
behold, they say and think in their hearts—We will see if God has given
him power to translate; if so, he will also give him power again; 17
And if God giveth him power again, or if he translates again, or, in
other words, if he bringeth forth the same words, behold, we have the
same with us, and we have altered them; 18 Therefore they will not
agree, and we will say that he has lied in his words, and that he has
no gift, and that he has no power; 19 Therefore we will destroy him,
and also the work; and we will do this that we may not be ashamed in
the end, and that we may get glory of the world.
Note: Lucy Harris wanted to test Joseph Smith and he failed.
According to Pomeroy Tucker (1802-1870), who was an acquaintance of the
Harris family, Lucy Harris took the manuscript while Harris was asleep
and burned it, keeping that fact a secret until after publication of
the Book of Mormon. "A feud was thus produced between husband and wife,
which was never reconciled." (Tucker 1867, pp. 46); also at EMD, 3: 11.
A neighbor in Harmony said that prior to burning it, Lucy Harris hid
the manuscript and told Smith to find it with his seer stone, but that
Smith was unsuccessful (Mather 1880, p. 202)
20 Verily, verily, I say unto you, that Satan has great hold upon their
hearts; he stirreth them up to iniquity against that which is good; 21
And their hearts are corrupt, and full of wickedness and abominations;
and they love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil;
therefore they will not ask of me. 22 Satan stirreth them up, that he
may lead their souls to destruction. 23 And thus he has laid a cunning
plan, thinking to destroy the work of God; but I will require this at
their hands, and it shall turn to their shame and condemnation in the
day of judgment.
Note: The work of God is believing in Jesus Christ.
Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.” John 6:29
24 Yea, he stirreth up their hearts to anger against this work. 25 Yea,
he saith unto them: Deceive and lie in wait to catch, that ye may
destroy; behold, this is no harm. And thus he flattereth them, and
telleth them that it is no sin to lie that they may catch a man in a
lie, that they may destroy him. 26 And thus he flattereth them, and
leadeth them along until he draggeth their souls down to hell; and thus
he causeth them to catch themselves in their own snare. 27 And thus he
goeth up and down, to and fro in the earth, seeking to destroy the
souls of men. 28 Verily, verily, I say unto you, wo be unto him that
lieth to deceive because he supposeth that another lieth to deceive,
for such are not exempt from the justice of God.
Note: Joseph Smith could never reproduce the 116 missing pages.
The following day Harris was dragged into the Smith family home in
distress and without the pages. Smith urged Harris to search his house
again, but Harris told him he had already ripped open beds and pillows.
Smith moaned, "Oh, my God! ... All is lost! all is lost! What shall I
do? I have sinned—it is I who tempted the wrath of God".
29 Now, behold, they have altered these words, because Satan saith unto
them: He hath deceived you—and thus he flattereth them away to do
iniquity, to get thee to tempt the Lord thy God. 30 Behold, I say unto
you, that you shall not translate again those words which have gone
forth out of your hands; 31 For, behold, they shall not accomplish
their evil designs in lying against those words. For, behold, if you
should bring forth the same words they will say that you have lied and
that you have pretended to translate, but that you have contradicted
yourself. 32 And, behold, they will publish this, and Satan will harden
the hearts of the people to stir them up to anger against you, that
they will not believe my words.
Note: Joseph Smith could never reproduce the 116 missing pages.
Nevertheless, the loss of the manuscript provided opponents of
Mormonism, such as the 19th-century clergyman M. T. Lamb, with
additional reasons to dismiss the religion as a fraud. Fawn Brodie has
written that Smith "realized that it was impossible for him to
reproduce the story exactly, and that to redictate it would be to
invite devastating comparisons. Harris's wife taunted him: 'If this be
a divine communication, the same being who revealed it to you can
easily replace it.'"
33 Thus Satan thinketh to overpower your testimony in this generation, that the work may not come forth in this generation.
Note: Believers will have a testimony of Jesus Christ.
And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of
speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I
determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him
crucified. 1 Corinthians 2:1-2
34 But behold, here is wisdom, and because I show unto you wisdom, and
give you commandments concerning these things, what you shall do, show
it not unto the world until you have accomplished the work of
translation. 35 Marvel not that I said unto you: Here is wisdom, show
it not unto the world—for I said, show it not unto the world, that you
may be preserved.
Note: Jesus Christ is the wisdom of God.
For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know
God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to
save those who believe. For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after
wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block
and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews
and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God 1 Corinthians
1:21-24
36 Behold, I do not say that you shall not show it unto the righteous;
37 But as you cannot always judge the righteous, or as you cannot
always tell the wicked from the righteous, therefore I say unto you,
hold your peace until I shall see fit to make all things known unto the
world concerning the matter.
Note: Joseph Smith was unskilled in the word of righteousness.
For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to
teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you
have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes
only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a
babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is,
those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both
good and evil. Hebrews 5:12-14
38 And now, verily I say unto you, that an account of those things that
you have written, which have gone out of your hands, is engraven upon
the plates of Nephi; 39 Yea, and you remember it was said in those
writings that a more particular account was given of these things upon
the plates of Nephi. 40 And now, because the account which is engraven
upon the plates of Nephi is more particular concerning the things
which, in my wisdom, I would bring to the knowledge of the people in
this account— 41 Therefore, you shall translate the engravings which
are on the plates of Nephi, down even till you come to the reign of
king Benjamin, or until you come to that which you have translated,
which you have retained;
Note: Plates were never used for Scripture.
Ancient biblical scribes used plant fibers from the Nile River
(papyrus) for early scrolls, and treated animal skins (parchment or
vellum made from sheep, goat, or calf) for more durable copies.
42 And behold, you shall publish it as the record of Nephi; and thus I
will confound those who have altered my words. 43 I will not suffer
that they shall destroy my work; yea, I will show unto them that my
wisdom is greater than the cunning of the devil. 44 Behold, they have
only got a part, or an abridgment of the account of Nephi. 45 Behold,
there are many things engraven upon the plates of Nephi which do throw
greater views upon my gospel; therefore, it is wisdom in me that you
should translate this first part of the engravings of Nephi, and send
forth in this work.
Note: The Christian Gospel is about Jesus Christ.
Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to
you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you
are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless
you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I
also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the
Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third
day according to the Scriptures. 1 Corinthians 15:1-4
46 And, behold, all the remainder of this work does contain all those
parts of my gospel which my holy prophets, yea, and also my disciples,
desired in their prayers should come forth unto this people. 47 And I
said unto them, that it should be granted unto them according to their
faith in their prayers; 48 Yea, and this was their faith—that my
gospel, which I gave unto them that they might preach in their days,
might come unto their brethren the Lamanites, and also all that had
become Lamanites because of their dissensions.
Note: The Christian Gospel is about Jesus Christ.
The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Mark 1:1
49 Now, this is not all—their faith in their prayers was that this
gospel should be made known also, if it were possible that other
nations should possess this land; 50 And thus they did leave a blessing
upon this land in their prayers, that whosoever should believe in this
gospel in this land might have eternal life; 51 Yea, that it might be
free unto all of whatsoever nation, kindred, tongue, or people they may
be.
Note: The Christian Gospel is about Jesus Christ.
Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things you have
seen and heard: that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are
cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel
preached to them. And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.”
Luke 7:22-23
52 And now, behold, according to their faith in their prayers will I
bring this part of my gospel to the knowledge of my people. Behold, I
do not bring it to destroy that which they have received, but to build
it up. 53 And for this cause have I said: If this generation harden not
their hearts, I will establish my church among them. 54 Now I do not
say this to destroy my church, but I say this to build up my church; 55
Therefore, whosoever belongeth to my church need not fear, for such
shall inherit the kingdom of heaven.
Note: Believers will belong to Jesus Christ and inherit eternal life through faith.
Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who
have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our
God and Savior Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied to you in
the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has
given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the
knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been
given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these
you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the
corruption that is in the world through lust. 2 Peter 1:1-4
56 But it is they who do not fear me, neither keep my commandments but
build up churches unto themselves to get gain, yea, and all those that
do wickedly and build up the kingdom of the devil—yea, verily, verily,
I say unto you, that it is they that I will disturb, and cause to
tremble and shake to the center.
Note: Joseph Smith established his church for his gain.
The Mansion House was the final home of the Prophet Joseph Smith and
his family. It served as a gathering place for the Nauvoo community and
the place where many interested visitors met with Joseph.
57 Behold, I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I came unto mine own, and mine own received me not.
Note: The Holy Bible was plagiarized.
He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. John 1:11
58 I am the light which shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not.
Note: The Holy Bible was plagiarized.
And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. John 1:5
59 I am he who said—Other sheep have I which are not of this fold—unto my disciples, and many there were that understood me not.
Note: The Holy Bible was plagiarized.
And other sheep I have which are not of this fold John 10:16
60 And I will show unto this people that I had other sheep, and that they were a branch of the house of Jacob;
Note: The other sheep are Gentiles not Jews.
But when Jesus knew it, He withdrew from there. And great multitudes
followed Him, and He healed them all. Yet He warned them not to make
Him known, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the
prophet, saying: “Behold! My Servant whom I have chosen, My Beloved in
whom My soul is well pleased! I will put My Spirit upon Him, and He
will declare justice to the Gentiles. He will not quarrel nor cry out,
nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets. A bruised reed He will
not break, and smoking flax He will not quench, till He sends forth
justice to victory; And in His name Gentiles will trust.” Matthew
12:15-21
61 And I will bring to light their marvelous works, which they did in
my name; 62 Yea, and I will also bring to light my gospel which was
ministered unto them, and, behold, they shall not deny that which you
have received, but they shall build it up, and shall bring to light the
true points of my doctrine, yea, and the only doctrine which is in me.
Note: Sound doctrine is in Jesus Christ not the Book of Mormon.
Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does
not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the
Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this
doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; for he who
greets him shares in his evil deeds. 2 John 1:9-11
63 And this I do that I may establish my gospel, that there may not be
so much contention; yea, Satan doth stir up the hearts of the people to
contention concerning the points of my doctrine; and in these things
they do err, for they do wrest the scriptures and do not understand
them.
Note: Scriptures are about Jesus Christ.
“For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about
Me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My
words?” John 5:46-47
64 Therefore, I will unfold unto them this great mystery;
Note: The mystery of God is Jesus Christ dwelling in believers.
To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of
this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of
glory. Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all
wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. To this
end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me
mightily. Colossians 1:27-29
65 For, behold, I will gather them as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, if they will not harden their hearts;
Note: The Holy Bible was plagiarized.
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones
those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children
together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not
willing!” Matthew 23:37
66 Yea, if they will come, they may, and partake of the waters of life freely.
Note: The Holy Bible was plagiarized.
And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say,
“Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the
water of life freely. Revelation 22:17
67 Behold, this is my doctrine—whosoever repenteth and cometh unto me,
the same is my church. 68 Whosoever declareth more or less than this,
the same is not of me, but is against me; therefore he is not of my
church. 69 And now, behold, whosoever is of my church, and endureth of
my church to the end, him will I establish upon my rock, and the gates
of hell shall not prevail against them.
Note: Joseph Smith was confused.
For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints. 1 Corinthians 14:33
70 And now, remember the words of him who is the life and light of the world, your Redeemer, your Lord and your God. Amen.
Note: The Holy Bible was plagiarized.
Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world.
He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness but have the light of
life.” John 8:12