Joseph Smith wrote the Wentworth Letter in 1842. From that letter the LDS church extracted what we know as the Articles of Faith. Number nine tells us:
“We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.”
Our current scriptures contain several promises from the Lord that more records will come forth in the latter days. It’s been almost 180 years since Joseph wrote that we believe God will yet reveal many great and important things, yet we have had no new revelations. I decided to compile a list of the promised records that still need to be revealed. I wouldn’t be surprised if I missed a few, if so, let me know. (Hat tip to Paul/Saul for pointing out one I missed). Joseph was right, there are many.
Download a PDF here: Yet to be revealed
Quick question…how do you know which John the final record refers to? The language seems to relate to both John the Baptist and John the Beloved.
D&C 93:15
15 And I, John, bear record, and lo, the heavens were opened, and the Holy Ghost descended upon him in the form of a dove, and sat upon him, and there came a voice out of heaven saying: This is my beloved Son.
Matthew 3:13-17
Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him…And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
JST Mark 1:9-11
And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan. And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him; and there came a voice from heaven, saying: Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And John bear record of it.
John 1:31-33
And John bare record, saying: When he was baptized of me, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. And I knew him; for he who sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, “Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he who baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.” And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.
Even John the Beloved identifies this as John the Baptist, not himself, because John the Beloved was fishing in the Galilee at this time.
I was just thinking of the possibility that John the Beloved saw many things in vision. If so, he could have born witness of the same event, even if he were not there when it originally happened.
The footnote for D&C 93:7-8 cites back to John 1:1-3. These verses in D&C 93 say “and he bore record, saying: I saw his glory, that he was in the beginning, before the world was; therefore, in the beginning the Word was, for he was the Word, even the messenger of salvation”.
John 1:1-2 famously testify, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.”
This particular part of the record was written by John the Beloved. I am not trying to argue with you, I just don’t think it is actually clear whose record we are waiting for. John the Beloved has been around for a very long time. I don’t imagine we have even a portion of what he has recorded about the events he has seen take place related to the works of God on the earth.
Thank you for the compiling this visual! We appreciate your work and support of searching the scriptures for ourselves!
When the Book of Mormon talks about other books of scriptures, I think we often overlook the Doctrine and Covenants. I believe that book has to be referenced at times in the Book of Mormon.
I believe it is mentioned in 1 Nephi 13 as the book that has had plain and precious truths removed from it. We usually assign that description to the Bible and the claim is that the great and abominable church has hidden the truth that was in the Bible through changes to it over the centuries.
Yet when we look at the Joseph Smith translation, what plain and precious truths did he have to put back into it? His changes are significant, don’t get me wrong. But the fulness of the gospel was already in the Bible and Joseph didn’t need to put it back in. There are some things in it that led to confusion and people had their own interpretations of certain parts. Does the JST resolve all of those squabbles? I don’t see it doing that.
Instead, the clearest contender to me for a book that has had its plain and precious truths removed from it is the Doctrine and Covenants. The entire doctrine section was removed with its description of the true God we need to have faith in. The LDS church now worships a false god, one who was once a man and has changed to become a celestial being.
What more apt description could Nephi have of a book whose plain and precious truths had been removed and because of that it caused people to stumble?
I think the D&C is a fulfillment of one of the books mentioned in the Book of Mormon.
I agree with the other books we are waiting for. It’s quite a list!