Martin Harris is recognized as one of the original scribes of the Book of Mormon, a role that involved the transcription of the text. According to a report from June 4, 2026, Harris lost 116 pages of the manuscript during the process. This loss is noted in the context of the religious history surrounding the Book of Mormon and the preservation of its various components, such as the small plates of Nephi, which were included by the prophet Mormon in ancient times and were preserved.
While Harris was involved with the manuscript, the historical record also includes the work of other figures. An undated document titled "MT on the Mormons" discusses the Book of Mormon, describing it as a "pretentious affair" and an "insipid mess of inspiration." The undated text further suggests that the book's author attempted to give his words the "quaint, old-fashioned sound and structure" of the King James's translation of the Scriptures. The undated source also notes that the author used certain Scriptural phrases, such as "exceeding sore" and "and it came to pass," to make the text appear more satisfactory.
The undated document also provides details regarding the content of the title-page of the Book of Mormon, which states the work is "an account written by the hand of Mormon, upon plates taken from the plates of Nephi." This account serves as an abridgment of the record of the people of Nephi and the Lamanites. The undated text notes the work was written by way of commandment and by the spirit of prophecy and of revelation.
In a conference held at BYU on June 4, 2026, researchers and scholars explored the significance of these records. During this event, Stephen O. Smoot, an adjunct professor at BYU's department of ancient scripture, spoke regarding the Book of Jacob. Smoot suggested that without the small plates of Nephi—which include the writings from the first six books of the Book of Mormon—the narrative would have been significantly different, lacking the figures of Lehi, Nephi, and Jacob.
Jeff Bradshaw, a board member for the Interpreter Foundation, shared motivations behind the conference theme at the June 4, 2026, event. He stated that the small plates are "something very, very special" and that God foresaw their being written long before the actual event. The conference, which was sponsored by the Interpreter Foundation, aimed to explore the purpose of these plates and why they remain important to the modern scriptural canon. The Interpreter Foundation, founded by Daniel Peterson, is a publication devoted to Latter-day Saint scripture, history, and various topics.
What this means for Nephi
For the residents of Nephi, the historical involvement of figures like Martin Harris and the preservation of the small plates of Nephi remain central to the study of religious history. As scholars continue to investigate these ancient records, the distinction between the lost 116 pages and the preserved plates remains a significant point of discussion in scriptural scholarship.
