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Michael Ash begins a series of episodes that examine the best historical evidence relating to the Book of Mormon. In this first episode, he concludes that Joseph Smith did, in fact, have actual plates.
The full text of this article can be found at Deseret News online.
Brother Ash is author of the book Shaken Faith Syndrome: Strengthening One’s Testimony in the Face of Criticism and Doubt, as well as the book, of Faith and Reason: 80 Evidences Supporting the Prophet Joseph Smith. Both books are available for purchase online through the FAIR Bookstore.
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I am often bemused at the willingness of various critics to exxagerate the abilities of Joseph Smith and his earliest acquantainces while simultaneously decrying them as simpletons and neer-do-wells.
Case in point: People determine that Joseph Smith did not have the necessary skills to write the Book of Mormon, so it must have been Sidney Rigdon! While it is true that Sidney was better educated than Joseph, he was hardly an eminent religious scholar even by the standards of the day.
Likewise, it would have taken a great deal of money and effort to “manufacture” the various items the witnesses said they saw. However, the critics attest, Joseph must somehow have been able to accomplish it.
Unfortunately, these people have determined that it is impossible for Joseph to have been a prophet. Therefore, any other scenario, however unlikely or convoluted, must be the true explanation.
Darling pleeze its pure bs if there ever were plates the lds folks would be happy to share them with the whole world untill that happens lets consider it a joke a major fraud a major scam.
Is that a serious comment “Willem”?
Latter-day Saints don’t show the plates to the world because they don’t have the plates. Joseph Smith wasn’t allowed to keep them. However, plenty of eye-witnesses did see and handle the plates and their testimonies are available for your consideration. There is no satisfactory explanation for their testimonies other than that the plates were real.
And as has been pointed out any number of times, even if the plates were available for your examination what would that accomplish? Those who have a testimony of the gospel would be edified to see them and those who spend their time sniping at the Church would simply decry them as a forgery.
I suppose there would also be nuetral parties that look on the plates as scientific curiosities or as archaeological relics but in each case nobody’s point of view is substantially changed. We are still left to rely on faith no matter how much evidence is supplied to us. You simple cannot reason your way to an understanding of spiritual things.
Exactly right S. Goodman.
If the plates were once more given from heaven for the observation of the world, dedicated critics would still find any means possible to dismiss the plates. That being said, I’m confident that some sincere non-LDS experts in ancient metallurgy and writing would examine the plates and that it would be the greatest archaeological find in modern history. What then? Embracing the restored gospel of Jesus Christ would no longer be on the basis on faith, but would be done through the compulsion of logic. That is not how the gospel is meant to be administered.
“Proving” the Book of Mormon is the last thing God wants to happen, for it would destroy our ability to tested. In effect, it would be like removing the veil so that there would be no excuse to *not* believe. It would frustrate the great plan of salvation.