Martin Harris found himself in a tight spot when he agreed to put up the money to pay for the printing of the Book of Mormon.

Eby Grandin, editor of the Wayne County Sentinel, whose office was right in Palmyra, agreed to publish 5,000 copies of the 592-page Book of Mormon.

But because of the unusual size of the order

and its risky nature, Grandin told Joseph and Martin that he would not even buy the type

or start the printing until one of them agreed to promise to ensure the payment for the printing.

To begin the printing, Martin would have to put up nearly all of the property he owned.

Martin began to have doubts and staggered in confidence at the amount of debt he was entering into,

whose payback would depend entirely on sales of the Book of Mormon.

He was a wealthy and respected farmer in Palmyra.

He had repented of his sins and become one of the three witnesses. But now he was putting up his farm as collateral and everything was at stake. What would he lose if people didn't pay for

copies of the Book of Mormon and redeem his debt?

Everything.

What a trial of his faith.

Welcome to Meridian Magazine's Come Follow Me podcast.

We're Scott and Maureen Proctor, and today we are studying Section 19 of the Doctrine and Covenants.

It's a section filled with deep doctrine, but also plays out as a human drama.

Martin could hope that the sales of the Book of Mormon would go well, but what if they didn't?

If the book sold well, the proceeds would go to redeem the note, but if they did not, his

acreage would be put up at a public auction until the debt to Grandin was satisfied.

This was a harrowing place for Martin to stand was so much at stake, and he would see the

situation become even more stressful as opposition to the book increased.

Lucy Max Smith describes the attitude of the townspeople toward the Book of Mormon like this.

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