Mesoamericans did use a coppergold alloy the spaniards called. The story of the gold plates cannot be underestimated, for without them there can be no book of mormon. Latter day saints believe the plates were the source material for the book of mormon. Different people estimated the weight at 30 to 60 lbs. In studying the history of joseph smith and the the church of jesus christ of latterday saints, referred to as the mormons, we emphasize joseph smiths own testimony of the book of mormon, that book of additional scripture that is another testament of jesus christ.
Joseph smith recorded that moroni told him that the nephite record was written upon gold plates, but this does not exclude the possibility that they were actually a. Thus, if these are indeed the plates of mormon, as they certainly appear to be, then there are still over half of them left to be opened at the coming of the savior to those who believe in his word. If you dropped the golden plates, they would have made a pretty big dent in. Critics of the church often use the weight of the plates as evidence that the book of mormon story is not true. Mormon challenges were the actual gold plates too heavy. The prophet joseph smith described the gold plates.
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. Problems with the gold plates of the book of mormon christian. Could the entire book of mormon text fit on gold plates. In his book, an ancient american setting for the book of mormon, he wrote, r. The weight of the golden plates miscellaneous mormon.
Have you ever thought of how much the golden plates that joseph smith translated the book of mormon from weighed. Others have asserted that if the prophet joseph had a sufficient number of gold plates to contain the entire text of the book of mormon, they would have been too heavy to handle as a book. Witnesses of the book of mormon were consistent in their witness that the plates weighed 4060 pounds some critics assume that the golden plates are pure gold, or that they are a solid block of gold. But, harris provided this information in an interview with anthony metcalf. This article traces its modern history from josephs accounts of discovering the gold plates from which the book of mormon is said to have been translated to the most recent editions of josephs translation.
Witnesses of the book of mormon were consistent in their witness that the plates weighed 4060 pounds. Supposedly all three men saw the angel and gold plates the same day. How much would the gold plates weigh that momonisms. Ive also heard people say that he must have been empowered by god. The manner in which joseph received the plates has been a matter of controversy since he first made the unprecedented claim that he was visited by god himself in what is known as the first vision. Smith allegedly collected the plates, which were inscribed in reformed egyptian by ancient americans with hebraic dna, and translated them into the churchs signature text, the book of mormon, which he published in 1830. According to joseph smith, the book of mormon was engraved on a stack of metal plates, six inches wide, six inches thick, eight inches long, and had the appearance of gold. I never saw the golden plates, only in a visionary or entranced state. The keystone of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints is the book of mormon. I was reading about the golden plates and it is hysterical, my sides are hurting.
The term is used throughout the book of mormon to describe the religious, political, and cultural traditions of the group of settlers. The eight witnesses described them as having the appearance of gold. The sealed portion the final testament of jesus christ. Some critics assume that the golden plates are pure gold, or that they are a solid block of gold. Mormons believe a con artist is a prophet who found golden plates in ny posted on jan 9, 2012 82 comments mormon beliefs were started by joseph smith, a convicted con artist, from palmyra, new york, who allegedly found golden plates, which he translated to become the book of mormon. Detailed witness descriptions give us a good idea of what the gold plates which joseph smith used. Book of mormontranslationweight of the gold plates fairmormon. The plates upon which the book of mormon was engraved were made of gold and have been. Ive heard some lds apologists argue that the plates had to of not been pure gold, however, this argument overlooks mosiah 8. The modern discovery, translation, and editions of the. So, naturally, people have been studying, testing, challenging, and scrutinizing the book of mormon for almost 200 years now, trying to figure out where this book came from. What was the weight of the golden plates from which joseph smith translated the book of mormon. It was the upper plates of the plates of mormon which were translated both into the book of lehi 116 pages and also the book of mormon. The plates weighed approximately sixty pounds witnesses of the book of mormon were consistent in their witness that the plates weighed 4060 pound.
The young prophet translated the unsealed portion of those plates and published that translation to the world for the first time in march 1830 as the book of mormon. The golden plates couldnt be made of pure gold the golden plates couldnt be made of pure gold, new era, july. Joseph smith claimed that the book of mormon is his translation of an ancient book written on gold plates that he found buried in a hill. Mormon, the man and the message religious studies center. Naturalistic theory of the gold plates building on ann. Contemporaries of smith gave varying dimensions for the plates, as well as a wide range of estimated weights. If they were a block of those dimensions made out of pure gold which is unlikely and n. Mormon metallurgist reed putnam estimates that if the plates were made of pure gold, they would have probably weighed around 100 pounds. Nobody knows how much the plates should have, or did weigh. The plates weighed approximately 4060 pounds, and about half of the plates. The plates were said to be 6 to 7 inches wide, about 8 inches long and 4 to 6 inches thick. Maxwell institute for religious scholarship as how witnesses described the gold plates, journal of book of mormon studies, vol.
Mormon and moroni, the book says, had abridged earlier historical records from other sets of metal plates. Problems with the gold plates in the book of mormon. Still too heavy to run three miles with, fending off attackers. According to smith, the angel was the guardian of the golden plates, buried in the hill cumorah near smiths home in western new york. Mormons believe a con artist is a prophet who found golden. The eight witnesses of the book of mormon lds blogs. What was the approximate weight of the gold plates from which the. Language the language on the plates is called reformed egyptian. Putnam has argued persuasively that the book of mormon plates that were in joseph smiths hands were of tumbaga. Critics fail to note that at no time does the book of mormon itself say that the plates on which mormon abridged his record were made of gold. If this is the case then such a story really carries no more persuasive weight than the testimony of the three witnesses who claimed to have seen the plates smith received from moroni. We do not have the book of mormon metal plates available to us. Problems with the gold plates of the book of mormon. Facts on the book of mormon witnesses part 1 mormons.
When the angel moroni delivered the gold plates to joseph smith in 1827, he fulfilled biblical prophecy see rev. In his book, an ancient american setting for the book of mormon, he wrote. Some critics assume that the golden plates are pure. Thats a good question and the weight can easily be calculated. By the following calculations, the book of mormon text fits on a 2. Doxey, assistant in the office of the quorum of the twelve. 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. Dimensions according to joseph, the book was 6 x 8 x 6 and each plate was thinner than common tin. An introduction to the study of the book of mormon. According to joseph smith, the book of mormon was engraved on a stack of plates six inches wide, six inches thick, and eight inches long that had the appearance of gold. If its a fraud, the rest of our truth claims come tumbling down. There is no question that metal was sometimes used as writing material in the ancient world, including the near east. How could joseph carry the golden plates around so easily, and how could the witness have hefted the plates. Joseph smith running with the gold plates mormonthink.
Wouldnt actual gold plates be too heavy to carry around. Though lead is lighter than gold, these lead plates weight 118 pounds, or one. A longer version of this article was originally published by the neal a. The book of mormon merely says they were made of ore 1 nephi 19. The book of mormon itself portrays the golden plates as a historical record, engraved by two precolumbian prophethistorians from around the year ad 400. Instead, i was taught and believed in the miracle of translation where the prophet joseph smith received sacred golden plates and the urim and thummim. If the plates were made of gold, they would have weighed 200 pounds. According to mormon history, an angel guided smith to buried gold plates near his home in upstate new york in 1823. We know that, and critics of our faith know that as well. On that trunk lay a book of mormon and gold plates, labans sword, aarons breastplate.
Gold weighs 1,204 pounds per cubic foot, so if we use the dimensions given by smith we can conclude that the plates were 16 of a cubit foot. Sorenson, agreed that putnams explanation helps solve the weight problem. By such statements the critics have hoped to break the mormon pitcher at the threshold, as the greek. The latter being sacred interpreters that had been prepared and preserved by the lord to bring forth the book of mormon in his due time. What was the weight of the golden plates from which joseph. 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. The book of mormon mentions plates of brass or of gold that were used to preserve a wide variety of materials, from genealogies to history and prophecy. If god can create the world, he can condense the book of mormon into golden plates. Is it possible for all that to fit onto a small set of gold plates. We also talk about the testimony of the three witnesses, three men who were allowed to see an angel and the physical gold. The book of mormon is a religious text of the latter day saint movement. The antimormon side is much more involved and cant be reduced.