Sorting Things Out, Part 3

In addition to the "light" there is the problem of the "three voices." The fact is that angels do not vibrate the air with vocal chords in order to communicate. They "speak" into the mind of the person they address. This is why there are two different quotes of the John the Baptist by Joseph and Oliver. Both of them "heard" him speak. But the "speaking" was into the mind of these two individuals. The communication "spoken" by John the Baptist was of intelligence, conveyed from the mind to the mind.

Joseph quoted John the Baptist as saying: "Upon you my fellow servants, in the name of Messiah, I confer the Priesthood of Aaron, which holds the keys of the ministering of angels, and the gospel of repentance, and of baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; and this shall never be taken from the earth until the sons of Levi do offer again an offering unto the Lord in righteousness." (JS-H 1: 69.)

Oliver quoted John the Baptist as saying: "Upon you my fellow-servants, in the name of Messiah, I confer this Priesthood and this authority, which shall remain upon the earth, that the Sons of Levi may yet offer an offering unto the Lord in righteousness." (JS-H footnote.)

For Joseph it was "the Priesthood of Aaron" and for Oliver it was "this Priesthood." The concept is identical, the words, however, are not.

For Joseph it was "which holds the keys of the ministering of angels, and the gospel of repentance, and of baptism by immersion for remission of sins" and for Oliver it was "this authority." Again, these are the words they used to convey the communication which came into their minds. Identical in substance, different in language. It is one of the evidences they were telling about an authentic event.

For Joseph it was "this shall never be taken from the earth until the sons of Levi do offer again an offering unto the Lord in righteousness" and for Oliver it was "which shall remain on the earth, that the Sons of Levi may yet offer an offering unto the Lord in righteousness."

These differences are the result of each converting into our language the thoughts or intelligence which came from the angel. Angels do not vibrate the air. They "speak" otherwise, in thought - mind to mind.
Similarly, none of those who occupied the same room, even the same bed as Joseph the night of the Angel Moroni's visit heard anything. No one was awakened during the all-night repetitious lectures to Joseph by the  Angel. No one else in the room heard anything. Only silence.

So in the embellished and untrue account of Lorin Woolley he adds a detail about the "voices of three men" coming from inside the room in an attempt to add credibility to the account. It doesn't. It shows something has been added that did not happen. Details matter. From this I can say he lacks knowledge and experience in contact with angelic ministers.

Putting Joseph Smith into this setting as one of the "three voices" is additionally problematic.

It is also a questionable detail that the guard placed for the inside door would abandon his post and go outside to inspect the window screens. I assume he added this detail to insure the "credibility" of the appearance inside the room through miraculous means. Apparently the creator(s) of the account did not want to trust the lighting effect alone, but wanted to add a miraculous component to the arrival of Christ and Joseph Smith as well. Because as any skeptic would conclude, if they had broken open the exterior window screens to enter, I suppose we would not believe it was Christ or Joseph Smith.

I also note the morning-time glow of president Taylor in the account. This brightness which was difficult to look upon is akin to Moses' descent from the mount, and designed to furnish that same sense of awe and holiness to the affair. I would think if that were the case, we would have something in the George Q. Cannon or L. John Nuttal diaries about the incident.