VISIONS 3, PART 5 - TRANSLATION & PUBLICATION

Christ next gives Elisha a brief overview of the translation and publication process. When mentioning "this work" or "the first record", it's clear He means the Aklatan. However, He also speaks of "another work of translation", and at this moment, I'm not sure what that entails, but it would've been translated in 1991 or thereabouts. From Christ's words, it seems to be something other than a record of the people of the islands.

In any case, Elisha is commanded to record the Aklatan on paper, carry it wherever he goes, and preach from it for 5 years, after which he'll begin that second work of translation. Christ says that the Aklatan is a record of His people on the islands and needs to be shared so that all the people of the islands will read it and see its light. However, Elisha is not allowed to publish it for 20 years (it came out in 2007), and even then only a small portion. If the people receive it well and follow the Lord's teachings through Elisha, then more will be published until the whole record is complete.

I'd like to touch on one cool little thing before moving on to more important matters. Christ says that He will "prepare the way that [the Aklatan] may be published." As of right now, the Aklatan is available on Lulu.com (HERE), a relatively young company offering self-publishing, printing, and distribution services. Basically, the entire ordering and publishing system is automated, and authors can submit and communicate exclusively via internet. The books are simply printed on demand, and the retail price is determined by the printing cost, author margin, and publisher fee. The author can select to receive nothing financially (as Elisha was commanded), and then Lulu takes no commission. All of this seems like an ingenious way to publish, print, and distribute a document relatively hassle-free, so one could focus on continuing the work.

Finally, regarding the end of this segment and publishing little by little, this should be a familiar pattern, a method the Lord has employed throughout history (see also Alma 12:9-10; Ether 12:6; DC 76:7-11). The Lord taught Joseph Smith:

For [I] will give unto the faithful line upon line, precept upon precept; and I will try you and prove you herewith. (D&C 98:12)

 He expanded on this to Nephi:

I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more; and from them that shall say, We have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they have. (2 Nephi 28:30)

And Mormon provided an example of this:

And now there cannot be written in this book even a hundredth part of the things which Jesus did truly teach unto the people; 

But behold the plates of Nephi do contain the more part of the things which he taught the people.

And these things have I written, which are a lesser part of the things which he taught the people; and I have written them to the intent that they may be brought again unto this people, from the Gentiles, according to the words which Jesus hath spoken.

And when they shall have received this, which is expedient that they should have first, to try their faith, and if it shall so be that they shall believe these things then shall the greater things be made manifest unto them.

And if it so be that they will not believe these things, then shall the greater things be withheld from them, unto their condemnation.

Behold, I was about to write them, all which were engraven upon the plates of Nephi, but the Lord forbade it, saying: I will try the faith of my people. (3 Nephi 26:6-11) 

We are taught little by little as we exercise our faith in acting on the truths we have, and as we are true and faithful in a few things, we show the Lord our readiness to accept greater things. To paraphrase Bruce R. McConkie, the milk of the present prepares us for the meat of the future. Spencer W. Kimball also taught that before obtaining greater manifestations or additional scripture we must read and believe what has already been revealed; he then noted:

We are quite often looking for the spectacular, the unobtainable. I have found many people who want to live the higher laws when they do not live the lower laws.