Golden Plates

The Golden Plates is the name most frequently used to refer to the "gold plates" that Joseph Smith, Jr. said he received from the angel Moroni and used as the ancient source for the English translation of The Book of Mormon. In reference to the plates, the Book of Mormon was commonly known as the "Golden Bible" during the 1830s. Smith later became the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement.

Story of the plates

Joseph obtains the plates

In the 1820s, Joseph Smith, Jr. lived with his father and mother Joseph Sr. and Lucy Mack on a farm on the edge of Manchester Township near Palmyra, New York. For a number of years prior to 1827, he reported visitations from either an angel or a spirit, later identified as a resurrected angel Moroni. According to Smith, Moroni had been a Nephite, a member of one of the nations detailed in The Book of Mormon. Moroni indicated that a record of his people, engraved on gold plates, was deposited in a hill not far from the Smith farm and that Smith would one day receive and translate them.

Related Topics:
Joseph Smith, Jr. - Joseph Sr. - Lucy Mack - Manchester Township - Palmyra, New York - 1827 - Angel - Moroni - Nephite - Book of Mormon

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In successive years, Smith would travel to the hill, now known as the Hill Cumorah, but was forbidden to obtain the plates. Finally in late September of 1827, at the age of 21, Smith claimed that he had finally been allowed to receive the antique history. According to various reports, he brought a "60-lb." object "wrapped up in a tow frock" into his father's home (William Smith, "Sermon in the Saints' Chapel," Deloit, Iowa June 8, 1888, Saints Herald 31 (1884):643-44). Besides Joseph Jr., six of Joseph's siblings lived at home. According to Joseph's brother William's account, their father put the plates into a pillow case and asked "What, Joseph, can we not see them?" Joseph Jr. replied, "No. I was disobedient the first time but I intend to be faithful this time. For I was forbidden to show them until they are translated, but you can feel them." Again, according to William's account:

Related Topics:
Hill Cumorah - William's

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:"We handled them and could tell what they were. They were not quite as large as this Bible. Could tell whether they were round or square. Could raise the leaves this way (raising a few leaves of the Bible before him). One could easily tell that they were not a stone hewn out to deceive or even a block of wood. Being a mixture of gold and copper, they were much heavier than stone, and very much heavier than wood."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I think all of this is redundant: For more than a year and a half after that day, until Joseph Smith said "the messenger called for them" (Joseph Smith History 1:60, LDS), this 60-lb object was a part of the regular life of Joseph Smith and his close family and friends. According to Joseph Smith, the object was a set of gold plates delivered to him by an angel.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:Moroni, the person who deposited the plates from whence the Book of Mormon was translated, in a hill in Manchester, Ontario County, New York, being dead and raised again therefrom, appeared unto me and told me where they were and gave me directions how to obtain them. I obtained them and the Urim and Thummim with them, by the means of which I translated the plates. And thus came the Book of Mormon. (Elders' Journal, July, 1838, pp. 42-43)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Book of Mormon itself speaks of four records engraved between the time of the Tower of Babel and A.D. 421 on metal plates. In or about the year A.D. 421, The Book of Mormon has a prophet named Moroni (Mormon's son) hiding some records on metal plates "unto the Lord, that they might not be destroyed."

Related Topics:
Tower of Babel - 421 - Moroni - Mormon

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

All claims regarding the Golden Plates come either from The Book of Mormon or from Smith and his associates who said they handled or saw the plates during that period.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

////////////////////////end comment/////////////////////-->

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Palmyra, New York

Shortly after Smith claimed to receive the plates, rumors of their presence began to circulate among the residents of Palmyra. Several of Smith's neighbors made attempts to find and seize the plates, leading Joseph, Jr. (the translator) to keep them hidden and to operate in great secrecy.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Smith's associate, Josiah Stowell, later claimed that he was the first person to receive the plates from Smith's hands. Stowell handled and lifted the plates which remained wrapped in a cloth that resembled a cloak or a pillow case. Other associates of Smith who reported that they handled the plates through the cloth included Smith's mother, Lucy Mack Smith, and his brothers Hyrum and William.

Related Topics:
Lucy Mack Smith - Hyrum - William

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Soon after acquiring the plates, Smith locked them in a box he procured from his brother Hyrum. Some of Smith's neighbors discovered the box's hiding place and smashed it. Meanwhile, however, Smith claimed a premonition had previously caused him to move the plates to a safer spot. (Joel Tiffany, Tiffany?s Monthly 5 (1859): 167). Smith then acquired a wooden "Ontario glass-box". The plates were placed into this second box which was then nailed shut. Several witnesses reported lifting the plates while they were sealed in the box. Martin Harris recalled that his wife and daughter had lifted them and that they were "about as much as could lift". Harris then went to the Smith house himself while Joseph was away. Harris later recalled:

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:"While at Mr. Smith?s I hefted the plates, and I knew from the heft that they were lead or gold, and I knew that Joseph had not credit enough to buy so much lead." (Tiffany?s Monthly 5 (1859): 168?69).

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Harmony, Pennsylvania

Excitement around the Palmyra area and growing opposition encouraged Smith to relocate to his father-in-law's farm in Harmony, Pennsylvania. According to Smith's brother-in-law, who helped Smith and his wife Emma move, the box containing the plates was placed "into a barrel about one-third full of beans"; after the plates were so secured, the barrel was filled up with more beans.

Related Topics:
Harmony, Pennsylvania - Emma

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Residents of Harmony also reported encounters with the plates, either sealed in the box or covered by a cloth. Smith's brother-in-law Isaac Hale recalled that he was "shown a box, in which it is said they were contained, which had, to all appearances, been used as a glass box of the common sized window glass." Hale said that he "was allowed to feel the weight of the box, and they gave me to understand that the book of plates was then in the box — into which, however, I was not allowed to look." (Isaac Hale Statement, reprinted in Dan Vogel, Early Mormon Documents IV:286.)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Translation

Emma later recalled that "she often wrote for Joseph Smith during the work of translation..." (Joseph Smith III to James T. Cobb, Feb. 14, 1879, Letterbook 2, pp. 85-88, RLDS Archives, courteously shared with Richard Lloyd Anderson by Smith family scholar Buddy Youngreen). By her account:

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:"The plates often lay on the table without any attempt at concealment, wrapped in a small linen table cloth, which I had given him to fold them in. I once 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." (Saints' Herald 26 (1879):290)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

This is commented out because it doesn't have anything explaining it. "I moved them from place to place on the table, as it was necessary in doing my work." (ibid.) -->

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Special witnesses

As Smith and his associates neared the end of their translation of the plates, Smith revealed that a number of special witnesses would be called to testify of the reality of the Golden Plates. There are two sets of witnesses: the Three Witnesses and the Eight Witnesses. Both sets of witnesses signed joint statements in June of 1829 which were subsequently published along with the text of the Book of Mormon.

Related Topics:
Three Witnesses - Eight Witnesses - Book of Mormon

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Three Witnesses — Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, and Martin Harris — claimed to have seen an angel descend from heaven and present the plates. They claimed to have seen the plates but not touch them. They heard a voice from heaven declaring that the book was translated by the power of God and that they should bear record of it.

Related Topics:
Three Witnesses - Oliver Cowdery - David Whitmer - Martin Harris - God

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Related Topics:
Three Witnesses - Eight Witnesses - Anti-Mormonism

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Oliver is the only one I (User:John Hamer) can find a scant bit of evidence that he recanted his testimony - this happened during the Kirtland Safety society scandal — but the only available evidence is his asking Smith and the Church for forgiveness for his statement and said that he hoped he had not committed an unpardonable sin (paraphrasing of course) by leading people to believe that he did not see the plates. i've found no other credible sources of this aside from early and easily discredited (such as ezra booth) early (pre-1860) anti-mormon materials. Even Whitmer said under oath in a courtroom that he had indeed seen the plates and had never denied it - and any rumors to the effect were untrue. This while he was estranged from the Church

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

David Whitmer left Joseph Smith and the church and never returned, but continued to claim that he had received a vision of the Golden Plates. At one point he published a public confirmation of this testimony in An Address to All Believers in Christ, in which he also claimed revelation that he should separate himself from the Latter Day Saints due Joseph Smith 'drifting into errors' and misleading the church. Whitmer also testified under oath during a trial that he had never recanted his testimony of the plates (this was partly due to several claims that he had changed or recanted his testimony in early anti-Mormon literature). --->

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Eight Witnesses were members of the families of Joseph Smith and David Whitmer. Like the Three Witnesses, the Eight signed a joint statement in June 1829. Many of these men had previously handled the plates either when they were in one of the boxes or wrapped in a cloth. According to their statement, they also saw and hefted the plates, "the translator of this work, has shown unto us the plates of which hath been spoken, which have the appearance of gold; and as many of the leaves as the said Smith has translated we did handle with our hands; and we also saw the engravings thereon, all of which has the appearance of ancient work, and of curious workmanship."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Other spiritual witnesses

Mary Whitmer, the wife of Peter Whitmer, Sr., also reported seeing the plates in supernatural or visionary experiences (see Investigating the Book of Mormon Witnesses by Richard Lloyd Anderson). She said she saw the angel Moroni, conversed with him, and was shown the gold plates as a comfort and testimony to her while she kept house for a large party during the translation work (Peterson, H. Donl. Moroni: Ancient Prophet, Modern Messenger. Bountiful, Utah, 1983. pp. 114, 116). Most of her immediate family was directly involved with Joseph Smith and/or the translation.

Related Topics:
Mary Whitmer - Peter Whitmer, Sr. - Supernatural - Moroni

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Plates returned to Moroni

After the work of translation was complete and after the visionary experiences of the Special Witnesses, Smith reported that the plates were returned to Moroni in the summer of 1829. Many Latter Day Saints believe that Moroni returned the plates to the Hill Cumorah and that other ancient records lie buried there.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~