While many questions are asked by historians, believers, and skeptics about the lost 116 pages, we’re focusing on just one for this bonus study page: what happened to them after they disappeared? All of our information was pulled from the sources listed below!
Most Latter-day Saints know the basics of this story. In the summer of 1828, Joseph Smith allowed Martin Harris to take the manuscript of the Book of Mormon to show his family.
Joseph had asked the Lord for permission several times and was told “no,” but after asking repeatedly, he was finally given approval. Martin was particularly worried about his wife, Lucy Harris, who strongly opposed his involvement in the translation, especially because of its impact on their finances.
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An engraving of Martin Harris. | Courtesy of JosephSmithPapers.orgIt is believed that the manuscript was in Martin’s possession from June 14, 1838 to about July 7. We don’t have any accounts of what the selected few who were permitted to see the manuscript thought.
However, Lucy seemed to be at peace to some degree after seeing the manuscript. The pages were actually kept in a locked chest of drawers of Lucy’s. So, how were the pages lost?
Martin made a sacred covenant not to show the pages to those outside of an approved list of family members. While Lucy was visiting family, Martin received a visit from a “very particular friend” and was anxious to show this friend the manuscript.
Unable to open the chest of drawers, Martin damaged the furniture to pick the lock. He then placed the manuscript in his own set of drawers and continued to show the manuscript to others.
It is sometime after this point that the pages disappeared, and were not seen again.
The revelation now known as D&C 3, which was given after the pages were lost. | Courtesy of JosephSmithPapers.orgMany theories abound about what happened to those pages. Joseph Smith seemed to believe the pages had been stolen.
In the original preface to the Book of Mormon, he wrote that “many unlawful measures” had been “taken by evil designing persons to destroy me, and also the work…which said account, some person or persons have stolen and kept from me, notwithstanding my utmost exertions to recover it again.”
Martin and others believed Lucy had taken the lost pages, though she denied it. Decades later, rumors would state Lucy had actually burned the manuscript.
Some claimed she had stated she burned the pages, while others still insisted she refuted the accusation. On her deathbed Lucy swore she had nothing to do with the pages being lost.
No one ever claimed to have the pages, they were never printed or shared, and to this day the answer of what exactly happened to the lost pages remains a mystery.
What do you think happened to the 116 pages? Do you believe the theories, or do you think there’s another explanation yet to be uncovered?
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Sources
- rsc.byu.edu/coming-forth-book-mormon/lost-116-pages-story-what-we-do-know-what-we-dont-know-what-we-might-know
- fromthedesk.org/lucy-harris-116-pages-book-of-mormon/
- josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/book-of-mormon-1830/9
Aleah is a graduate of Southern Virginia University, where she studied English, Creative Writing, and Dance. She now works full time as a marketing and product manager, writer, and editor. She currently hosts the podcast “Single to the Glory” about singlehood in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Aleah served a mission in California and loves baking, Lang Leav poetry, Gaynor Minden pointe shoes, and Bollywood movies.
