A Wicked Man

After the affair of the 116 pages that Martin Harris lost, the language of the Lord against Martin was very strong.  The Lord said to Joseph, “And when thou deliveredst up that which God had given thee sight and power to translate, thou deliveredst up that which was sacred into the hands of a wicked man, Who has set at naught the counsels of God, and has broken the most sacred promises which were made before God” (D&C 3:12-13).  In a later section the Lord said again that Martin was a “wicked man” and then explained, “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” (D&C 10:7). 

Describing Martin as a wicked man seems at first surprising because from what we generally understand Martin did not have malicious intentions.  He clearly made some significant mistakes but he was not committing the kind of serious transgression that we typically reserve for the word “wicked”.  Perhaps the words of the Lord to Joseph in another revelation summed up Martin’s problem: “Trifle not with sacred things” (D&C 6:12).  Martin had made a solemn covenant that he would only show the manuscript pages to specific individuals, and he broke that promise.  He showed the pages to more people than he had promised and took longer in returning the pages than agreed upon.  Martin took lightly the covenant he had made and indeed did trifle with sacred things.  The story I think should be a reminder to us, especially to those who have made sacred covenants in the temple, that we cannot take lightly the things that we have promised.  As Paul said, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked”—the Lord did not take lightly Martin breaking his covenant and surely the same is true for us today (Galatians 6:7).

The other surprising thing to me about this story is the reproach that the Savior gave to Joseph as well.  The Lord said, “And behold, how oft you have transgressed the commandments and the laws of God, and have gone on in the persuasions of men.  For, behold, you should not have feared man more than God.”  Even though the loss of the pages was Martin’s doing, Joseph’s mistake was in not trusting the Lord enough to take His first answer of no.  “Behold, thou art Joseph, and thou wast chosen to do the work of the Lord, but because of transgression, if thou art not aware thou wilt fall” (D&C 3:6-7, 9).  The Lord clearly expected more faithfulness from Joseph, and Joseph certainly showed that over time as he continued.  The real important question from these sections, though, is what the Lord thinks about us.  If he would describe Joseph as often transgressing the commandments, how would He describe me?  If Martin was described as a wicked man because he took lightly his covenant and feared the world more than God, what language would the Lord use to talk about my own adherence to covenants and commandments?