Posted by:
Templar
(
)
Date: July 21, 2015 02:29PM
Oliver Cowdery has always been somewhat of a mystery. One has to wonder how anyone who personally recorded Joseph's “translation’ and was present when the Angel Moroni displayed the golden plates, John the Baptist restored the Aaronic Priesthood, and Peter James and John restored the Melchizedek Priesthood could ever stray from the Church. Unless, of course, he was in on the scam from the start and willingly supported Joseph’s lies. We now have concrete evidence that he was and it’s clearly indicated on the Mormon Church controlled Joseph Smith Papers website.
For a little background:
Joseph Smith reportedly received a number of "thus saith the Lord" revelations during 1828 – 1831 many of which resulted from using his usual treasure finding/BoM “seer stone in the hat trick”. These were recorded verbatim as Joseph dictated them. While the originals have conveniently disappeared like so many other Mormon documents, nevertheless, they were copied into a book of revelations which was used to produce the Book of Commandments, an earlier version of the Doctrine and Covenants. Many of these revelations were also published in “The Evening and Morning Star” at Independence, Missouri and continued in Kirtland, Ohio after the printing press was destroyed. These same issues were subsequently reprinted at Kirtland as “Evening and Morning Star” with “The” dropped from the title.
****
Quoting the official statement now published on the Joseph Smith Papers website found at:
http://josephsmithpapers.org/paperSummary/revelations-printed-in-evening-and-morning-star-january-1835-june-1836?p=14"Though touted as a reprint that would correct typographical and other errors, Evening and Morning Star actually contained significant changes to the revelation texts. In the first issue, editor Oliver Cowdery explained the revisions he was making in the reprinted versions of the revelations:
On the revelations we merely say, that we were not a little surprised to find the previous print so different from the original. We have given them a careful comparison, assisted by individuals whose known integrity and ability is uncensurable. Thus saying we cast no reflections upon those who were entrusted with the responsibility of publishing them in Missouri, as our own labors were included in that important service to the church, and it was our unceasing endeavor to have them correspond with the copy furnished us. We believe they are now correct. If not in every word, at least in principle.
Despite the implications of Cowdery’s statement, very few of the changes in the reprint represent a restoration back to the earliest text, though Cowdery consulted early manuscript sources when reprinting some of the revelations… they were edited in 1835 to reflect current organization, doctrine, and practice, which had continued to develop since the revelations were first dictated…Most of the changes made to revelations in the early issues of Evening and Morning Star are also reflected in the same revelations as published in the first edition of the Doctrine and Covenants (1835), and the editing work on that volume, in turn, influenced the presentation of revelations in later issues of Evening and Morning Star."
****
In summary, Oliver Cowdery’s claim that the original printing contained a number of errors which required correction is clearly an out and out lie as now reluctantly admitted by TSCC. Since they have finally made available (after 180 years) the actual revelations book it is abundantly clear that those published in the Book of Commandments and the earlier “The Evening and Morning Star” were what Joseph Smith had really dictated, and not the extensively revised ones now published in the Doctrine and Covenants. Obviously, Oliver Cowdery was willing to lie for Joseph in this, and very likely, the claimed, but poorly documented, priesthood ordinations by heavenly visitors as well. NO VISITS. NO PRIESTHOOD AUTHORITY. NO RESTORED CHURCH.