“For a Wise Purpose in Him”

Joseph F. McConkie, Robert L. Millet

As indicated earlier, Nephi was commanded to keep both the large plates (a record of the more secular matters, such as the reigns of the kings, the wars, the journeyings of the people, etc.) and the small plates (a record of the spiritual experiences of the people and of God’s dealings with them). He stated that he had been commanded to keep the small plates for “a wise purpose” in the Lord. That purpose would not be fully realized until the year 1828, when Joseph Smith would be involved (with Martin Harris) in the loss of the first 116 manuscript pages of the Book of Mormon, pages translated from the large plates. At that point the Lord commanded Joseph Smith to turn to the small plates and undertake a translation of material which would cover approximately the same time period as that which had been lost (see 1 Nephi 6; Words of Mormon 1:5-7; D&C 10). Indeed, the Lord knows all things from the beginning.

Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, Vol. 1

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