In the early months of 1830, while the Book of Mormon was still being printed, Joseph Smith authorized a small group of trusted associates to travel to Canada in an effort to secure copyright protection for the book throughout the British Commonwealth. LDS critics frequently highlight the mission’s failure as evidence against Joseph Smith’s prophetic claims, often portraying it as an embarrassing or discrediting episode. However, this interpretation ignores important historical context. At the time, international copyright law was complex, inconsistently enforced, and poorly understood, even by professional publishers. Recent discoveries of the revelation text associated with this effort, along with additional legal and historical documentation, provide valuable insight into Joseph Smith’s motivations and expectations. When examined carefully, the Canadian copyright episode reflects the practical challenges of early publishing rather than a theological failure, and it offers a more nuanced understanding of how revelation, human judgment, and real-world limitations intersected in the early history of the Restoration.