The Visits to Cumorah

I’ve been very excited to listen to the Church’s new history, Saints, that was just published.  One of the reasons it is such a good read is that it contains information about Church history that we haven’t commonly heard about in the normal Sunday School type telling of major historical events.  One example of this is the story of Joseph’s visits to the Hill Cumorah.  The most well-known telling of this story is found in JSH 1:53-54 in which we learn that in Joseph’s first visit to the hill he “was forbidden by the messenger” to take the plates.  He said the time wouldn’t come “until four years from that time; but [Moroni] told me that I should come to that place precisely in one year from that time, and that he would there meet with me, and that I should continue to do so until the time should come for obtaining the plates. Accordingly, as I had been commanded, I went at the end of each year, and at each time I found the same messenger there.”  From this description we might think that Joseph knew all along that it would take four years for the plates to be obtained, but this was not the case. 

               The Saints book makes it clear that Joseph expected with each visit to Moroni to obtain the plates. When he failed to get them in 1823 on the first visit, Moroni “instructed Joseph to purify his heart and strengthen his mind to receive the record. ‘If ever these sacred things are obtained they must be by prayer and faithfulness in obeying the Lord.’”  Joseph asked when the plates would be his and he was told he may be able to get them the next year.  On that visit in 1824, he was given the plates, but when he set them down to look further in the box—tempted by what was in there—the plates disappeared and Moroni instructed him to return the next year to get the plates.  The book does not give any information on that 1825 visit, but “in September 1826, Joseph returned to the hill for the plates, but Moroni said he was still not ready for them….  Moroni gave him one more year to align his will with God’s. If he did not, the plates would never be entrusted to him.”  In 1827 he finally was prepared and he obtained the plates after four years and five visits. 

            It’s interesting to me that the Lord prepared everything for Joseph to get the plates on any one of those occasions, but He wouldn’t let Joseph have the record until he was truly ready.  The Lord needed to know that Joseph’s heart was truly in the right place before he could get the record.  It reminds me a little of the experience of the brother of Jared, who after traveling a great distance came to the sea and “dwelt in tents upon the seashore for the space of four years” (Ether 2:13).  He did not make progress for four years, and the Lord did not force him forward immediately even though he had so miraculously been led there to that location.  Similarly, the Lord called Joseph through the First Vision and the visits of an angel, but he still could not get the record until his heart was in the right place and he was ready for it.  Sometimes even after calling us to perform some work, the Lord will wait patiently for us to repent and prepare ourselves for the work He wants us to do.  Joseph later gave us these words of the Lord in the Doctrine and Covenants: “Behold, there are many called, but few are chosen. And why are they not chosen? Because their hearts are set so much upon the things of this world, and aspire to the honors of men” (121:34-35).  Joseph had failed to get the plates at first because he was too focused on the monetary value of the plates and other items, and the Lord waited until he had purified his motives and prepared his heart.  We too must learn to put behind us the things of the world so we can accomplish the great work the Lord has called us to do.