Did Smith ever say, himself, in a statement, exactly how heavy or what shape and size the plates were? Not a remembrance by someone else long after the fact, but at the time? Specifically by him?
(I apologize for not knowing my apologetics better, here's where I know our angel grindael would write me a book answering the question, may he rest in peace!!! )
Smith did not provide his own published description of the plates until 1842, when he said in a letter that "each plate was six inches [15 cm] wide and eight inches [20 cm] long, and not quite so thick as common tin. They were ... 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 [15 cm] in thickness".
Premise 1. Eyewitness testimony is notoriously unreliable.
Premise 2. The best evidence for the Book of Mormon is eyewitness testimony.
Conclusion. Therefore, the best evidence for the Book of Mormon is notoriously unreliable.
Did Smith ever say, himself, in a statement, exactly how heavy or what shape and size the plates were? Not a remembrance by someone else long after the fact, but at the time? Specifically by him?
(I apologize for not knowing my apologetics better, here's where I know our angel grindael would write me a book answering the question, may he rest in peace!!! )
Smith did not provide his own published description of the plates until 1842, when he said in a letter that "each plate was six inches [15 cm] wide and eight inches [20 cm] long, and not quite so thick as common tin. They were ... 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 [15 cm] in thickness".
It occurs to me that there's an aspect of running with the plates, jumping over logs, and fending off attackers, that I've never seen addressed.
Even allowing for JSJr being a strapping big lad, and holding the plates close to his body, how did he manage this feat with only a dislocated thumb and other minor injuries?
How is it that a 60lb weight, in the form of metal plates bound together, caused no other injuries worth mentioning. Was not at least one side of his body a mass of contusions and bruises from the heavy weight rubbing and bouncing against it?
You can help Ukraine by talking for an hour a week!! PM me, or check www.enginprogram.org for details. Слава Україні!, 𝑺𝒍𝒂𝒗𝒂 𝑼𝒌𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒊!
Mormon God could have had Mormon write the entire thing in English, on paper. God could have translated the paper into heaven and translated the paper down into Joseph’s room during Moroni’s visit.
All of these are powers Mormon God had, but decided not to use. Instead Mormon God decided to murder Laban, have countless people copy versus of Isaiah that we already have (and weren’t written yet), carry these heavy gold plates from Central America to upstate New York, bury them to protect them from oxidation, and then have them sit unused on a table while a seer stone was used to “translate them.”
Mormon God could have had Mormon write the entire thing in English, on paper. God could have translated the paper into heaven and translated the paper down into Joseph’s room during Moroni’s visit.
All of these are powers Mormon God had, but decided not to use. Instead Mormon God decided to murder Laban, have countless people copy versus of Isaiah that we already have (and weren’t written yet), carry these heavy gold plates from Central America to upstate New York, bury them to protect them from oxidation, and then have them sit unused on a table while a seer stone was used to “translate them.”
It all makes perfect sense to Daniel Peterson.
Clearly, god's ways are not your ways.
Stop trying to steady the ark!
You can help Ukraine by talking for an hour a week!! PM me, or check www.enginprogram.org for details. Слава Україні!, 𝑺𝒍𝒂𝒗𝒂 𝑼𝒌𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒊!
