View source for William Smith (1884): "When the plates were brought in they were wrapped up in a tow frock. My father then put them into a pillow case. Father said, 'What, Joseph, can we not see them?'"

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==William Smith (1884): "When the plates were brought in they were wrapped up in a tow frock. My father then put them into a pillow case. Father said, 'What, Joseph, can we not see them?'"==
William Smith describes how his family was not allowed to see the plates:
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The time to receive the plates came at last. When Joseph received them, he came in and said: "Father, I have got the plates." All believed it was true, father, mother, brothers and sisters. You can tell what a child is. Parents know whether their children are truthful or not. The proof of the pudding is not in chewing the string, but in eating the pudding. Father knew his child was telling the truth. When the plates were brought in they were wrapped up in a tow frock. My father then put them into a pillow case. Father said, "What, Joseph, can we not see them?" "No. I was disobedient the first time, but I intend to be faithful this time; for I was forbidden to show them until they are translated, but you can feel them." We handled them and could tell what they were. They were not quite as large as this Bible. Could tell whether they were round or square. Could raise the leaves this way (raising a few leaves of the Bible before him). One could easily tell that they were not a stone, hewn out to deceive, or even a block of wood. Being a mixture of gold and copper, they were much heavier than stone, and very much heavier than wood. <ref>"The Old Soldier's Testimony.  Sermon preached by Bro. William B. Smith, in the Saints' Chapel, Detroit, Iowa, June 8th, 1884.  Reported by C.E. Butterworth," ''Saints' Herald'' 31 4 October 1884): 643-44.  Reproduced in {{Book:Vogel:EMD|vol=1|pages=505}}</ref>
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{{endnotes sources}}
[[Category:Book of Mormon/Plates/Tow frock]]
[[Category:Letter to a CES Director]]
[[Category:MormonThink]]

[[es:Fuente:William Smith:The Old Soldier's Testimony:1884:Cuando las placas se trajeron ellos estaban envueltos en un vestido de remolque. Mi padre luego los puso en una funda de almohada]]
[[pt:Fonte:William Smith:The Old Soldier's Testimony:1884:Quando as placas foram trazidas, elas estavam envoltas em uma casaca. Meu pai, em seguida, colocou-as em uma fronha]]