Chapter VIII

JOSEPH'S ACCOUNT OF THE DISCOVERY OF THE PLATES.

We will now give the Prophet Joseph's own narrative of the finding of the plates from which he, by divine aid, translated the Book of Mormon, with the causes that led thereto. It is a simple, unvarnished statement of facts that bears on its face the evidence of its truth.

On the evening of September 21st, 1823, Joseph went to bed with a strong feeling of regret for his youthful follies, and with a determination to seek the Lord for forgiveness and for a manifestation of his standing before heaven. With this desire, in strong faith, he betook himself to prayer and supplication. He then says:

"While I was thus in the act of calling upon God, I discovered a
light appearing in the room, which continued to increase until the
room was lighter than at noonday, when immediately a personage
appeared at my bedside, standing in the air, for his feet did
not touch the floor. He had on a loose robe of most exquisite
whiteness. It was a whiteness beyond anything earthly I had ever
seen; nor do I believe that any earthly thing could be made to
appear so exceedingly white and brilliant; his hands were naked,
and his arms also, a little above the wrist; so, also, were his
feet naked, as were his legs, a little above the ankles. His head
and neck were also bare. I could discover that he had no other
clothing on but this robe, as it was open, so that I could see into
his bosom.

"Not only was his robe exceedingly white, but his whole person
was glorious beyond description, and his countenance truly like
lightning. The room was exceedingly light, but not so very bright
as immediately around his person. When I first looked upon him I
was afraid, but the fear soon left me. He called me by name and
said unto me that he was a messenger sent from the presence of
God to me, and that his name was Moroni. That God had a work for
me to do, and that my name should be had for good and evil among
all nations, kindreds, and tongues; or that it should be both good
and evil spoken of among all people. He said there was a book
deposited, written upon gold plates, giving an account of the
former inhabitants of this continent, and the source from whence
they sprang. He also said that the fulness of the everlasting
gospel was contained in it, as delivered by the Savior to the
ancient inhabitants. Also, that there were two stones in silver
bows (and these stones, fastened to a breastplate, constituted what
is called the Urim and Thummim) deposited with the plates, and the
possession and use of these stones were what constituted Seers in
ancient or former times, and that God had prepared them for the
purpose of translating the book.

"Again, he told me that when I got those plates of which he had
spoken (for the time that they should be obtained was not yet
fulfilled) I should not show them to any person, neither the
breastplate with the Urim and Thummim, only to those to whom I
should be commanded to show them; if I did, I should be destroyed.
While he was conversing with me about the plates, the vision was
opened to my mind that I could see the place where the plates were
deposited, and that so clearly and distinctly, that I knew the
place again when I visited it.

"After this communication, I saw the light in the room begin to
gather immediately around the person of him who had been speaking
to me, and it continued to do so, until the room was again left
dark, except just around him, when instantly I saw, as it were,
a conduit open right up into heaven, and he ascended up till he
entirely disappeared, and the room was left as it had been before
this heavenly light had made its appearance.

"I lay musing on the singularity of the scene, and marveling
greatly at what had been told me by this extraordinary messenger,
when, in the midst of my meditation, I suddenly discovered that
my room was again beginning to get lighted, and in an instant, as
it were, the same heavenly messenger was again by my bedside. He
commenced, and again related the very same things which he had
done at his first visit, without the least variation, which having
done, he informed me of great judgments which were coming upon the
earth, with great desolations by famine, sword, and pestilence,
and that these grievous judgments would come on the earth in this
generation. Having related these things, he again ascended as he
had done before.

"By this time, so deep were the impressions made on my mind, that
sleep had fled from my eyes, and I lay overwhelmed in astonishment
at what I had both seen and heard; but what was my surprise when
again I beheld the same messenger at my bedside, and heard him
rehearse or repeat over again to me the same things as before, and
added a caution to me, telling me that Satan would try to tempt
me (in consequence of the indigent circumstances of my father's
family) to get the plates for the purpose of getting rich. This
he forbid me, saying that I must have no other object in view in
getting the plates but to glorify God, and must not be influenced
by any other motive but that of building His kingdom, otherwise
I could not get them. After this third visit, he again ascended
up into heaven as before, and I was again left to ponder on the
strangeness of what I had just experienced, when almost immediately
after the heavenly messenger had ascended from me the third time,
the cock crew, and I found that day was approaching, so that our
interviews must have occupied the whole of that night. I shortly
after arose from my bed, and, as usual, went to the necessary
labors of the day, but, in attempting to labor as at other times,
I found my strength so exhausted as rendered me entirely unable.
My father, who was laboring along with me, discovered something
to be wrong with me, and told me to go home. I started with the
intention of going to the house, but, in attempting to cross the
fence out of the field where we were, my strength entirely failed
me, and I fell helpless on the ground, and for a time was quite
unconscious of anything. The first thing that I can recollect, was
a voice speaking unto me calling me by name; I looked up and beheld
the same messenger standing over my head, surrounded by light, as
before. He then again related unto me all that he had related to me
the previous night, and commanded me to go to my father, and tell
him of the vision and commandments which I had received.

"I obeyed, I returned back to my father in the field and rehearsed
the whole matter to him. He replied to me that it was of God, and
to go and do as commanded by the messenger. I left the field and
went to the place where the messenger had told me the plates were
deposited, and owing to the distinctness of the vision which I had
had concerning it, I knew the place the instant that I arrived
there. Convenient to the village of Manchester, Ontario county, New
York, stands a hill of considerable size, and the most elevated of
any in the neighborhood. On the west side of this hill, not far
from the top, under a stone of considerable size, lay the plates,
deposited in a stone box; this stone was thick and rounding in the
middle on the upper side, and thinner towards the edges, so that
the middle part of it was visible above the ground, but the edge
all round was covered with earth. Having removed the earth and
obtained a lever which I got fixed under the edge of the stone, and
with a little exertion raised it up; I looked in, and there indeed
did I behold the plates, the Urim and Thummim, and the breastplate
as stated by the messenger. The box in which they lay was formed by
laying stones together in some kind of cement. In the bottom of the
box were laid two stones crossways of the box, and on these stones
lay the plates and the other things with them. I made an attempt to
take them out, but was forbidden by the messenger, and was again
informed that the time for bringing them forth had not yet arrived,
neither would arrive until four years from that time; but he told
me that I should come to that place precisely in one year from that
time, and that he would there meet me, and that I should continue
to do so until the time should come for obtaining the plates.

"Accordingly as I had been commanded, I went at the end of each
year, and at each time I found the same messenger there, and
received instruction and intelligence from him at each of our
interviews, respecting what the Lord was going to do, and how and
in what manner His kingdom was to be conducted in the last days.

"At length the time arrived for obtaining the plates, the Urim and
Thummim, and the breastplate. On the 22nd day of September, 1827,
having gone, as usual, at the end of another year, to the place
where they were deposited, the same heavenly messenger delivered
them up to me with this charge, that I should be responsible for
them; that if I should let them go carelessly or through any
neglect of mine, I should be cut off; but that if I would use all
my endeavors to preserve them, until he, the messenger, should call
for them, they should be protected.

"I soon found out the reason why I had received such strict charges
to keep them safe, and why it was the messenger had said, that when
I had done what was required at my hand, he would call for them;
for no sooner was it known that I had them, than the most strenuous
exertions were used to get them from me; every stratagem that could
be invented was resorted to for that purpose; the persecution
became more bitter and severe than before, and multitudes were on
the alert continually to get them from me if possible; but, by
the wisdom of God, they remained safe in my hands, until I had
accomplished by them what was required at my hand; when according
to arrangements, the messenger called for them, I delivered them up
to him, and he has them in his charge until this day, being the 2nd
day of May, 1838.

"The excitement, however, still continued, and rumor, with her
thousand tongues, was all the time employed in circulating tales
about my father's family, and about myself. If I were to relate a
thousandth part of them, it would fill up volumes. The persecution,
however, became so intolerable that I was under the necessity of
leaving Manchester, and going with my wife to Susquehanna county,
in the state of Pennsylvania. While preparing to start (being
very poor, and the persecution so heavy upon us, that there was
no probability that we would ever be otherwise), in the midst of
our afflictions we found a friend in a gentleman, by the name
of Martin Harris, who came to us and gave me fifty dollars to
assist us in our afflictions. Mr. Harris was a resident of Palmyra
township, Wayne county, in the state of New York, and a farmer of
respectability. By this timely aid was I enabled to reach the place
of my destination in Pennsylvania, and immediately after my arrival
there, I commenced copying the characters of the plates. I copied a
considerable number of them, and by means of the Urim and Thummim
I translated some of them, which I did between the time I arrived
at the house of my wife's father in the month of December, and the
February following.

"Some time in this month of February, the afore-mentioned Mr.
Martin Harris came to our place, got the characters which I had
drawn off the plates, and started with them to the city of New
York. For what took place relative to him and the characters, I
refer to his own account of the circumstances as he related them to
me after his return, which was as follows:

"'I went to the city of New York, and presented the characters
which had been translated, with the translation thereof, to
Professor Anthon, a gentleman celebrated for his literary
attainments. Professor Anthon stated that the translation was
correct, more so than any he had before seen translated from the
Egyptian. I then showed him those which were not yet translated,
and he said that they were Egyptian, Chaldaic, Assyraic, and
Arabic, and he said that they were the true characters. He gave me
a certificate, certifying to the people of Palmyra that they were
true characters, and that the translation of such of them as had
been translated was also correct. I took the certificate and put
it into my pocket, and was just leaving the house, when Mr. Anthon
called me back and asked me how the young man found out that there
were gold plates in the place where he found them. I answered that
an angel of God had revealed it unto him.

"'He then said unto me, 'Let me see that certificate.' I
accordingly took it out of my pocket and gave it to him, when he
took it and tore it to pieces, saying that there was no such thing
now as ministering of angels, and that if I would bring the plates
to him, he would translate them. I informed him that part of the
plates were sealed, and that I was forbidden to bring them; he
replied, 'I cannot read a sealed book.' I left him and went to Dr.
Mitchell, who sanctioned what Professor Anthon had said respecting
both the characters and the translation.'

"On the 15th [5th] day of April, 1829, Oliver Cowdery came to
my house, until then I had never seen him. He stated to me that
having been teaching school in the neighborhood where my father
resided, and my father being one of those who sent to the school,
he went to board for a season at his house, and while there, the
family related to him the circumstance of my having the plates, and
accordingly he had come to make inquiries of me.

"Two days after the arrival of Mr. Cowdery (being the 17th [7th]
of April), I commenced to translate the Book of Mormon, and he
commenced to write for me."

The foregoing is the Prophet Joseph's own account of the discovery of the plates, with some details as to the manner of their translation. We will now insert the testimony of the witnesses, who, by divine permission, saw, handled and examined these sacred records, and afterwards draw attention to the value of this testimony, more especially to that of the three witnesses, whose lives for so long a period were estranged from the Church and people to whom their words are of most value.

* * * * *

THE TESTIMONY OF THREE WITNESSES.

Be it known unto all nations, kindreds, 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.

* * * * *

AND ALSO THE TESTIMONY OF EIGHT WITNESSES.

Be it known unto all nations, kindreds, tongues and people unto
whom this work shall come, that Joseph Smith, Jun., the translator
of this work, has shewn 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 shewn
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

JOHN WHITMER, JUN.

HIRAM PAGE

JOSEPH SMITH, SEN.

HYRUM SMITH

SAMUEL H. SMITH.