Rely on Your Gift of Translation for Enhanced Personal Gospel Study

Dare to see with your spiritual eyes.

What comes to mind when you think of a prophet and seer translating characters from ancient text into a familiar language?

For members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, thoughts of Joseph Smith translating the golden plates conjures up are familiar images.

For most of my life, I have imagined the scene where Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery are sitting at two small opposing wood tables with a cloth barrier drawn between them. Joseph intently traces the lines of characters on the plates with his finger while speaking the words in English while Oliver writes down the words.

Now we know the well-known scene depicted above could be more accurate!

The completion of “The Joseph Smith Papers” project (June 2001 - June 2003) provided accounts documenting additional methods for completing the translation.

The Seer Stone in a Hat

The one approach to translation that captures my imagination involves using the seer stone and a hat.

The plates are wrapped in linen and nearby. Since they are covered in linen and obscured from sight, the seer stone in the hat serves as the medium to convey the translation.

“The seer stone process starts with Joseph placing it in his hat. He would then put his face into the hat in order to block out the light, and he would read aloud the English words he sees appearing on the stone. A scribe would then write every word Joseph is blurting out.” (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, How We Got the Book of Mormon)

I like that account for two reasons:

1. Because very little of the process is tangible and, therefore, is either fake or relies on divine power.

2. It is quirky, and I like quirky things! Although it makes sense for the historical setting and culture of the day. But the system is bizarre when looking through modern optics.

The “Joseph Smith Papers” provided additional accounts of how Joseph Smith translated the plates.

But the one thing anyone with a testimony of the truth of the Book of Mormon believes is that the book's origin is a divine miracle made possible only by God's grace, gift, and power.

Reading is Translating

Think about the following line of reasoning the next time you study the scriptures.

Words are composed of letters, which are only characters and symbols. We discern the meaning behind the characters, symbols, letters, words, and punctuation.

The reader interprets the content on the page and translates it into thoughts and feelings in their mind and heart.

The fundamental process remains the same whether we're looking at English, Cyrillic, Runes, reformed Egyptian, Greek, Japanese, Hebrew, Unicode, or any other script.

In isolation, these scripts seem like mere symbols. However, when we learn a language, we learn to decode these symbols, transforming them into meaningful words, thoughts, and feelings.

It's a complex cognitive process involving various areas of the brain.

This process is so ingrained in fluent readers that it happens almost instantaneously. It's much like a seasoned translator who hears a sentence in one language and can immediately think of its equivalent in another without consciously picking apart each word.

Mix in the gift and power of the Holy Ghost, and you are on to something extraordinary!

Whether it be secular writing, the words of the prophets and apostles, your journal, your patriarchal blessing, conference talks, scripture, or canonized scripture, you are translating!

None of us have the right or authority to translate for the Church or others. But we have the right and responsibility to translate and interpret what we read for ourselves.

The idea of “translating” while studying has changed how I perceive the content I consume.

That is, so long as I quiet myself down, ponder, and pay attention to my feelings.

8 But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right.

9 But if it be not right you shall have no such feelings, but you shall have a stupor of thought that shall cause you to forget the thing which is wrong; therefore, you cannot write that which is sacred save it be given you from me. (D&C 9:8–9)

Experiment with the idea.

The next time you read the scriptures, remember that you're translating a series of symbols into a rich tapestry of revelatory meaning and understanding explicitly provided for you and your life.

Employ the best teacher you have access to, the Holy Ghost.

Calling on the name of the Lord for the comforter, which shall teach them all things that are expedient for them. (D&C 75:10)

Let’s not forget that Section 76 of the Doctrine and Covenants resulted from Joseph Smith reading, pondering, and translating the Gospel of John in the New Testament.

Here are some notable excerpts from D&C 76:

10 For by my spirit will I enlighten them, and by my power will I make known unto them the secrets of my will—yea, even those things which eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor yet entered into the heart of man.

12 By the power of the Spirit our eyes were opened and our understandings were enlightened, so as to see and understand the things of God—

19. And while we meditated upon these things, the Lord touched the eyes of our understandings and they were opened, and the glory of the Lord shone round about.

Even if the printed word is imperfect, as is often the case in the Bible and elsewhere, the translation to your soul by the gift and power of the Holy Ghost will be perfect.

You can clarify the word of the Lord with your spiritual eyes beyond your natural ability. It's a remarkable skill and testament to our Heavenly Father and our Savior's love for us.

See if it doesn’t make a difference in your study experience.

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Thanks for reading and pondering with me!

Russell Anderson

P.S. I have a few good hats with a deep crown. Now, if I can only find a seer stone to put in the bottom of my hat while studying. 😉