Gold Plates

"I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on 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."
— Joseph Smith (LDS.org)

Timeline

1823 Joseph is visited by the angel Moroni who informs him of a buried book written on gold plates

1827 Joseph obtains the gold plates to translate them

1828 The first 116 pages of the translation are lost.

1830 Joseph's translation is published as the Book of Mormon

Joseph Smith claimed that three years after he received the First Vision, he had another visitation, this time by an angel named Moroni. Joseph explains what the angel told him:

He said there was a book deposited, written upon gold plates, giving an account of the former inhabitants of this continent, and the source from whence they sprang. He also said that the fulness of the everlasting Gospel was contained in it, as delivered by the Savior to the ancient inhabitants.
— Joseph Smith—History 1:64

• 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: which remains unknown today.
• Joseph Smith gave Martin Harris (a friend interested in financing the translation) a paper of characters allegedly copied from the gold plates, so that Harris could get an independent opinion of them. Harris then visited Dr. Charles Anthon.
• Martin Harris took home the first 116 pages of Joseph's translation to show to his wife, as she was skeptical of the project and concerned that Harris was being financially gullible. The manuscript came up missing.
• Unfortunately we are unable to view the gold plates today, as according to Joseph, the angel Moroni took them back after Joseph had completed his translation. Joseph enlisted witnesses to provide testimony that they saw the gold plates.

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An artists depiction of the gold plates

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.

• Language
  The language on the plates is called Reformed Egyptian: an unknown language.
• Dimensions
  According to Joseph, the book was 6" x 8" x 6" and each plate was thinner than "common tin".
  
  Each plate was six inches wide and eight inches long and not quite so thick as common tin. They were filled with engravings, in Egyptian characters and bound together in a volume, as the leaves of a book with three rings running through the whole. The volume was something near six inches in thickness, a part of which was sealed.

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  Joseph Smith - Mormonism founder
  Times and Seasons, 3:707
• The Sealed Portion
  Two witnesses said that 2/3 of the book was sealed, leaving 1/3 (2 inches) of plates translatable.
  • David Whitmer, Mormon apostle and Book of Mormon witness
    Interview, Chicago Times, October 17, 1881
  • Orson Pratt, Mormon apostle
    Sermon, Journal of Discourses 3:347
• Weight
  The weight of plates range from 30 to 60 pounds.
  

  Name	Weight
  Joseph Smith Sr. (Joseph's father) Interview, Historical Magazine, 7:307	30 lbs
  Martin Harris, Mormon apostle and Book of Mormon witness Interview, Tiffany's Monthly, August 1859, p.166	40-50 lbs
  William Smith (Joseph's brother) William Smith on Mormonism, p.12	60 lbs

Running with the plates

In another of Joseph's tales, (of which again he is the only witness) he claims that he was assaulted by several men while bringing the gold plates home. Somehow he was able to outrun them carrying the 30-60 pounds, and despite lifelong complications from leg surgery. After hearing Joseph's tale a group went out to find these men but had no success.

• Joseph's childhood surgery:
  
  Joseph, who was about seven years old, developed a serious infection in his left leg. Dr. Nathan Smith of Dartmouth Medical School at nearby Hanover, New Hampshire, agreed to perform a new surgical procedure to try to save the boy’s leg... Joseph bravely endured as the surgeon bored into and chipped away part of his leg bone. The surgery was successful, although Joseph walked the next several years with crutches and showed signs of a slight limp the rest of his life.

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  Teachings of the Presidents of the Church, xxii-25
• Joseph's mother, Lucy Mack Smith, recorded Joseph's story:
  The plates were secreted about three miles from home... Joseph, on coming to them, took them from their secret place, and, wrapping them in his linen frock, placed them under his arm and started for home.
  
  After proceeding a short distance, he thought it would be more safe to leave the road and go through the woods. Traveling some distance after he left the road, he came to a large windfall, and as he was jumping over a log, a man sprang up from behind it, and gave him a heavy blow with a gun. Joseph turned around and knocked him down, then ran at the top of his speed. About half a mile further he was attacked again in the same manner as before; he knocked this man down in like manner as the former, then ran on again; and before he reached home he was assaulted the third time...
  
  I will here mention that my husband, Mr. Knight, and Mr. Stoal, went in pursuit of those villains who had attempted Joseph's life, but were not able to find them.

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  Lucy Mack Smith - Joseph's mother
  Biographical Sketches of Joseph Smith, ch.23
• Joseph's friend, Willard Chase, recalled the story told by Joseph.
  [Joseph] went for his book, found it safe, took off his frock, wrapt it round it, put it under his arm and ran all the way home, a distance of about two miles. He said he should think it would weigh sixty pounds, and was sure it would weigh forty. On his return home, he said he was attacked by two men in the woods, and knocked them both down and made his escape, arrived safe and secured his treasure.

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  William Chase
  Testimony, Mormonism Unvailed, p.246

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