Their signed statements are in the front of all copies of the book of mormon. Those pages containing the only copy of the first three months of joseph smiths translation of the golden plates were forever lost, and the. The gold plates and the translation of the book of mormon. Reports of gold plates being found stem from a fake news. Everything that ive talked about, where these masonic or nauvoo temple elements are popping up. A true testimony of the book of mormon comes from reading it and, as counseled by moroni in a promise he left to us in moroni 10. Two top plates are made of brass and imprinted with reformed egyptian characters. Witnesses of the book of mormon were consistent in their witness that the plates weighed 4060 pounds. After the translation was completed, however, joseph reported. Eleven people besides joseph smith claimed to witness and see the original book of mormon. First vision, joseph smiths first encounter with the plates in 1823, joseph smiths translation of the lost pages in 1828, joseph smiths translation of the.
The precious metal that the world will go for even to the extent of penning the rivers and streams to find its course of origin whether that gold plate was really gold. Despite the likely demise of those pages to the sands of time, the answers to these questions and many more are now available for the first time in nearly two centuries in the lost 116 pages. We believed the third book, a golden book, was lost until we. The gold plates that the prophet joseph smith received and translated were the plates of mormon on which mormon and his son moroni 2 made their abridgment. Bible cover to cover and ask god to reveal to you that it contains all of gods message to man and that parts are not lost or altered and that the book of mormon is false. The golden plates couldnt be made of pure gold the golden plates couldnt be made of pure gold, new era, july. Packer, in his article cumorahs cave, printed in the journal of book of mormon studies v. But, what never seems to go away for book of mormon critics are those pesky witnesses. Not only were the gold plates not needed, they never even existed.
Book of mormontranslationweight of the gold plates. These foolscapsize pages were handwritten in harmony, pennsylvania, between april and june 14, 1828. Manuscript, lost 116 pages the encyclopedia of mormonism. What he has assembled in this study is among the most audacious attempts to make sense of the book of mormon yet seen.
Some critics assume that the golden plates are pure gold, or that they are a solid block of gold. Reconstructing the book of mormons missing stories. Does it really matter what the book of mormon plates looked like. A quest for the book that just might be the great american novel. Once joseph hid them under the bricks of the fireplace. The spalding signal was weak in those parts of the book of mormon likely produced after the lost pages incident 1 nephi, 2 nephi, some of the middle part of 3 nephi, moroni. Joseph smith claimed he translated the book of mormon from a set of golden plates that were given to him by an angel named moroni. The story of the gold plates is an absolutely essential part of the mormon narrative, for in the eyes of many latterday saints, the coming forth of this record, and its subsequent translation into the book of mormon, legitimizes their belief that smith was indeed a prophet sent by god to restore the true christian faith lost long ago due to a. The lost 116 pages of the book of mormon the lost 116 pages is the missing portion of the manuscript of the book of mormon. So we at least have something tangible to work with.
This is the book that explains the twosetsofplates scenario that everyone is talking about. A careful reading of the book of mormon provides a world of information regarding the brass plates. A quest for the book that just might be the great american novel steinberg, avi on. It is an awesome book for lds audiences who are familiar with church history and want to learn. The angel moroni took the plates and the urim and thummim until joseph repented for his carelessness. Biographical sketches of joseph smith the prophet, 1853 that joseph said that all is lost is a pretty good summary of his predicament. If that is so, their history may have paralleled lehis in more ways than one. Often ignored in lds history is the fate of the stone box in which the golden plates were deposited on hill cumorah and to which joseph was led in 1827. Don bradleys ability to see connections the rest of us miss is the stuff of legend. Translating the book of mormon religious studies center. Four years later, joseph and his wife, emma, went in a wagon to get the plates. Anyone want to go on a little treasure hunting escapade with me to manchester, new york to find this brick of religious history.
Long ago in the karen culture in burma, the history has been told of three books that were lost. Joseph smith was called of god to translate the golden plates, resulting in the book of mormon. Desperate mopologists claim ancient bulgarian goldplate. Instead, the lord told joseph about some different plates, the plates of nephi, which he would use in lieu of the golden plates to replace the lost pages. When he was finished translating the plates he gave them back to the angel who he claimed has them in his charge joseph smith history 1.
He knew he could never replicate the first 116 pages because he was not even translating from the golden plates, but he also needed the first part of the book of mormon or it would be a book with no beginning. Provided to youtube by cdbaby book of mormon storiesthe golden plates insideout a cappella sharing time. Unfortunately the supposed gold plates joseph smith used to channel the book of mormon from have never been found since he returned them to the angel moroni. Thomas stuart fergusons archaeological search for the book of mormon. Problems with the gold plates of the book of mormon. He claimed that an angel named moroni had directed him to a buried stone box, containing a set of gold plates, covered with strange symbols. Desperate mopologists claim ancient bulgarian goldplate find proves truth of 19thcentury book of mormon fairy tale well, here is the opportunity to put their own dna arguments onto their golden plates and serve it to them cold. Why were the golden plates needed if they were not used for the translation of the book of mormon was only used for first lost pages. The unsealed plates have been divided into two parts for publication. Book of mormon plates and records the encyclopedia of. On a summer day in 1828, book of mormon scribe and witness martin harris was emptying drawers, upending furniture, and ripping apart mattresses as he desperately looked for a stack of papers he had sworn to god to protect. The legend of the lost book of gold part 1 of 4 wheat.
Reports of gold plates being found stem from a fake news website. How did joseph smith carry home the golden plates of the book of mormon, and how did the witnesses lift them so easily. When it first appeared, the book of mormon was attacked for the alleged absurdity of having been written on golden plates and its claim of the existence of an early sixth century b. Obviously, with so much work lost, smith was distraught. The very idea that a new york farm boy with limited education might translate an ancient document is so unimaginable that it could only have occurred through, as joseph himself declared, the gift and power of god. Mormon, a prophet and military leader who lived at the end of the nephite era c. When published in 1830, the book of mormon contained a statement about the lost 116 pages, as well as the testimony of three witnesses and the testimony of eight witnesses, who claimed to have seen and handled the golden plates. But never did he renounce his faith in the book of mormon. Even though these small plates are rather light on history, they give us at least a thumbnail sketch of what was in the lost 116 pages. According to wikipedia after translation was complete, smith said he returned the plates to the angel, but he did not elaborate about this experience. Strangely enough we find inserted in the middle of the book of mormon, pages 141143 bom p. They found the rigdon signal distributed throughout the book of mormon except for the known isaiah chapters, and a weak pratt signal in 1 nephi. The story of the gold plates is an absolutely essential part of the mormon narrative, for in the eyes of many latterday saints, the coming forth of this record, and its subsequent translation into the book of mormon, legitimizes their belief that smith was indeed a prophet sent by god to restore the true christian faith lost long ago due to a great apostasy.
The book of mormon is a story that begins with the myth of a set of gold plates, and it is this myth that steinberg mines. The angel moroni showed joseph smith where to find the golden plates. Smith translated the text of the book of mormon over the next several. The first 116 pages of the original manuscript of joseph smiths translation of the book of mormon from the plates of mormon are commonly known as the 116 pages or the lost manuscript. Spaldingrigdon theory of book of mormon authorship. After martin left he affiliated with many sects from the quakers to breakoff lds factions. After joseph smith completed the translation of the book of mormon, the three witnesses and the eight witnesses were allowed to see and handle the plates.
According to mormon lore, smith claimed to receive the few plates from moroni in 1827 and from them translated the book of mormon. Based on these parameters, modern researchers have estimated plates of pure gold would weigh at least 45 kilograms 100 pounds and might be too soft for engraved characters. Once the plates were removed, neither the prophet nor anyone else appeared interested in the fate of the stone box itself. Givens in littleknown facts in mormon history writes. Nor did he deny his testimony as a witness to the angel, the liahona, golden plates, brass plates, and several other objects on the table in. You try spraying, scrubbing, and still were left with so many persons whose testimonies of the physicality of the golden plates, angels, and other artifactsnever wavered. Translating the golden plates lds video encyclopedia. This is a book that rewards reading, rereading, and rerereading. Our elders teach us that the silver book represents knowledge and the heavenly book represents the bible, or the word of god.
Archaeologists discover golden plates believed to be. The remaining plates are of a paper composite material colored gold but with no inscriptions. Smith is the only source for a great deal of the story because much of it occurred while he was the only human witness. The gold plates were taken from joseph smith for a time when martin harris, who was working as scribe, lost the first 116 pages of the translation while keeping them at his home to show his wife. Portions of this column were previously published at maxwellinstitute. The story of the golden plates consists of how, according to joseph smith and his contemporaries, the plates were found, received from the angel moroni, translated, and returned to the angel before the publication of the book of mormon. Why were the golden plates needed if they were not used.
But instead of just retranslating the pages from the plates, he received a message from the lord telling him not to bother. While acting as joseph smith s scribe, martin harris requested to take home the portion of the manuscript that had been translated in order to persuade his wife of the authenticity of the book of mormon. Is the book of mormon and gold plates just a huge fraud. The first part is now available for purchase from the sealed book of mormon is a translation from 19 plates that are part of 42 plates that are now unsealed. This study has been somewhat superficial by only capturing some of the content recorded in the book of mormon that comprises the lost books of the brass plates, another resource of lost books from the bible. Thomas stuart fergusons archaeological search for the book of mormon larson, stan on. There are internal evidences like how the small plates of 1 nephi through omni or words of mormon cover the same period as the lost pages.
967 428 107 335 567 796 995 1630 1624 1548 218 221 330 1497 464 1236 188 7 1432 77 899 1343 1502 793 522 1176 1393 423 767 1609 374 1029 1300 1620 1646 596 802 1014 355 718 887 1331