The Genesis version of the death of Moses is confusing. It states that the Lord 'buried him in a valley in the land of Moab' (Deut 34:6). Well what does it mean to be buried by the Lord? It means he was translated, the Nephite scriptures explained what it meant. The same truth was available to the Jewish Historian, Josephus, who wrote:
"As [Moses] was going to embrace Eleazar and Joshua, and was still discoursing with them, a cloud stood over him on the sudden, and he disappeared in a certain valley, although he wrote in the holy books that he died, which was done out of fear, lest they should venture to say that, because of his extraordinary virtue, he went to God." (Josephus. Complete Works. William Whiston, trans. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregal Publications, 1960., p. 103).
Bruce R. McConkie
"Moses, Elijah, and Alma the younger, were translated. The OldTestament account that Moses died and was buried by the hand of the Lord in an unknown grave is an error. (Deut. 34:5-7.) It is true that he may have been 'buried by the hand of the Lord,' if that expression is a figure of speech which means that he was translated. But the Book of Mormon account, in recording that Alma 'was taken up by the Spirit,' says, 'the scriptures saith the Lord took Moses unto himself; and we suppose that he has also received Alma in the spirit, unto himself.' (Alma 45:18-19.) It should be remembered that the Nephites had the Brass Plates, and that they were the 'scriptures' which gave the account of Moses being taken by way of translation. As to Elijah, the account of his being taken in 'a chariot of fire . . . by a whirlwind into heaven,' is majestically set out in the Old Testament. (2 Kings 2.)" (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3:423-4)