Authentic descriptions of the original Book-of-Mormon Plates note the fact that a considerable part of the golden record was sealed. Martin Harris so informed Professor Charles Anthon, New York, in their strange interview in 1828. In this Chapter Moroni furnishes the interesting information that he had written the words commanded him, from memory, referring possibly, more especially, to Chapters 3 and 4; and that the things he had told from memory had been sealed up. These things, consequently, formed part of the sealed portion of the Plates.
I have told you. This may indicate that the wonderful story of the interview of Moriancumer, the Brother of Jared, with the Lord on the mountain, as we can read it in the Book of Ether, was part of a sermon of Moroni at some public assembly before the final conflict at Cumorah.
Touch them not. Moroni addresses this admonition to future translators. They must leave the sealed portion alone, until otherwise directed by the Lord. There must be some strong reason for this precaution. Our surmise is that the exceedingly glorious manifestations of God on Mount Shelem, translated into imperfect human language, would have been incomprehensible to the world at the time of the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, and that ignorance and bigotry at that time would have martyred the Prophet Joseph long before the completion of his mission on Earth if these visions had been put into print.