I ask in seriousness. Did they keep it or put them somewhere? I know there is a HUGE church in Utah, is it there?
Seriously I want to know. (Yes I can be serious sometimes shush)
So people just took his word for it? interesting.....
They were returned to the angel Moroni once Joseph finished translating the unsealed portion.
EDIT: On separate occasions, witnesses saw the gold plates. On the first occasion, there were 3 witnesses who saw the angel Moroni and were told by the angel that Joseph had been given the power to translate them from God. On the second occasion, Joseph showed the plates to 8 men, allowing them to handle the plates. Their testimonies are available on the following links:
http://scriptures.lds.org/en/bm/thrwtnss
http://scriptures.lds.org/en/bm/eghtwtns
I believe they are hidden because God does not want them revealed to the masses. People must come with faith rather than because they have seen the plates. Also because they are gold, there is the chance that if they were available to people they would be used for monetary gain.
I assume you are speaking of the plates that Joseph Smith used to translate into the Book Of Mormon.
These plates were buried in a hill in New York and given to him by Moroni (an angel on God's errand) and when Joseph was finished with them Moroni took them back. God is not going to leave in the hands of men historical records like this en graven on gold!
I assume they are hidden away somewhere still in/on the earth with many other of records that ancient people kept but unknown to man - only to God.
Supposedly, the angel took them back when Smith was finished.
The really interesting part is when Smith conned a fellow named Martin Harris into transcribing the plates for him (Smith himself was barely literate).
Smith would hide behind a partition and "read" from the plates, and this other guy would write down what he said -- Smith claimed that if anyone else looked at the plates, it would kill them.
Well, the Harris's wife got fed up with all this nonsense, and stole the first 116 pages of these transcriptions -- after all, if Smith was just reading off these golden plates, it would be a simple matter for him to reproduce them again, right?
Needless to say, Smith had to find another transcriber after that, and he was never able to reproduce what was on the missing pages...
Maroni flew back to heaven with the gold plates . If he flew at a thousand miles per hour , he'll get there in about a quadrillion years from his starting time . Our scientists can see decisions of years into space - - - no heaven .
and many people believe Moses talked with a burning bush. Faith is an irrational act by definition; how unfortunate that people put their trust in presumed actions that are unverifiable.
Like someone else said, others did see them. The reason that Joseph didn't re-translate the missing pages, is that it would have been easy for the people with the stolen pages to re-write them. So when he did, they would produce the missing ones, they would be different and he would be discredited.
Joseph Smith lived during the great awakening period of American History. There were many soap box preachers out there, trying to get people to follow their ideas. Joseph Smith just happened to go at it a little better and somehow managed to convince all these people what he said was true. This was also around the same time period as a lot of the evangelical churches came into being. People weren't happy with the churches they had so they started new ones. To me this is particularly scary as the average person back then wasn't educated beyond a 2ND grade level. And these people started religions that have the most staunch believers today. This is also the time that Neo-Druids came around. Even though they had no actual proof of what they were doing was legit.
Joseph Smith and his Brother Hyrum were shot and killed by a mob. Not because of their religion like the LDS likes to promote, but because they were reductionists, robbers, and petty thugs. They were being held on charges of treason when they were shot. The reason I know this is because it had to happen in my small town of 2750 people. Now we get 150,000 Mormons every year pilgrim aging to my town. And they don't spend one cent here either.
Edit:
Alrighty then.
You call me a liar, and yet do not say what I lied about. Around where I live those would be fighting words. Everything I said is part of the official Illinois and Hancock County History. Also you telling me to be Christ like is kinda funny, as I am not a Christian.
I do not like Mormons, not for who they are, but for what they have done, and claim not to have done. Especially to my ancestors.
Like the Ark of the Covenant, they were ''hidden back up into the Lord''
And let's see:::
1. A burning bush.
2. parting of the Red
3. A tower of fire
4. Walls of Jericho
5.the great flood
And the list goes on! So, all the miracles stop because?
And the word from God stops because?
Doesn't anyone think that we need knowledge from God in these days of great tribulation!
Do you really think he would leave us in these times?
I feel sad for you!
edit:
Liars, like the poster above me, is the reason that there is so much misinformation based on half-truths, and downright lies about the LDS church!
Add to that, the poster below my post! Another no nothing genius heard from!
Why don't you people get a life, and a sense of decency, because you sure don't show any charity, or Christ-like behavior!
Otherwise, I would have let you know that, due to an insatiable sweet tooth that Joseph Smith couldn't control, he had to have major dental work, and he needed gold crowns on all his teeth, so that from then on, when words came out of his mouth, all the followers know that they were straight from the hand of their god.
A total of 11 other people, besides Jospeh Smith, saw and felt (they called it "hefted") the plates and gave their solemn witness and testimony to the world about it
The same angel (Moroni) that showed to Joseph where the plates were deposited in the ground, also took them back from Joseph when he was finished with the translation. Why? I can only assume that many individuals were trying to take the plates forcefully from Joseph to get monetary gain from the gold. Joseph had already "lost" 116 pages of translated work due to the greed of others, so it was apparently deemed necessary by Moroni and God to take the plates back. Probably for the protection of the plates.
Testimony of the three and then eighth witnesses
See below
THE TESTIMONY OF THREE WITNESSES
Be it known unto all nations, kind reds, tongues, and people, unto whom this work shall come: That we, through the grace of God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, have seen the plates which contain this record, which is a record of the people of Nephi, and also of the Lamanites, their brethren, and also of the people of Jared, who came from the tower of which hath been spoken. And we also know that they have been translated by the gift and power of God, for his voice hath declared it unto us; wherefore we know of a surety that the work is true. And we also testify that we have seen the engravings which are upon the plates; and they have been shown unto us by the power of God, and not of man. And we declare with words of soberness, that an angel of God came down from heaven, and he brought and laid before our eyes, that we beheld and saw the plates, and the engravings thereon; and we know that it is by the grace of God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, that we beheld and bear record that these things are true. And it is marvelous in our eyes. Nevertheless, the voice of the Lord commanded us that we should bear record of it; wherefore, to be obedient unto the commandments of God, we bear testimony of these things. And we know that if we are faithful in Christ, we shall rid our garments of the blood of all men, and be found spotless before the judgment-seat of Christ, and shall dwell with him eternally in the heavens. And the honor be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, which is one God. Amen.
Oliver Cowdery
David Whitmer
Martin Harris
THE TESTIMONY OF EIGHT WITNESSES
Be it known unto all nations, kind reds, tongues, and people, unto whom this work shall come: That Joseph Smith, Jun., the translator of this work, has shown unto us the plates of which hath been spoken, which have the appearance of gold; and as many of the leaves as the said Smith has translated we did handle with our hands; and we also saw the engravings thereon, all of which has the appearance of ancient work, and of curious workmanship. And this we bear record with words of soberness, that the said Smith has shown unto us, for we have seen and hefted, and know of a surety that the said Smith has got the plates of which we have spoken. And we give our names unto the world, to witness unto the world that which we have seen. And we lie not, God bearing witness of it.
Christian Whitmer
Jacob Whitmer
Peter Whitmer, Jun
John Whitmer
Hiram Page
Joseph Smith, Sen
Hyrum Smith
Samuel H. Smith
Whatever happened to Joseph Smiths plates?
