What purpose did the golden plates serve if they weren’t needed for the translation? Ep. 153

If Joseph Smith translated the golden plates via a seer stone, why were the plates themselves needed at all? Were they pointless? In this episode, Dave explores some of the answers to this question.

Video transcript and additional notes: https://bit.ly/3J7xO8K

From those fantastic scholars over at Book of Mormon Central: https://bit.ly/3lIeuFk
Some additional information to consider: https://bit.ly/3ICbvbF
“The Imperative for a Historical Book of Mormon” by Stephen Smoot in Interpreter Journal: https://bit.ly/3HzmqRt
“The Sword of Laban as a Symbol of Divine Authority and Kingship” by Brett Holbrook, Journal of Book of Mormon Studies: https://bit.ly/3Gmg5bN
“Book of Mormon Evidence: The Nephite Ark” via Evidence Central: https://bit.ly/3EB28pW
Some thoughts from “AskGramps”: https://bit.ly/3rP2yp4

Notes:

— Another small example of how the plates were used: Joseph Smith did copy down characters directly from the plates, which Martin Harris then went and showed to a few scholars. And that experience had a significantly positive impact on Martin’s dedication to the translation project.

— While Latter-day Saints believe the Book of Mormon does tell about real history, it was never meant to be strictly used like a history textbook. Its purpose is primarily to bring souls unto Christ, not to teach you about ancient civilizations.

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