Translation
Definition
Translation in the Book of Mormon framework is the transfer of the text from its ancient language (described as “Reformed Egyptian”) into English — not by ordinary linguistic skill but “by the gift and power of God.” This is not translation in the conventional sense but a prophetic-charismatic event. The translator (Joseph Smith) does not know the source language; he receives the English text through sacred instruments (the Urim and Thummim, a seer stone placed in a hat). The concept appears both as a claim about the text’s origin and as a theme within the text itself (Mosiah translates the Jaredite record by means of “interpreters”).
Where It Appears
Within the narrative, Mosiah translates the twenty-four gold plates of the Jaredites using “two stones which were fastened into the two rims of a bow” — the interpreters, or Urim and Thummim. The brother of Jared is told to seal up his record, which will be brought forth in a future time. The text repeatedly references its own future translation: Nephi prophesies that his words will come forth to the gentiles. The title page of the Book of Mormon announces that the text will come forth “by the gift and power of God.”
Narrative and Theological Function
Translation solves the problem of access: ancient records in dead languages are inaccessible without a divinely empowered intermediary. The claim of miraculous translation does two things simultaneously: it authenticates the text (it comes from God, not human learning) and it insulates the translator from charges of fraud (he did not “compose” the text; he received it). The concept of translation also creates a link between the ancient prophetic world and the modern one: the same divine power that enabled prophets to write now enables a modern prophet to read.
Relationship to Other Concepts
Translation depends on revelation: it is a specific kind of revelation focused on rendering text. Translation requires sacred instruments. Translation is linked to the plates and the record: the buried object must be translated to become available scripture.
In Comparative Context
The Book of Mormon’s account of its own translation is unique among major scriptures. The Quran was dictated orally; the Bible was composed and compiled over centuries. The Book of Mormon claims a punctual, miraculous translation event using physical instruments, witnessed by others who testified to seeing the plates and the instruments. This specificity has made the translation process a central focus of both apologetic and critical scholarship.