The Sealed Portion of the Plates of Mormon

Daniel H. Ludlow

Moroni wrote his account of the vision of the brother of Jared on the plates of Mormon, but he was commanded by the Lord to "seal up" this account. (Ether 4:4-5.) Joseph Smith was commanded not to translate this sealed portion. It is not absolutely clear what portion of the plates of Mormon was sealed. Joseph Smith simply said: "The volume was something near six inches in thickness, a part of which was sealed." (History of the Church, 4:537.) George Q. Cannon said that "about one-third" was sealed (Young Peoples' History of Joseph Smith, p. 25), whereas Orson Pratt maintained that the sealed portion comprised "about two-thirds" of the plates. (Journal of Discourses, 3:347.) Neither of these two brethren indicate where they obtained their information.

A Companion To Your Study of The Book of Mormon

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