what happened to the gold plates joseph smith found
After learning near Joseph Smith and how he was directed past an affections to detect gold plates on which was written an ancient book of scripture, many wonder where those golden plates are now.
The short answer is that afterward Joseph Smith finished his translation of the gilded plates, which was witnessed by more than a dozen people, the plates were returned to the Affections Moroni, who had given the plates to Joseph Smith in the beginning place.
Joseph Smith History one:60 states "When, according to arrangements, the messenger called for them, I delivered them up to him; and he has them in his charge until this day , being the second day of May, 1 one thousand eight hundred and xxx-eight."
The Total Story of Joseph Smith and the Gold Plates
Getting the Plates from Moroni
In 1823, Joseph Smith was praying in his room when Moroni appeared. Among other things, Moroni told Joseph about the existence of a historical record that was engraved on plates of gold.Moroni was a prophet from the American Continent around 400 C.E. and responsible for protecting the finished plates in his twenty-four hour period. After multiple visits that night, Moroni appeared again to Joseph the next day and explained where he could find the plates buried in the ground on a hill most Joseph'southward home in Palmyra, New York.
Joseph almost immediately went to the place that had been described. When he got in that location, he said he recognized the burial spot most at once (see Joseph Smith—History 1:fifty). Joseph removed a large stone that formed the top of a box created by laying stones in some kind of cement. As he reached to take the plates out of the box he was forbidden. Moroni appeared once again and explained that would not be immune to have the plates "until he had learned to keep the commandments of God—not just till he was willing simply able to do it."[i]
Joseph spent the adjacent 4 years preparing to receive the plates. There were lessons equally well as experiences that prepared Joseph to receive the plates. Some of those important experiences were the death of his oldest brother Alvin, his employment with Josiah Stowell digging for treasure, and meeting and marrying Emma Hale.
In addition to these of import events in his life, Joseph also returned to the Loma Cumorah every year on the anniversary of his first visit. At that place is very little known about these specific visits to the hill. These trips are the bailiwick of a lot of Mormon-speculation and sensationalizing. Unfortunately, some members of our Church building have taken it upon themselves to give details where none truly exist. Joseph Smith'due south female parent did say:
From this fourth dimension forth, Joseph connected to receive instructions from the Lord, and we continued to get the children together every evening for the purpose of listening while he gave us a relation of the same…. He would describe the ancient inhabitants of this continent, their apparel, manner of traveling, and the animals upon which they rode; their cities, their buildings, with every particular; their way of warfare; and also their religious worship. This he would do with as much ease, seemingly, equally if he had spent his whole life among them.[2]
Joseph and Emma hitched their horse early in the morning of September 22, 1827, in preparation for receiving the plates. Emma waited for Joseph at the base of the hill as he went for his final interview with Moroni. Joseph returned with the plates. He hid them in a log near his domicile earlier he and Emma returned. From this fourth dimension frontward there were several attempts by those in the area to have the plates from Joseph. Joseph was constantly moving the plates from i hiding identify to another to keep them from being stolen.
Translation of the Plates
Until recently, nearly Latter-mean solar day Saints imagined Joseph Smith leaning over the gold plates studying each line as he translated the Volume of Mormon. This misunderstanding is probably the result of LDS artists portraying that kind of process. It is a reasonable assumption. I mean, why else would you requite Joseph Smith the plates if he is not going to employ them in the translation process.
From nearly descriptions that I have read, Joseph oftentimes left the plates on the tabular array next to him as he translated, but they were typically covered by some cloth or other material. Joseph Smith utilized ii stones that he constitute with the gilded plates that he afterwards chosen the Urim and Thummim. He also used at least one of the ii seer stones that he owned. When he was translating, Joseph would simply read out loud words that appeared on the stones. Some have made a large deal about Joseph placing the stones in a hat, but he was but blocking out extra calorie-free to brand seeing the words on the stones easier.
Losing the Plates
At ane point in the translation procedure, Joseph Smith gave 116 pages of translated manuscript to Martin Harris. Harris lost the manuscript and Joseph was seriously rebuked by Moroni. As part of his penalisation, Joseph had to give the plates to Moroni, and he lost the ability to translate. While they were not straight involved in the translation procedure, this suggests that there was at to the lowest degree a symbolic connexion between having the plates and the power to translate.
When Joseph moved to Fayette, New York, Moroni returned the plates and Joseph began the procedure again. When Joseph finished the translation, Moroni came to take the plates from Joseph. Later, Moroni fabricated the plates bachelor for several witnesses who would later share what they saw with the world. Since that time, the plates have remained wherever Moroni left them.
Concrete Dimensions of the Plates
Why there are no precise measurements given of the plates, there are some proficient estimates based on the first-hand accounts of those that saw or felt or lifted the plates at i point or another. For instance, Martin Harris said that the plates weighed between 40 and 60 lbs.[3] Others described the plates every bit being something like 6 or 7 inches by eight inches and betwixt 4 and 6 inches tall. Each individual plate existence well-nigh as thick as parchment or a piece of "common can."[iv] One portion of the plates was sealed with some kind of band that kept that part of the plates from being accessed.
Witnesses of the Plates
The question of the reality of the plates is really important to the faith of Mormons and how nosotros see the Book of Mormon. Although the plates did non seem to be used for the translation of the Volume of Mormon, the number of people that saw, felt, hefted, or otherwise experienced the plates provide a strong reason for Latter-day Saints faith.
Xi Official Witnesses
Joseph Smith is not the only one to come across and handle the plates. At the beginning of the Book of Mormon, you find the testimony of the Three Witnesses and the Eight Witnesses. Moroni showed the three witnesses, Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, and Martin Harris, the plates and told them that the translation of the Book of Mormon was correct. Just a couple days later, Joseph Smith showed the plates to eight more men: Joseph Smith, Sr., Hyrum Smith, Samuel Smith, Christian Whitmer, Jacob Whitmer, Peter Whitmer, John Whitmer, and Hiram Page. These 11 individuals were placed nether an official obligation to share with others what they had seen. Although several of them eventually left the Church building and others were kicked out, none of them to my knowledge ever recanted what they said nigh seeing the plates.
Some critics accept made a big deal virtually the witnesses believing in "second sight," or, in other words, seeing the plates in a vision. The Eight Witnesses were allowed to handle the plates for themselves. If that part was also a visionary feel, which information technology may have been, so there are several other witnesses that experienced the plates without the spiritual medium beingness involved.
Other Witnesses of the Plates
As well these official witnesses, there were many others. Some of them were faithful members of the Church while others did not like Joseph Smith or members of his church. This is not a complete list of these witnesses but volition give a sufficient thought of the kinds of experiences people had with the plates during the translation process.
Mary Whitmer—
One day, on her style to milk the cows, an old man came to her and said, "You lot accept been very true-blue and diligent in your labors, just you are tired because of the increase of your toil; information technology is proper therefore that y'all should receive a witness that your faith may be strengthened." The human being and so showed her the plates. Most people believe that the old man in the experience was Moroni being that he was the one that showed the plates to the three witnesses and seems to be the guardian of the gold plates throughout these experiences.
Emma Smith—
Emma said, "The plates frequently lay on the table without any endeavour at concealment, wrapped in a small linen tablecloth, which I had given him to fold them in. I once felt of the plates every bit they thus lay on the table, tracing their outline and shape. They seemed to be pliable similar thick paper, and would rustle with a metallic audio when the edges were moved past the pollex, as one does sometimes thumb the edges of a volume."[v]
Isaac Unhurt—
Isaac was Joseph Smith'south begetter-in-police and altogether disapproved of Joseph's translation and talk of angels and the such. Isaac Hale said, "I 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 await." While he never saw the plates, he was able to feel the weight of the book in the box and described it shifting in the box. Later, Isaac Hale walked in on Joseph translating and saw "On the tabular array-top in forepart of Joseph saturday some square object curtained by a cloth."[six]
Joseph Smith's Enemies—
The number of people trying to accept the plates from Joseph Smith in his twenty-four hour period serves equally a type of alternative witness to their existence. It seems clear that people in Palmyra, New York, and Harmony, Pennsylvania were convinced that Joseph had some kind of golden plates. While these people constantly shed some doubt on Joseph'due south motives or where he got the plates or what was actually on the plates, it seems sufficiently obvious that they believed he had something. If it wasn't the plates, then what was it? At that place has been no consequent answer to this question.
University Professors—
Martin Harris, a colleague of Joseph Smith, took a series of characters that were copied from the plates to some of the well-nigh educated individuals he could observe in the expanse of ancient languages. Harris visited Samuel Mitchell and Charles Anthon. Mitchell was the leading naturalist in the land at the time and Anthon was an up-and-coming linguist at Columbia University. Mitchell was especially interested in the characters as the timing of Harris' visit happened around the aforementioned fourth dimension that Mitchell was studying the history of Native Americans and had spent time studying hieroglyphic writing. Martin Harris returned from his trip more convinced than ever earlier that the plates and the writings were legitimate.
Why Were the Aureate Plates Necessary
Some people have asked why would God crave ancient people to get through the process of making metal plates and and then engraving a spiritual tape on those plates if the translator would not even utilize the plates. I am not sure I know the answer to that question, but I have spent some time considering it and here are some of the ideas I accept had:
A Connection to Nephite Authors
Throughout the Book of Mormon, the metal records were passed from spiritual leader to spiritual leader. Joseph Smith receiving the plates represented a concluding "irresolute of the baby-sit" so to speak. Possessing the plates linked Joseph in a material way to the prophets that had written them almost ii thousand years before.
Symbolic of the Lord's Presence
Some LDS writers see a connectedness to the colonnade of fire and cloudy roofing the Israelites enjoyed while wandering in the wilderness. The fire and the cloud were symbolic to show the people of God that Jehovah was in their midst although they never saw his physical presence. In a similar way, the plates were always present during the translation process only were "veiled" with a linen cloth of sorts. Emma reported that they "often lay on the table without any try at concealment, wrapped in a small linen tabular array cloth."[vii]
Concrete Representation of God's Power to Interpret
When Martin Harris lost the translated manuscript (see above), Moroni took the plates from Joseph as a physical reminder that he had lost the power to translate. This is interesting because Joseph was not really using the plates to translate the record anyway. Why didn't the angel have the seer stones? When he had sufficiently repented, Moroni returned the plates and the ability to translate returned also. It almost seems like the plates represented the ability and without the plates, the ability was lost as well.
[i] Run across Lucy Mack Smith, History of Joseph Smith, ed. Preston Nibley (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1958), p. 81.
[ii] Smith, History of Joseph Smith, pp. 82-83.
[iii] Iowa State Register, Aug. 1870, in Milton V. Backman Jr., Eyewitness Accounts of the Restoration (1983), 226.
[iv] Orson Pratt, An Interesting Account of Several Remarkable Visions, and of the Late Discovery of Ancient American Records [pamphlet, 1840], 12–13. Orson Pratt was not an eyewitness of the plates but gathered eyewitness accounts.
[5] "Last Testimony of Sister Emma,"Saints' Herald, ane Oct. 1879, p. 290; spelling modernized.
[vi] Susquehanna Register, ane May 1834.
[vii] "Last Testimony of Sis Emma,"The Saint'due south Herald 26, no. 19 (October 1, 1879): 290. For historical accounts that concur with Emma'southward description, see Welch, "The Miraculous Timing of the Translation," 145, 153, 166, 184, primary documents nos. 43, 59, 86, 110, 111.
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