When Joseph Smith
Could Not Translate
As cited in B. H. Roberts,
A Comprehensive History of the Church, 1:131
An event in the lives of Joseph and Emma Smith, while the Book of Mormon was being translated, illustrates Joseph's efforts to make amends after an offense had occurred.
David Whitmer, who witnessed the incident, recorded:
"He [Joseph Smith] was a religious and straightforward man. . . . He had to trust in God. He could not translate unless he was humble and possessed the right feelings towards everyone.
To illustrate so you can see: One morning when he was getting ready to continue the translation, something went wrong about the house and he was put out about it. Something that Emma, his wife, had done.
Oliver and I went upstairs and Joseph came up soon after to continue the translation but he could not do anything. He could not translate a single syllable.
He went downstairs, out into the orchard, and made supplication to the Lord; was gone about an hour - came back to the house, and asked Emma's forgiveness and then came upstairs where we were and then the translation went on all right.
He could do nothing save he was humble and faithful."
(edited by David Van Alstyne)
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