Nursery: Nothing
Primary 1(age 3 Sunbeams):Nothing
Primary 3(age 4-7):
Explain that the writing on the plates was in a language that Joseph could not read. Joseph received a special tool to help him translate the writing on the plates.
• Do any of you know what the Urim and Thummim are?
Explain that the Urim and Thummim are like special glasses through which Joseph could look to help him translate the ancient writing on the plates. With Heavenly Father’s help and by using the Urim and Thummim, Joseph was able to translate the words on the gold plates into words we could understand.
When the translation into English was completed, the book was printed. It was called the Book of Mormon.
Hold up a Book of Mormon. Point out that this book is what Joseph translated from the gold plates.
After he translated the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith returned the plates to Moroni.(Lesson 15, page 73)
Primary 4:
Who received the gold plates and translated them into the Book of Mormon? Lesson 44, pg 157)
What was the first major task the Lord asked Joseph Smith to do? (Translate the gold plates so we could have the Book of Mormon.)(lesson 47, pg 168)
Primary 5:
When the time had come for Joseph Smith to receive the gold plates, he borrowed a horse and wagon and went with his wife, Emma, to the Hill Cumorah, where the plates were buried. Joseph left Emma with the wagon at the bottom of the hill and climbed the hill alone to meet the angel Moroni. Moroni gave Joseph the gold plates. He also gave Joseph the Urim and Thummim and a breastplate, tools to help with the translation of the gold plates.(Lesson 5)
Why do you think people wanted to try to get the gold plates away from Joseph? (The gold plates were worth a lot of money; Satan did not want the plates to be translated.) Point out that although these people did not believe Joseph was a prophet, they did believe he had the gold plates.(Lesson 5)
Teach the children about the Urim and Thummim:
The Urim and Thummim is a sacred tool given by God to help prophets receive revelations from the Lord and translate languages (see Bible Dictionary, “Urim and Thummim”).
Joseph Smith described the Urim and Thummim as “two stones in silver bows … fastened to a breastplate” (Joseph Smith—H 1:35). The Prophet stated that when he was humble and prayerful, he could look into these stones and read the strange language on the gold plates. He could also look into these stones and get Heavenly Father’s word about certain things he ought to know and do.
Help the children find and discuss the following scriptures that refer to the Urim and Thummim:
Exodus 28:30
Mosiah 28:11, 13
Ether 3:23–24, Ether 4:4–5
Doctrine and Covenants 17:1 (Lesson 5)
The reformed Egyptian characters on the plates were very strange to him. He had to rely on the Spirit of the Lord, not his own knowledge, to help him translate the characters on the plates into English.(Lesson 6)
Once Joseph and Emma Smith were settled in Harmony, Pennsylvania, Joseph began to translate the gold plates. At first Joseph spent a lot of time becoming familiar with the plates and the language in which they were written. As he studied and prayed, the Urim and Thummim helped him understand the characters on the plates. Joseph learned that the process of translation requires faith, hard work, worthiness, patience, and obedience.(Lesson 6)
•What did Joseph have to do to be able to translate? (He needed to have faith and be prayerful, obedient, and patient.)(lesson 6)
When Oliver arrived, Joseph realized the Lord had sent Oliver to help with the translation of the Book of Mormon. Joseph and Oliver talked until late in the evening, and Oliver agreed to be Joseph’s scribe. Oliver wrote of his experiences as scribe: “These were days never to be forgotten—to sit under the sound of a voice dictated by the inspiration of heaven. … Day after day I continued, uninterrupted, to write from his mouth, as he translated with the Urim and Thummim … the history or record called ‘The Book of Mormon’” (footnote to Joseph Smith—History 1:71).(lesson 7)
1.Explain that when Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon, he said the words out loud, and his scribe wrote the words down. Sometimes Joseph and the scribe were separated by a divider and could not see each other.
Put a divider in the middle of a classroom table or the floor (for example, two children could hold a small blanket or sheet or a large piece of heavy paper). Have a child sit on one side of the divider and slowly read a short verse from the Book of Mormon while a child sitting on the other side of the divider writes down what is being read. Then have the scribe read what he or she wrote so the child reading the scripture can be sure it was written correctly. (You may want to have more than one scribe so all children who want to participate can do so.)(Lesson 7)
Review with the children the account of Joseph Smith translating the gold plates. Explain that at this time Joseph Smith was the only person who had actually seen the plates. (lesson 9)
From reading though the primary manuals I am quite frustrated. These lessons give the impression that Joseph used the urim and thummim to translate the whole Book of Mormon and that he could read/understand the characters on the plates. If I understand correctly the UT was taken from Joseph and not returned after the 116 pages were lost, is that right? Is there any evidence that Joseph could read(by read I mean read without a medium) the characters on the plates?
Is this a good forum to post this type of question on? I kind of wanted responses from the pro LDS side of things. Thanks.