Doctrine & Covenants 93: Historical and Theological Significance
Doctrine and Covenants 93 is considered one of Joseph Smith’s most theologically expansive revelations. Received in 1833, it introduced doctrines not found in traditional Christianity, including:
- Jesus Christ did not receive a fulness of glory at first but advanced “grace to grace.”
- Human beings existed as intelligences before mortality and are co-eternal with God.
These teachings diverge sharply from established Christian theology and remain core distinctives of Latter-day Saint doctrine.
The Sealed Portion of the Plates in Book of Mormon Text
Ether 3–4
Moroni records that the Brother of Jared saw the entire history of the world—from the Creation to the end times. He was commanded to write the vision, but:
- This portion was sealed.
- The interpreters (Urim and Thummim) were sealed with it.
2 Nephi 27
The sealed record contains:
- “All things from the foundation of the world unto the end thereof.”
It will only come forth when:
- People exercise greater faith.
- The Lord determines the appropriate time (“in the own due time of the Lord”).
When Will It Be Revealed?
Early Latter-day Saint leaders, including Bruce R. McConkie, taught that the sealed portion likely will not be revealed until:
- The Millennium, or
- A period of great righteousness on earth.
The Book of Mormon frames the sealed portion as withheld because humanity is not yet prepared to receive its contents.
19th-Century Accounts of a Hill Cumorah Cave of Records
Multiple early Latter-day Saint leaders gave accounts describing a room or cave inside the Hill Cumorah containing numerous ancient records. These descriptions differ in detail but follow a similar narrative pattern.
Brigham Young’s Account (June 17, 1877)
Brigham Young shared an account originally told by Oliver Cowdery:
- After translation, Joseph Smith returned the plates to the hill.
- The hill miraculously opened, revealing a large, illuminated room.
- Inside were:
- A table where Joseph placed the plates,
- Stacks of additional plates “two feet high,”
- Numerous records lining the walls (“more than many wagon loads”),
- The Sword of Laban.
On a later occasion, the sword was unsheathed and placed across the records with a divine message that it would not return to its scabbard until the kingdom of God prevailed.
Wilford Woodruff’s Journal (Dec. 11, 1869)
Woodruff records Brigham Young explaining:
- Joseph returned the plates to a cave within a hill he spelled “Camoro.”
- The cave contained vast quantities of records.
- A heavenly messenger served as custodian.
Joseph described “tons of choice treasures and records” within the chamber.
Heber C. Kimball (1856)
Kimball stated:
- Joseph and others viewed a cave in Cumorah in vision.
- They saw more records than “ten men could carry.”
- Books were stacked on tables, one upon another.
He emphasized faithfulness as the condition for receiving these records in the future.
David Whitmer (1878 Interview)
Whitmer described:
- The angel relocating the plates to a cave “not far from” Cumorah.
- The records being preserved until the sealed portion is to be revealed.
He declined to specify the location.
Literal Cave or Visionary Experience?
The historical accounts vary in interpretation:
- Some narratives sound physical and literal.
- Others explicitly describe the event as visionary.
Several factors suggest a visionary rather than geological interpretation:
- Miraculous lighting within the cave.
- Supernatural entrance into the hill.
- Presence of an angelic guardian.
- The geological structure of the Hill Cumorah (a glacial drumlin), which is not conducive to natural caves.
Scholars generally view the experience as visionary but historically attested.
The Fate and Location of Other Nephite Records
Mormon described maintaining an extensive Nephite archive. Only a small portion was abridged into the Book of Mormon.
- The current location of the other records is unknown.
- Latter-day Saint leaders have taught consistently that these records will come forth only under divine direction—not through archaeological excavation.
Joseph Smith’s Return of the Plates
Joseph Smith and early Church leaders taught that:
- The plates were returned to a heavenly messenger after the translation.
- Joseph did not keep them.
- The plates—and the sealed portion—remain under angelic guardianship until the Lord commands otherwise.