The Lost 116 Pages

Revelation relating to the culpability of Joseph Smith, Jr. in relation to the lost 116 pages.
Revelation giving the Lord's instructions for how to proceed with translation following the loss of the 116 pages.
A brief account of how the pages came to be lost.
Fayette Lapham's publication of details of his interview with Joseph Smith Sr. is often cited as containing likely information from the lost 116 pages.
A more original source would be Vogel, Dan (1996), Early Mormon Documents, vol.1,Salt Lake City Signature Books, ISBN 1-56085-072-8
Probably not stolen by Martin Harris's wife.
Some details that were likely on the lost 116 pages based on statements by Joseph Smith and others:
  • Laban killed during a feast day.
  • Ishmael's family was of the house of Ephraim
  • The Liahona was used during some kind of Exodus in the promised land (probably Mosiah leaving the land of Nephi) to guide their journey. The Liahona guided them to the Urim and Thummim. The prophet took the Urim and Thummim to the tabernacle (because they had a portable tabernacle with them) to inquire as to what these things were, and the Lord asked the prophet what he had in his hands. He responded that he did not know and had come to inquire. The Lord told the prophet to put the Urim and Thummim to his face and cover it with an animal skin. When he did so, he could see the past, present, and future. The Liahona stopped functioning after this point.
  • Mulek's party consisted of 4 royal-connected males and 4 royal connected females who escaped the destruction in Jerusalem, and became the foundation for the Mulekite civilization.
Martin Harris had stated that the Sword of Laban had been made by Joseph in Egypt, at God's direction and was in Joshua's hand when he led the house of Israel into the land of Canaan. After Joshua, is came down through the lineage of Joseph into the hand of Laban. Since this is not found anywhere else, it is believed that this comes from the lost 116 pages, because Martin Harris is one of the few people who would have known what was in that text.

Notes

From D&C 10, we might imagine that the Lost 116 pages was a shorter record than the small plates of Nephi. We generally expect though, that the Lost 116 Pages were longer (significantly longer than 116 pages even), but that it contained less of what the Lord considered most important; the doctrines and revelations. Instead, it contained an abridgement of Nephite geopolitical history, which, although abridged, was probably quite lengthy, comparable to the historical records we find in Mosiah and Alma.

Cross-References