Section 3

God had given Joseph the gold plates.  He had begun the translation.  By the gift and power of God, he translated one hundred and sixteen precious pages from the Book of Lehi, the first book of the Large Plates of Nephi.  But now they were lost!  He had loaned them to Martin Harris and he had lost them.  Joseph felt his soul was lost forever along with the pages.  Yet the Lord, after a period of severe chastisement of Joseph, forgave the prophet and allowed him to continue the work.  The number 116 could stand as a metaphor for those times when we disobey God's will and his commandments.  We do it every day!  Yet, in his love and grace, he gives us opportunities to be made clean from the stains of sin through repentance.