The Missing 116 Pages Scandal

The story of the missing 116 pages isn’t just an early Mormon mishap—it’s a revealing glimpse into how Joseph Smith used “divine revelation” to cover his tracks and shape a theology on the fly.

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Introduction

• One of the most embarrassing and revealing scandals in Mormon history is the story of the missing 116 pages of the original Book of Mormon manuscript.
• This event not only highlights the human invention at the heart of Mormon origins but also shows how Joseph Smith used convenient “revelations” to cover his tracks.
• Even South Park famously mocked this story—because it’s so unbelievable that even secular audiences can see through it.

1. The Story of the Missing 116 Pages

• In 1828, Joseph Smith began dictating what he claimed was a divine translation of ancient golden plates, with Martin Harris as his scribe.
• Harris, facing skepticism from his wife and others, begged to take the manuscript home to prove the work's authenticity.
• Smith claimed to receive divine permission after initially being told “no” twice.
• Harris lost the first 116 pages—they were never recovered.

LDS Scripture:

Doctrine & Covenants 3 (July 1828):

• This is Joseph Smith’s first recorded revelation after the disaster.
• It is a sharp rebuke from God, calling Joseph to repentance for his disobedience but also offering reassurance that the work would still move forward.
• This marks the first time Smith claimed to receive a dictated revelation directly from God, setting a pattern for how Mormon “scripture” would develop.

2. Why Couldn’t Smith Just Retranslate?

If Smith was truly translating by the gift and power of God, why not simply redo the translation?

• If the translation was truly by “the gift and power of God,” shouldn’t it have produced the same result, word for word, no matter what?
• Why would God, all-powerful and sovereign, allow a human scheme to thwart the process?
• If the book was engraved on plates, why not simply translate them again as-is?

Smith claimed that evil men would alter the original pages to expose him as a fraud if he attempted a retranslation.

The supposed solution: God had prepared a backup record—the Small Plates of Nephi—which covered the same historical period but with a spiritual focus.

LDS Scripture:

Doctrine & Covenants 10 (Summer 1829):

• Smith claimed God told him not to retranslate but to use the Small Plates, which God had foreseen would be necessary.

3. The “Small Plates of Nephi” Explained

The Small Plates are described in 1 Nephi 9:2-5:

Nephi claims to have written two records:

• Large Plates (political/historical)

The Book of Lehi was part of the large plates of Nephi — a record Mormon had abridged.

• Small Plates (spiritual teachings)

Nephi says he doesn’t fully know why—only that it’s for a “wise purpose,” which Smith later claimed referred to the future loss of the 116 pages.

Reality Check:

• The Small Plates narrative was written after the loss and looks like a retroactive invention to cover for the problem.

Key Fact:

• The Small Plates (1 Nephi–Omni) were not part of the original translation but were added later in 1829 as a theological replacement for the missing material.

4. What Happened to Pages 117 and Forward?

• The lost material only affected pages 1–116 (the so-called Book of Lehi).
• When Smith resumed translating in April 1829, he skipped ahead and continued with Mosiah—what would have been page 117+ of the original work.
• These pages were never shared with Harris or anyone else and remained intact.
• Later, Smith dictated the Small Plates material (1 Nephi–Omni) and inserted them at the beginning of the Book of Mormon.

In a preface to the 1830 edition of the Book of Mormon, Smith writes of the lost 116 pages:

I translated, by the gift and power of God, and caused to be written, one hundred and sixteen pages, the which I took from the Book of Lehi, which was an account abridged from the plates of Lehi, by the hand of Mormon; which said account, some person or persons have stolen and kept from me, notwithstanding my utmost exertions to recover it again -- and being commanded of the Lord that I should not translate the same over again, for Satan had put it into their hearts to tempt the Lord their God, by altering the words that they did read contrary from that which I translated and caused to be written; and if I should bring forth the same words again, or, in other words, if I should translate the same over again, they would publish that which they had stolen, and Satan would stir up the hearts of this generation, that they might not receive this work: but behold the Lord said unto me, I will not suffer that Satan shall accomplish his evil design in this thing: therefore thou shalt translate from the plates of Nephi, until ye come to that which ye have translated, which ye have retained; and behold ye shall publish it as a record of Nephi; and thus I will confound those who have altered my words. I will not suffer that they shall destroy my work;

Quick Timeline:

Loss of 116 pages (Book of Lehi)

Summer 1828

D&C 3: First revelation, rebuke, and call to repent

July 1828

Translation resumes (Mosiah forward)

Spring 1829

D&C 10: “Backup plan” revealed

Summer 1829

Dictation of Small Plates (1 Nephi–Omni)

Late 1829

Book of Mormon published

March 1830

5. Pop Culture Mockery: South Park’s Take

The South Park episode “All About Mormons” (Season 7, Episode 12) hilariously retells this story:

• Martin Harris’ wife hides the manuscript to see if Smith can retranslate.
• The show highlights the ridiculousness of Smith’s excuses, using the iconic chant: “Dum Dum Dum Dum Dum”.

Even non-Christians can see that this is not how real divine revelation works.

That's a fair and provocative way to put it — and it captures what many critics have suggested:

🤔 The Skeptical View: A Pattern of Creative Reinvention

Once Joseph Smith “got away with” explaining the loss of the 116 pages by appealing to divine revelation and an alternative source, he felt emboldened to apply the same strategy to the Bible — offering “restorations” and new material under the claim of divine authority.

Critics argue this:

The 116 pages incident set a precedent: Smith claimed God had provided a backup and that retranslation was off-limits — and it worked. His followers accepted the explanation and moved forward.

Emboldened by that success, Smith then extended the same method to the Bible, saying:

• The Bible was corrupted over time (just like the lost pages could be tampered with).
• He was authorized to restore the original text by revelation — just as he’d done with the Book of Mormon.

This culminated in the Joseph Smith Translation (JST), which contains:

• New verses (e.g., prophecy about Joseph Smith in Genesis),
• Doctrinal revisions (e.g., clarity on the Godhead),
• Entire new chapters (e.g., Book of Moses, Enoch material).

💬 To critics, this looks like a pattern of theological improvisation — with Smith claiming divine revelation whenever a textual problem or doctrinal opportunity arose.

6. Biblical Response: God's Word vs. Joseph Smith's Story

The Bible declares that God’s Word is eternal and preserved:

• Isaiah 40:8 — God's Word stands forever.
• Matthew 24:35 — His words will never pass away.
• Psalm 12:6-7 — God protects His Word from corruption.

Irony: The Bible never needed...