1
Mr. Harris, having returned from his tour, left me and went home to Palmyra, arranged his affairs, and returned again to my house about the 12th of April 1829.
2
He commenced writing for me while I translated from the plates, which we continued until the 14th of June following, by which time he had written one hundred and sixteen pages of manuscript on foolscap paper.
3
ΒΆ And it came to pass that sometime after Mr. Harris had begun to write for me, after we had translated 116 pages, he began to importune me to give him liberty to carry the writings home and show them.
4
He desired to carry them to read to his friends that peradventure he might convince them of the truth.
5
He desired of me that I would inquire of the Lord, through the Urim and Thummim, if he might not do so.
6
Therefore, I inquired of the Lord; and the Lord said unto me that he must not take them.
7
And I spoke unto Martin the Word of the Lord, and he was not satisfied with this answer; and he said inquire again.
8
And I inquired, and the answer was as before.
9
Still he could not be contented, but insisted that I should inquire once more;
10
And the third time the Lord said unto me: Let him go with them only he shall covenant with me that he will not shew them to only but five persons which are his brother, Preserved Harris, his own wife, his father and his mother, and a Mrs. Cobb, a sister to his wife.
11
In accordance with this last answer, I required of him that he should bind himself in a covenant to me in a most solemn manner that he would not do otherwise than had been directed.
12
And he covenanted with the Lord that he would do according to the Word of the Lord; therefore, he took them and took his journey unto his friends to Palmyra, Wayne County, State of New York.
13
Notwithstanding, however, the great restrictions which he had been laid under, and the solemnity of the covenant which he had made with me, he did show them to others;
14
And by stratagem they got them away from him, and he broke the covenant which he made before the Lord; and the Lord suffered the writings to fall into the hands of wicked men.
15
Martin was chastened for his transgression and I also was chastened also for my transgression for asking the Lord the third time;
16
Wherefore, the Plates were taken from me by the power of God and I was not able to obtain them for a season.
17
And the 116 pages, they never have been recovered even unto this day.