THE SEALED PORTION OF THE BOOK OF MORMON

(From Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon by Robert Millet and Joseph McConkie, Volume 1, page 316 we read:

"In speaking of the sealed portion of the Book of Mormon, Elder Bruce R. McConkie explains: 'John the Revelator saw in the hands of the Great God, a book sealed with seven seals.  'It contains,' as our revelations tell us, 'the revealed will, mysteries and works of God; the hidden things of his economy concerning this earth during the seven thousand years of its continuance, or its temporal existence,' each seal covering a period of one thousand years.  As John saw, no one but the Lord Jesus, 'the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David,' had power to loose these seven seals. (Revelation 5; D&C 77:6)

'This same or like knowledge is contained in the sealed portion of the Book of Mormon.  For aught we know the two sealed books are one and the same.  Of this much we are quite certain: when, during the Millennium, the sealed portion of the Book of Mormon is translated, it will give an account of life in preexistence; of the creation of all things, of the fall and the atonement and the Second Coming; of temple ordinances, in their fulness; of the ministry and mission of translated beings; of life in the spirit world, in both paradise and hell; of the kingdoms of glory to be inhabited by resurrected beings and many such like things'  ('The Bible - A Sealed Book,' CES Address, August 1984).

'But sadly,' Elder McConkie has written elsewhere, 'the book is sealed, its contents are being kept from men in this day.  Indeed, it is not even now in the possession of mortals; it was returned by Joseph Smith to Moroni, its divinely appointed custodian.  Nor did even Joseph Smith either read or translate it. 

We know of no one among mortals since Mormon and Moroni who have known its contents.  It was known among the Nephites during the nearly two hundred years of their Golden Era.  But for the present, the book is kept from us; only the portion upon which no seal was placed has been translated.

'Why are these plates of Mormon sealed?  The answer is obvious. They contain spiritual truths beyond our present ability to receive.  Milk must precede meat and whenever men are offered more of the mysteries of the kingdom than they are prepared to receive, it affects them adversely.'" (New Witness, page 443)