According to the prophet joseph smith, the titlepage of the book of mormon is a literal translation, taken from the very last leaf, on the. Two top plates are made of brass and imprinted with reformed egyptian characters. It is written, the golden plates are historys most stunning find in the field of religion. 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. Book of mormon title page markings i like this method of enhancing your study.
Putnam made that point in mathematical detail and concluded that the total weight of the plates in joseph smiths charge would have been near the 60pound figure reported by several witnesses. Said another way, the book of mormon represents far less than half of what was recorded on the plates by moroni. Known as the book of mormon, he said i told the brethren that the book of mormon was the most correct of any book of earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to god by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book. Students of the book of mormon will note that this is precisely the time and place in which the book of mormon claims that there existed similar bronze plates which contained the ancient sacred laws of the hebrews, the close cultural cousins of the phoenicians. Check out book of mormon centrals new video, detailing the historical evidence for the existence of the book of.
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. A longer version of this article was originally published by the neal a. The golden plates are a set of bound and engraved metal plates that latter day saint denominations believe are the source of joseph smiths translation of the book of mormon. Testimony of the prophet joseph smith, front of 20 edition of the book of mormon. There are at least185 quotations and 2,500 unique vocabulary words from the new testame. How to make the golden plates with kids eve out of the. The former were more particularly devoted to the spiritual. According to mormon lore, smith claimed to receive the few plates from moroni in 1827 and from them translated the book of mormon. Replica of gold plates this is a replica of the alleged. Some witnesses described the plates as weighing from 30 to 60 pounds 14 to 27 kg, golden in color, and composed of thin metallic pages engraved with. So when you say what happen to the original plates if your talking about just the gold plates they where given back to the angel moroni. The brass plates were inscribed with ancient scriptures, many of them corresponding with books from the old testament, that the prophet lehi and his family took with them to the promised land of the americas these plates were in the possession of laban, a sage and elder in jerusalem. The plates are consistently described as gold and golden.
One thing i found a little amusing was this statement about the gold plates. Lund also claims that moronis use of gold plates to keep records on marks him as a mesoamerican scribe9 this is an interesting idea, but there is no support for it. If the book of mormon plates were made of tumbaga, they were probably between 8 and 12 carat gold and thus would have weighed between 53 and 86 pounds. Artist recreates the golden plates for museum display. In other words moroni was the caretaker of the plates. If mormons book of mormon plates were made of tumbaga, their weight would have been much less than had they been made of pure gold. Gold plates origins of the book of mormon scale model etsy. Brown connects many littleknown historical fragments with more familiar accounts to present the most complete narrative to date on the restoration and. Does the church have a position on the rumor that someone. Four kinds of metal record plates are spoken of in the book itself. Although several witnesses said they saw the plates, smith said that he returned them to an angel after the translation was completed. With rumors swirling about the plates, joseph sought to set the record straight by publishing official. Lds artist ryan warnick wanted to create a project as a way of expressing my feelings about the book of mormon, he writes on youtube.
We not only saw the plates of the book of mormon, but also the plates of brass. This is a 3d printed scale replica of the gold plates translated by joseph smith into the book of mormon. His plates are made of aluminum that was anodized to give them their gold coloring. Of course the actual golden plates were golden in color, not real gold. The book of mormon plates are the fly in the critics potato salad. Nephi explains that laban also was a descendant of joseph, wherefore he and his fathers had kept the. The video is the third in book of mormon centrals evidence video series, the two previous videos being one on the archaeological evidence for the place called nahom, mentioned by nephi 1 nephi 16. Plates of gold book of mormon archaeological forum. We are assured the time will come for the sealed portion to be translated, but that day is not yet here. You cant just eat around it, you have to get rid of it in a way that still makes the salad palatable to the dinner guests.
Maxwell yet, unlike other stunning finds in history, the gold plates are nowhere to be found. Replica gold plates book of mormon book of mormon, book. 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. Problems with the gold plates of the book of mormon. But, how many know of accounts of the gold plates story which mention smith first discovered the plates with a seer stone. Im guessing some pigiron wrapped in a blanket, or kept in a box. The book of mormon is a sacred record of peoples in ancient america, and was engraved upon sheets of metal. This model was created using joseph smiths description as well as the description of others who handled or saw the gold plates as a guide. Manchester, ny a team of archaeologists excavating a drumlin known as mormon hill or the cumorah, in western new york, have discovered a set of gold plates which they believe could be linked to the founder of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints, joseph smith jr. An analysis of the padilla gold plates book of mormon.
Mormon, a prophet and military leader who lived at the end of the nephite era c. When tumbaga which is red is treated with any simple acid citric acid will do, the copper in the alloy is removed from its surface leaving a brilliant. What is the original language of the book of mormon. Archaeological and historical evidence where are the. Many ancient documents such as king benjamins speech or the plates of brass were quoted or abridged by the ancient authors who compiled the books found on the small and large plates of nephi. New video on evidence for book of mormon plates book of. The prophet joseph smith records that moroni was in charge of the book of mormon plates. Two tablets, one of gold and one of silver, were placed in each stone box to be buried at the four corners of his palace. 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 we have lived up to the revelations we have now, it is far more likely we will be given more from those plates.
Joseph used a special rock called a seer stone to translate the plates. The plates of brass seen along with the gold plates of mormon. Smith translated the text of the book of mormon over the next several. Any attempt to make people think there were plates was probably along the same lines as the large chests of gold coins which were backing up the strength of the kirtland safety society antibank. On september 21, 1823, the angel moroni appeared to joseph smith and instructed him about a record engraved on thin goldlike sheets.
Every latterday saint mormon is aware of joseph smiths claim that he discovered golden plates from which the book of mormon was translated. To gain a deeper appreciation of the tremendous significance of the plates of brass or book of joseph, we have the following statement by david whitmer, one of the three witnesses to the book of mormon. Rare collectible set 16 23 rpm the book of mormon, the complete, unbridged text not a word added, changed or omitted. Matheny the padilla gold plates are well known in lds church archaeologicalanthropological circles, where they have been the subject of publications, papers, discussion, and firsthand examination. The record, written by moroni 2, his father mormon, and other ancient inhabitants of the americas, was buried in a stone box in a hill not far from the smith residence.
Check out book of mormon centrals new video, detailing the historical evidence for the existence of the book of mormon golden plates. According to latter day saint belief, the golden plates also called the gold plates or in some 19thcentury literature, the golden bible are the source from which joseph smith said he translated the book of mormon, a sacred text of the faith. Next, show the kids how to copy the reformed egyptian characters using a sharpie pen. The abridgments, quotations, and original writings of those book of mormon historians are displayed on. Several individuals independently reported that the plates were bound. What happened to the original plates of the book of mormon. The plates of brass contained a copy of the law five books of moses, a history of the jews, lehis genealogy, and the writings of many prophets. Replica of book of mormon plates that silversmith gordon andrus made for display in the heavens are opened exhibit at the church history. Known as the book of mormon, he said i told the brethren that the book of. The prophet joseph smith translates them by the gift and power of god. Most latter day saints assume their authenticity as a matter of faith. The plates, which had a depth of about six inches, were bound together by three dshaped rings, similar to a threering binder today.
Maxwell institute for religious scholarship as how witnesses described the gold plates, journal of book of mormon studies, vol. Brass plates mormonism, the mormon church, beliefs. Replica of book of mormon plates that silversmith gordon andrus made as they are displayed in the heavens are opened exhibit at the church history museum. The story of the gold plates cannot be underestimated, for without them there can be no book of mormon. An online handbook to the lds church mormon the angel moroni allegedly visited joseph once a year for five years until 1827, when joseph was allowed to obtain the gold plates to translation them with the help of scribes he began translating the plates the language on the plates is called reformed egyptian. This is a replica of the alleged gold plates which were given to young joseph smith, founder of the church of jesus christ of latter day saints, by the angel moroni. It shows to our best ability the 23 portion that was. The remaining plates are of a paper composite material colored gold but with no inscriptions. Gold plates the church of jesus christ of latterday saints. Artist recreates the golden plates for museum display from written.
Some of these records were comparable to certain books now found in the old testament, but others did not find their way into the bible. Provided to youtube by cdbaby book of mormon storiesthe golden plates insideout a cappella sharing time. Smith claimed to have translated the book of mormon from the plates, which moroni later took back. The book of mormon text contains logical impossibilities. Replica of the gold plates with reformed egyptian characters via church news. Archaeologists discover golden plates believed to be. The plates of darius i, ruler of persia from 518515 b.
Most latterday saints know the essential story of the coming forth of the book of mormon, but there are scores of fascinating details of the saga that are seldom told. You can read the testimonies of the witnesses at the beginning of the book of mormon. If you are using gold card stock paper, then you will not need to use cardboard and gold contact paper. The book of mormons old testament portion bmot quotes heavily from the new testament of the bible. Latter day saint movement and engraved metal plates. All of these plates where brought together to make the gold plates or book of mormon.
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