Mormons: How did Joseph Smith carry home the golden plates of the Book of Mormon?

Question

and how did the witnesses lift them so easily?

****They weighed about 230 lbs. Gold, with a density of 19.3 weighs 1204.7 lbs. per cubic foot.
The plates were 7" x 8" by about 6".
See Articles of Faith, by Talmage, page 262, 34th ed.****

Answer 1

Smith was a remown story-teller
I mean, c'mon...
How are Jesus and Lucifer related?
How did Elohim impregnate the alleged "Mother Mary"?
How can you become a God when you die?
How is there endless cosmic sex to create beings for planets?

The book of Mormon is about as Stupid as it is heavy...

Answer 2

The following statement, repeated verbatim, is from www.askgramps.org. The man replying to questions about Mormonism and sundry topics is well versed in theology, science, and religion, having served as a bishop, a high priest leader, and in other Church callings:

"The number of plates that were given to Joseph Smith is not known. However, without doubt, it was a heavy load, but not so heavy that one person could not carry it. It has been estimated that the plates of the Book of Mormon that the Prophet Joseph had in his possession were on the order of 7 x 8 inches and 6 inches thick. However, one cannot consider that this represents a solid mass of gold of those dimensions--which would weigh about 200 pounds. The plates were neatly inscribed by hand with hieroglyphic characters, so they would be far from perfectly smooth. It is easy to imagine that with the inevitable minor unevenness of the plates that they would weigh more on the order of 100 rather than 200 pounds."

Further, Joseph and Emma had traveled by horse and wagon to the site where the plates were buried. Joseph was a muscular, strong man, prone to wrestling throughout his youth and adulthood, and could easily manage 100 pounds of plates.

Answer 3

Isn't it funny that since Mitt Romney hit the news we have more questions coming up about Mormonism than we have people to answer them. I think the USA has become so sick of having either liars, adulterers or dummies for President that most Americans cannot handle the prospect of having someone who is none of the above. But his biggest sin is that he is a Mormon. What do you think he is going to do? Force you all to read the Book of Mormon or something?

And so to your question. Does it really matter how he carried them home?
The Three Witnesses didn't say they lifted the plates at all. The Eight Witnesses said that they handled and hefted the plates. Sort of sounds like they were heavy doesn't it.

So why did you ask the question again?

Answer 4

Sorry, it's not there. Most likely because, if it was in there at first, it's been removed because we know that the plates were not made of solid gold, and didn't weigh nearly as much.

The men who actually held the plates, all said that they weighed about 40 to 60 pounds.

"The descriptions reported by other witnesses add details which suggest that the plates were composed of a gold alloy (possibly tumbaga) and that they weighed about fifty pounds (Putnam, pp. 788-89, 829-31)."

Answer 5

Wapingmon gave you waping! fairly nonetheless, WHY ARE you attempting to lie to others? user-friendly experience would desire to tell you this plenty: A) They have been separated into pages--therefor it wasn't sturdy B) they might infrequently carry mutually if it replaced into a hundred% sturdy gold C) in the event that they are certainly from historic usa as Smith claimed, then it very probably replaced into produced from a gold alloy. Any degree of analyze refutes your declare. And as stated with the aid of Wapingmon, you took this quote out of context. Why are maximum of persons content spouting off those lies approximately others while they actually recognize so little? you opt for for to question the LDS faith, then a minimum of have your data suitable. you opt for for to assert that the e book of Mormon is fake? Then a minimum of study it first! the internet is stricken by minds as ignorant as yours criticizing the LDS church. however the actual data talk for themselves. there is evidence that the e book of Mormon is authentic different than the religion that LDS individuals exercising in it.

Answer 6

Int he book of mormon, the witnesses say they saw the plates, so they don't have to lift the, they just have to see the, or does it say they touched them, I can't remember it sbeen so long since I have read the Book of Mormon (I have read it 3 times by the way).
The anti-mormon sites claim they saw them covered by a cloth or behind a curtain, so you decide for yourself, what they witnessed to.

Answer 7

The three witnesses do not say that they lifted the plates, "And we also testify that we have seen the engravings which are upon the plates; and they have been shown unto us by the power of God, and not of man. And we declare with words of soberness, that an angel of God came down from heaven, and he brought and laid before our eyes, that we beheld and saw the plates, and the engravings thereon; and we know that it is by the grace of God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, that we beheld and bear record that these things are true."

The eight witnesses do not say they easily lifted the plates. They say, "Be it known unto all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, unto whom this work shall come: That Joseph Smith, Jun., the translator of this work, has shown unto us the plates of which hath been spoken, which have the appearance of gold; and as many of the leaves as the said Smith has translated we did handle with our hands; and we also saw the engravings thereon, all of which has the appearance of ancient work, and of curious workmanship. And this we bear record with words of soberness, that the said Smith has shown unto us, for we have seen and hefted, and know of a surety that the said Smith has got the plates of which we have spoken. And we give our names unto the world, to witness unto the world that which we have seen. And we lie not, God bearing witness of it. "

Your questions use erroneous assumptions and misstatements. You should take greater care in asking your questions, instead of repeating anti-Mormon rhetoric.

Answer 8

I missed the part of JS story when he said it was easy to carry.

I do remember a movie with JS doing flips with the plates under a coat but that is a filmmaker mistake

Answer 9

He didn't carry them under the arm as it says in the testimony of the witnesses and in the history of the church. The only conclusion is that they weren't in the package that Joseph brought home in that manner.

Answer 10

Joseph Smith had already developed a theme for his story about Jews emigrating to America (not an original one, either) and had two critical problems: His handwriting was poor, and didn't have any formal educational or theological training. So, he invented a 'device' that allowed him to simply be the interpreter or translator of some other religious leader (who always apologized for his inability to write correctly) thru the Gold Plates.

This idea was pretty creative, as it put the 'ownership' of these theories and teachings into the mouths of someone else (and leave Smith 'blameless' for a silly story), and there had always been an interest in the origins of the American Indian, as there is today. The BoM reflects 19th century thought.

The truth of the matter is the plates never existed, the alleged witnesses never saw them in the sunlight with their eyes nor flipped thru the pages but were told what they were looking at by Smith who displayed a 'brick' covered with cloth. Sounds much like mesmerizing to me, if you want the mysterious explanation.

Smith's method of translation never actually required the plates to be present (Head in the hat looking at his Peepstone - see avatar), then the 'plates' were conveniently taken away by an angel. Obviously he didn't need them in the first place.

None of this matters to the hardcore TBM - they have far too much of their lives invested in this cult to bother with the validity of the core beliefs. I just hope no one else gets suckered into this nonsense.

Answer 11

What an idiotic question. Your calculation assumes the plates were a solid cube of gold, which they clearly were not.