Original witnesses to the book of mormon gold plates

Dimensions according to joseph, the book was 6 x 8 x 6 and each plate was thinner than common tin. One of these documents was a handwritten testimony signed by david whitmer, one of the three special witnesses of the book of mormon. The first edition of the book of mormon featured two testimonials. 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. Smith knew that none of the witnesses had ever seen the plates with their natural eyes, yet worded the statement as if they had. They are called the testimony of the 3 witnesses and the testimony of the 8 witnesses. Some often joke derisively, oh if only joseph had thought to actually show someone else those plates instead of keeping them to himself, maybe we might believe him. This is because these witnesses claimed to have beheld the gold plates in a. The combined testimonies of the three and eight witnesses of the book of mormon provide powerful evidence of the restoration. Typographical facsimile of the extant text provo, ut. Witnesses of the golden plates and the book of mormon. I understand the book of mormon has a list of witnesses. Some even base their testimony of the truthfulness of the book of mormon on these 11 witnesses and their claims.

An important episode associated with the translation and coming forth of the book of mormon was the experience of two sets of witnesseseleven totalwho, among other things, claimed to have actually seen the gold plates, which were delivered by the angel moroni to joseph smith. Did the book of mormon witnesses see the gold plates only. Bill mckeever is asked about the issue of the book of mormon witnesses seeing the gold plates upon which the book of mormon was supposedly written. That we, through the grace of god the father, and our lord jesus christ, have seen the plates which contain this record, which is a record of the people of nephi, and also of the lamanites, their brethren, and also of the people of jared, who came from. Third, he states that it probably read benjamin on the original gold plates. Looking at the big picture it seems clear that smith never had an ancient record of historical. The book of mormon witnesses are a group of contemporaries of joseph smith who claimed to have seen the golden plates from which smith translated the book of mormon. Below are some of those names some names being witheld for varying reasons.

While the plates were in josephs keeping, others saw them, including eleven witnesses whose testimonies appear in all editions of the book. The most significant witnesses are the three witnesses and the eight witnesses, all of whom allowed their names to be used on two separate statements included with the book of mormon. There have been many whose calling and blessing it is to be current day witnesses of the gold plates which contain the ancient record of the book of mormon, sealed portion and at least one more sealed book. All three witnesses were eventually excommunicated from the mormon church. A longer version of this article was originally published by the neal a. I wrote a great deal of the book of mormon myself, as joseph smith translated or spelled the words out in english. It is believed that joseph smith wrote the book of mormon statement for the witnesses and induced them to sign. Its a common misconception by people outside the church that joseph smith was the only person who ever saw the golden plates. What about the book of mormon witnesses and the gold plates. The gold plates and the translation of the book of mormon the gold plates and the translation of the book of mormon according to joseph smiths later accounts, three years after he experienced his first vision of deity, an angel appeared to him in 1823 and told him of an ancient record written on gold plates. Foundation for ancient research and mormon studies, brigham young university, 2001. Martin harris may 18, 1783july 10, 1875 underwrote the first printing of the book of mormon and also served as one of three witnesses who testified that they had seen the golden plates from which joseph smith said the book of mormon had been translated. Did the book of mormon witnesses really see what they claimed. I never saw the golden plates, only in a visionary or entranced state.

In this huge cave were piles of gold plates and a sword with writing on it journal of discourses, vol. Did the eleven witnesses actually see the gold plates. You can read the testimonies of the witnesses at the beginning of the book of mormon. I have read of suspicions that mesmer had great influence on a certain luman walters who coinkydentally was a figure in the early life of our horny joe. According to latter day saint belief, the golden plates are the source from which joseph smith said he translated the book of mormon, a sacred text of the faith.

Be it known unto all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, unto whom this work shall come. We also talk about the testimony of the three witnesses, three men who were allowed to see an angel and the physical gold. Check out the viewpoint on mormonism podcast series 15 witnesses to the. Smith said that he found the plates on september 22, 1823, on a hill near his home in manchester, new york, after the angel moroni direc. It is claimed that no document exists of the testimonies of the three and eight witnesses which contain their actual signatures, and that this somehow invalidates their testimonies as printed in the book of mormon, and that the witnesses statements in the book of mormon manuscript are written and signed only by oliver cowdery. When viewed with the entire record, there are no credible witness statements of having ever physically seen or held or thumbed any gold plates. Brigham young said, some of the witnesses of the book of mormon, who handled the plates and conversed with the angels of god, were afterwards left to doubt and to disbelieve that they had ever seen an angel. Debunking fairmormon letter to a ces director witnesses. Maxwell institute for religious scholarship as how witnesses described the gold plates, journal of book of mormon studies, vol. The original 1830 edition, book of mormon had s of. Hinckley cited the words of book of mormon witness oliver cowdery, who said, i beheld with my eyes and handled with my hands, the gold plates from which it was translated. 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.

You try spraying, scrubbing, and still were left with so many persons whose testimonies of the physicality of the golden plates, angels, and other artifactsnever wavered. Beginning with the first edition of 1830, the book of mormon has generally contained two sets of testimoniesthe testimony of three witnesses and the testimony of eight witnesses. The book of mormon witnesses are a group of contemporaries of joseph smith who claimed to have seen the golden plates from which smith translated the. Just because those people saw the plates does not mean they were automatically perfect. Im a mormon and i do seek information that is faith promoting, and this subject is important.

Book of mormon witnesses the encyclopedia of mormonism. The eight other witnesses just saw and handled the golden plates. The gold plates and the translation of the book of mormon. The gold plates were said to be buried in a stone box not far from the smith family home. Historical accounts reveal that the three witnesses never saw the gold plates with their natural.

The prophet nephi foresaw that the gold plates of the book of mormon would be hid from the eyes of the world and that the eyes of none shall behold it save it be that three witnesses shall behold it, by the power of god and none other shall view it, save it be a few according to the will of god 2 nephi 27. What i do know is that i found out the book of mormon is true because as i read it i felt the spirit of god testify to my soul that it is true, that jesus is. 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. I dont know that the plausibility for the gold plates ideas in this blog really prove or disprove anything. When joseph smith first obtained the gold plates, he was told to show them to no one. Below is the three witnesses statement printed in the front of the book of mormon, stating an angel showed them the gold plates and engravings. The eight witnesses of the book of mormon lds blogs. Some mormons now claim that the witnesses to the book of mormon made up the. Why didnt the book of mormon witnesses sign their testimony.

Smith eventually obtained testimonies from 11 men who said that they had seen the plates, known as the book of mormon witnesses. I have seen what i have seen and i have heard what i have heard. I have seen the gold plates from which the book of mormon is written. The original testimony of these eight men in the book of mormon reads. Janis hutchinson the three witnesses to the gold plates. Did the book of mormon witnesses really see what they. The book of mormon text contains logical impossibilities. The plates were written in a language called reformed egyptian. However, after a fair and candid examination of the evidence, many thousands of. 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. 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. What is the original language of the book of mormon.

Archaeologists discover golden plates believed to be. A book of mistakes, error, and fraud by jon gary williams introduction the mormon church promotes the book of mormon as an inspired writing. Brigham young related a story from the life of oliver cowdery in which cowdery claimed that he and joseph smith walked right into the hill cumorah with the gold plates of the book of mormon and put them back on a table. Either the book of mormon is what the prophet joseph said it is, or this church and its founder are false, a deception from the first instance onward. Supposedly all three men saw the angel and gold plates the same day. Testimony of 3 witnesses of the golden plates and book of. He had seen and handled them all, by the power of god. However, i have heard that these witnesses may not have actually ever seen the gold plates that contained the original manuscripts for the book of mormon, but were witnesses in a different sort of way. If the gold plates for the book of mormon were real. Facts on the book of mormon witnesses part 1 mormons. On that trunk lay a book of mormon and gold plates, labans sword, aarons breastplate.

The answer is implied in the question, itself if the gold plates were real things. For instance, all 11 witnesses to the book of mormon shared a common worldview of second sight, magic, and treasure digging. No relics in the church gold plates are not holy objects that imbue power. Book of mormon manuscript excerpt, circa june 1829 1. Despite fairs rebuttal to the witnesses section of the ces letter, major concerns regarding the credibility of the book of mormon witnesses remain. Book of mormonwitnessessignatures on their testimonies. The plates were returned to the lord shortly after the work of translating them was complete. Josephs preface and a testimonial written by a group of eight witnesses described the plates as having an appearance of gold. That photo is consistent with the report of the original witnesses in 1829 that at the time of joseph smith the sealed portion comprised about two thirds of the plates. Language the language on the plates is called reformed egyptian. After the witnesses returned to the house the angel again made his appearance to joseph and. The testimony of the three and eight witnesses to the book of mormon is a key part to the testimonies of many members of the church. A complete transcript of the extant parts of the original manuscript of the book of mormon has been published as royal skousen, ed. Attacks against the book of mormon have experienced a kind of.

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. Perhaps one should not expect that a book about the witnesses to the book of mormon published by deseret book company would be anything other than an attempt to strengthen the readers faith in the book of mormon. Journal of discourses, vol 7, page 164, 1859, brigham young. Throughout their lives, none of the witnesses of the book of mormon ever. Sperry admits that the reading king benjamin would have made a contradiction in the book of mormon because king benjamin had been dead for some time. Where are the original gold plates stored that the book of. In this position, he was instrumental in procuring original documents of historical significance to the church. Book of mormon witnesses all later denied its truthfulness. In the book of mormon it talks about the 3 witnesses and the 8 witnesses. Moroni eventually delivered these plates to joseph, who translated and published them as the book of mormon and returned them to moroni.