An 1893 engraving depicting Joseph Smith's description of receiving artifacts from the angel Moroni. The Angel Moroni (mɒˈroʊnaɪ is an Angel that Joseph Smith Jr The artifacts include the golden plates and a set of spectacles made of seer stones, which Smith called the Urim and Thummim. In the early Latter Day Saint movement, Seer stones were used as method of Divination and played a significant role in its history and theology In the Latter Day Saint movement, the Urim and Thummim (also called Interpreters) were a set of seer stones bound by silver bows into a set of The sword of Laban and an ancient breastplate are shown nearby. This article is about Laban a person in The Book of Mormon. For other uses see Laban.

In Latter Day Saint theology, the golden plates (also called the gold plates or in some 19th century literature, the golden Bible)^[1] are a set of bound and engraved metal plates that Joseph Smith, Jr. said was his source for the Book of Mormon, one of the faith's sacred texts. Please see the talk page for this article and the "See also" list before adding content or adding a hyphen to Latter Day Saint The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar The Book of Mormon is a Sacred text of the churches in the Latter Day Saint movement. Smith said he discovered the plates on September 22, 1823 on Cumorah hill in Manchester, New York, where they had been hidden in a buried box and protected for centuries by an angel named Moroni. Events 66 - Emperor Nero creates the Legion I Italica. 1236 - The Lithuanians Year 1823 ( MDCCCXXIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Cumorah (also called Mormon Hill) is a Drumlin near Manchester, New York, where Joseph Smith Jr Manchester is a Town in Ontario County, New York, USA. The population was 9258 at the 2000 census New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous An angel is a Spiritual Supernatural being found in many Religions Although the nature of angels and the tasks given to them vary from tradition to tradition The Angel Moroni (mɒˈroʊnaɪ is an Angel that Joseph Smith Jr He said the angel directed him to the plates but prevented him from taking possession of them until exactly four years later, when Smith had proven himself worthy to do so.

Smith's announcement that he had found the plates received mention in local newspapers, a circumstance that brought the curious to his door. This distraction, and Smith's lack of money, led him to move near his wife's parents in northern Pennsylvania. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ( often colloquially referred to as PA (its abbreviation by natives and Northeasterners is a state located in the Northeastern There, sporadically between 1827 and 1829, he dictated what he said was a translation of the plates by looking into stones or crystals and speaking the words he said he saw within them through divine revelation. In the early Latter Day Saint movement, Seer stones were used as method of Divination and played a significant role in its history and theology Revelation is the act of revealing or disclosing (see etymology or in the theological perception making something obvious and clearly understood through active or passive communication Except for 116 lost pages, the manuscript from this dictation was published in 1830 as the Book of Mormon. Background On September 22 1827, Joseph Smith Jr said he recovered a set of buried Golden Plates in a prominent hill near his parents'

Although Smith said the angel had commanded him not to display the plates to others, under pressure from his associates, in 1829, he said God would allow eleven witnesses to see them. The Book of Mormon witnesses are a group of contemporaries of Joseph Smith Jr These witnesses later declared that they had seen the plates. ^[2] Smith said he then returned the plates to the angel Moroni. Many adherents of the faith believe that Moroni retains them, awaiting some point in the future when the "sealed" portion of the plates will be revealed.

The golden plates are the most significant of a number of metallic plates important to Latter Day Saint history and theology. Many of these plates are discussed within the Book of Mormon.

Origin and historicity

See also: Origin of the Book of Mormon and Historicity of the Book of Mormon

Only men who were Joseph Smith's sympathetic associates were allowed to become witnesses to the plates; therefore, assertions of their existence or authenticity remain a matter of religious faith. See also Book of Mormon There are several theories as to the actual origin of the Book of Mormon See also Book of Mormon The question of whether the Book of Mormon is an actual historical work or a work of Fiction has long been a source of contention between ^[3] Many Mormons believe that the golden plates were an authentic historical artifact and that the Book of Mormon, is its literal translation. The Book of Mormon is a Sacred text of the churches in the Latter Day Saint movement. Other Mormons accept the Book of Mormon as scripture, but doubt its direct connection to ancient writings. ^[4] Some Mormons and non-believers have suggested that the plates were fashioned by Joseph Smith or one of his associates,^[5]that Joseph Smith had the ability to convince others of their existence through illusions or hypnosis,^[6] or that the plates were mystical and should be understood in the context of Smith's historical era, when magic was an accepted part of reality. Hypnosis is often thought to be a wakeful state of focused attention and heightened suggestibility with diminished peripheral awareness Mysticism (from the Greek grc μυστικός mystikos, an initiate of a Mystery religion) is the pursuit of communion with identity Magic, sometimes known as sorcery, is a Conceptual system that asserts human ability to control the natural world (including events objects people and ^[7] These theories are explored in the article Origin of the Book of Mormon. See also Book of Mormon There are several theories as to the actual origin of the Book of Mormon Scholarly examinations of the plates' historicity are discussed in the article Historicity of the Book of Mormon. See also Book of Mormon The question of whether the Book of Mormon is an actual historical work or a work of Fiction has long been a source of contention between

According to the Book of Mormon itself, the golden plates were engraved by two pre-Columbian prophet-historians from around the year AD 400: Mormon and his son Moroni. The pre-Columbian era incorporates all period subdivisions in the history and prehistory of the Americas before the appearance of significant European influences Mormon (ˈmɔrmən is a prophet in The Book of Mormon after whom the book is named This article is about the mythological Moroni from the Book of Mormon. Mormon and Moroni, the book says, had abridged earlier historical records from other sets of metal plates. Their script, according to the book, was called "reformed Egyptian" a language not known or recognized by Egyptologists or linguists,^[8] but which is described in the Book of Mormon as a language "altered. According to the Book of Mormon, that scripture of the Latter Day Saint movement was originally written in reformed Egyptian characters on plates of "ore" . . according to our manner of speech" and that "none other people knoweth our language". ^[9] Part of the plates were said to have been sealed, and thus could not be translated. According to Smith, Moroni buried the plates just prior to his death, and then, as the angel Moroni, protected them until 1823, when Smith said he found them in the hill named Cumorah in Western New York. The Angel Moroni (mɒˈroʊnaɪ is an Angel that Joseph Smith Jr Cumorah (also called Mormon Hill) is a Drumlin near Manchester, New York, where Joseph Smith Jr

Joseph Smith's story of obtaining the plates

Experience with treasure hunting

Main article: Early life of Joseph Smith, Jr.#Work as a treasure hunter and marriage to Emma Hale

During the Second Great Awakening, Joseph Smith, Jr. lived on his parents' farm near Palmyra, New York, a place and time also noted for its participation in a "craze for treasure hunting. Childhood Smith was born in Sharon, Vermont, the fifth child of Joseph Smith Sr The Second Great Awakening  (1790–1840s was the second great religious revival in United States history and consisted of renewed personal salvation experienced in revival Palmyra is a Village in Wayne County, New York, United States. "^[10] Beginning as a youth in the early 1820s, Smith was paid to act as what was called a "seer", using seer stones in (mostly unsuccessful) attempts to locate lost items and buried treasure. In the early Latter Day Saint movement, Seer stones were used as method of Divination and played a significant role in its history and theology ^[11] Smith's contemporaries describe his process for finding treasure as placing the stone in a white stovepipe hat, putting his face over the hat to block the light, and then "seeing" the information in the reflections of the stone. For the item of clothing see Top hat. For the fictional TUGS character see Top Hat (TUGS. ^[12] His preferred stone, which some said he also used later to translate the golden plates, was chocolate-colored and about the size of an egg,^[13] found in a deep well he helped dig for one of his neighbors. ^[14]

Story of finding the plates

Smith said that he first learned about the golden plates on the eve of September 22^[15] in 1823 (or possibly 1822),^[16] when, in his bedroom late at night thinking about his First Vision,^[17] an angel^[18] named Moroni appeared to him three times. Events 66 - Emperor Nero creates the Legion I Italica. 1236 - The Lithuanians The First Vision (also called the grove experience) is a religious belief held by many members of the Latter Day Saint movement (commonly called Mormonism The Angel Moroni (mɒˈroʊnaɪ is an Angel that Joseph Smith Jr ^[19] Moroni, he said, told him that the plates could be found buried in a prominent hill near his home later referred to as Cumorah (a name from the Book of Mormon). Cumorah (also called Mormon Hill) is a Drumlin near Manchester, New York, where Joseph Smith Jr The Book of Mormon is a Sacred text of the churches in the Latter Day Saint movement. ^[20]

According to Smith and contemporaries who heard his account, the angel said he would not allow Smith to take the plates until he was able to obey certain "commandments". ^[21] Smith and his believing followers said the angel's requirements included the following: (1) that Smith tell his father about the vision,^[22] (2) that he have no thought of using the plates for monetary gain,^[23] (3) that he take the plates and go directly away without looking back,^[24] (4) that the plates never directly touch the ground until safe at home in a locked chest,^[25] and (5) that he never show the plates to any unauthorized person. ^[26] In addition to the last three of these requirements, some non-believers who heard the story from Smith or his father add that Smith said the angel required him (6) to wear "black clothes" to the site of the plates,^[27] (7) to ride a "black horse with a switchtail",^[28] (8) to call for the plates by a certain name,^[29] and (9) to "give thanks to God". ^[30]

An 1841 engraving of "Mormon Hill" (looking south), where Smith said he found the Golden Plates on the west side, near the peak

In the morning, Smith began to work as usual and did not mention the visions to his father^[31] because, he said, he did not think his father would believe him. Cumorah (also called Mormon Hill) is a Drumlin near Manchester, New York, where Joseph Smith Jr ^[32] However, Smith said he fainted because he had been awake all night, and while unconscious, the angel appeared a fourth time and chastised him for failing to tell his father. ^[33] Smith's father believed Smith's account of the vision and encouraged his son to obey what Smith said were the angel's commandments. ^[34] Smith then set off to visit the hill, later stating that he used his seer stone to locate the place where the plates were said to be buried. ^[35] Smith said he "knew the place the instant that [he] arrived there" because the angel had shown him the location during the previous night's visions. ^[36]

At the proper location, he said he saw a large stone covering a stone (or possibly iron) box. ^[37] Using a stick to remove dirt from the edges of the stone cover, and after prying the cover up with a lever,^[38] he said he saw the plates inside the box, together with other artifacts. ^[39]

Stories of unsuccessful retrieval attempts

According to Smith's followers, Smith said he took the plates from the box, put them on the ground, and covered the box with the stone to protect the other valuable treasures that it contained from being taken by passers-by. ^[40] Nevertheless, the accounts say, when Smith looked back at the ground after closing the box, the plates had once again disappeared into it. ^[41] According to two non-believing Palmyra residents, when Smith once again raised the stone and attempted to retrieve the plates, Smith saw in the box something like a toad that grew larger and struck him to the ground. ^[42] Although Smith's contemporary followers do not mention a toad-like creature, they agree with several non-believers that Smith said he was stricken by a supernatural force that hurled him to the ground as many as three times. ^[43]

Disconcerted by his inability to obtain the plates, Smith said he briefly wondered whether his experience had been a "dreem of Vision" [sic]. ^[44] Concluding that it was not, he said he prayed asking why he had been barred from taking the plates. ^[45]

In response to his question, Smith said the angel appeared and told him he could not receive the plates because he "had been tempted of the advisary (sic) and saught (sic) the Plates to obtain riches and kept not the commandments that I should have". ^[46] According to Smith's followers, Smith had also broken the angel's commandment "not to lay the plates down, or put them for a moment out of his hands",^[47] and according to a non-believer, Smith said "I had forgotten to give thanks to God" as required by the angel. ^[48]

Smith said the angel instructed him to return the next year, on September 22, 1824, with the "right person": his older brother Alvin. Events 66 - Emperor Nero creates the Legion I Italica. 1236 - The Lithuanians Year 1824 ( MDCCCXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year ^[49] Alvin died in November 1823, so Smith returned to the hill in 1824 and said he asked what he should do,^[50] but to his family's disappointment, he did not return with the plates. ^[51] Instead, Smith said he was told to return the next year (1825) with the "right person", but the angel did not tell Smith who that person might be. ^[52] For the visit on September 22, 1825, Smith may have attempted unsuccessfully to bring his treasure-hunting associate Samuel T. Events 66 - Emperor Nero creates the Legion I Italica. 1236 - The Lithuanians Year 1825 ( MDCCCXXV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Lawrence,^[53] but eventually, Smith determined after looking into his seer stone that the "right person" was Emma Hale, his future wife. ^[54]

Smith said that he visited the hill "at the end of each year" for four years after the first visit in 1823,^[55] but there is no specific record of him being in the Palmyra vicinity between January 1826 and January 1827 when he returned to Palmyra from Pennsylvania with his new wife. ^[56] After his arrival in Palmyra in January 1827, Smith visited the hill and returned to tell his parents that the angel had severely chastised him for not being "engaged enough in the work of the Lord",^[57] which could have meant that he missed his annual visit to the hill in 1826. ^[58]

Story of taking possession of the plates

The next annual visit on September 22, 1827 would be, Smith told associates, his last chance to receive the plates. Events 66 - Emperor Nero creates the Legion I Italica. 1236 - The Lithuanians Year 1827 ( MDCCCXXVII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common ^[59] According to Brigham Young, as the scheduled final date to obtain the plates approached, several Palmyra residents expressed concern "that they were going to lose that treasure" and sent for a skilled necromancer from 60 miles (96 km) away, encouraging him to make three separate trips to Palmyra to find the plates. Necromancy ( Greek νεκρομαντία nekromantía) is a form of Divination in which the practitioner seeks to summon "operative spirits" ^[60] During one of these trips, the unnamed necromancer is said to have discovered the location, but was unable to determine the value of the plates. ^[61] A few days prior to the September 22, 1827 visit to the hill, Smith's loyal treasure-hunting friends Josiah Stowell and Joseph Knight, Sr. traveled to Palmyra, in part, to be there during Smith's scheduled visit to the hill. Events 66 - Emperor Nero creates the Legion I Italica. 1236 - The Lithuanians Year 1827 ( MDCCCXXVII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Joseph Knight Sr (1772&ndash1847 was a close associate of Joseph Smith Jr ^[62]

Another of Smith's former treasure-hunting associates, Samuel T. Lawrence, was also apparently aware of the approaching date to obtain the plates, and Smith was concerned he might cause trouble. ^[63] Therefore, on the eve of September 22, 1827, the scheduled date for retrieving the plates, Smith dispatched his father to spy on Lawrence's house until dark. Events 66 - Emperor Nero creates the Legion I Italica. 1236 - The Lithuanians Year 1827 ( MDCCCXXVII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common If Lawrence attempted to leave, the elder Joseph would have informed him that his son would "thrash the stumps with him" if he found him at the hill, but Lawrence never left his home. ^[64] Late at night, Smith took a horse and carriage to the hill Cumorah with his wife Emma. Cumorah (also called Mormon Hill) is a Drumlin near Manchester, New York, where Joseph Smith Jr ^[65] While Emma stayed in the wagon kneeling in prayer,^[66] Joseph walked to what he said was the site of the Golden Plates. Some time in the early morning hours, he said he retrieved the plates and hid them in a hollow log on or near Cumorah. ^[67] At the same time, Joseph said he received a pair of large spectacles he called the "Urim and Thummim" or "Interpreters", with lenses consisting of two seer stones, which he showed his mother when he returned in the morning. In the Latter Day Saint movement, the Urim and Thummim (also called Interpreters) were a set of seer stones bound by silver bows into a set of In the early Latter Day Saint movement, Seer stones were used as method of Divination and played a significant role in its history and theology Lucy Mack Smith ( July 8, 1775 - May 14, 1856) was the mother of Joseph Smith Jr ^[68]

Over the next few days, Smith took a well-digging job in nearby Macedon to earn enough money to buy a solid lockable chest in which to put the plates. Macedon is a Town in Wayne County, New York, United States. The population was 8688 at the 2000 census ^[69] By then, however, some of Smith's treasure-seeking company had heard that Smith said he had been successful in obtaining the plates, and they wanted what they believed was their share of the profits from what they viewed as part of a joint venture in treasure hunting. ^[70] Spying once again on the house of Samuel Lawrence, Smith, Sr. determined that a group of ten to twelve of these men, including Lawrence and Willard Chase, had enlisted the talents of a renowned and supposedly-talented seer from 60 miles (96 km) away, in an effort to locate where the plates were hidden by means of divination. Divination (from Latin divinare "to be inspired by a god" related to Divine, Diva and Deus) is the attempt of ascertaining ^[71] When Emma heard of this, she rode a stray horse to Macedon and informed Smith, Jr. ,^[72] who reportedly determined through his Urim and Thummim that the plates were safe. In the Latter Day Saint movement, the Urim and Thummim (also called Interpreters) were a set of seer stones bound by silver bows into a set of He nevertheless hurriedly rode home with Emma. ^[73]

Once home in Manchester, he said he walked to Cumorah, removed the plates from their hiding place, and walked home through the woods and away from the road with the plates wrapped in a linen frock under his arm. Manchester is a Town in Ontario County, New York, USA. The population was 9258 at the 2000 census Cumorah (also called Mormon Hill) is a Drumlin near Manchester, New York, where Joseph Smith Jr ^[74] On the way, he said a man had sprung up from behind a log and struck him a "heavy blow with a gun. " "Knocking the man down with a single punch, Joseph ran as fast as he could for about a half mile before he was attacked by a second man trying to get the plates. After similarly overpowering the man, Joseph continued to run, but before he reached the house, a third man hit him with a gun. In striking the last man, Joseph said, he injured his thumb. "^[75] He returned home with a dislocated thumb and other minor injuries. ^[76] Smith sent his father, Joseph Knight, and Josiah Stowell to search for the pursuers, but they found no one. Joseph Knight Sr (1772&ndash1847 was a close associate of Joseph Smith Jr ^[77]

Smith is said to have put the plates in a locked chest and hid them in his parents' home in Manchester. ^[78] He refused to allow anyone, including his family, to view the plates or the other artifacts he said he had in his possession, although some people were allowed to heft them or feel what were said to be the artifacts through a cloth. ^[79] A few days after retrieving the plates, Smith brought home what he said was an ancient breastplate, which he said had been hidden in the box at Cumorah with the plates. After letting his mother feel through a thin cloth what she said was the breastplate, he placed it in the locked chest. ^[80]

The Smith home was approached "nearly every night" by villagers hoping to find the chest where Smith said the plates were kept. ^[81] After hearing that a group of them would attempt to enter the house by force, Smith buried the chest under the hearth,^[82] and the family was able to scare away the intended intruders. ^[83] Fearing the chest might still be discovered, Smith hid it under the floor boards of his parents' old log home nearby, then being used as a cooper shop. Traditionally a cooper is someone who makes Wooden staved vessels of a conical form of greater length than breadth bound ^[84] Later, Smith said he took the plates out of the chest, left the empty chest under the floor boards of the cooper shop, and hid the plates in a barrel of flax. Flax (also known as common flax or linseed) (binomial name Linum usitatissimum) is a member of the genus Linum Shortly thereafter the empty box was discovered and the place ransacked by Smith's former treasure-seeking associates,^[85] who had enlisted one of the men's sisters to find the hiding place by looking in her seer stone. In the early Latter Day Saint movement, Seer stones were used as method of Divination and played a significant role in its history and theology ^[86]

Translating the plates

Main article: Life of Joseph Smith, Jr. from 1827 to 1830

Joseph Smith said that the plates were engraved in an unknown language, and Smith told associates that he was capable of reading and translating them. Translation of the Golden Plates Recruitment of Martin Harris When Smith said he had obtained the book of Golden Plates from the angel Moroni (see This translation took place mainly in Harmony, Pennsylvania (now Oakland Township), Emma's hometown, where Smith and his wife had moved in October 1827 with financial assistance from a prominent, though superstitious, Palmyra landowner Martin Harris. Harmony Township is a township in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, United States. Oakland Township is a township in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, United States. Martin Harris may refer to Martin Harris (academic, British linguist Martin Harris (Latter Day Saints (1783–1875 American Mormon ^[87] The translation occurred in two phases: the first, from December 1827 to June 1828, during which Smith transcribed some of the characters and then dictated 116 manuscript pages to Harris, which were lost. According to the Book of Mormon, that scripture of the Latter Day Saint movement was originally written in reformed Egyptian characters on plates of "ore" Background On September 22 1827, Joseph Smith Jr said he recovered a set of buried Golden Plates in a prominent hill near his parents' The second phase began sporadically in early 1829 and then in earnest in April 1829 with the arrival of Oliver Cowdery, a schoolteacher who volunteered to serve as Smith's full-time scribe. Oliver Hervy Pliny Cowdery ( 3 October 1806 – 3 March 1850) was the primary participant with Joseph Smith Jr In June 1829, Smith and Cowdery moved to Fayette, New York, completing the translation early the following month. Fayette is a Town in Seneca County, New York, United States. The population was 3643 at the 2000 census

Translation process

Smith used scribes to write the words he said were a translation of the golden plates, dictating these words while peering into seer stones, which he said allowed him to see the translation. In the early Latter Day Saint movement, Seer stones were used as method of Divination and played a significant role in its history and theology Smith said that he translated using what he called the "Urim and Thummim"—a set of large spectacles with stones where the eye-pieces should be. In ancient Israelite religion and culture Urim and Thummim (האורים והתומים Standard   haʾUrim vəhaTummim ^[88] There is no eye-witness testimony that Smith ever wore the large spectacles, although some witnesses suggest he placed them in his hat while translating. ^[89] Witnesses did observe Smith using a single seer stone (not part of a set of spectacles) in the translation,^[90] and some said that this stone was one of those Smith had earlier used for treasure seeking. ^[91] Smith placed the stone (or the spectacles) in a hat, buried his face in it to eliminate all outside light, and peered into the stone to see the words of the translation. ^[92] A few times during the translation, a curtain or blanket was raised between Smith and his scribe or between the living area and the area where Smith and his scribe worked. ^[93] Sometimes Smith dictated to Martin Harris from upstairs or from a different room. Martin Harris may refer to Martin Harris (academic, British linguist Martin Harris (Latter Day Saints (1783–1875 American Mormon ^[94]

Smith's process of what he called "translation" was not typical of the usual meaning of that word because his dictation of the English words did not require his understanding of the source text. Translation is the interpreting of the meaning of a text and the subsequent production of an equivalent text likewise called a " translation A source text is a text (sometimes Oral) from which information or ideas are derived As he looked into the seer stone, Smith said that the words of the ancient script appeared to him in English. These dictations were written down by a number of assistants including Emma Smith, Martin Harris, and most notably, Oliver Cowdery. Emma Hale Smith Bidamon ( 10 July 1804 – 30 April 1879) was married to Joseph Smith Jr Martin Harris may refer to Martin Harris (academic, British linguist Martin Harris (Latter Day Saints (1783–1875 American Mormon Oliver Hervy Pliny Cowdery ( 3 October 1806 – 3 March 1850) was the primary participant with Joseph Smith Jr ^[95] In May 1829, after Smith had lent 116 un-duplicated manuscript pages to Martin Harris, and Harris lost them, Smith dictated a revelation explaining that Smith could not simply re-translate the lost pages because his opponents would attempt to see if he could "bring forth the same words again". Background On September 22 1827, Joseph Smith Jr said he recovered a set of buried Golden Plates in a prominent hill near his parents' ^[96] Smith seems to have assumed that a second transcription of the lost pages should be identical to the first rather than be filled with the variants that would naturally occur if one was translating a text from one language into another in the normal manner. ^[97]

Location of the plates during translation

When Joseph and Emma moved to Harmony, Pennsylvania in October 1827, the golden plates were said to have been transported in a glass box hidden in a barrel of beans. ^[98] For a time the couple stayed in the home of Emma's father Isaac Hale, but when Smith refused to show Hale the plates, only allowing him to heft the box that contained them, Hale banished the concealed object from his house. Emma Hale Smith Bidamon ( 10 July 1804 – 30 April 1879) was married to Joseph Smith Jr ^[99] Afterwards, the plates were said to have been hidden for much of the time in the nearby woods,^[100] although Emma said that for at least part of the time, Joseph kept them in the house, on a table, wrapped in a linen tablecloth, which she moved from time to time when it got in the way of her chores. ^[101] In one instance, the plates were said to have been stored in a trunk on Emma's bureau. ^[102]

Smith did not require the physical presence of the plates in order to translate them; and many witnesses said the plates were hidden during the translation process, presumably in the woods. ^[103] In April 1828, Martin Harris' wife Lucy visited Harmony with her husband and demanded to see the plates. Martin Harris may refer to Martin Harris (academic, British linguist Martin Harris (Latter Day Saints (1783–1875 American Mormon Lucy Harris (née Harris (1792—1836 was the wife of Martin Harris, one of the Three Witnesses to the Book of Mormon's Golden Plates. When Smith refused to show them to her, she searched the house and grounds and, in the woods, were protected by a large black snake that frightened her and reportedly prevented her from digging them up. ^[104] Lucy may have caused the "loss" of the 116 pages of translation manuscript, which Smith had lent her husband so that he could prove to his friends and family that the plates were real. Background On September 22 1827, Joseph Smith Jr said he recovered a set of buried Golden Plates in a prominent hill near his parents'

Smith said that between July and September 1828, the angel Moroni took back both the plates and the Urim and Thummim as a penalty for his having delivered "the manuscript into the hands of a wicked man". The Angel Moroni (mɒˈroʊnaɪ is an Angel that Joseph Smith Jr In the Latter Day Saint movement, the Urim and Thummim (also called Interpreters) were a set of seer stones bound by silver bows into a set of ^[105] The angel is said to have returned the objects to Smith on September 22, 1828, the autumn equinox and the anniversary of the day he first received the plates. Events 66 - Emperor Nero creates the Legion I Italica. 1236 - The Lithuanians The year 1828 ( MDCCCXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap An equinox is the event of the Sun passing over the Earth's equator in its annual cycle ^[106]

In March 1829, Martin Harris visited Harmony and asked to see the plates. Smith told him that he "would go into the woods where the Book of Plates was, and that after he came back, Harris should follow his tracks in the snow, and find the Book, and examine it for himself. " Harris followed these directions but could not find the plates. ^[107]

In early June 1829, the unwanted attentions of locals around Harmony necessitated Smith's move to the home of David Whitmer and his parents in Fayette, New York. David Whitmer ( January 7, 1805 &ndash January 25, 1888) was an early adherent of the Latter Day Saint movement who eventually became Fayette is a Town in Seneca County, New York, United States. The population was 3643 at the 2000 census Smith said that on this move the golden plates were transported by the angel Moroni, who placed them in the garden of the Whitmer house in Fayette where Smith could recover them. The Angel Moroni (mɒˈroʊnaɪ is an Angel that Joseph Smith Jr ^[108] Translation was completed at the Whitmer home in Fayette.

Stories of returning the plates and their present location

Main article: Cumorah

After translation was completed, Smith said he returned the plates to the angel, without elaboration. Cumorah (also called Mormon Hill) is a Drumlin near Manchester, New York, where Joseph Smith Jr ^[109] According to accounts by several early Mormons, a group of Mormon leaders including Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, and possibly others^[110] went with Smith to return the plates to a cave inside the Hill Cumorah. Oliver Hervy Pliny Cowdery ( 3 October 1806 – 3 March 1850) was the primary participant with Joseph Smith Jr David Whitmer ( January 7, 1805 &ndash January 25, 1888) was an early adherent of the Latter Day Saint movement who eventually became Cumorah (also called Mormon Hill) is a Drumlin near Manchester, New York, where Joseph Smith Jr ^[111] There, Smith is said to have placed the plates on a table near "many wagon loads" of other ancient records, and the Sword of Laban hanging on the cave's wall. This article is about Laban a person in The Book of Mormon. For other uses see Laban. ^[112] According to Brigham Young's understanding which he said he heard from Cowdery, on a later visit to the cave, the Sword of Laban was said to be unsheathed and placed over the plates, and inscribed with the words "This sword will never be sheathed again until the kingdoms of this world become the kingdom of our God and his Christ. Brigham Young (June 1 1801 &ndash August 29 1877 was an American leader in the Latter Day Saint movement. "^[113]

Smith taught that part of the golden plates were "sealed". ^[114] This "sealed" portion is said to contain "a revelation from God, from the beginning of the world to the ending thereof". ^[115] Many Latter Day Saints understand that because of this, the plates will be kept hidden until some future time, when the sealed part will be translated^[116] and, according to one early Mormon leader, transferred from the hill to one of the Mormon temples. ^[117]

David Whitmer, is quoted as stating that he saw just the untranslated portion of the plates sitting on the table with the sword (and also a breastplate). David Whitmer ( January 7, 1805 &ndash January 25, 1888) was an early adherent of the Latter Day Saint movement who eventually became ^[118] Apparently, Whitmer was aware of expeditions at Cumorah to locate the sealed portion of the plates through "science and mineral rods", which he said "testify that they are there". ^[119] At least one influential Mormon apologetic scholar, however, doubts that there is a cave in Cumorah containing the plates. ^[120]

Description of plates by Smith and his contemporaries

Witnesses to the plates

Main article: Book of Mormon witnesses

Smith said the angel commanded him not to show the plates to any unauthorized person. The Book of Mormon witnesses are a group of contemporaries of Joseph Smith Jr ^[121] He reportedly expected that the first authorized witness would be his firstborn son, but his first child was stillborn in 1828. ^[122] In March 1829, after pressure by Martin Harris to see the plates,^[123], Smith dictated a revelation stating that the words of the plates would be accompanied by the testimonies of three witnesses who would have the exclusive privilege to "view [the plates] as they are"^[124] Some time later, Smith’s dictation of the Book of Ether (chapter 2) also made reference to three witnesses, stating that the plates would be shown to them "by the power of God". Martin Harris may refer to Martin Harris (academic, British linguist Martin Harris (Latter Day Saints (1783–1875 American Mormon The Book of Ether is one of the books that make up The Book of Mormon. ^[125]

Thus, in the second half of June 1829,^[126] Smith took Harris, together with Oliver Cowdery and David Whitmer (known collectively as the Three Witnesses),^[127] to the woods in Fayette, New York, where they said they saw^[128] an angel holding the golden plates and turning the leaves. Oliver Hervy Pliny Cowdery ( 3 October 1806 – 3 March 1850) was the primary participant with Joseph Smith Jr David Whitmer ( January 7, 1805 &ndash January 25, 1888) was an early adherent of the Latter Day Saint movement who eventually became The Three Witnesses were a group of three early leaders of the Latter Day Saint movement who signed a statement in 1830 saying that an Angel had shown them ^[129] The four of them also said they heard "the voice of the Lord" telling them that the translation of the plates was correct, and commanding them to testify of what they saw and heard. ^[130] A few days later, Smith selected a group of Eight Witnesses,^[131] the males of the Whitmer home, including David Whitmer's father Peter, his brothers Christian, Jacob, and John, and his brother-in-law Hiram Page. The Eight Witnesses were one of the two groups of witnesses who signed a statement (reprinted in the Book of Mormon) stating that they had seen the Golden plates which David Whitmer ( January 7, 1805 &ndash January 25, 1888) was an early adherent of the Latter Day Saint movement who eventually became Hiram Page (1800&ndash1852 was an early member of the Latter Day Saint movement and one of the Eight Witnesses to the Book of Mormon's Golden Plates Smith took this group, along with his father Joseph Smith, Sr. and his brothers Hyrum and Samuel to a location near Smith's parents' home in Palmyra^[132] where they said Smith showed them the golden plates^[133]

When the Book of Mormon was published in 1830, the book included one affidavit testifying to the experience of the Three Witnesses and another affidavit of the Eight Witnesses. Joseph Smith Sr (1771&ndash1840 was the father of Joseph Smith Jr For others named Hyrum Smith see Hyrum Smith (disambiguation Hyrum Smith ( February 9, 1800 – June 27, 1844 Samuel Harrison Smith ( 1808-03-13 – 1844-07-30) was one of the younger brothers of Joseph Smith Jr Palmyra is a Town in Wayne County, New York, USA. The population was 7672 at the 2000 census The Book of Mormon is a Sacred text of the churches in the Latter Day Saint movement. The Three Witnesses were a group of three early leaders of the Latter Day Saint movement who signed a statement in 1830 saying that an Angel had shown them The Eight Witnesses were one of the two groups of witnesses who signed a statement (reprinted in the Book of Mormon) stating that they had seen the Golden plates which There is no evidence that these two affidavits were actually signed by either group, and ^[134] these statements were apparently drafted by Joseph Smith. ^[135] There were also other witnesses who later said they had have visions of the plates, or had been shown the plates by an angel. ^[136]

In March 1838, some church members said that Martin Harris, who had previously given specific descriptions of the plates, now publicly denied having seen them at all. Martin Harris may refer to Martin Harris (academic, British linguist Martin Harris (Latter Day Saints (1783–1875 American Mormon ^[137] Near the end of his long life, Harris also said that he had seen the plates only in "a state of entrancement". ^[138] Nevertheless, in 1871 Harris testified that no one had "ever heard me in any way deny the truth of the Book of Mormon [or] the administration of the angel that showed me the plates". ^[139]

Format, binding, and dimensions

Full-scale model of the Golden Plates based on Joseph Smith's description

The plates were said to be bound at one edge by a set of rings. In 1828, Martin Harris, one of Joseph Smith, Jr.'s early scribes, is reported to have said that he understood the plates to be "fastened together in the shape of a book by wires". Martin Harris may refer to Martin Harris (academic, British linguist Martin Harris (Latter Day Saints (1783–1875 American Mormon ^[140] In 1859 Harris said that the plates "were seven inches [18 cm] wide by eight inches [20 cm] in length, and were of the thickness of plates of tin; and when piled one above the other, they were altogether about four inches [10 cm] thick; and they were put together on the back by three silver rings, so that they would open like a book". ^[141] David Whitmer, another 1829 witness, was quoted by an 1831 Palmyra newspaper as saying the plates were "the thickness of tin plate; the back was secured with three small rings. David Whitmer ( January 7, 1805 &ndash January 25, 1888) was an early adherent of the Latter Day Saint movement who eventually became The Three Witnesses were a group of three early leaders of the Latter Day Saint movement who signed a statement in 1830 saying that an Angel had shown them . . passing through each leaf in succession". ^[142] Anomalously, Smith's father is quoted as saying the (stack of?) plates (were?) only half an inch (1. Joseph Smith Sr (1771&ndash1840 was the father of Joseph Smith Jr 27 centimeter) thick. ^[143] Smith's mother, who said she had "seen and handled" the plates, is quoted as saying they were "eight inches [20 cm] long, and six [15 cm] wide. Lucy Mack Smith ( July 8, 1775 - May 14, 1856) was the mother of Joseph Smith Jr . . all connected by a ring which passes through a hole at the end of each plate". ^[144]

Hyrum Smith and John Whitmer, also witnesses in 1829, are reported to have stated that the rings holding the plates together were, in Hyrum's words, "in the shape of the letter D, which facilitated the opening and shutting of the book". For others named Hyrum Smith see Hyrum Smith (disambiguation Hyrum Smith ( February 9, 1800 – June 27, 1844 John Whitmer (1802&ndash1878 was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement. The Eight Witnesses were one of the two groups of witnesses who signed a statement (reprinted in the Book of Mormon) stating that they had seen the Golden plates which ^[145] Joseph Smith's wife Emma and his younger brother William said they had examined the plates while wrapped in fabric. Emma Hale Smith Bidamon ( 10 July 1804 – 30 April 1879) was married to Joseph Smith Jr William Smith (also found as William B Smith) ( March 13 1811 – November 13, 1893) was a leader in the Latter Day Saint movement Emma said she "felt of the plates, as they thus lay on the table, tracing their outline and shape. They seemed to be pliable like thick paper, and would rustle with a metallic sound when the edges were moved by the thumb, as one does sometimes thumb the edges of a book". ^[146] William agreed that the plates could be rustled with one's thumb like the pages of a book. ^[147]

Joseph Smith did not provide his own published description of the plates until 1842, when he said in a letter that "each plate was six inches [15 cm] wide and eight inches [20 cm] long, and not quite so thick as common tin. They were. . . bound together in a volume, as the leaves of a book, with three rings running through the whole. The volume was something near six inches [15 cm] in thickness". ^[148]

Composition and weight

The plates were first described as "gold", and beginning about 1827, the plates were widely called the "gold bible". ^[149] When the Book of Mormon was published in 1830, the Eight Witnesses described the plates as having "the appearance of gold". The Eight Witnesses were one of the two groups of witnesses who signed a statement (reprinted in the Book of Mormon) stating that they had seen the Golden plates which ^[150] The book itself describes the plates as being made of "ore". ^[151] In 1831, a Palmyra newspaper quoted David Whitmer, one of the Three Witnesses, as having said that the plates were a "whitish yellow color", with "three small rings of the same metal". David Whitmer ( January 7, 1805 &ndash January 25, 1888) was an early adherent of the Latter Day Saint movement who eventually became The Three Witnesses were a group of three early leaders of the Latter Day Saint movement who signed a statement in 1830 saying that an Angel had shown them ^[152]

Joseph Smith, Jr.'s first published description of the plates said that the plates "had the appearance of gold"^[153] but provided no information about their composition. Late in life, Martin Harris stated that the rings holding the plates together were made of silver,^[154] and he said the plates themselves, based on their heft of "forty or fifty pounds" (18–23 kg),^[155] "were lead or gold". Martin Harris may refer to Martin Harris (academic, British linguist Martin Harris (Latter Day Saints (1783–1875 American Mormon ^[156] Joseph's brother William Smith, who said he felt the plates inside a pillow case in 1827, said in 1884 that he understood the plates to be "a mixture of gold and copper. William Smith (also found as William B Smith) ( March 13 1811 – November 13, 1893) was a leader in the Latter Day Saint movement . . much heavier than stone, and very much heavier than wood". ^[157]

Different people estimated the weight of the plates differently. According to Smith's one-time-friend Willard Chase, Smith told him in 1827 that the plates weighed between 40 and 60 pounds (18–27 kg), most likely the latter. ^[158] Smith's father Joseph Smith, Sr., who was one of the Eight Witnesses, reportedly weighed them and said in 1830 that they "weighed thirty pounds" (14 kg). Joseph Smith Sr (1771&ndash1840 was the father of Joseph Smith Jr The Eight Witnesses were one of the two groups of witnesses who signed a statement (reprinted in the Book of Mormon) stating that they had seen the Golden plates which ^[159] Joseph Smith's brother, William, said that he lifted them in a pillowcase and thought they "weighed about sixty pounds [23 kg] according to the best of my judgment". ^[160] Others who lifted the plates while they were wrapped in cloth or enclosed in a box thought that they weighed about 60 lbs [23 kg]. Martin Harris said that he had "hefted the plates many times, and should think they weighed forty or fifty pounds [18–23 kg]". ^[161] Joseph Smith's wife Emma never estimated the weight of the plates but said they were light enough for her to "move them from place to place on the table, as it was necessary in doing my work". Emma Hale Smith Bidamon ( 10 July 1804 – 30 April 1879) was married to Joseph Smith Jr ^[162] Had the plates been made of 24-karat gold (which Smith never claimed), they would have weighed about 140 pounds (64 kg). ^[163]

"Sealed" portion

According to Joseph Smith and others, the book of Golden Plates contained a "sealed" portion^[164] containing "a revelation from God, from the beginning of the world to the ending thereof". ^[165] Smith never described the nature or extent of the seal, and the language of the Book of Mormon may be interpreted to describe a sealing that was spiritual, metaphorical,^[166] physical, or a combination of these elements. The Book of Mormon is a Sacred text of the churches in the Latter Day Saint movement.

The Book of Mormon refers to other documents and plates as being "sealed" by being buried in order to be revealed at some future time. For example, the Book of Mormon says the entire set of plates was "sealed up, and hid up unto the Lord",^[167] and that separate records of John the Apostle were "sealed up to come forth in their purity" in the end times. The Book of Mormon is a Sacred text of the churches in the Latter Day Saint movement. Saint John the Apostle ( Greek Ιωάννης, see Names of John) was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. End time, End times, or End of days are the eschatological writings in the three Abrahamic religions and in doomsday scenarios in various other ^[168] One set of plates to which the Book of Mormon refers was "sealed up" in the sense that they were written in a language that could not be read. ^[169]

Smith may have understood the sealing as a supernatural or spiritual sealing of the plates "by the power of God" (2 Nephi 27:10). The term supernatural or supranatural ( Latin: super, supra "above" + natura "nature" pertains to entities events ^[170] This idea is supported by a reference in the Book of Mormon to the "interpreters" (Urim and Thummim) with which Smith said they were buried or "sealed". In the early Latter Day Saint movement, Seer stones were used as method of Divination and played a significant role in its history and theology ^[171] Oliver Cowdery also stated that when Smith visited the hill, he was stricken by a supernatural force because the plates were "sealed by the prayer of faith". ^[172]

Several witnesses described a physical "sealing" placed on part of the plates by Mormon or Moroni. David Whitmer said that an angel showed him the plates in 1829 and that "a large portion of the leaves were so securely bound together that it was impossible to separate them". David Whitmer ( January 7, 1805 &ndash January 25, 1888) was an early adherent of the Latter Day Saint movement who eventually became ^[173] He also said that the "sealed" part of the plates were held together as a solid mass that was "stationary and immovable",^[174] "as solid to my view as wood",^[175] and that there were "perceptible marks where the plates appeared to be sealed"^[176] with leaves "so securely bound that it was impossible to separate them". ^[177] Lucy Mack Smith said in 1842 that some of the plates were "sealed together and are not to be opened, and some of them are loose". Lucy Mack Smith ( July 8, 1775 - May 14, 1856) was the mother of Joseph Smith Jr ^[178] The Eight Witnesses said they saw the plates in 1829 and handled "as many of the leaves as [Joseph] Smith has translated", implying that they did not examine untranslated parts of the book such as the sealed portion. The Eight Witnesses were one of the two groups of witnesses who signed a statement (reprinted in the Book of Mormon) stating that they had seen the Golden plates which ^[179]

In one interview, David Whitmer said that "about half" the book was sealed,^[180] and in 1881, he said that "about one-third" of the book was unsealed, and the remainder sealed. ^[181] Whitmer's 1881 statement is consistent with an 1856 statement by Orson Pratt, an associate of Smith's who never saw the plates himself, but who said he had spoken with witnesses. Orson Pratt ( September 19, 1811 &ndash October 3, 1881) was a leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and an original member of the ^[182] According to Pratt, "about two-thirds" of the plates were "sealed up". ^[183]

The sealed portion of the plates is said to contain "a revelation from God, from the beginning of the world to the ending thereof". ^[184] The Book of Mormon states that this vision was originally given to the Brother of Jared, recorded by Ether on a set of 24 plates later found by Limhi, and then "sealed up". According to the Book of Mormon, the brother of Jared is the most prominent person in the account given in the beginning (Chapters 1 - 6 of the Book of In The Book of Mormon, Limhi was the third and final king of the second Nephite habitation of the land of Lehi-Nephi. ^[185] According to this account, Moroni copied the plates of Limhi onto the sealed portion of the Golden Plates. This article is about the mythological Moroni from the Book of Mormon. ^[186] Smith later described the writing as "Egyptian characters. . . small, and beautifully engraved", exhibiting "much skill in the art of engraving". ^[187]

John Whitmer, one of the Eight Witnesses, said the plates had "fine engravings on both sides",^[188] and Orson Pratt, who did not see the plates himself but who had spoken with witnesses, understood that there were engravings on both sides of the plates, "stained with a black, hard stain, so as to make the letters more legible and easier to be read". John Whitmer (1802&ndash1878 was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement. The Eight Witnesses were one of the two groups of witnesses who signed a statement (reprinted in the Book of Mormon) stating that they had seen the Golden plates which Orson Pratt ( September 19, 1811 &ndash October 3, 1881) was a leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and an original member of the ^[189]

Other metal plates in Latter Day Saint tradition

Book of Mormon references

In addition to the Golden Plates, the Book of Mormon refers to several other sets of books written on metal plates:

• The brass plates originally in the custody of Laban, containing the writings of Old Testament prophets before the Babylonian Exile, as well as the otherwise unknown prophets Zenos and Zenoch, and possibly others. This article is about Laban a person in The Book of Mormon. For other uses see Laban. The Babylonian captivity, Babylonian exile, is the name typically given to the deportation and exile of the Jews of the ancient Kingdom of Judah to According to the Book of Mormon, Zenos was an Old world Prophet whose pre-Christian era writings were recorded upon the Plates of brass According to the Book of Mormon, Zenock was an Old world Prophet whose pre-Christian era writings were recorded upon the Plates of brass
• The large plates of Nephi, the source of the text abridged by Mormon and engraved on the Golden Plates. According to the Book of Mormon, the plates of Nephi, consisting of the large plates of Nephi and the small plates of Nephi, are a portion of the collection Mormon (ˈmɔrmən is a prophet in The Book of Mormon after whom the book is named
• The small plates of Nephi, the source of the first and second books of Nephi, and the books of Jacob, Enos, Jarom and Omni, which replaced the lost 116 pages. According to the Book of Mormon, the plates of Nephi, consisting of the large plates of Nephi and the small plates of Nephi, are a portion of the collection The First Book of Nephi (ˈniːfaɪ is the first book of the Book of Mormon. The Second Book of Nephi (ˈniːfaɪ is the second book of the Book of Mormon. The Book of Jacob is the third book of the Book of Mormon. Its full title is The Book of Jacob The Brother of Nephi. The Book of Enos is the fourth book of the Book of Mormon. According to the text it was written by Enos, a Nephite prophet The Book of Jarom is one of the books that make up the Book of Mormon. For other meanings see Omni The Book of Omni is one of the books that make up the Book of Mormon. Background On September 22 1827, Joseph Smith Jr said he recovered a set of buried Golden Plates in a prominent hill near his parents'
• A set of twenty-four plates found by the people of Limhi containing the record of the Jaredites, translated by King Mosiah, and abridged by Moroni as the Book of Ether. In The Book of Mormon, Limhi was the third and final king of the second Nephite habitation of the land of Lehi-Nephi. The Jaredites are a people written of in the Book of Mormon, principally in the Book of Ether. There are two individuals named Mosiah in The Book of Mormon. The Book of Ether is one of the books that make up The Book of Mormon.

Other metal plates

In 1843, Smith acquired a set of six small bell-shaped plates, known as the Kinderhook Plates, found in Kinderhook, Pike County, Illinois. The Kinderhook plates were a set of 6 small bell-shaped pieces of brass with strange engravings discovered in 1843 in an Indian mound near Kinderhook Illinois. Although Smith did not translate the plates, William Clayton, his secretary, wrote that Smith said they contained "the history of the person with whom they were found and he was a descendant of Ham through the loins of Pharaoh king of Egypt. " As Richard Bushman has written, "Joseph may not have detected the fraud, but he did not swing into a full-fledged translation as he had with the Egyptian scrolls. Richard Lyman Bushman (born June 20, 1931) is an American Historian and Gouverneur Morris Professor of History emeritus at Columbia University The trap did not quite spring shut, which foiled the conspirators original plan. "^[190] After Smith's assassination, the Kinderhook Plates were presumed lost, and for decades The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints published facsimiles of them in its official History of the Church as evidence that ancient Americans wrote on metal plates. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the fourth largest Christian denomination in the United States and the largest and most well-known In 1980 the Kinderhook Plates were tested at BYU and determined to have been manufactured in the nineteenth century. Today the LDS Church acknowledges the plates as a hoax and makes no attempt to defend their authenticity. ^[191]

James J. Strang, one of many rival claimants to succeed Smith, in the Succession Crisis, said that he discovered and translated a set of plates known as the Voree Plates or "Voree Record". James Jesse Strang (March 21 1813 &ndash July 9 1856 was one of three major contenders for leadership of the Latter Day Saint movement during the 1844 Succession Crisis The succession crisis in the Latter Day Saint movement occurred after the violent death of the movement's founder Joseph Smith Jr The Voree Plates, sometimes called The Record of Rajah Manchou of Vorito or the Voree Record, were a set of three tiny metal plates discovered by James J Like Joseph Smith, Strang produced witnesses to his plates' authenticity. ^[192] Although Strang's attempt to supplant Brigham Young proved abortive, Joseph Smith's mother, Lucy Mack Smith,^[193] and for a time all living witnesses to the Book of Mormon, including the three Whitmers and Martin Harris (although perhaps excluding Oliver Cowdery), accepted "Strang's leadership, angelic call, metal plates, and his translation of these plates as authentic". Lucy Mack Smith ( July 8, 1775 - May 14, 1856) was the mother of Joseph Smith Jr The Book of Mormon is a Sacred text of the churches in the Latter Day Saint movement. Martin Harris may refer to Martin Harris (academic, British linguist Martin Harris (Latter Day Saints (1783–1875 American Mormon Oliver Hervy Pliny Cowdery ( 3 October 1806 – 3 March 1850) was the primary participant with Joseph Smith Jr ^[194] Strang equally claimed to have discovered and translated the Plates of Laban spoken of in the Book of Mormon. This article is about Laban a person in The Book of Mormon. For other uses see Laban. As with the Voree Plates, Strang produced witnesses who authenticated his claim to possess them. Strang's purported translation of these plates was published in 1850 as the Book of the Law of the Lord. The Book of the Law of the Lord is a book accepted as Scripture by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Strangite. This book, together with the Voree Record, is still accepted as Scripture by members of Strang's diminutive church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Strangite). The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Strangite is a denomination of the Latter Day Saint movement with more than a thousand members ^[195]

Non-LDS plates and Mormon apologetics

Pyrgi Tablets

Since Joseph Smith's announcement that he had received golden plates from an angel, non-believers have challenged their reality. The Pyrgi Tablets, found in a 1964 excavation of a sanctuary of that town in Italy (current Santa Severa) a port of the southern Etruscan town Nevertheless, Mormon scholars have argued that other ancient civilizations wrote sacred records on metal plates. ^[196] Some ancient European and Mesopotamian cultures did keep short records on metal plates, but extant examples are rare, have comparatively brief texts, and are extremely thin. A six-page, 24-carat gold book, written in Etruscan, was found in Bulgaria;^[197] and in 2005, an eight-page golden codex, allegedly from the Achaemenid period, was recovered from smugglers by the Iranian police. The KARAT (abbreviation "K" or 'Kt' or "KP" for Karat Plumb is a measure of the Purity of Gold Alloys. The Achaemenid Empire or Achaemenid Persian Empire ( haχɒmaneʃijɒn (558–330 BC was the first of the Persian Empires to rule over significant portions of The Pyrgi Tablets (now at the National Etruscan Museum, Rome) are gold plates with a bilingual Phoenician-Etruscan text. The Pyrgi Tablets, found in a 1964 excavation of a sanctuary of that town in Italy (current Santa Severa) a port of the southern Etruscan town This page is on the museum itself for the architectural history of the house see Villa Giulia. Gold Laminae funerary texts similar to Books of the Dead have also been found in Italy. Funerary texts or funerary literature feature in many belief systems ' The Book of the Dead' is the common name for the Ancient Egyptian Funerary text known as ' Spells of Coming' (or ' Going') ' Forth By Day' In the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls had been found, archeologists later discovered the aptly-named Copper Scroll, two rolled sheets of copper that may describe locations where treasures of the Second Temple of Jerusalem may have been hidden. The Dead Sea Scrolls consist of roughly 1000 documents including texts from the Hebrew Bible, discovered between 1947 and 1979 in eleven Caves The Copper Scroll is one of the Dead Sea The Second Temple (בית המקדש romanized 'Beit HaMikdash' meaning 'Holy House' was the reconstructed Temple in Jerusalem which stood between 516 BCE and 70 CE ^[198]Another Israelite example is the tiny "Silver Scrolls" dated to the 7th century B. C. E. (First Temple period), containing just a few verses of scripture, perhaps the oldest extant passages of the Old Testament. Solomon's Temple (בית המקדש transliterated Beit HaMikdash) also known as the First Temple, was according to ^[199] Nevertheless, there is no known extant example of writing on metal plates longer than the eight-page Persian codex and no extant metal plates with writing from Egypt or from any ancient civilization in the Western Hemisphere. ^[200]

Notes

References

External links

• Utah Lighthouse Ministry: skeptical comments about the Golden Plates and their history.
• jefflindsay.com: LDS apologetic discussion of other ancient metal records.
• LDS magazine Ensign: apologetics regarding the gold plates.