Oliver Cowdery's Attempt at Translation

 In D&C 8 we first meet Oliver Cowdery who helps Joseph Smith finish the translation of the Book of Mormon by acting as his scribe.  Oliver was a young school teacher who learned about Joseph's work while he was boarding with Joseph's parents in New York. Oliver gets very excited about the prospect of being part of such an exciting undertaking, so he travels to Pennsylvania where Joseph and Emma are living and offers to help with the work. Within a day or two of his arrival, he starts acting as a scribe and within three months the whole translation is finished. 

Soon after the work of translation resumes, Oliver has a desire to be able to translate himself, so he asks Joseph to ask of the Lord if he can translate.  In Section 6:25 the Lord gives Oliver permission and the gift to translate like Joseph.  Then in Section 9 we learn that Oliver's attempt to translate didn't go well, and the Lord tells him that "it is not expedient that you should translate at the present time."  This is one of the instances I mentioned when we started the Doctrine & Covenants at the beginning of January that bother me about the D&C.  The Lord says one thing and then soon after seems to retract his promise, and says, "Just kidding, you don't get to do that after all." 

As I was reading it again this week, I saw some things I hadn't noticed before.  For one thing, it sounds to me like Oliver wasn't promised to translate the Book of Mormon text, but some other text, "records... that have been kept back because of the wickedness of the people."  The Lord says, "if you have good desire...then you shall assist in bringing to light, with your gift, those parts of scriptures which have been hidden because of iniquity." (6: 26-27)

I find it very interesting that the very next section in the D&C is a seemingly random translation of a parchment made by John the Baptist that explains whether he died or tarried on the earth. None of the podcasts I listened to asked the obvious question: what if this is the "hidden scripture" that Oliver was given to try to translate?  The heading says it is a revelation given to Joseph Smith (Section 7 heading) but those headings were added in 1876 by Orson Pratt, years after Joseph's death. Maybe Oliver did start to translate, but something about the experience overwhelmed him and he had to back away from it. I am thinking about Peter walking on the water, and then when he starts to doubt he sinks. Maybe a similar thing happened to Oliver.  

The reason I think this, is the way the Lord talks about the incident of Oliver's failed attempt in Section 9.  "Behold...because you did not translate according to that which you desired of me, and did commence again to write for my servant, Joseph Smith, Jun, even so I would that ye should continue until you have finished this record, which I have entrusted unto him." (v. 1).  It sounds like Oliver tried to translate, and then said, "wait, this is too hard, why don't you do it, Joseph, and I will just be the scribe." The rest of the chapter seems to be the Lord consoling and encouraging Oliver instead of condemning him.  He says in vs 2 that Oliver will have another chance, and later he basically says, it's ok because "I have given unto my servant Joseph sufficient strength whereby it is made up? And neither of you have I condemned." (v. 12).  The Lord does take time to tell Oliver how he might do better next time (v. 7-11) and assures him that what he is doing now, helping as the scribe, is important (v.13)

This helps me feel better about the whole incident.  Granted, there must have been a little murmuring going on because the Lord tells Oliver not to murmur (v. 6).  In the end, however, it seems that Oliver didn't feel too hurt by it because he does continue to act as scribe, receives the priesthood with Joseph at the hands of angels, and becomes the second elder of the church when the church is organized in 1830.