A generally well known yet little explored detail about the Book of Mormon is that it contained a sealed portion. It is conventionally understood that the Book of Mormon came packaged with some material that the Saints were obviously not prepared to receive, and as such, we can only patiently wait for it to one day be revealed, but until then, we should leave the matter alone, and not speculate idly.

Idle speculation can indeed be counterproductive, but it might come as a surprise that the Book of Mormon actually contains a considerable amount of information regarding the contents, origin, and purpose of the sealed portion. The pedigree of what became the sealed portion can roughly be characterized as follows:

1. Obtained by Brother of Jared
2. Compiled and hid by Ether
3. Discovered by the Limhi’s search team
4. Translated by Mosiah
5. Kept by Alma
6. Passed down to Mormon
7. Translated and compiled by Moroni
8. Received by Joseph Smith
9. Anticipating the unsealing

Obtained by the Brother of Jared

If we consult the story of the Brother of Jared, we learn that he requested that the Lord touch the 16 stones he had made in order to illuminate them. Having shown his spiritual finger, the Lord proceeds to show himself entirely. Having done this, we learn that:

“When the Lord had said these words, he showed unto the brother of Jared all the inhabitants of the earth which had been, and also all that would be; and he withheld them not from his sight, even unto the ends of the earth…and there never were greater things made manifest than those which were made manifest unto the brother of Jared.” (Ether 3: 25, 4:4)

After showing this marvelous vision, the Lord said:

“Write these things and seal them up; and I will show them in mine own due time unto the children of men.” (Ether 3:27)

We assume that the vision was recorded, “sealed up” and kept with the Jaredite records.

Compiled and hid by Ether

Ether was the last Jaredite prophet, and it was he who took the challenge of writing the history of his people:

“And as he dwelt in the cavity of a rock he made the remainder of his record” (Ether 13:14)

Ether then took the Jaredite record, which doubtless contained the vision of the brother of Jared, and secured them in some repository:

“And he went forth, and beheld that the words of the Lord had all been fulfilled; and he finished his record; (and the hundredth part I have not written) and he hid them in a manner that the people of Limhi did find them.” (Ether 15:33)

Discovered by the Limhi’s search team

Limhi, the son of King Noah, was of the third generation of the group that left Zarahemla and recolonized the land of Nephi. The Lamanites had invaded, however, and the people of Limhi were subjected to a heavy tax. Remembering their origins, Limhi sent a sent a search team out to find Zarahemla. The team sets out, but lacking direction, they completely overshoot Zarahemla and instead reach the land northward, where they discover Jaredite ruins:

“Nevertheless, they did find a land which had been peopled; yea, a land which was covered with dry bones; yea, a land which had been peopled and which had been destroyed; and they, having supposed it to be the land of Zarahemla, returned to the land of Nephi.” (Mosiah 21:26)

In these ruins, they found the Jaredite record that had been left by Ether, and brought it back to the land of Nephi with them:

“And they brought a record with them, even a record of the people whose bones they had found; and it was engraven on plates of ore. And for a testimony that the things that they had said are true they have brought twenty–four plates which are filled with engravings, and they are of pure gold.” (Mosiah 21:27, 8:9)

Unfortunately, Limhi’s people were unable to translate the records because “there [was] no one in the land that [was] able to interpret the language or the engravings that are on the plates” (Mosiah 8:11), so they remained an elusive mystery. A few days later, Ammon and his team, dispatched from Zarahemla, encounter Limhi’s people. Ammon tells Limhi about the prophet Mosiah in Zarahemla, and Limhi expresses his desire to have the records translated:

“For I am desirous that these records should be translated into our language; for, perhaps, they will give us a knowledge of a remnant of the people who have been destroyed, from whence these records came; or, perhaps, they will give us a knowledge of this very people who have been destroyed; and I am desirous to know the cause of their destruction.” (Mosiah 12:18)

Translated by Mosiah

Limhi’s group is eventually led by Ammon back to Zarahemla. There, Mosiah got the records, and “translated and caused to be written the records which were on the plates of gold which had been found by the people of Limhi.” (Mosiah 28:11) Based on the account in the book of Mosiah, we can rest assured that these plates is in fact the record of the Jaredites, which included the sealed vision of the Brother of Jared:

“Now after Mosiah had finished translating these records, behold, it gave an account of the people who were destroyed, from the time that they were destroyed back to the building of the great tower, at the time the Lord confounded the language of the people and they were scattered abroad upon the face of all the earth, yea, and even from that time back until the creation of Adam.” (Mosiah 28:17)

However, it seems clear that Mosiah suppressed the publication of his translation, and presumably only gave an oral summary to the people:

“…They were forbidden to come unto the children of men until after that he should be lifted up upon the cross; and for this cause did king Mosiah keep them, that they should not come unto the world until after Christ should show himself unto his people.” (Ether 4:1)

Even so, the people seemed satisfied with whatever information they received:

“Now this account did cause the people of Mosiah to mourn exceedingly, yea, they were filled with sorrow; nevertheless it gave them much knowledge, in the which they did rejoice.” (Mosiah 28:18)

Following this, it appears that Mosiah put the 24 Jaredite plates and his translation in the Nephite record repository.

Kept by Alma

Alma eventually become the Nephite record keeper, and we have sufficient evidence to believe that he was keenly aware of the Jaredite record and what it contained, although it is unclear whether he had read the contents of the brother of Jared’s vision. In speaking to his son Helaman, Alma said:

“And now, I will speak unto you concerning those twenty–four plates, that ye keep them, that the mysteries and the works of darkness, and their secret works, or the secret works of those people who have been destroyed, may be made manifest unto this people; yea, all their murders, and robbings, and their plunderings, and all their wickedness and abominations, may be made manifest unto this people.” (Alma 37:21)

Passed down to Mormon

Many generations later, Mormon was charged with the responsibilities of record keeping. He received the Nephite records from Ammaron, who had deposited them in the hill shim. He instructed Mormon:

“Therefore, when ye are about twenty and four years old I would that ye should remember the things that ye have observed concerning this people; and when ye are of that age go to the land Antum, unto a hill which shall be called Shim; and there have I deposited unto the Lord all the sacred engravings concerning this people.” (Mormon 1:3)

Mormon does as commanded, and, based off of the Nephite records, he writes the account of the Nephites on his own plates. Having done this, he passes the record keeping responsibilities to his son Moroni.

Translated, compiled and sealed by Moroni

While the complete hand-off sequence is unclear, we know that Moroni ended up with at least the plates of Mormon (Mormon 6:6), and the 24 Jaredite plates. (Ether 1:2)

Moroni begins translating the 24 plates, and writes his summary of it in what eventually became the book of Ether. When Moroni reaches the point where the brother of Jared’s vision is recorded, he makes a full and complete account of it, although it would seem in a separate section of the plates:

“Behold, I have written upon these plates the very things which the brother of Jared saw; and there never were greater things made manifest than those which were made manifest unto the brother of Jared. Wherefore the Lord hath commanded me to write them; and I have written them.” (Ether 4:4)

Having written the vision, he warns the translator of his record not to include this sealed vision:

“I have told you the things which I have sealed up; therefore touch them not in order that ye may translate; for that thing is forbidden you, except by and by it shall be wisdom in God.” (Ether 5:1)

Moroni then completes the record, and hides it up.

Received by Joseph Smith

Joseph Smith unearthed the record in the late 1820’s. Joseph noted that a portion of the plates were sealed:

“These records were engraven on plates which had the appearance of gold, each plate was six inches wide and eight inches long, and not quite so thick as common tin. They were filled with engravings, in Egyptian characters, and bound together in a volume as the leaves of a book, with three rings running through the whole. The volume was something near six inches in thickness, a part of which was sealed.” (Letter to John Wentworth, editor of the Chicago Democrat)

Martin Harris was aware of this when he went to Colombia University to settle his mind regarding the authenticity of the project his would undertake. He sought out Professor Charles Anthon, who after examining a transcript of characters copies from the gold plates, issued Martin a certificate of authenticity. Martin explained:

“I took the certificate and put it into my pocket, and was just leaving the house, when Mr. Anthon called me back, and asked me how the young man found out that there were gold plates in the place where he found them. I answered that an angel of God had revealed it unto him. He then said to me, ‘Let me see that certificate.’ I accordingly took it out of my pocket and gave it to him, when he took it and tore it to pieces, saying that there was no such thing now as ministering of angels, and that if I would bring the plates to him he would translate them. I informed him that part of the plates were sealed, and that I was forbidden to bring them. He replied, ‘I cannot read a sealed book.’ I left him and went to Dr. Mitchell, who sanctioned what Professor Anthon had said respecting both the characters and the translation.” (Joseph Smith History 1:64-65)

This seems to be the fulfillment of an obscure Isaiah prophesy:

“And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed: And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned.” (Isaiah 29:11-12)

This prophesy was further expounded by Nephi, who added the Lord’s words regarding the sealed portion:

“But the words which are sealed he shall not deliver, neither shall he deliver the book. For the book shall be sealed by the power of God, and the revelation which was sealed shall be kept in the book until the own due time of the Lord, that they may come forth; for behold, they reveal all things from the foundation of the world unto the end thereof… Touch not the things which are sealed, for I will bring them forth in mine own due time; for I will show unto the children of men that I am able to do mine own work.” (2 Nephi 27:10-21)

Anticipating the unsealing

It would be a terrible waste if the Brother of Jared, Ether, Mosiah, and Moroni all went through the trouble of recording, compiling, or translating the sealed portion if it was simply destined to be forever locked up. We do learn that the sealed portion, will indeed come forth, but the conditions must be right. The Lord told Moroni:

“They shall not go forth unto the Gentiles until the day that they shall repent of their iniquity, and become clean before the Lord. And in that day that they shall exercise faith in me, saith the Lord, even as the brother of Jared did, that they may become sanctified in me, then will I manifest unto them the things which the brother of Jared saw, even to the unfolding unto them all my revelations, saith Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of the heavens and of the earth, and all things that in them are.” (Ether 4: 6-7)

Joseph Smith was given the keys of unlocking the sealed portion—keys which are still active today:

“And I have given unto him the keys of the mystery of those things which have been sealed, even things which were from the foundation of the world, and the things which shall come from this time until the time of my coming, if he abide in me, and if not, another will I plant in his stead.” (D&C 35: 18)

Bruce R. McConkie weighed in on the subject as such:

“Sadly, the book is sealed; as contents are being kept from men in this day. Indeed, it is not even now in the possession of mortals; it was returned by Joseph Smith to Moroni, its divinely appointed custodian. Nor did even Joseph Smith either read or translate it. We know of no one among mortals since Mormon and Moroni who have known its contents. It was known among the Nephites during he nearly two hundred years of their Golden Era. But for the present, the book is kept bent us; only the portion upon which no seal was placed has been translated. Why are these plates of Mormon sealed? The answer is obvious. They contain spiritual truths beyond our present ability to receive. Milk must precede meat, and whenever men are offered more of the mysteries of the kingdom than they are prepared to receive, it affects them adversely.” (New Witness, p. 443.)

Regarding its contents, Elder McConkie also said:

“Of this much we are quite certain: when, during the Millennium, the sealed portion of the Book of Mormon is translated, it will give an account of life in preexistence; of the creation of all things; of the fall and the atonement and the Second Coming; of temple ordinances, in their fulness; of the ministry and mission of translated beings; of life in the spirit world, in both paradise and hot of the kingdoms of glory to be inhabited by resurrected being and many such like things.(”The Bible—A Sealed Book,” CES Address, August 1984.)

Whatever its exact contents, the sealed portion of the Book of Mormon is doubtless full of fascinating and insightful information. Who knows when the day will come that its contents will be revealed, but in the meantime we would do well to remember that we are still under condemnation for not taking seriously the part of the Book of Mormon that we do have. So how can we take this book of scripture more seriously? Well, for starters, you cans start exploring http://bookofmormononline.net/ and see where that leads you.