The Lord further said to Joseph who was sold into Egypt, "I will raise up unto the fruit of thy loins; and I will make for him a spokesman. And I, behold, I will give unto him, that he shall write the writing of the fruit of thy loins (the Nephites), unto the fruit of thy loins (the American Indians); and the spokesman of thy loins shall declare it;" verse 18.
In Doc. & Cov., we are informed of the fulfilment of this prophecy. The Lord said to Joseph the prophet and S. Rigdon, "It is expedient in me that you, my servant Sidney, should be a spokesman unto this people; yea, verily, I will ordain you unto this calling, even to be a spokesman unto my servant Joseph;" 100. 9.
"And it shall be as if the fruit of thy loins had cried unto them from the dust;" 2 Nephi 3. 19. Jos. Smith, Jun., was of the lineage of Joseph who was sold into Egypt, to whom these promises were made. The Nephites were also his descendants, and they wrote and hid up the plates of the Book of Mormon, with the assurance that, in after years, the writing should be brought forth to their descendants and others of the house of Israel; Mormon 8. 14-16. The record was engraved on plates in a language known only to the Nephites; Mormon 9. 34.
Of necessity there were some means provided for interpreting and re-writing the record in a modern language, before it could benefit those for whom it was designed. With the plates of the Book of Mormon was found a Urim and Thummim, by means of which, through the power of God, Jos. Smith, Jun., was enabled to translate the Nephite record for the benefit of the descendants of Lehi, and any others of the human family who would receive it; Doc. & Cov. 10. 1. "And it shall be as if the fruit of thy loins had cried to them from the dust," was fulfilled in taking the writing out of the earth, where it had been deposited for 1400 years.
In Mormon 8. 13, 14, we are informed that the record was hid up in the earth by Moroni, the son of Mormon, and it remained under his care until he delivered it to Joseph Smith, Jun., P. of G. P. page 49. The Lord said, "And it shall come to pass that my people which are of the house of Israel, shall be gathered home unto the lands of their possessions; and my word also shall be gathered in one;" 2 Nephi 29. 14.
In fulfilment of this prophecy, Jos. Smith, Jun., during the short period of his ministry, not only inaugurated the great work of gathering Israel, but also of gathering together sacred writings, which at this time consist of the unsealed portion of the record of Mormon; the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, and of important portions of the writings of Enoch, of Abraham, and of Moses. He also declared that more sacred writings would come forth, as fast as the people were prepared to receive them.
Moroni, who completed and hid up the record of Mormon in the earth, says, of the plates, "Unto three shall they be shown by the power of God; wherefore they shall know of a surety that these things are true. And in the mouth of three witnesses shall these things be established;" Ether 5. 3, 4. We find that the Lord repeated this prediction to Jos. Smith, Jun.; Doc. & Cov. 5. 11-15. On the second page, after the title page of the Book of Mormon, we find the testimony of three men, Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer and Martin Harris, that an angel appeared to them and showed them the plates, "Which is a record of the people of Nephi, and also of the Lamanites their brethren, and also of the people of Jared, who came from the tower" of Babel.
It was made manifest to them that they had been translated by the gift and power of God, and the voice of the Lord commanded that they should bear record of the things that had been shown them.