Gold Plates
The Gold Plates or Golden Plates (also referred to derisively as the Golden Bible) are the material upon which the ancient American prophet Mormon wrote his abridgment of the record of his people. Mormon's son, Moroni buried the Gold Plates in the soil of Hill Cumorah, where they were found by Joseph Smith, who learned of their location by revelation and as instructed by the Angel Moroni. The Gold Plates were then translated by Joseph Smith from the original reformed Egyptian texts, and then published into the scriptures we have today known as the Book of Mormon.
Joseph Smith said that the ancient records were engraven on plates which had the appearance of gold, 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. The characters on the unsealed part were small, and beautifully engraved. The whole book exhibited many marks of antiquity in its construction, and much skill in the art of engraving.
There is much speculation that the Golden Plates were not comprised of "Pure" gold, rather an alloy; otherwise they would have been far too heavy for anyone to carry.
The Golden Plates were received in the early morning hours of September 22, (about 8 months after his Marriage to Emma Hale on Jan. 18, 1827). Joseph borrowed a horse and wagon from a Mr. Knight. At Hill Cumorah he met Moroni who gave him final instructions and a warning, "that I should be responsible for them; that if I should let them go carelessly, or through any neglect of mine, I should be cut off; but that if I would use all my endeavors to preserve them until he, the messenger, should call for them, they should be protected."
See also
External links
- Gold plates on FairWiki.org
- Metal plates on FairWiki.org
