Criticism of Mormonism/Websites/MormonThink/Translation of the Book of Mormon/Source quotes without commentary



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Mormon Think web page "Translation of the Book of Mormon" sources without commentary

No commentary. No "critic's response". No "apologetic response." —This page simply displays all of the source quotes and citations used on the critical web page. If ellipses are used, we will present both the condensed and complete version of the quote. If the source is not provided by the web page, we will attempt to locate it and provide it here.

Source quotes

In writing for your father I frequently wrote day after day, often sitting at the table close by him, he sitting with his face buried in his hat, with the stone in it, and dictating hour after hour with nothing between us.
—Emma Hale Smith

Smith's wife Emma supported Harris's and Whitmer's versions of the story in recalling that her husband buried his face in his hat while she was serving as his scribe.
—Robert N. Hullinger, Joseph Smith's Response to Skepticism

I will now give you a description of the manner in which the Book of Mormon was translated. Joseph Smith would put the seer stone into a hat, and put his face in the hat, drawing it closely around his face to exclude the light; and in the darkness the spiritual light would shine. A piece of something resembling parchment would appear, and on that appeared the writing. One character at a time would appear, and under it was the interpretation in English. Brother Joseph would read off the English to Oliver Cowdery, who was his principal scribe, and when it was written down and repeated to Brother Joseph to see if it was correct, then it would disappear, and another character with the interpretation would appear. Thus the Book of Mormon was translated by the gift and power of God, and not by any power of man.
—David Whitmer, An Address to All Believers in Christ, p. 12.

"I, as well as all of my father's family, Smith's wife, Oliver Cowdery and Martin Harris, were present during the translation... . He [Joseph Smith] did not use the plates in translation.
—David Whitmer, Interview given to Kansas City Journal, June 5, 1881, reprinted in the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Journal of History, vol. 8, (1910), pp. 299-300.

Martin Harris related an incident that occurred during the time that he wrote that portion of the translation of the Book of Mormon which he was favored to write direct from the mouth of the Prophet Joseph Smith. He said that the Prophet possessed a seer stone, by which he was enabled to translate as well as from the Urim and Thummim, and for convenience he then used the seer stone, Martin explained the translation as follows: By aid of the seer stone, sentences would appear and were read by the Prophet and written by Martin and when finished he would say "Written," and if correctly written that sentence would disappear and another appear in its place, but if not written correctly it remained until corrected, so that the translation was just as it was engraven on the plates, precisely in the language then used.
—Edward Stevenson

...chocolate-colored, somewhat egg-shaped stone which the Prophet found while digging a well in company with his brother Hyrum....Joseph was able to translate the characters engraven on the plates
—Martin Harris, quoted by B.H. Roberts, Comprehensive History of the Church 1:129.

By aid of the Seer Stone, sentences would appear and were read by the Prophet and written by Martin, and when finished he would say 'written;' and if correctly written, the sentence would disappear and another appear in its place; but if not written correctly it remained until corrected, so that the translation was just as it was engraven on the plates, precisely in the language then used
Martin Harris, quoted by B.H. Roberts, Comprehensive History of the Church 1:29.

The manner in which he pretended to read and interpret, was the same as when he looked for the money-diggers, with a stone in his hat, and his hat over his face, while the Book of Plates were at the same time hid in the woods
Isaac Hale, quoted by Eber D. Howe, Mormonism Unvailed, 1834.

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