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Three Remarkable Months
April 7-Early July 1829

Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, for Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, for Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions:

And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand . . .

And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hands before their eyes. (Ezekiel 37:16-17, 20.)

No man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron. (Hebrews 5:4.)

One of the most remarkable periods in the history of Christianity began on April 7, 1829. Between April and early July of that year, five of the most significant events in the history of the restoration movement occurred. The writings of Joseph Smith, Oliver Cowdery, Lucy Smith, and David Whitmer and reported interviews with individuals who were closely associated with the Prophet in 1829 affirm that nearly all of the Book of Mormon (excluding the 116 pages of the Book of Lehi) was translated during these three months. Moreover, these writings inform us that, with the possible exception of Oliver Cowdery's translation of a few words, Joseph Smith was the sole translator of that record. While various individuals served as scribes to the Prophet, there are no primary historical sources which indicate that any person assisted Joseph Smith in the composition of the Book of Mormon. The young man had received only a meager formal education, and he did not have access to any major library. In 1829 he could not dictate a coherent letter nor write a series of well-structured English sentences. Yet day after day, for approximately three months, he dictated a manuscript (containing more than five hundred pages) describing the religious history of a people spanning more than two thousand years.

Some critics have suggested that Sidney Rigdon was a principle author of the Book of Mormon. They have argued that he used as a guide, for the historical portions of this work, a romance written by Solomon Spaulding. However, no records have been located which indicate that Sidney Rigdon knew Joseph Smith before 1830. A preponderance of evidence shows that Sidney Rigdon himself certified that he first learned the Book of Mormon. While testifying of the divine authenticity of the Book of Mormon, Sidney Rigdon himself certified that he first learned about that sacred record when it was presented to him by Parley P. Pratt in the fall of 1830. Others have declared that when Rigdon was initially given a copy of that book his response was negative. Like many other restorationist preachers of the 1820s, Rigdon taught that the Bible was the sole standard of faith. For this reason he "partly condemned it," and, as Parley P. Pratt recalled, Rigdon questioned the proclamation of a new book containing the teachings of Christ. "He was much surprised," Parley added, "and it was with much persuasion and argument that he was prevailed on to read it." Nevertheless, as many contemporaries have noted, following his careful examination of that book, Rigdon publicly announced his conversion to Mormonism.