This article first appeared in Christian Research Journal, volume 34, number 02 (2011). For further information or to subscribe to the Christian Research Journal go to: http://www.equip.org
SYNOPSIS
Joseph Smith, Jr., the founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints (LDS, or Mormons), claimed that after both God the
Father and Jesus Christ visited him in 1820, an angel named Moroni, an
ancient Nephite warrior, visited him in the fall of 1823. Smith was told
by Moroni how he had buried gold plates fourteen centuries earlier not
far from the Smith farm near Palmyra, New York. The angel said that they
contained a record of ancient inhabitants and the “source from whence
they sprang.” Smith claimed he was prohibited from retrieving the gold
record for another four years. The story of the gold plates is an
absolutely essential part of the Mormon narrative, for in the eyes of
many Latter-day 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.” The story of
the gold plates cannot be underestimated, for without them there can be
no Book of Mormon. Though many members of the LDS Church are very
familiar with this story, the details surrounding how Smith obtained the
plates, how he “translated” the plates, and how a few chosen men saw
the plates, have compelled some within the LDS Church to challenge the
main components of the account in order to make it sound more credible.“Do you believe Joseph Smith had gold plates?” Hundreds of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints heading towards the grassy area below the majestic Manti temple hear my question. They are among thousands who come to Manti to watch the Mormon Miracle Pageant, an evening outdoor play held two weeks every year in this otherwise tiny town located in central Utah. Most of those walking by ignore my question; others, however, bravely agree without hesitation that their founding prophet, Joseph Smith, Jr., did indeed have plates of gold, and from those plates he translated what they believe is “the most correct of any book on earth,” the Book of Mormon. Many return from inside the temple grounds out of curiosity, wondering why I ask what appears to be an obviously simple question.
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