[84] Later, Smith told his mother he had taken 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. [188], Smith may have understood the sealing to be a supernatural or spiritual sealing "by the power of God" (2 Nephi 27:10),[189] an idea supported by a reference in the Book of Mormon to the "interpreters" with which Smith said they were buried or "sealed. Some contemporaries who later claimed he told them the story said there were others, some of which are relevant to the modern debate about whether or how closely events of early Mormonism were related to the practice of contemporary folk magic. [155], Differences between the original and printer's manuscript, the 1830 printed version, and modern versions of the Book of Mormon have led some critics to claim that evidence has been systematically removed that could have proven that Smith fabricated the Book of Mormon, or are attempts to hide embarrassing aspects of the church's past,[9][10][125] with Mormon scholars viewing the changes as superficial, done to clarify the meaning of the text. [66] Smith said he was told to return the following year (1825) with the "right person" but the angel did not tell Smith who that person might be. [161] Its London production won the Olivier Award for best musical. An acquaintance, Lorenzo Saunders, said, "There can't anybody say word against Martin Harris... a man that would do just as he agreed with you. [4][94][95] Smith produced a written revelation in 1832 that condemned the "whole church" for treating the Book of Mormon lightly. [87] The Book of Mormon provided theological backing to this proposition, and suggested that the lost Tribes of Israel would be found in other locations throughout the world as well. [47] These books recount the group's dealings from approximately 600 BC to about 130 BC, during which time the community grew and split into two main groups, which are called the Nephites and the Lamanites, that frequently warred with each other. [5] Smith published the first edition of the translation in March of 1830 as the Book of Mormon, with a print run of 5,000 copies at a production cost of $3,000 (or 60 cents per book). [20] Beginning as a youth in the early 1820s, Smith was periodically hired, for about $14 per month, as a scryer, using what were termed "seer stones" in attempts to locate lost items and buried treasure. (2003). Smith reluctantly acceded to Harris's requests. [56], 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 treasures that it contained. "[141], Smith said the angel Moroni had commanded him not to show the plates to any unauthorized person. [130], After translation was complete, Smith said he returned the plates to the angel, but he did not elaborate about this experience. [206], Some Latter Day Saints, especially those within the Community of Christ, have doubted the historicity of the golden plates and downplayed their significance. For them, the message of the Book of Mormon is inseparable from the story of its origins. "[136] The "sealed" portion is said to contain "a revelation from God, from the beginning of the world to the ending thereof. However, DNA evidence shows no Near Eastern component in the Native American genetic make-up. "[132] In 1895, Whitmer's grandson George Schweich inherited the manuscript. In 2001, the LDS Church reported that all or part of the Book of Mormon was available in the native language of 99 percent of Latter-day Saints and 87 percent of the world's total population.[157]. 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. "[55] Jesus is mentioned every 1.7 verses and is referred to by one hundred different names.[56]. It might seem impossible to you that all custom-written essays, research papers, speeches, book reviews, and other custom task completed by our writers are both of high quality and cheap. Smith eventually obtained testimonies from 11 men who said that they had seen the plates, known as the Book of Mormon witnesses. He returned home with a heavy object wrapped in a frock, which he then put in a box. [156] Statements over the names of these men, apparently drafted by Smith,[157] were published in 1830 as an appendix to the Book of Mormon. [70] The Book of Mormon claims this meant that the Nephites and other remnants of the lost tribes of Israel throughout the world were to be visited by Jesus after his resurrection. After similarly overpowering the man, Joseph continued to run, but before he reached the house, a third man hit him with a gun. [161] Others said they had visions of the plates or had been shown the plates by an angel, in some cases years after Smith said he had returned the plates. The "sealing" of apocalyptic revelations in a book has precedents in the, i.e. 2020 page 96. The Book of Mormon; An Account Written By the Hand of Mormon Upon Plates Taken From the Plates of Nephi. "[53], Smith said he saw a large stone covering a box made of stone (or possibly iron). Benite, Z. [62] 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,"[63] and according to a nonbeliever, Smith said, "I had forgotten to give thanks to God," as required by the angel. [158] Translations into American Sign Language are available on videocassette and DVD. [94], The Smith home was approached "nearly every night" by villagers hoping to find the chest, where Smith said the plates were kept. [199], The golden plates were said to contain engravings that the Book of Mormon describes as reformed Egyptian. Based on 1908 RLDS edition, 1830 edition, printer's manuscript, and corrections by church leaders. In 1828, Martin Harris, is reported to have said that the plates were "fastened together in the shape of a book by wires". [6] After the translation was complete, Smith said that he returned the plates to the angel Moroni; thus they could never be examined. Just as the Bible's present chapter and verse notation system is a later addition of Bible publishers to books that were originally solid blocks of undivided text, the chapter and verse markers within the books of the Book of Mormon are conventions, not part of the original text. He said that the angel prevented him from taking the plates but instructed him to return to the same location in a year. 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." Smith referred to the visitor as an "angel of the Lord" at least as early as 1832 (, Smith's first mention of the angel in later histories is an appearance on the eve of September 22, 1823 (, This commandment is described in the account of, There is agreement on this commandment by Smith's mother (, Most accounts, including those written by Smith, say the plates were found in a stone box (. Whenever he found his speech growing too modern -- which was about every sentence or two -- he ladled in a few such Scriptural phrases as "exceeding sore," "and it came to pass," etc., and made things satisfactory again. This position is in keeping with our longstanding tradition that belief in the Book of Mormon is not to be used as a test of fellowship or membership in the church."[111]. The first edition print-run was 5,000 copies. When Smith refused to show them to her, she searched the house, grounds, and woods. Only close associates of Smith were allowed to become official witnesses to the plates; he invited no strangers to view them. Other parts of the story are derived from the statements of those who knew Smith, including several witnesses who said that they saw the golden plates. According to Latter Day Saint belief, the golden plates (also called the gold plates or in some 19th-century literature, the golden bible)[1] are the source from which Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon, a sacred text of the faith. The Community of Christ also publishes a 1966 "Revised Authorized Edition," which attempts to modernize some language. [36] It is this acceptance which distinguishes the churches of the Latter Day Saint movement from other Christian denominations. [73], The next annual visit on September 22, 1827 would be, Smith told associates, his last chance to receive the plates. "[135], Smith taught that part of the golden plates were "sealed. The translation was completed at the Whitmer home. [82], 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. ", "Katharine Smith Salisbury's Recollections of Joseph's Meetings with Moroni", Elders' Journal of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Biographical Sketches of Joseph Smith the Prophet, and His Progenitors for Many Generations, "One of the Three Witnesses: Incidents in the Life of Martin Harris", "Review of Little Known Evidences of the Book of Mormon by Brenton G. Yorgason", "Mormonism: Authentic Account of the Origin of The Sect from One of the Patriarchs", "Martin Harris: Mormonism's Early Convert", "An Address to All Believers in Christ By A Witness to the Divine Authenticity of the, "An Old Mormon's Closing Hours: David Whitmer, One of the Pioneers of That Faith, Passing Away", "Trying to Be Saints—Treasures of the Everlasting Hills—The Hill Cumorah—Obedience to True Principle the Key to Knowledge—All Enjoyment Comes from God—Organization—Duties of Officers—Final Results", List of Reorganized Restorationist churches, Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonite) history, Doctrine and Covenants (Book of Commandments), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Golden_plates&oldid=1005437213, Articles with unsourced statements from March 2009, Articles with unsourced statements from March 2008, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 7 February 2021, at 17:29. 1: The Journey (2003) and Passage to Zarahemla (2007). ", "Intro change in Book of Mormon spurs discussion", "The Book of Mormon - Skousen, Royal; Smith, Joseph", "A New Approach To Studying The Book Of Mormon - Rosenvall, Lynn A. [112] The most prominent modern theory is that Smith composed the translation in response to the provincial opinions of his time,[113] perhaps while in a magical trance-like state. Smith's description of these events recounts that he was allowed to take the plates on September 22, 1827, exactly four years from that date, and was directed to translate them into English. Introduced primitive verses (numbered paragraphs). There is a neat symmetry to the bible as we have received it. --> William agreed that the plates could be rustled with one's thumb like the pages of a book. The book describes Jesus, prior to his birth, as a spirit "without flesh and blood", although with a spirit "body" that looked similar to how Jesus would appear during his physical life. Since its first publication and distribution, critics of the Book of Mormon have claimed that it was fabricated by Smith[8][9][10] and that he drew material and ideas from various sources rather than translating an ancient record. that the book was "sealed" in the sense that its contents were hidden or kept from public knowledge, The Voree plates were alleged to have been written by an ancient inhabitant of what is now, The Testaments of One Fold and One Shepherd, Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, List of references to seer stones in the Latter Day Saint movement history, List of plates (Latter Day Saint movement), Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Strangite), "History & Culture – Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail (U.S. National Park Service)", "They 'Shall Blossom as the Rose': Native Americans and the Dream of Zion,", "Dating the Restoration of the Melchizedek Priesthood", "James Gordon Bennett's 1831 Report on 'The Mormonites, "Archaeological Work at the Smith Log House", "Scrying for the Lord: Magic, Mysticism, and the Origins of the Book of Mormon", Latter Day Saints' Messenger and Advocate, "Sacred Writing on Metal Plates in the Ancient Mediterranean", "Joseph Knight's Recollection of Early Mormon History", "Interview with the Father of Joseph Smith, the Mormon Prophet, Forty years Ago. Larson carefully examined the original manuscript (the one dictated by Joseph Smith to his scribes) and the printer's manuscript (the copy Oliver Cowdery prepared for the printer in 1829–1830), and compared them with the first, second, and third editions of the Book of Mormon; this was done to determine what sort of changes had occurred over time and to make judgments as to which readings were the most original. [152] The four 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. Chapel Hill, NC: The University of North Carolina Press. The majority of what remains of the original manuscript is now kept in the LDS Church's Archives. [166] 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 ... all connected by a ring which passes through a hole at the end of each plate". [125] In October 1841, the entire original manuscript was placed into the cornerstone of the Nauvoo House, and sealed up until nearly forty years later when the cornerstone was reopened. David Whitmer said that when an angel showed him the plates in 1829, "a large portion of the leaves were so securely bound together that it was impossible to separate them,"[192] that the "sealed" part of the plates were held together as a solid mass "stationary and immovable,"[193] "as solid to my view as wood,"[194] and that there were "perceptible marks where the plates appeared to be sealed"[195] with leaves "so securely bound that it was impossible to separate them. He also collated the various editions of the Book of Mormon down to the present to see what sorts of changes have been made through time. [57] Jesus is described as "the Father and the Son". [15], According to Joseph Smith, he was seventeen years of age when an angel of God named Moroni appeared to him[16] and said that a collection of ancient writings was buried in a nearby hill in present-day Wayne County, New York, engraved on golden plates by ancient prophets. A portion of the text on the plates was also "sealed" according to his account, so its content was not included in the Book of Mormon.[22]. [131], Critical comparisons between surviving portions of the manuscripts show an average of two to three changes per page from the original manuscript to the printer's manuscript, with most changes being corrections of scribal errors such as misspellings or the correction, or standardization, of grammar inconsequential to the meaning of the text. [123] Based on some of the descriptions of the plates' dimensions, one scholar speculates that, had the plates been made of 24-karat gold (which Smith never claimed), they would have weighed about 140 pounds (64 kg),[182] while LDS writers have speculated that the plates were made of a copper-gold alloy like tumbaga, which would have weighed significantly less.[183]. [84] 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. [11] Mormon and Moroni, the book says, had abridged earlier historical records from other sets of metal plates. Following this section is the Words of Mormon. Gaddy claims that historically accurate accounts successfully challenge bogus LDS Church narratives of Smith’s first vision of “two personages whom he believed to be God the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ” in 1820, his translation of Egyptian papyri into the Book of Abraham in 1880, and representations of Smith as a monogamist. Historically, Latter Day Saint movement denominations have taught that the Book of Mormon's description of the plates' origin is accurate, and that the Book of Mormon is a translation of the plates. [76], The book recommends monarchy as an ideal form of government, but only when the monarch is righteous. [145] The next day,[146] Smith dictated a revelation stating that Harris could eventually qualify himself[147] to be one of three witnesses with the exclusive right to "view [the plates] as they are". In 2001, Community of Christ president W. Grant McMurray reflected on increasing questions about the Book of Mormon: "The proper use of the Book of Mormon as sacred scripture has been under wide discussion in the 1970s and beyond, in part because of long-standing questions about its historical authenticity and in part because of perceived theological inadequacies, including matters of race and ethnicity. [37] Smith recorded some of these commandments but made it clear the main thrust of Moroni's message was that he had to keep God's commandments in general. [14] Some adherents accept the Book of Mormon as inspired scripture but do not believe that it is a literal translation of a physical historical record, even in the more theologically conservative Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).[15]. Official Internet edition of the Book of Mormon for the LDS Church. [171] When the Book of Mormon was published in 1830, the Eight Witnesses described the plates as having "the appearance of gold". (2013). Their written testimonies are known as the Testimony of Three Witnesses[23] and the Testimony of Eight Witnesses. [14] As of 2011, more than 150 million copies of the Book of Mormon had been printed. In the narrative, at the time of King Benjamin (about 130 BC), the Nephite believers were called "the children of Christ". [73], On the issue of war and violence, the book teaches that war is justified for people to "defend themselves against their enemies". According to Smith and others, the golden plates contained a "sealed" portion[136] containing "a revelation from God, from the beginning of the world to the ending thereof. Camera. These groups all have in common the acceptance of the Book of Mormon as scripture. [66] At another place, the faithful members of the church at the time of Captain Moroni (73 BC) were called "Christians" by their enemies, because of their belief in Jesus Christ. The volume was something near six inches [15 cm] in thickness". True or not, the Book of Mormon is a powerful epic written on a grand scale with a host of characters, a narrative of human struggle and conflict, of divine intervention, heroic good and atrocious evil, of prophecy, morality, and law. They were described by Martin Harris, one of Smith's early scribes, as "fastened together in the shape of a book by wires. Cheap paper writing service provides high-quality essays for affordable prices. But have you ever considered studying it theologically? [67] However, Smith determined after looking into his seer stone that the "right person" was Emma Hale, his future wife. Since the late 1980s, church members have been encouraged to read from the Book of Mormon daily. [67] The book also states that for nearly 200 years after Jesus' appearance at the temple in the Americas[68] the land was filled with peace and prosperity because of the people's obedience to his commandments. "[8] Smith said that he returned the plates to the angel Moroni after he finished translating them, and their authenticity cannot be determined by physical examination. David Graeber Bullshit Jobs A Theory May 15, 2018, originally published. [32] According to the story, the angel first visited Smith's bedroom late at night, on September 22[33] in 1822 or 1823. A common theory was that a more technologically advanced and often white race had built them, but were overrun and destroyed by a more savage, numerous and often colored race. [41] However, Smith eventually obtained the written statement of several witnesses who saw the plates. [27][31] The Book of Mormon went on sale at the bookstore of E. B. Grandin in Palmyra, New York on March 26, 1830. Works that have been suggested as sources include the King James Bible,[34][35] The Wonders of Nature,[36][37] View of the Hebrews,[9][10][38] and an unpublished manuscript written by Solomon Spalding. The pivotal event of the book is an appearance of Jesus Christ in the Americas shortly after his resurrection. First RLDS edition. "[74] The book praises the faith of a group of former Lamanite warriors who took an oath of complete pacifism, refusing to take arms even to defend themselves and their people. Having met the author, I will add that there are thousands of people throughout Micronesia who love her and who have benefited by her faithfulness and commitment over the years. Community of Christ, 2007. [49] Smith said he then fainted because he had been awake all night, and while unconscious, the angel appeared a fourth time and chastised him for failing to tell the visions to his father. [100] The 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. [127] On September 20, 2017, the LDS Church purchased the manuscript from the Community of Christ at a reported price of $35 million. For example, it has been theorized that the plates were fashioned by Smith or one of his associates,[16] that Smith had the ability to convince others of their existence through illusions or hypnosis,[17] or that witnesses were having ecstatic visions. Andrew M. Shields, "Official Minutes of Business Session, Wednesday March 28, 2007," in 2007 World Conference Thursday Bulletin, March 29, 2007. "First European edition". Surviving manuscript pages were handed out to various families and individuals in the 1880s. "A History of All the Important Things" (D&C 69:3): John Whitmer's Record of Church History | Religious Studies Center", "Book of Mormon manuscript may be world's most expensive book | The Kansas City Star", "Historian: At $35M, original printer's manuscript of Book of Mormon a bargain - The Salt Lake Tribune", "Church Releases New Edition of English Scriptures in Digital Formats", "The Restored Covenant Edition of the Book of Mormon—Text Restored to Its Purity? The themes of the dislocation and decentring are coming to greater relevance in a globalised world. Book of Mormon (LDS edition), Introduction expressing the LDS view that the Book of Mormon "is a record of God's dealings with the ancient inhabitants of the Americas", and that the book is a translation of the golden plates "into the English language". [125], The second completed manuscript, called the printer's manuscript, was a copy of the original manuscript produced by Oliver Cowdery and two other scribes. The original 1830 publication did not have verse markers, although the individual books were divided into relatively long chapters. [181] 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". [38] Smith's writings say that the angel required at least the following: (1) that he have no thought of using the plates for monetary gain,[39] (2) that he tell his father about the vision,[40] and (3) that he never show the plates to any unauthorized person. In furtherance of its theme of reconciling Jews and Gentiles to Jesus, the book describes a variety of visions or visitations to some early inhabitants in the Americas involving Jesus. This is text book circular reasoning. Edited by Richards. [178] 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). Mormon is eventually killed after having handed down the records to his son Moroni. [19] Western New York was also noted for its participation in a "craze for treasure hunting". [43][44] The title page states that the purpose of the Book of Mormon is "to [show] unto the remnant of the house of Israel what great things the Lord hath done for their fathers; ... and also to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations."[45]. His Account of the Finding of the Sacred Plates", "Apologetic and Critical Assumptions about, "The Faith and Visions of the Ancient Saints—The Same Great Blessing to be Enjoyed by the Latter-day Saints", "Were the Golden Plates Made of Tumbaga? [1][2] It was first published in March 1830 by Joseph Smith as The Book of Mormon: An Account Written by the Hand of Mormon upon Plates Taken from the Plates of Nephi. [42] Within the Latter Day Saint movement there are several apologetic groups that disagree with the skeptics and seek to reconcile the discrepancies in diverse ways. [34] Moroni told Smith that the plates could be found buried in a prominent hill near his home, later called Cumorah, a name found in the Book of Mormon. [160], 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". In Trey Paker and Matt Stone, The Testaments of One Fold and One Shepherd, Mound_Builders § Alternative_explanations, Historical authenticity of the Book of Mormon, Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, Foundation for Apologetic Information & Research, The Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonite), Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, The Book of Mormon Movie, Vol. In addition, the book is well written and a pleasure to read. The best-known elements of the golden plates story are found in an account told by Smith in 1838 and incorporated into the official church histories of some Latter Day Saint movement denominations. [39][40][41] FairMormon and other Mormon apologetics organizations maintain that all these arguments have been disproven by Mormon and non-Mormon sources. [59], Disconcerted by his inability to obtain the plates, Smith said he briefly wondered whether his experience had been a "dreem of Vision" [sic]. Its structure shows elaborate design, its narrative is spun coherently, and it demonstrates throughout a unity of purpose. [20] Additionally, the plates were not always present during the translating process, and when present, they were always covered up. Thus was born the FARMS Critical Text Project which published the first volume of the three-volume Book of Mormon Critical Text in 1984. [177], Different people estimated the weight of the plates differently. [125], The printer's manuscript was not used fully in the typesetting of the 1830 version of Book of Mormon; portions of the original manuscript were also used for typesetting.

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