Wound #1
[If you have not read Mandate and Joseph’s Call, please do so before continuing.]
As you will read under the heading “Church,” Joseph Smith sequestered The Holy Book of Mormon to his church, thus preventing it from going freely to the public.
Today, The Book of Mormon is associated with doctrine it does not contain (Those will be pointed out on the Church page.) – those of Joseph’s churches. This has caused a serious wound to God’s original purpose and work for The Book of Mormon.
Joseph’s original calling was to bring forth The Holy Book of Mormon:
8. And I shall give unto him a commandment that he shall do none other work, save the work which I shall command him. (2 Nephi 3)
2 And you have a gift to translate the plates; and I have commanded that you should pretend to no other gift for I will grant unto you no other gift. (Book of Commandments IV)
3 Behold I give unto you a commandment, that you rely upon the things which are written (Book of Mormon); for in them ARE ALL THINGS WRITTEN, concerning my church, my gospel, and my rock. (Book of Commandments XV, June, 1829.)
20 Contend against no church, save it be the church of the devil. (D&C 18)
After this work was done, Joseph was allowed to preach:
After the translation of the Book of Mormon was finished, early in the spring of 1830, before April 6th, Joseph gave the stone to Oliver Cowdery and told me as well as the rest that he was through with it, and he did not use the stone any more. He said he was through the work that God had given him the gift to perform, except to preach the gospel. (David Whitmer, An Address to All Believers, 1885, p. 32)
Unfortunately, Joseph went beyond this call. Readers should note that the Urim and Thummim were prepared to transmit The Book. When that purpose was completed, they were returned to Moroni. This shows how singular Joseph’s work was.
If Joseph were meant to be a prophet of the people or their church leader, he would have retained the use of the Urim and Thummim – just as the prophets of old – but he did not.
Joseph went on to give more revelations without the anointing he had for The Book of Mormon project. Whether these were inspired requires discernment. If they add requirements to salvation, then we know they were not.
One revelation, however, pertains to The Book of Mormon that may have been inspired. It’s considered God’s last warning for Joseph’s people to turn back, dated September 1832:
54 And your minds in times past have been darkened because of unbelief, and because you have treated lightly the things you have received—
55 Which vanity and unbelief have brought the whole church under condemnation.
56 And this condemnation resteth upon the children of Zion, even all.
57 And THEY SHALL REMAIN UNDER THIS CONDEMNATION UNTIL THEY REPENT AND REMEMBER THE NEW COVENANT, EVEN THE BOOK OF MORMON and the former commandments which I have given them, not only to say, but to DO ACCORDING TO THAT WHICH I HAVE WRITTEN—
58 That they may bring forth fruit meet for their Father’s kingdom; otherwisethere remaineth a scourge and judgment to be poured out upon the children of Zion. (D&C 84)
We may recall that Joseph’s followers did receive judgment—they just don’t understand the true reason why—this explains why.