“The book,” the record from which comes the Book of Mormon, is mentioned twenty times in this chapter. It will be a blessing to Nephites and Lamanites and to Jews and Gentiles. The contents of the book, especially the sealed portion, are set forth, including an explanation of why the sealed portion has not yet been revealed to us. The book contains “a revelation from God, from the beginning of the world to the ending thereof.” A portion of the book is sealed and cannot be revealed to the world because of wickedness.
The book will be delivered to a man, Joseph Smith, and he will deliver up some of the words or characters to another man, Martin Harris. The portion of the book that is sealed will be held back “until the own due time of the Lord,” because it contains “all things from the foundation of the world unto the end thereof.” On some future day all the sealed words will be read, by the power of Christ, “upon the house tops” (compare D&C 1:3), and all things that have ever happened—from beginning to end—will be revealed, things already seen by a select few: Adam (D&C 107:56–57), Enoch (Moses 6:36; 7:21, 67), the brother of Jared (Ether 3:21–28; 4:4–7), Abraham (Abraham 3:11–12), Moses (Moses 1:8, 28), John (Revelation 4—22), and Joseph Smith (D&C 76).