Mormonism and Wikipedia/Golden plates/Format

Witness accounts

A FairMormon Analysis of Wikipedia: Mormonism and Wikipedia/Golden plates A work by a collaboration of authors (Link to Wikipedia article here)

Described composition and weight

The name Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.. Wikipedia content is copied and made available under the GNU Free Documentation License.

An analysis of the Wikipedia article "Golden plates" (Version December 10, 2009)

Described format, binding, and dimensions

-	Wikipedia Main Article: Golden plates–	Wikipedia Footnotes: Golden plates–Notes	A FAIR Opinion
	The plates were said to be bound at one edge by a set of rings. In 1828, Martin Harris, is reported to have said that the plates were "fastened together in the shape of a book by wires".	Anthon (1834) , p. 270.	Correct, per cited sources
	In 1859 Harris said that the plates "were seven inches [18 cm] wide by eight inches [20 cm] in length, and were of the thickness of plates of tin; and when piled one above the other, they were altogether about four inches [10 cm] thick; and they were put together on the back by three silver rings, so that they would open like a book".	Harris (1859) , p. 165.	Correct, per cited sources
	David Whitmer, another of the Three Witnesses, was quoted by an 1831 Palmyra newspaper as having said the plates were "the thickness of tin plate; the back was secured with three small rings...passing through each leaf in succession".	Cole (1831) .	Correct, per cited sources
	Anomalously, Smith's father is quoted as saying that the plates were only half an inch (1.27 centimeter) thick.	Lapham (1870) , p. 307.	Violates Wikipedia: Citing sources off-site— There is either no citation to support the statement or the citation given is incorrect. Violated by COgden —Diff: off-site Joseph Smith's father is not "quoted" at all in the cited source. These are the words of Fayette Lapham from the cited source: In answer to our question, as to what it was that Joseph had thus obtained, he said it consisted of a set of gold plates, about six inches wide, and nine or ten inches long. They were in the form of a book, half an inch thick, but were not bound at the back, like our books, but were held together by several gold rings, in such a way that the plates could be opened similar to a book. Under the first plate, or lid, he found a pair of spectacles, about one and a half inches longer than those used at the present day, the eyes not of glass, but of diamond. On the next page were representations of all the masonic implements, as used by masons at the present day. off-site One ought to note that Lapham's retelling of Joseph Smith Senior's story includes a number of anomalies.
	Smith's mother, who said she had "seen and handled" the plates, is quoted as saying they were "eight inches [20 cm] long, and six [15 cm] wide...all connected by a ring which passes through a hole at the end of each plate".	Smith (1842b) , p. 27
	Hyrum Smith and John Whitmer, also witnesses in 1829, are reported to have stated that the rings holding the plates together were, in Hyrum's words, "in the shape of the letter D, which facilitated the opening and shutting of the book".	Statement by Hyrum Smith as reported by William E. McLellin in the Huron Reflector, October 31, 1831. See also Poulson (1878) .	Correct, per cited sources
	Joseph Smith's wife Emma and his younger brother William said they had examined the plates while wrapped in fabric. Emma said she "felt of the plates, as they thus lay on the table, tracing their outline and shape. They seemed to be pliable like thick paper, and would rustle with a metallic sound when the edges were moved by the thumb, as one does sometimes thumb the edges of a book".	Smith (1879)	Correct, per cited sources
	William agreed that the plates could be rustled with one's thumb like the pages of a book.	Smith (1884) .
	Joseph Smith did not provide his own published description of the plates until 1842, when he said in a letter that "each plate was six inches [15 cm] wide and eight inches [20 cm] long, and not quite so thick as common tin. They were...bound together in a volume, as the leaves of a book, with three rings running through the whole. The volume was something near six inches [15 cm] in thickness".	Smith (1842) .

References

Wikipedia references for "Golden Plates"

• Anthon, Charles, Howe, Eber Dudley (editor) Mormonism Unvailed: or, A Faithful Account of That Singular Imposition and Delusion, from Its Rise to the Present Time , Painesville, Ohio: Telegraph Press off-site .
• Bennett, James Gordon, Jr., Mormon Leaders at Their Mecca off-site .
• Bennett, James Gordon, Sr., Arrington, Leonard J. (editor) (1831), James Gordon Bennett's 1831 Report on 'The Mormonites' off-site .
• Benton, Abram W., Vogel, Dan (editor) Early Mormon Documents Signature Books .
• Bidamon, Emma Smith, Early Mormon Documents Signature Books .
• Burnett, David S., Something New.—Golden Bible off-site .
• Burnett, Stephen, Vogel, Dan (editor) (1838), Early Mormon Documents Signature Books .
• Bushman, Richard Lyman, (2005), Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling , New York: Knopf .
• Chase, Willard, Howe, Eber Dudley (editor) (1833), Mormonism Unvailed , Painesville, Ohio: Telegraph Press off-site .
• Clark, John A., (1842), Gleanings by the Way , Philadelphia: W.J. & J.K. Simmon off-site .
• Cobb, James T., The Hill Cumorah, And The Book Of Mormon. The Smith Family, Cowdery, Harris, and Other Old Neighbors—What They Know off-site .
• Cole, Abner, Gold Bible, No. 6 off-site .
• Cook, Lyndon W., (1991), David Whitmer Interviews: A Restoration Witness Grandin .
• Cowdery, Oliver, (1834), Letter [I] off-site .
• Cowdery, Oliver, (1834b), Letter III off-site .
• Cowdery, Oliver, (1835a), Letter IV off-site .
• Cowdery, Oliver, (1835b), Letter VIII off-site .
• Crystal, David, (1997), The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language Cambridge University Press .
• (1996), The World's Writing Systems Oxford University Press .
• Gilbert, John H., (1892), Recollections of John H. Gilbert , Palmyra, New York: typescript located in Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University off-site .
• Givens, Terryl L., (2003), By the Hand of Mormon: The American Scripture that Launched a New World Religion Oxford University Press .
• Grandin, E.B., Editor's note off-site .
• Hadley, Jonathan A., Golden Bible off-site .
• Hale, Isaac, Howe, Eber Dudley (editor) (1834), Mormonism Unvailed , Painesville, Ohio: Telegraph Press off-site .
• Hamblin, William J., (2007), Sacred Writing on Metal Plates in the Ancient Mediterranean off-site .
• Harris, Abigail, Howe, Eber Dudley (editor) (1833), Mormonism Unvailed , Painesville, Ohio: Telegraph Press off-site .
• Harris, Henry, Howe, Eber Dudley (editor) (1833), Mormonism Unvailed , Painesville, Ohio: Telegraph Press off-site .
• Harris, Martin, (1859), Mormonism, No. II off-site .
• Howe, Eber Dudley, (1834), Mormonism Unvailed Painesville, Ohio: Telegraph Press off-site .
• Knight, Joseph, Sr., Jessee, Dean (editor) (1833), Joseph Knight's Recollection of Early Mormon History off-site .
• Lapham, [La]Fayette, (1870), Interview with the Father of Joseph Smith, the Mormon Prophet, Forty years Ago. His Account of the Finding of the Sacred Plates off-site .
• Mormon History off-site .
• Mather, Frederic G., (1880), Early Days of Mormonism off-site .
• Metcalfe, Brent Lee, (1993), Apologetic and Critical Assumptions about Book of Mormon Historicity off-site .
• Packer, J. Cameron, (2004), Cumorah's Cave Maxwell Institute off-site .
• Palmer, Grant H., (2002), An Insider's View of Mormon Origins Signature Books .
• Parrish, Warren, (1838), Letter from W. Parrish, Kirtland The Evangelist off-site , republished in Vogel, Dan (editor) (1999), Early Mormon Documents , Salt Lake City: Signature Books .
• Phelps, , (1833), A Book of Commandments, for the Government of the Church of Christ Zion: William Wines Phelps & Co. off-site .
• Poulson, P. Wilhelm, Letter to the editor. .
• Pratt, Orson, (1856), The Faith and Visions of the Ancient Saints—The Same Great Blessing to be Enjoyed by the Latter-day Saints off-site .
• Pratt, Orson, (1859), Evidences of the Bible and Book of Mormon Compared off-site .
• Pratt, Orson, (1877), King Limhi's Enquiry, from the Book of Mormon' off-site .
• Putnam, Read H., Were the Golden Plates Made of Tumbaga? off-site .
• Quinn, D. Michael, (1998), Early Mormonism and the Magic World View , Salt Lake City: Signature Books .
• Riley, I. Woodbridge, (1903), The Founder of Mormonism: A Psychological Study of Joseph Smith, Jr. , New York: Dodd, Mead & Co. off-site
• Roberts, B. H. (editor) (1902), History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , Salt Lake City: Deseret News off-site .
• Roberts, B. H. (editor) (1905), History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , Salt Lake City: Deseret News off-site .
• Roberts, B. H. (editor) (1908), History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , Salt Lake City: Deseret News off-site .
• Robinson, Andrew, (2002), Lost Languages: The Enigma of the World's Undeciphered Scripts McGraw Hill .
• Salisbury, Katharine Smith, Walker, Kyle R. (editor) Katharine Smith Salisbury's Recollections of Joseph's Meetings with Moroni off-site .
• Saunders, Benjamin, Vogel, Dan (editor) (1884a), Early Mormon Documents , Salt Lake City: Signature Books .
• Saunders, Lorenzo, Vogel, Dan (editor) (1884b), Early Mormon Documents , Salt Lake City: Signature Books .
• Saunders, Orson, Bennett, James Gordon, Jr. (editor) Mormon Leaders at Their Mecca off-site .
• Smith, Joseph III, last Testimony of Sister Emma off-site .
• Smith, Joseph, Jr., (1830), The Book of Mormon: An Account Written by the Hand of Mormon, Upon Plates Taken from the Plates of Nephi , Palmyra, New York: E. B. Grandin off-site .
• Smith, Joseph, Jr., Jessee, Dean C (editor) (1832), Personal Writings of Joseph Smith , Salt Lake City: Deseret Book off-site .
• (1835), Doctrine and Covenants of the Church of the Latter Day Saints: Carefully Selected from the Revelations of God , Kirtland, Ohio: F. G. Williams & Co off-site .
• Smith, Joseph, Jr., (1838a), History of the Church , copied to Jessee, Dean C (editor) (1839–1843), Personal Writings of Joseph Smith Deseret Book .
• Smith, Joseph, Jr., (1838b), Editor's note off-site .
• Smith, Joseph, Jr., Church History [Wentworth Letter] , Nauvoo, Illinois: off-site .
• Smith, Joseph, Sr., To the Public off-site .
• Smith, Lucy Mack, Casawall, Henry (editor) (1842b), The City of the Mormons; or, Three Days at Nauvoo, in 1842 , London: J.G.F. & J. Rivington off-site .
• Smith, Lucy Mack, (1853), Biographical Sketches of Joseph Smith the Prophet, and His Progenitors for Many Generations Liverpool: S.W. Richards off-site .
• Smith, William, (1883), William Smith on Mormonism: A True Account of the Origin of the Book of Mormon' Lamoni, Iowa: RLDS Church off-site .
• Smith, William, (1884), The Old Soldier's Testimony off-site .
• Stevenson, Edward, (1882), One of the Three Witnesses: Incidents in the Life of Martin Harris off-site .
• Storey, Wilbur F., Interview with David Whitmer off-site .
• Tvedtnes, John A, (1990), Review of Little Known Evidences of the Book of Mormon by Brenton G. Yorgason Maxwell Institute off-site .
• Tucker, Pomeroy, (1867), Origin, Rise and Progress of Mormonism , New York: D. Appleton off-site .
• Turner, Orasmus, (1851), History of the Pioneer Settlement of Phelps and Gorham's Purchase, and Morris' Reserve , Rochester, New York: William Alling off-site .
• Wade, B., An Interesting Document off-site .
• {{{title}}} .
• Walker, Ronald W., (1986), Martin Harris: Mormonism's Early Convert off-site .
• Whitmer, , The Golden Tables off-site .
• Whitmer, David, (1887), An Address to All Believers in Christ By A Witness to the Divine Authenticity of the Book of Mormon' , Richmond, Missouri: David Whitmer off-site .
• Whitmer, David, An Old Mormon's Closing Hours: David Whitmer, One of the Pioneers of That Faith, Passing Away off-site .
• Williams, Stephen, (1991), Fantastic Archaeology: The Wild Side of North American Prehistory University of Pennsylvania Press .
• Woodard, Roger D. (editor) (2004), The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the World's Ancient Languages Cambridge University Press .
• Young, Brigham, Watt, G.D. (editor) Journal of Discourses by Brigham Young, President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, His Two Counsellors, the Twelve Apostles, and Others , Liverpool: F.D. & S.W. Richards off-site .
• Young, Brigham, Journal of Discourses by Brigham Young, His Two Counselors, and the Twelve Apostles , Liverpool: William Budge .