Mormonism and Wikipedia/Golden plates/Witness accounts

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An analysis of claims made in the Wikipedia article "Golden plates" - Witness accounts

Returning the plates

A FAIR Analysis of: Wikipedia article "Golden plates", a work by author: Various

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The author(s) of Wikipedia article "Golden plates" make(s) the following claim:

Smith said the angel Moroni had commanded him not to show the plates to any unauthorized person.

Author's sources:

1. • Hadley (1829); Smith (1838a, p. 6).

The author(s) of Wikipedia article "Golden plates" make(s) the following claim:

However, Smith eventually obtained the written statement of several witnesses. It is unclear whether the witnesses believed they saw the plates with their physical eyes, or they "saw" the plates in a vision. For instance, although Martin Harris continued to testify to the truth of the Book of Mormon even when he was estranged from the church, at least during the early years of the movement, he "seems to have repeatedly admitted the internal, subjective nature of his visionary experience."

Author's sources:

The author(s) of Wikipedia article "Golden plates" make(s) the following claim:

According to some sources, Smith initially intended that the first authorized witness be his firstborn son;

Author's sources:

1. • Chase (1834) (citing Martin Harris as stating in 1829 that Smith’s unborn son would translate the plates at the age of two (this son was stillborn), and thereafter, "you will see Joseph Smith, Jr. walking through the streets of Palmyra, with the Gold Bible under his arm, and having a gold breast-plate on, and a gold sword hanging by his side."); Hale (1834) , p. 264 (stating that the first witness would be "a young child”).

The author(s) of Wikipedia article "Golden plates" make(s) the following claim:

but this child was stillborn in 1828.

Author's sources:

1. • Howe (1834) , p. 269; Smith (1853) , p. 118.

The author(s) of Wikipedia article "Golden plates" make(s) the following claim:

In March 1829, Martin Harris came to Harmony to see the plates, but was unable to find them in the woods where Smith said they could be found.

Author's sources:

1. • In March 1829, Martin Harris returned to Harmony and wanted to see the plates firsthand. Smith reportedly told Harris that Smith "would go into the woods where the Book of Plates was, and that after he came back, Harris should follow his tracks in the snow, and find the Book, and examine it for himself"; after following these directions, however, Harris could not find the plates Hale (1834) , pp. 264–265.

The author(s) of Wikipedia article "Golden plates" make(s) the following claim:

The next day,

Author's sources:

1. • Hale (1834) , p. 265.

The author(s) of Wikipedia article "Golden plates" make(s) the following claim:

Smith dictated a revelation stating that Harris could eventually qualify himself

Author's sources:

1. • To qualify as a witness, Harris had to “humble himself in mighty prayer and faith” Phelps (1833) , pp. 10–12.

The author(s) of Wikipedia article "Golden plates" make(s) the following claim:

to be one of three witnesses with the exclusive right to "view [the plates] as they are".

Author's sources:

1. • Phelps (1833) , pp. 11–12. Smith’s dictated text of the Book of Ether (chapter 2) also made reference to three witnesses, stating that the plates would be shown to them "by the power of God" Smith (1830) , p. 548.

The author(s) of Wikipedia article "Golden plates" make(s) the following claim:

By June 1829, Smith determined that there would be eight additional witnesses, a total of twelve including Smith.

Author's sources:

1. • In June 1829, around the time these eleven additional witnesses were selected, Smith dictated a revelation commanding Oliver Cowdery and David Whitmer (two of the eventual Three Witnesses) to seek out twelve "disciples", who desired to serve, and who would "go into all the world to preach my gospel unto every creature", and who would be ordained to baptize and to ordain priests and teachers Phelps (1833) , p. 37. According to D. Michael Quinn, this was a reference to selecting the witnesses of the Book of Mormon, who would be a leading body of Smith's Church of Christ.[Citation needed}. Mormon religious and apologetic commentators understand this revelation as referring to the eventual (in 1835, six years later) formation of the first Quorum of the Twelve.[Citation needed}

The author(s) of Wikipedia article "Golden plates" make(s) the following claim:

During the second half of June 1829,

Author's sources:

1. • Van Horn (1881) .

The author(s) of Wikipedia article "Golden plates" make(s) the following claim:

Smith took Harris, Oliver Cowdery and David Whitmer (known collectively as the Three Witnesses),

Author's sources:

1. • According to Smith's mother, upon hearing news in June 1929 that Smith had completed the translation of the plates Smith (1853) , p. 138, Martin Harris accompanied the Smith parents to the Whitmer home in Fayette, New York, where Smith was staying Smith (1853) , p. 138, to inquire about the translation Roberts (1902) , p. 51. When Harris arrived, he joined with Oliver Cowdery and David Whitmer to request that the three be named as the Three Witnesses, and Smith's dictated revelation designating the three of them as the witnesses Smith (Cowdery) , p. 171.

The author(s) of Wikipedia article "Golden plates" make(s) the following claim:

into woods in Fayette, New York, where they said they saw an angel holding the golden plates and turning the leaves.

Author's sources:

1. • Roberts (1902) , pp. 54–55; Smith (1830b) .

The author(s) of Wikipedia article "Golden plates" make(s) the following claim:

The four also said they heard "the voice of the Lord" telling them that the translation of the plates was correct, and commanding them to testify of what they saw and heard.

Author's sources:

1. • Roberts (1902) , pp. 54–55; Smith (1830b) . David Whitmer later stated that the angel showed them "the breast plates, the Ball or Directors, the Sword of Laban and other plates". (Van Horn (1881) ; Kelley (Blakeslee) ; see also Smith (1835) , p. 171.

The author(s) of Wikipedia article "Golden plates" make(s) the following claim:

A few days later, Smith took a different group of Eight Witnesses

Author's sources:

1. • The Eight Witnesses consisted of two groups: (1) the males of the Whitmer home, including David Whitmer's father Peter, his brothers Christian, Jacob, and John, and his brother-in-law Hiram Page; and (2) the older males of the Smith family, including is father Joseph Smith, Sr. and his brothers Hyrum and Samuel.

The author(s) of Wikipedia article "Golden plates" make(s) the following claim:

to a location near Smith's parents' home in Palmyra

Author's sources:

1. • Smith (1853) . Because of a foreclosure on their Manchester property, the Smith family was then living in a log cabin technically in Palmyra (Smith (1883) , p. 14; Berge (1985) )

The author(s) of Wikipedia article "Golden plates" make(s) the following claim:

where they said Smith showed them the golden plates.

Author's sources:

1. • Roberts (1902) , p. 57. Though the Eight Witnesses did not refer, like the Three, to an angel or the voice of God, they said that they had hefted the plates and seen the engravings on them: “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" Smith (1830b) .

The author(s) of Wikipedia article "Golden plates" make(s) the following claim:

Statements over the names of these men, apparently drafted by Joseph Smith,

Author's sources:

1. • This is the conclusion of Palmer (2002) , pp. 195–96, who compared "The Testimony of Three Witnesses" to part of the Doctrine and Covenants written in 1829 (first published at Smith (Cowdery) , p. 171), and concluding that they show "the marks of common authorship". Palmer also compares a letter from Oliver Cowdery to Hyrum Smith dated June 14, 1829, quoting the language of this revelation (Joseph Smith letterbook (22 November 1835 to 4 August 1835), 5-6). Commentators generally agree that this letter refers to the revelation. See Larry C. Porter, "Dating the Restoration of the Melchizedek Priesthood", Ensign (June 1979), 5.

The author(s) of Wikipedia article "Golden plates" make(s) the following claim:

were published in 1830 as an appendix to the Book of Mormon.

Author's sources:

1. • Smith (1830b) .

The author(s) of Wikipedia article "Golden plates" make(s) the following claim:

According to later statements ascribed to Martin Harris, the witnesses viewed the plates in a vision and not with their "natural eyes."

Author's sources:

1. • Gilbert (1892) (during the printing of the Book of Mormon, when asked whether Harris had seen the plates with his bodily eyes, he replied, "No, I saw them with a spiritual eye."); Burnett (1838) (Burnett "came to hear Martin Harris state in public that he never saw the plates with his natural eyes only in vision or imagination, neither Oliver nor David & also that the eight witnesses never saw them & hesitated to sign that instrument for that reason, but were persuaded to do it, the last pedestal gave away"); Parrish (1838) ("Martin Harris, one of the subscribing witnesses, has come out at last, and says he never saw the plates, from which the book purports to have been translated, except in vision, and he further says that any man who says he has seen them in any other way is a liar, Joseph not excepted."; Metcalf in EMD, 2: 347 (quoting Harris, near the end of his long life, as saying he had seen the plates in "a state of entrancement"). Harris was resolute, however, as to his position that he had seen the plates in a vision. See Letter of Martin Harris, Sr., to Hanna B. Emerson, January 1871, Smithfield, Utah Territory, Saints' Herald 22 (15 October 1875):630, in EMD 2: 338 ("No man heard me in any way deny the truth of the Book of Mormon, the administration of the angel that showed me the plates; nor the organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints under the administration of Joseph Smith, Jr."). See also Richard Lloyd Anderson, Investigating the Book of Mormon Witnesses (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1981), 118

The author(s) of Wikipedia article "Golden plates" make(s) the following claim:

In addition to Smith and the other eleven who claimed to be witnesses, a few other early Mormons said they saw the plates. For instance, Smith's mother Lucy Mack Smith said she had "seen and handled" the plates.

Author's sources:

1. • Smith (1842b) , p. 27.

The author(s) of Wikipedia article "Golden plates" make(s) the following claim:

Smith's wife Emma and his younger brother William also said they had examined the plates while they were wrapped in fabric.

Author's sources:

1. • Smith (1879) ; Smith (1884) .

The author(s) of Wikipedia article "Golden plates" make(s) the following claim:

Others said they had visions of the plates or had been shown the plates by an angel, in some cases years after Smith said he had returned the plates.

Author's sources:

1. • For instances of people testifying to having seen the Golden Plates after Smith returned them to the angel, see the affirmations of John Young and Harrison Burgess in Palmer (2002) , p. 201. In 1859, Brigham Young referred to one of these "post-return" testimonies: "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. One of the Quorum of the Twelve, a young man full of faith and good works, prayed, and the vision of his mind was opened, and the angel of God came and laid the plates before him, and he saw and handled them, and saw the angel." Journal of Discourses, June 5, 1859, 7: 164.

References

Wikipedia references for "Golden Plates"

• Anthon, Charles, Howe, Eber Dudley (editor) Mormonism Unvailed: or, A Faithful Account of That Singular Imposition and Delusion, from Its Rise to the Present Time , Painesville, Ohio: Telegraph Press off-site .
• Bennett, James Gordon, Jr., Mormon Leaders at Their Mecca off-site .
• Bennett, James Gordon, Sr., Arrington, Leonard J. (editor) (1831), James Gordon Bennett's 1831 Report on 'The Mormonites' off-site .
• Benton, Abram W., Vogel, Dan (editor) Early Mormon Documents Signature Books .
• Bidamon, Emma Smith, Early Mormon Documents Signature Books .
• Burnett, David S., Something New.—Golden Bible off-site .
• Burnett, Stephen, Vogel, Dan (editor) (1838), Early Mormon Documents Signature Books .
• Bushman, Richard Lyman, (2005), Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling , New York: Knopf .
• Chase, Willard, Howe, Eber Dudley (editor) (1833), Mormonism Unvailed , Painesville, Ohio: Telegraph Press off-site .
• Clark, John A., (1842), Gleanings by the Way , Philadelphia: W.J. & J.K. Simmon off-site .
• Cobb, James T., The Hill Cumorah, And The Book Of Mormon. The Smith Family, Cowdery, Harris, and Other Old Neighbors—What They Know off-site .
• Cole, Abner, Gold Bible, No. 6 off-site .
• Cook, Lyndon W., (1991), David Whitmer Interviews: A Restoration Witness Grandin .
• Cowdery, Oliver, (1834), Letter [I] off-site .
• Cowdery, Oliver, (1834b), Letter III off-site .
• Cowdery, Oliver, (1835a), Letter IV off-site .
• Cowdery, Oliver, (1835b), Letter VIII off-site .
• Crystal, David, (1997), The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language Cambridge University Press .
• (1996), The World's Writing Systems Oxford University Press .
• Gilbert, John H., (1892), Recollections of John H. Gilbert , Palmyra, New York: typescript located in Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University off-site .
• Givens, Terryl L., (2003), By the Hand of Mormon: The American Scripture that Launched a New World Religion Oxford University Press .
• Grandin, E.B., Editor's note off-site .
• Hadley, Jonathan A., Golden Bible off-site .
• Hale, Isaac, Howe, Eber Dudley (editor) (1834), Mormonism Unvailed , Painesville, Ohio: Telegraph Press off-site .
• Hamblin, William J., (2007), Sacred Writing on Metal Plates in the Ancient Mediterranean off-site .
• Harris, Abigail, Howe, Eber Dudley (editor) (1833), Mormonism Unvailed , Painesville, Ohio: Telegraph Press off-site .
• Harris, Henry, Howe, Eber Dudley (editor) (1833), Mormonism Unvailed , Painesville, Ohio: Telegraph Press off-site .
• Harris, Martin, (1859), Mormonism, No. II off-site .
• Howe, Eber Dudley, (1834), Mormonism Unvailed Painesville, Ohio: Telegraph Press off-site .
• Knight, Joseph, Sr., Jessee, Dean (editor) (1833), Joseph Knight's Recollection of Early Mormon History off-site .
• Lapham, [La]Fayette, (1870), Interview with the Father of Joseph Smith, the Mormon Prophet, Forty years Ago. His Account of the Finding of the Sacred Plates off-site .
• Mormon History off-site .
• Mather, Frederic G., (1880), Early Days of Mormonism off-site .
• Metcalfe, Brent Lee, (1993), Apologetic and Critical Assumptions about Book of Mormon Historicity off-site .
• Packer, J. Cameron, (2004), Cumorah's Cave Maxwell Institute off-site .
• Palmer, Grant H., (2002), An Insider's View of Mormon Origins Signature Books .
• Parrish, Warren, (1838), Letter from W. Parrish, Kirtland The Evangelist off-site , republished in Vogel, Dan (editor) (1999), Early Mormon Documents , Salt Lake City: Signature Books .
• Phelps, , (1833), A Book of Commandments, for the Government of the Church of Christ Zion: William Wines Phelps & Co. off-site .
• Poulson, P. Wilhelm, Letter to the editor. .
• Pratt, Orson, (1856), The Faith and Visions of the Ancient Saints—The Same Great Blessing to be Enjoyed by the Latter-day Saints off-site .
• Pratt, Orson, (1859), Evidences of the Bible and Book of Mormon Compared off-site .
• Pratt, Orson, (1877), King Limhi's Enquiry, from the Book of Mormon' off-site .
• Putnam, Read H., Were the Golden Plates Made of Tumbaga? off-site .
• Quinn, D. Michael, (1998), Early Mormonism and the Magic World View , Salt Lake City: Signature Books .
• Riley, I. Woodbridge, (1903), The Founder of Mormonism: A Psychological Study of Joseph Smith, Jr. , New York: Dodd, Mead & Co. off-site
• Roberts, B. H. (editor) (1902), History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , Salt Lake City: Deseret News off-site .
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• Roberts, B. H. (editor) (1908), History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , Salt Lake City: Deseret News off-site .
• Robinson, Andrew, (2002), Lost Languages: The Enigma of the World's Undeciphered Scripts McGraw Hill .
• Salisbury, Katharine Smith, Walker, Kyle R. (editor) Katharine Smith Salisbury's Recollections of Joseph's Meetings with Moroni off-site .
• Saunders, Benjamin, Vogel, Dan (editor) (1884a), Early Mormon Documents , Salt Lake City: Signature Books .
• Saunders, Lorenzo, Vogel, Dan (editor) (1884b), Early Mormon Documents , Salt Lake City: Signature Books .
• Saunders, Orson, Bennett, James Gordon, Jr. (editor) Mormon Leaders at Their Mecca off-site .
• Smith, Joseph III, last Testimony of Sister Emma off-site .
• Smith, Joseph, Jr., (1830), The Book of Mormon: An Account Written by the Hand of Mormon, Upon Plates Taken from the Plates of Nephi , Palmyra, New York: E. B. Grandin off-site .
• Smith, Joseph, Jr., Jessee, Dean C (editor) (1832), Personal Writings of Joseph Smith , Salt Lake City: Deseret Book off-site .
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• Smith, Lucy Mack, Casawall, Henry (editor) (1842b), The City of the Mormons; or, Three Days at Nauvoo, in 1842 , London: J.G.F. & J. Rivington off-site .
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• Smith, William, (1884), The Old Soldier's Testimony off-site .
• Stevenson, Edward, (1882), One of the Three Witnesses: Incidents in the Life of Martin Harris off-site .
• Storey, Wilbur F., Interview with David Whitmer off-site .
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Further reading

FAIR Answers—back to home page

Mormonism and Wikipedia

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FairMormon's approach to Wikipedia articles

FairMormon regularly receives queries about specific LDS-themed Wikipedia articles with requests that we somehow "fix" them. Although some individual members of FAIR may choose to edit Wikipedia articles, FairMormon as an organization does not. Controversial Wikipedia articles require constant maintenance and a significant amount of time. We prefer instead to respond to claims in the FAIR Wiki rather than fight the ongoing battle that LDS Wikipedia articles sometimes invite. From FAIR’s perspective, assertions made in LDS-themed Wikipedia articles are therefore treated just like any other critical (or, if one prefers, "anti-Mormon") work. As those articles are revised and updated, we will periodically update our reviews to match.

Who can edit Wikipedia articles?

Editors who wish to participate in editing LDS-themed Wikipedia articles can access the project page here: Wikipedia:WikiProject Latter Day Saint movement. You are not required to be LDS in order to participate—there are a number of good non-LDS editors who have made valuable contributions to these articles.

Recommendations when editing Wikipedia articles

FAIR does not advocate removing any references from Wikipedia articles. The best approach to editing Wikipedia is to locate solid references to back up your position and add them rather than attempting to remove information. Individuals who intend to edit should be aware that posting information related to the real-world identities of Wikipedia editors will result in their being banned from editing Wikipedia. Attacking editors and attempting to "out" them on Wikipedia is considered very bad form. The best approach is to treat all Wikipedia editors, whether or not you agree or disagree with their approach, with respect and civility. An argumentative approach is not constructive to achieving a positive result, and will simply result in what is called an "edit war." Unfortunately, not all Wikipedia editors exhibit good faith toward other editors (see, for example, the comment above from "Duke53" or comments within these reviews made by John Foxe's sockpuppet "Hi540," both of whom repeatedly mocked LDS beliefs and LDS editors prior to their being banned.)

Do LDS editors control Wikipedia?

Although there exist editors on Wikipedia who openly declare their affiliation with the Church, they do not control Wikipedia. Ironically, some critics of the Church periodically falsely accuse Wikipedia editors of being LDS simply because they do not accept the critics' desired spin on a particular article.

Do "anti-Mormons" control Wikipedia?

Again, the answer is no. The truth is that Wikipedia is generally self-policing. Highly contentious articles do tend to draw the most passionate supporters and critics.

Why do certain LDS articles seem to be so negative?

Although some LDS-related Wikipedia articles may appear to have a negative tone, they are in reality quite a bit more balanced than certain critical works such as One Nation Under Gods. Although many critical editors often accuse LDS-related Wikipedia articles of being "faith promoting" or claim that they are just an extension of the Sunday School manual, this is rarely the case. Few, if any, Latter-day Saints would find Wikipedia articles to be "faith promoting." Generally, the believers think that the articles are too negative and the critics believe that the articles are too positive. LDS Wikipedia articles should be informative without being overtly faith promoting. However, most of the primary sources, including the words of Joseph Smith himself, are "faith promoting." This presents a dilemma for Wikipedia editors who want to remain neutral. The unfortunate consequence is that Joseph's words are rewritten and intermixed with contradictory sources, resulting in boring and confusing prose.

FairMormon's analysis of LDS-related Wikipedia articles

We examine selected Wikipedia articles and examine them on a "claim-by-claim" basis, with links to responses in the FairMormon Answers Wiki. Wikipedia articles are constantly evolving. As a result, the analysis of each article will be updated periodically in order to bring it more into line with the current version of the article. The latest revision date may be viewed at the top of each individual section. The process by which Wikipedia articles are reviewed is the following:

1. Update each Wikipedia passage and its associated footnotes.
2. Examine the use of sources and determine whether or not the passage accurately represents the source used.
3. Provide links to response articles within the FairMormon Answers Wiki.
4. If violation of Wikipedia rules is discovered, identify which Wikipedia editor (by pseudonym) made the edit, provide a description of the rule violated and a link to the Wikipedia "diff" showing the actual edit.
5. If a violated rule is later corrected in a subsequent revision, the violation is removed and a notation is added that the passage is correct per cited sources. This doesn't mean that FAIR necessarily agrees with the passage—only that it is correct based upon the source used.

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship, "Mormonism and Wikipedia: The Church History That “Anyone Can Edit”"

Roger Nicholson,  Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship, (2012)

The ability to quickly and easily access literature critical of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been made significantly easier through the advent of the Internet. One of the primary sites that dominates search engine results is Wikipedia, an online encyclopedia that “anyone can edit.” Wikipedia contains a large number of articles related to Mormonism that are edited by believers, critics, and neutral parties. The reliability of information regarding the Church and its history is subject to the biases of the editors who choose to modify those articles. Even if a wiki article is thoroughly sourced, editors sometimes employ source material in a manner that supports their bias. This essay explores the dynamics behind the creation of Wikipedia articles about the Church, the role that believers and critics play in that process, and the reliability of the information produced in the resulting wiki articles.

Click here to view the complete article

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Wikipedia and anti-Mormon literature

Key sources	Roger Nicholson, "Mormonism and Wikipedia: The Church History That 'Anyone Can Edit'," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 1/8 (14 September 2012). [151–190] link
Wiki links	Mormonism and Wikipedia Martin Harris—analysis of wikipedia treatment Oliver Cowdery—analysis of wikipedia treatment First Vision—analysis of wikipedia treatment Joseph Smith—analysis of wikipedia treatment Golden plates—analysis of wikipedia treatment Three Witnesses—analysis of wikipedia treatment
Online	"Wiki Wars: In battle to define beliefs, Mormons and foes wage battle on Wikipedia", Michael De Groote, Deseret News, January 30, 2011. "Wiki Wars: In battle to define beliefs, Mormons and foes wage battle on Wikipedia", Michael De Groote, Mormon Times, January 31, 2011. "Something Wiki This Way Comes: How collaborative editing is changing the face of online LDS apologetics", R. Scott Lloyd, Church News, August 8, 2011. Something Wiki This Way Comes: How Collaborative Editing is Changing the Face of Online LDS Apologetics. A close look at the challenges and history of editing LDS topics in a Wikipedia. This is a 2011 FAIR conference presentation by Roger Nicholson, in PDF format.
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