hearts to tempt the Lord their God, by altering their words, that they did read contrary from that which I translated, and caused to be written; and if I should bring forth the same again, they would publish that which they had stolen, and Satan would stir up the hearts. of this generation, that they might not receive this work; but behold the Lord said unto me, I will not suffer that Satan shall accomplish his evil design in this thing: therefore shalt thou translate from the plates of Nephi, until you come to that which ye have translated, which ye have retained, and behold ye shall publish it as the record of Nephi; and thus I will confound those who have altered my words."
The facts respecting the lost manuscript, we have not been able to ascertain. They sometimes charged the wife. of Harris with having burnt it; but this is denied by her. They were, however, taken from the possession of Harris, by a miracle wrought by Satan. The prophet has undertaken to inform the reader how the Lord got him out of this dilemma: "thou shalt translate from the plates of Nephi until thou come to that which ye have translated, which ye have retained, and behold ye shall publish it as the record of Nephi." Here the Lord, in order to counteract the works of the Devil, is represented by Smith as palming off upon the world an acknowledged falsehood,—the records of Lehi must be published as the records of Nephi. Again, how could Smith know when he came to that which he had translated, without looking at the plates, (which he could not read if he did,) for he does not pretend that there was any miracle in this operation. But who, except one fully endued with the folly and wickedness of "the author," can believe for a moment, that the Lord would make known his will in such language. Again, an important record which had been made by a miracle,
