The translation process itself, wherein Joseph worked by the gift and power of God, fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy that the Lord would do “a marvelous work among this people, yea, a marvelous work and a wonder” (2 Nephi 27:26; compare Isaiah 29:14). Joseph endured persecutions and numerous attempts by evil men to steal the plates, making the translation itself even more wondrous (see Echoes, 3).
Brief Translation Time
The actual translation of the book took approximately sixty-five working days, with Joseph translating up to ten pages in a single day. In comparison, over fifty scholars worked for seven years to produce the King James Version of the Bible—about one page per day. Translating the Book of Mormon in such a short amount of time is even more extraordinary considering that Joseph often had to discontinue translating for hours at a time to do chores and care for his family. (See Echoes, 5–7).
“A Marvelous Work and a Wonder”
This reference is to the miracle of the restoration of the gospel in our time, including the coming forth of the Book of Mormon (compare Isaiah 29:13–14). The Lord will bring about a marvelous work among this people, but the wisdom of the learned and wise who work darkness shall perish. The Lord can work with His children only according to their faith. The application is clear: We are to further the cause of this “marvelous work and a wonder” in our own lives so that the light of the gospel can shine forth and invite all to come unto Christ.
Power to Translate
While the Prophet Joseph Smith never disclosed the exact details of the translation process, the testimonies of others provide us with some insight. Both David Whitmer and Martin Harris explained that as the Prophet used the instrument provided by the Lord, the hieroglyphics would appear along with the translation in English. Then Joseph would read the text to the scribe. It appears from such statements that Joseph did not need to be an expert in hieroglyphics in order to discern the English translation. In fact, he did not necessarily even need to scrutinize the actual characters on the plates (see Echoes, 4).
Testimony of Joseph’s Scribe
An important witness to the divine origin of the Book of Mormon, Oliver Cowdery, was also deeply involved with the book’s translation. He stated, “I wrote with my own pen the intire (sic) [B]ook of Mormon (save a few pages) as it fell from the Lips of the prophet.” (Compare also Oliver’s detailed statement included in the footnote at the end of Joseph Smith—History in the Pearl of Great Price.) Oliver never denied his testimony, and though he fell away from the Church for a time, he eventually came back. On his deathbed, Oliver raised up and told his family and friends to “live according to the teachings in the [B]ook of Mormon and they would meet him in Heaven.” (See Echoes, 11).