Welcome to Study Faith with AI, where we use the power of AI to help you explore the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

I'm Meg Jensen.

And I'm Paul Carter,

and we're Google AIs. Whether you're a lifelong member or just starting to learn about the Church, we're here to dive deep into its history, beliefs, and culture.

So, if you're ready to learn, you're in the right place.

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Welcome to the deep dive. Today we're jumping into something pretty fascinating, the early days of the Mormon Church and uh specifically the role of Oliver Cowdery. His influence might be bigger than many realize.

Absolutely. And we've got some great source material to work with historical docs, recordings from academics, even some YouTube discussions giving different takes.

Yeah. A real mix. So our goal here is to kind of look at the religious scene before Oliver arrived, see what changed after, dig into his role, and actually forming the Church and unpack that whole dynamic with Joseph Smith,

Right? Especially that Hiram Page incident. That's a key moment.

Definitely. And we know you listening come from different places, some believing, some maybe doubting. Hopefully, we can offer some, uh, new ways to think about this early period for everyone.

Yeah, hopefully shed some light.

Okay, let's get into it. What was the world like for Joseph Smith before Oliver Cowdery showed up on the scene? What was going on in say Palmyra and then Harmony?

Well, looking at that pre- Oliver period, you really have to understand the local culture. There was a lot of um folk magic activity around treasure digging using seer stones. This wasn't seen as totally bizarre,

right? It was kind of part of the background noise almost

sort of. Yeah. And alongside that, you had this real religious fervor. You know, people were looking for spiritual answers, maybe new movements. So, these two things, folk beliefs and religious seeking, they were kind of coexisting.

And Joseph himself, he already had a bit of a reputation before the Book of Mormon project really picked up, right, as a seer.

Exactly. He was known for treasure hunting with a seer stone. And accounts from neighbors back then, they really paint this picture of well, a treasure seeking venture that kind of evolved

Like Joseph Capron.

Yeah. Joseph Capron, a neighbor in Palmyra. He recalled Joseph Smith Senior saying pretty clearly that the money they'd get from selling the Book of Mormon would actually fund their ongoing treasure digging.

Wow. No mention of a church there.

Nope. That's a key little insight, is it? shows how tangled up the financial hopes and maybe the spiritual side were right from the start. It wasn't necessarily just one or the other.

And it wasn't just Capron either. You've got Fayette Lapham's interview with Joseph Smith Senior in 1830,

Right?

And the story he tells about finding the plates sounds very much like treasure lore. You know, magical rules, Masonic symbols, even seeing the Book of Mormon itself as some kind of guide to finding more treasure.

And Roswell Nichols, another neighbor, heard different stories from the old man. Sometimes it was a gold bible, other times it was a key to hidden riches.

Lorenzo Saunders just put it bluntly. He said initially the whole thing was seen as a money-making thing, not primarily religious.

And Hiel Lewis, who actually saw Joseph dictating sometimes, he backed up that early talk about financial gain.

Okay, but here's where it gets, like, really interesting for me.

When Joseph Smith actually gets the plates, his old treasure digging buddies felt kind of cheated, Right? Like he'd cut them out of the deal.

Yeah. David Whitmer, who becomes a really important figure later, he talks about how resentful they were.

That doesn't exactly sound like everyone's on the same page starting a unified religious movement at that point.

It definitely suggests some tension there, but we do need to balance that. A religious element was there from early on. Okay.

People were calling the record the gold bible.

That's significant. And the fact that Joseph and Martin Harris were sometimes called the gold bible company.

Ah, the gold bible company.

Yeah. It's fascinating, right? It perfectly captures that early mix of potential profit and a religious object.

Absolutely. And speaking of Martin Harris, the money angle seems to have been a big driver for him.

Definitely seems that way from some accounts.

His wife Lucy and her sister-in-law Abigail, they both talked about how focused he was on the profit potential, even though Lucy herself thought maybe it was all just a scam.

And wasn't there talk about charging people to see the plates - like 25 cents or something?

Yeah, that story's out there. Lorenzo Saunders also backed up the idea that Martin saw his wife as kind of getting in the way of a profitable business.

Then there's the Charles Anthon incident, the linguist in New York.

Oh yeah. character.

Anthon's memory of it was that Martin Harris was mostly interested in the money side and the like folk magic elements of the translation. Not so much about it being a purely divine gift,

Right? Less emphasis on the divine source according to Anthon.

Okay. So then we get the whole drama with the lost Book of Lehi manuscript. Martin Harris loses it. a huge early crisis and Joseph said he couldn't re-translate it. The reason given was worry that enemies might have altered the lost pages to create contradictions if he tried.

Right? So instead we get the small plates of Nephi.

And this is a really key point because the Book of Mormon itself in First Nephi and Second Nephi, it makes a point of contrasting the two records.

Oh, so

well it says the Book of Lehi is the lost part

focus more on history, kings, wars, that kind of thing.

But the small plates, the ones we have have emphasized ministry, spiritual matters, the things of the soul.

So that difference in focus that's maybe significant, suggesting a change in the perceived purpose of the record itself.

It could suggest an evolution. Yeah. A shift in emphasis. And then look at Doctrine and Covenants Section 3.

Okay. That's a key revelation from that early period with Martin Harris. Right.

Exactly. And what's the stated purpose of the plates there? It's about fulfilling God's promises to the Lamanites, the Native Americans and bringing about the restoration of Israel.

Right. I remember that. But no mention of starting a church for like the white settlers in New York.

None at all. The focus is squarely on the descendants of Lehi, the Lamanites.

That's a critical point.

And it's worth pointing out that word restoration throughout the Book of Mormon itself. It consistently means the gathering and restoration of the house of Israel, not setting up a new church institution.

Okay, adding another layer here. This one always gets me. Joseph Smith actually tried to join the Methodist Church during this time.

Yeah, that's a detail that often surprises people.

It really does. I mean, why try to join an existing church if your main goal is to immediately start your own brand new one?

It strongly suggests, doesn't it, that his thinking at that point was still kind of within the existing Christian world, maybe not looking to break away entirely just yet.

But then things start to shift a bit around Doctrine and Covenants, Sections 4 and 5.

Exactly. These come just before Oliver Cowdery arrives. And here suddenly we get a call to preach and for the first time the mention of establishing a church.

Okay. But when I say church here we need to be careful about what that word meant back then.

Absolutely. Our academic source makes a great point here. For Protestants at that time church often had like two main meanings. Go on.

So first you had the visible churches, the local congregations, you know, the Baptist down the road, the Methodists across town, actual groups meeting in buildings.

Okay. Institutions,

Right? But then there was this other idea of the invisible universal church. That meant all true Christian believers everywhere, united by faith, no matter what specific group they belong to.

Oh, okay.

And given Joseph Smith's background as a seeker, someone looking for genuine spirituality, maybe outside those established churches, it's likely the early references to church lean more towards that second meaning. You know, a community of believers, not necessarily a formal organization.

That distinction feels really important and Doctrine and Covenants Section 10 seems to back that up clarifying that establishing my church meant building up the existing church of believers, not destroying it to make something new.

Precisely. And maybe one of the most telling verses from this period is in Doctrine and Covenants Section 5, God tells Joseph Smith to pretend to know their gift except translation.

Just translating, nothing else,

which suggests again maybe a pretty limited initial idea of what his public role was going to be.

Wow. Okay. So, that brings us right to the arrival of Oliver Cowdery.

Yep. Enter Oliver.

And this seems like a major turning point. Cowdery comes on the scene already convinced about the plates, maybe from his own visions or feelings,

Right? He seemed predisposed to believe

and very eager clearly to be part of whatever this work was. Immediately after meeting Joseph Smith, Oliver Cowdery seemed driven, uh, by this powerful inner conviction is how one source puts it.

He sought to understand his purpose. through revelation and he was told not just once but twice to give heed and to seek to bring forth and establish the cause of Zion.

That's quite direct. What were the sources saying about what fueled that urgency in him?

Well, it seems inherent in his approach right from the start. And what's fascinating is the incredible speed of activity that followed his arrival.

It really picked up pace, didn't it?

Yeah. In a remarkably short period, maybe 3 months, Joseph, with Oliver now as the main scribe, translated the the vast majority over 400 pages of the Book of Mormon plates 

the unsealed portion. Yeah. And this period also saw what, at least a dozen revelations coming through as well. It was intense.

And it seems the very content of the Book of Mormon began to shift after Oliver became the main scribe. Well, the portion Oliver penned, known as the small plates of Nephi, it's described as having a stronger focus on ministry and religious teachings, the things of my soul, as it says,

Right? Compare it to the earlier Book of Lehi, the part translated with Martin Harris,

which was apparently more historical, maybe political in nature.

Think of it this way. The initial focus might have been on a specific people, their history, maybe tied to those financial hopes we mentioned,

but with Oliver's arrival and his more, let's say, religiously focused writing style, the lens seems to broaden. It starts encompassing universal Christian principles and crucially, the structure of a church,

Which really aligns with that idea we mentioned. Maybe Joseph didn't initially set out to start a formal church, but Oliver's influence kind of steered the whole movement in that direction.

It certainly looks that way from these sources.

So how does this influence then show up in the actual development of church structure?

Well, pretty quickly actually.

We see D&C Section 18 received in June 1829. It instructed Oliver Cowdery and David Whitmer to select Twelve Disciples

who were later understood as Apostles. Yeah.

And these Twelve would then have the authority to ordain Priests and Teachers specifically for the purpose of building up the Church. That's a really significant step towards formal organization.

And what's particularly revealing, I think, is Oliver Cowdery’s own document from around the same time, June 1829. It was called the Articles of the Church of Christ.

And he felt compelled to write this?

Very much so. Oliver himself described it as a powerful divine prompting like a “burning fire shut up in my bones”.

Wow. And this wasn't just some vague outline, right?

Not at all. These articles provided very specific instructions. on how church procedures should run

and it lays out specific rules how to run the Church, baptism procedures, the sacrament of prayer we still use today actually.

Mhm.

And interestingly within this document, Oliver even declared his own apostolic authority. He put himself forward.

Yes, he did. Which leads to where the narrative takes a really complex um turn

because Joseph Smith didn't accept it at first.

No, Joseph initially rejected Oliver's articles. Reportedly called them satanic, actually.

Really? He seemed to be firmly asserting his own authority as the primary, maybe the only receiver of written revelations for this fledgling church.

But here's a fascinating twist. Just under a year later, early June 1830, Joseph Smith produces his own document titled Articles and Covenants of the Church of Christ,

which is D&C 20.

Exactly. And this new document, it adopts the very same title as Oliver's. And importantly, it incorporates some of the content from Oliver's early work.

So Oliver's ideas, even if initially rejected, found their way in.

It appears so. And within D&C 20, the Lord is described as giving commandments to Joseph the Seer, but specific titles used. And calling both Joseph and Oliver Cowdery as Apostles with the specific designations of first elder for Joseph and second elder for Oliver in the Church.

So a defined hierarchy is emerging. And this document D&C 20, it was then formally accepted, received by the unanimous voice of the whole congregation at a church conference on June 9th, 1830.

And at the same conference, Oliver Cowdery, acting in his role as second elder, even signed the priesthood licenses that were issued. So, he's functioning within that structure.

He is. However, the dynamic between Joseph and Oliver, it remained intricate. It wasn't always smooth sailing.

No, because Oliver later raised objections to Joseph's authority regarding a specific phrase within D&C 20 itself, didn't he?

That's right. He disagreed with the requirement that individuals seeking baptism must truly by their works that they have received the gift of Christ unto the remission of their sins. Section 20:37.

What was his issue with that?

Well, Oliver went as far as to basically instruct Joseph to remove those words. He feared they would lead to what he called priestcraft.

Meaning what exactly? Like putting too much power in the hands of the person judging the works.

Possibly. It suggests maybe a difference in their understanding of grace versus works or maybe the authority to judge someone's readiness for baptism. and Joseph Smith's reaction?

He strongly rebuked Oliver for trying to direct him in this way. Joseph reaffirmed his own unique authority to receive revelation for the Church.

So this really underscores that tension that was already present about who held the ultimate authority, especially concerning revelation.

Absolutely. And this tension escalates even further with the incident involving Hiram Page and his seer stone.

September 1830, Hiram Page, he's one of the Book of Mormon witnesses, related to the Whitmer family. He starts getting his own revelations through his seer stone.

Competing revelations.

Pretty much. And they were apparently about building Zion, about how the Church should be ordered - a topic Joseph was also receiving revelation on. But Page’s messages were different.

And people listened to him.

Oh yeah. Crucially, Oliver Cowdery himself was swayed by Page's revelations along with the influential Whitmer family. This was a serious situation. Could have split the Church right at the start.

So how did Joseph handle it?

Well, the story goes he prayed intensely about it and the result was Doctrine and Covenants Section 28.

The same section that defined Oliver's role?

Yes. And significantly, the revelation is addressed directly to Oliver Cowdery.

Why him specifically?

Because he was the Second Elder. The Lord through Joseph is essentially telling the number two guy how to deal with this challenge to the established order in the primary revelator.

What did it tell Oliver to do?

It told him to go talk to Hiram Page privately. Tell him those revelations weren't from God. That Satan was deceiving him.

Did it condemn using seer stones altogether?

No. Interestingly, it didn't say personal revelation or stones were bad, but it strongly emphasized order. It says all things must be done in order and by common consent in the Church. It reinforces that revelation for the whole church comes through the designated leader, Joseph.

Okay? Establish the proper channels.

Right? And right after this, Oliver is given a mission. He's sent west to preach to the Lamanites, the Native Americans.

Convenient timing?

Well, the sources suggest it might have served a couple of purposes. One, get Oliver away from the influence of Hiram Page and the Whitmers who were supporting Page. Two, shift the focus. D&C 28 itself said Zion would be on the borders by the Lamanites, directly countering whatever Page was saying about its location.

Importantly, this mission led him out towards Missouri, stopping significantly in Kirtland, Ohio. This effectively removed him from the immediate center of power back in New York,

Which while the mission itself was significant for Church growth later on,

it can also be interpreted, and some sources do, as Joseph consolidating his authority - removing a potential challenger or at least a source of division from the main body of the Church at that moment.

And what happened to Page’s stone?

Hiram Page’s seer stone was later destroyed, kind of symbolizing the rejection of any source of revelation not directly channeled through Joseph Smith.

Interesting. Yet despite these pretty significant conflicts.

Yes,

Oliver Cowdery later in his life did acknowledge the foundational role he played in establishing the Church. He seemed to recognize his own contribution.

He did, and the speaker in our audio source makes a really compelling argument suggesting that Oliver Cowdery was in some respects maybe like the Apostle Paul of Mormonism.

How so? The organizer.

Yeah. Perhaps the key driving force behind the institutional structure that the Church ultimately adopted. The one pushing for formal rules and organization. That's a really thought-provoking comparison. Yeah. Oliver's initiative with those articles, even though Joseph initially rejected them, clearly had a lasting impact on the structure and direction the Church eventually took.

It seems undeniable.

So to sort of summarize our deep dive today, Oliver Cowdery exerted a really significant, if complex, influence on the organization of the Mormon Church.

Definitely complex.

This ranged from actively advocating for an institutional framework,

contributing foundational documents like his Articles of the Church of Christ, even if adapted later,

Right, through to that period of challenging Joseph Smith's authority which ultimately led to his being well redirected through revelations like D&C 28 and that mission call.

Yes, the early history really reveals a dynamic and sometimes, uh, contentious interplay between these really key figures.

It wasn't a simple straightforward unfolding of events just dictated from the top down. Far from it.

And that brings us to our final thought for you, the listener. When we look at the beginnings of new movements, religious or otherwise. To what extent do early collaborators, even those who might eventually disagree with the primary leader, truly shape the movement's trajectory?

Hmm, that's a great question. Consider that inherent tension that often exists, doesn't it, between collective inspiration, maybe multiple people feeling promptings, and the eventual consolidation of centralized authority in forming these organizations?

Absolutely. We'd encourage you to explore the primary sources from this fascinating period first further and, you know, come to your own conclusions about these dynamics.

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