From the time of Adam until at least the time of Melchizedek,¹ righteous people of this earth were frequently translated.² The translation of large numbers of men and women³ included thousands or millions from the City of Enoch.⁴ After Enoch and his people were translated, righteous people were continually translated until the universal flood in the days of Noah.⁵ Translations also continued long after the flood among the people of Melchizedek, who still lived upon the earth in the days of Abraham.⁶

During the Savior's mortal ministry he said in Matthew 16:28 that "some standing here ... shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom."⁷ This statement referred to the apostle John specifically⁸ and probably to the Three Nephites then living on the American continent.⁹ However, In 1831, the Savior revealed to Joseph Smith in Doctrine and Covenants Section 49:8 that there were yet other people that have been translated since Christ's resurrection, saying: "All are under sin, except those which I have reserved unto myself holy men that ye know not of."¹⁰ The Prophet's revelation does not identify this other group of translated people since the time of his mortal ministry, but the unknown persons must be none other than the Lost Ten Tribes.¹¹

Translated people–such as John, the Three Nephites, and the Lost Ten Tribes–are still mortal.¹² However, in their translated condition they do not suffer pain¹³ or sorrow, except for the sins of the world.¹⁴ They are redeemed from the fall of Adam,¹⁵ and Satan has no power to tempt them in their sanctified condition in the flesh.¹⁶ They are, as the Savior said to Joseph, holy people that Christ has reserved unto himself. They experience terrestrial glory in their still-mortal condition,¹⁷ which means they are not received into the fulness of God's presence.¹⁸ Translated people also have the power to manifest themselves to others at any time,¹⁹ and can put at defiance the armies of nations including the enemies of Zion during the 3½ years of the Great Tribulation before the Second Coming.²⁰ They have no physical restraints or limit on their movement in time or space,²¹ and can administer in both physical and spiritual realms.²²

Joseph Smith said that "translated bodies are designed for future missions."²³ They are ministering angels on this earth²⁴ and are also "held in reserve to be ministering angels unto many planets."²⁵ Since Jesus Christ holds the keys of the universe, he can direct translated people of this earth to minister among the inhabitants of other worlds.²⁶ Some (perhaps many) inhabitants of such other worlds remained in a terrestrial state of translation²⁷ until the Savior became the first person to be resurrected on this earth to bring about the resurrection on all other worlds.²⁸ As ministering angels on this earth,²⁹ translated persons have duties as guardian angels.³⁰ They are charged³¹ to protect³² the heirs of salvation³³ in crucial ways that go unnoticed except by spiritually adept observers.³⁴

Before the Savior died, John expressed his desire to continue his ministry in the flesh on earth until the Second Coming.³⁵ He may not have learned the specific nature of his ministry until his vision of the little book on Patmos island in Revelation 10:8-9.³⁶ Doctrine and Covenants Section 77:14 describes the little book mission from Revelation chapter 10 as both a "mission and an ordinance ... to gather the tribes of Israel."³⁷ In this context, the tribes of Israel refers specifically to the Lost Ten Tribes,³⁸ and the ordinance³⁹ refers to the ordinance of translation.⁴⁰ Joseph Smith said: "The doctrine of translation is a power which belongs to the priesthood."⁴¹ Translation is, therefore, an ordinance of the Melchizedek Priesthood⁴² just as resurrection is an ordinance of the Melchizedek Priesthood.⁴³ Only resurrected people can resurrect others after them.⁴⁴ This suggests that John first had to be translated so that he had the power to perform the ordinance of translation upon the Lost Ten Tribes as part of his little book mission.⁴⁵

Each person translated before the death of Christ was resurrected with Christ to an exalted state.⁴⁶ People translated after Christ's resurrection, except for the Lost Ten Tribes, will die and instantly resurrect in the twinkling of an eye to a state of exaltation at the Second Coming.⁴⁷ The Lost Ten Tribes are an exception because they must first receive their temple ordinances as an earthly ordinance before they can be resurrected.⁴⁸ They will receive their temple ordinances at the hand of Ephraim at the New Jerusalem (Zion),⁴⁹ but not until after the Second Coming.⁵⁰ For this reason, their resurrection to an exalted state must wait until they individually receive their exalting temple ordinances after Christ's Second Coming.⁵¹