1) The Doctrine and Covenants was originally called the “Book of Commandments” and it didn’t use the words “Urim and Thummim” until 1833, or three years after the Book of Mormon.
BC 9:1, p. 22 — Now, behold I say unto you, that because you delivered up so many writings, which you had power to translate, into the hands of a wicked man, you have lost them, and you also lost your gift at the same time …
[Harmony, Pennsylvania May 1829]
The revelation (already written and published) in The Doctrine and Covenants10:1-3 was later changed to add “by means of the Urim and Thummim” which introduces doubt regarding whether or not they were “lost” along with the 116 pages. How the D&C reads after the change:
DOCTRINE and COVENANTS
1 NOW, behold, I say unto you, that because you delivered up those writings which you had power given unto you to translate by the means of the Urim and Thummim, into the hands of a wicked man, you have lost them.
2 and you also lost your gift at the same time, and your mind became darkened.
3 Nevertheless, it is now restored unto you again; therefore see that you are faithful and continue on unto the finishing of the remainder of the work of translation as you have begun.
If you read the history of the church, the date reads as follows:
http://www.boap.org/...1c3history.htmlHistory of the Church Vol.1
Chapter 3. [Jan. 1827 - Mar. 1829]
The Nephite Record Delivered To Joseph-- The Angel's Warning--The Work of Translation.
This implies it was all written from Jan. 1827 – Mar. 1829. The Notes section fills in some blanks:
http://www.boap.org/...1c3history.htmlNotes Chapter 3
1. Most reports state that throughout the project Joseph used the "Nephite interpreters" or, for convenience, he would use a seer stone (see CHC 1:128-30). Both instruments were sometimes called by others the Urim and Thummim.
13. The term Urim and Thummim, while used in this revelation and in the ms text does not appear in early publications of the revelation, nor does it seem to have been used in any contemporary document of the principals. No early ms of this revelation survives apparently. In the 1833 Book of Commandments, verse one read "Now, behold I say unto you, that because you delivered up so many writings, which you had power to translate, into the hands of a wicked man, you have lost them. . . ." Thus, the words "by the means of the Urim and Thummim" in verse one were not part of this verse in the Book of Commandments; nor was section 17, which also makes use of the term Urim and Thummim, printed in the Book of Commandments. Both section 17 and verse one of section 10, as we now have them, first appeared in the 1835 edition of the Doctrine and Covenants. Lyndon Cook writes:
While the retroactive placement of the term in section 10 has led to some speculation relative to the Prophet's having the instrument in his possession, a preponderance of evidence confirms the Prophet's own testimony: "With the records was found a curious instrument, which the ancients called 'Urim and Thummim,' which consisted of two transparent stones set in the rim of a bow fastened to a breastplate" (History of the Church, 4:537 [Wentworth letter]). The problem here seems to be one of terminology, not whether or not the Prophet had possession of an ancient artifact. Until some time after the translation of the Book of Mormon, the sacred instruments may have been referred to as "Interpreters," or "spectacles." It is possible that Joseph Smith's inspired translation of the Bible played some part in designating the translating instrument "Urim and Thummim." The earliest use of the term Urim and Thummim in Mormon literature is in the Evening and Morning Star (January 1833). An article on the Book of Mormon, undoubtedly authored by W. W. Phelps, stated, "It was translated by the gift and power of God, by an unlearned man, through the aid of a pair of Interpreters, or spectacles--(known, perhaps in ancient days as Teraphim, or Urim and Thummim)." [RJS, 17]
In footnote 1, there’s an admission that a seer stone was used “or, for convenience, he would use a seer stone.” In footnote 13, it claims the preponderance of the evidence supports using the name Urim and Thummim, yet admits the name wasn’t published until 1833 at the earliest: “The earliest use of the term Urim and Thummim in Mormon literature is in the Evening and Morning Star (January 1833)”
For more discussion on this, you may want to read this thread:
http://www.mormonapo...entry1208862547What do we know from Emma Smith? It’s funny, but when you Google the following quote, the part about his “face buried in his hat, with the stone in it” is missing from the Mormon sites:
Actual Quote:
. . . In writing for your father I frequently wrote day after day, after sitting by the table close by him, he sitting with his face buried in his hat, with the stone in it, and dictating hour after hour with nothing between us. (The Saints' Herald, May 19, 1888, p. 310; )
How the quote reads when the part about the stone and hat is selectively removed (changed):
http://www.emmasmith....com/testimony/. In writing for your father I frequently wrote day after day, often sitting at the table close by him, and dictating hour after hour with nothing between us.