The Lord’s commandment that no one was to use the plates to get gain was fulfilled in the life of the Prophet Joseph Smith. During his third appearance Moroni told Joseph that Satan would tempt Joseph to use the plates “for the purpose of getting rich” (Joseph Smith—History 1:46). Later, when Joseph went to the hill to obtain the plates, he was beset by conflicting emotions. The adversary sorely tempted him to desire the plates to relieve his family’s poor financial situation. When the Prophet attempted to get the plates he was forbidden to do so because, as Moroni stated, “You have not kept the commandments of the Lord” (in Joseph Fielding Smith, Essentials in Church History, p. 49). This lesson had a lasting impression on Joseph Smith as he more clearly saw how Satan was determined to stop the coming forth of this sacred record.
We do not have exhaustive information as to how the Book of Mormon was translated. Moroni tells us in Mormon 8:16 that it would be translated “by the power of God.” The Lord gave this same explanation when he said he gave Joseph Smith “power from on high, by the means which were before prepared, to translate the Book of Mormon” (D&C 20:8). Joseph Smith said, “Through the medium of the Urim and Thummim I translated the record by the gift and power of God” (History of the Church, 4:537).
In Mormon 8:17 Moroni assured us that if there were faults in this record, they were the faults of men. Nephi said the same thing in 2 Nephi 33:1, 11
In each of these examples, the faults or weaknesses were in reference to the author’s perceived inability to communicate in writing as fully as they would have liked to (see Ether 12:23–25).What was the covenant in Mormon 8:23–25 that Moroni said the Lord would remember? (see Enos 1:16; D&C 10:46).