Why bother sealing 2/3 of the gold plates?

The catch-all forum for general topics and debates. Minimal moderation. Rated PG to PG-13.
_OSWIT
_Emeritus
Posts: 96
Joined: Wed May 26, 2010 4:44 pm

Re: Why bother sealing 2/3 of the gold plates?

Post by _OSWIT »

Scottie wrote:Look at it from a critics perspective.

What better way to manufacture a small # of fake plates that could be inspected, yet still allow for it to look authentic?


And leave the option to come up with more doctrine as needed when it gets "un-sealed".
_OSWIT
_Emeritus
Posts: 96
Joined: Wed May 26, 2010 4:44 pm

Re: Why bother sealing 2/3 of the gold plates?

Post by _OSWIT »

OSWIT wrote:
Scottie wrote:Look at it from a critics perspective.

What better way to manufacture a small # of fake plates that could be inspected, yet still allow for it to look authentic?


And leave the option to come up with more doctrine as needed when it gets "un-sealed".


...damn, Baker beat me to it and was more witty
_stemelbow
_Emeritus
Posts: 5872
Joined: Wed Jan 19, 2011 8:40 pm

Re: Why bother sealing 2/3 of the gold plates?

Post by _stemelbow »

Scottie wrote:Look at it from a critics perspective.

What better way to manufacture a small # of fake plates that could be inspected, yet still allow for it to look authentic?


how does sealing a portion make it look authentic. I'd think from a critics perspective that the plates were 2/3s sealed seems meaningless, and as meaningless it throw a wrench, somehow, into the story.
Love ya tons,
Stem


I ain't nuttin'. don't get all worked up on account of me.
_Fifth Columnist
_Emeritus
Posts: 396
Joined: Fri Nov 26, 2010 7:08 pm

Re: Why bother sealing 2/3 of the gold plates?

Post by _Fifth Columnist »

Scottie wrote:Look at it from a critics perspective.

What better way to manufacture a small # of fake plates that could be inspected, yet still allow for it to look authentic?

As a TBM, I pictured the plates being sealed with a single band around the outside so that people could see they were obviously plates but could not open them and read the words. When I learned that they were completely sealed in an envelope of material, alarm bells went off. That is what someone would do if they were making fake plates and didn't have time to finish them off. Enclose them in something so that no one has any idea what is in there.

Someone should take a metal detector to the last known vicinity of the plates and find the prop Joseph used.
_Buffalo
_Emeritus
Posts: 12064
Joined: Tue Nov 09, 2010 10:33 pm

Re: Why bother sealing 2/3 of the gold plates?

Post by _Buffalo »

stemelbow wrote:
Scottie wrote:Look at it from a critics perspective.

What better way to manufacture a small # of fake plates that could be inspected, yet still allow for it to look authentic?


how does sealing a portion make it look authentic. I'd think from a critics perspective that the plates were 2/3s sealed seems meaningless, and as meaningless it throw a wrench, somehow, into the story.


Well, it's just faster. You don't have to engrave the sealed plates.
Parley P. Pratt wrote:We must lie to support brother Joseph, it is our duty to do so.

B.R. McConkie, © Intellectual Reserve wrote:There are those who say that revealed religion and organic evolution can be harmonized. This is both false and devilish.
_Buffalo
_Emeritus
Posts: 12064
Joined: Tue Nov 09, 2010 10:33 pm

Re: Why bother sealing 2/3 of the gold plates?

Post by _Buffalo »

Fifth Columnist wrote:
Scottie wrote:Look at it from a critics perspective.

What better way to manufacture a small # of fake plates that could be inspected, yet still allow for it to look authentic?

As a TBM, I pictured the plates being sealed with a single band around the outside so that people could see they were obviously plates but could not open them and read the words. When I learned that they were completely sealed in an envelope of material, alarm bells went off. That is what someone would do if they were making fake plates and didn't have time to finish them off. Enclose them in something so that no one has any idea what is in there.

Someone should take a metal detector to the last known vicinity of the plates and find the prop Joseph used.


Like just a solid block of metal?
Parley P. Pratt wrote:We must lie to support brother Joseph, it is our duty to do so.

B.R. McConkie, © Intellectual Reserve wrote:There are those who say that revealed religion and organic evolution can be harmonized. This is both false and devilish.
_Buffalo
_Emeritus
Posts: 12064
Joined: Tue Nov 09, 2010 10:33 pm

Re: Why bother sealing 2/3 of the gold plates?

Post by _Buffalo »

http://LDS.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnex ... 6f620a____
How Were They “Sealed”?

“What there was sealed appeared as solid to my view as wood. … About the half of the book was sealed.”15—David Whitmer

“A large portion of the leaves were so securely bound together that it was impossible to separate them.”16—David Whitmer

“About two-thirds were sealed up, and Joseph was commanded not to break the seal; that part of the record was hid up. The plates which were sealed contained an account of those things shewn unto the brother of Jared.”17—Orson Pratt

The plates were sealed by Moroni after he had separated from the rest of his people. He would have used materials that were readily available to him at that time. The descriptions say they were “securely bound” and “appeared solid.” The statements indicate a complete encapsulation of the plates to protect and preserve them for the future. None of the witnesses mentions metal bands around the plates. This seems to be an artistic creation of the mid-twentieth century that has no documentary basis.
Parley P. Pratt wrote:We must lie to support brother Joseph, it is our duty to do so.

B.R. McConkie, © Intellectual Reserve wrote:There are those who say that revealed religion and organic evolution can be harmonized. This is both false and devilish.
_stemelbow
_Emeritus
Posts: 5872
Joined: Wed Jan 19, 2011 8:40 pm

Re: Why bother sealing 2/3 of the gold plates?

Post by _stemelbow »

Buffalo wrote:Well, it's just faster. You don't have to engrave the sealed plates.


Oh I see...then why not just make it smaller, if you're going to go through the trouble of making them in the first place?
Love ya tons,
Stem


I ain't nuttin'. don't get all worked up on account of me.
_Buffalo
_Emeritus
Posts: 12064
Joined: Tue Nov 09, 2010 10:33 pm

Re: Why bother sealing 2/3 of the gold plates?

Post by _Buffalo »

stemelbow wrote:
Buffalo wrote:Well, it's just faster. You don't have to engrave the sealed plates.


Oh I see...then why not just make it smaller, if you're going to go through the trouble of making them in the first place?


They're pretty small already. Maybe he was just trying to make them thicker by after the fact by adding an extra chunk of metal and calling it the "sealed portion"
Parley P. Pratt wrote:We must lie to support brother Joseph, it is our duty to do so.

B.R. McConkie, © Intellectual Reserve wrote:There are those who say that revealed religion and organic evolution can be harmonized. This is both false and devilish.
_stemelbow
_Emeritus
Posts: 5872
Joined: Wed Jan 19, 2011 8:40 pm

Re: Why bother sealing 2/3 of the gold plates?

Post by _stemelbow »

Buffalo wrote:They're pretty small already. Maybe he was just trying to make them thicker by after the fact by adding an extra chunk of metal and calling it the "sealed portion"


Well there are a lot of maybes and possiblies. That's what I'm saying. Who really knows? Why is this a criticism?
Love ya tons,
Stem


I ain't nuttin'. don't get all worked up on account of me.
Post Reply