The golden plates are one of the coolest pieces of the restoration. He was told about them years before he received them. He told others who told others and soon the countryside was all a-whisper with talk of the gold bible. And then he got them. And no one else could see them, which admittedly sounds suspicious. And it was a tremendous burden on Smith.





could show people. And then heshow people. There were the three witnesses – shown the plates by Moroni, the second abridger of the sacred record, now a resurrected angel. Smith was so relieved that he could barely contain himself. – his mother gives this description of the immediate aftermath of the three witness experience:





“When they returned to the house it was between three and four o'clock p.m. Mrs. Whitmer, Mr. Smith [Lucy’s husband, Joseph’s father] and myself, were sitting in a bedroom at the time. On coming in, Joseph threw himself down beside me, and exclaimed, "Father, mother, you do not know how happy I am: the Lord has now caused the plates to be shown to three more besides myself. They have seen an angel, who has testified to them, and they will have to bear witness to the truth of what I have said, for now they know for themselves, that I do not go about to deceive the people, and I feel as if I was relieved of a burden which was almost too heavy for me to bear, and it rejoices my soul, that I am not any longer to be entirely alone in the world." Upon this, Martin Harris came in: he seemed almost overcome with joy, and testified boldly to what he had both seen and heard. And so did David and Oliver, adding that no tongue could express the joy of their hearts, and the greatness of the things which they had both seen and heard. “ ( http://emp.byui.edu/satterfieldb/rel341/Pictures/Three%20Witnesses.htm )





Imagine the relief. And that relief grew. Shortly after that Joseph was able to physically show the plates to 8 more men . No angel this time – but Joseph brought them into the room and all 8 were able to peruse to their heart’s content.





other witnesses to the golden plates. These 13 are pretty cool. They are lesser known stories. Some of them are indirect witnesses – only saw, hefted and felt the plates through a cloth – a very thin cloth in some cases. Others are themselves shown the plates by an angel. There is a lesser known Martin Harris account that brings the total people with gold plate encounters to 14. That one took place before the grand Moroni presentation. I don’t want to go into too many details on those 11 witnesses today. Click on the links up there for more on them. I would like to talk about 13witnesses to the golden plates. These 13 are pretty cool. They are lesser known stories. Some of them are indirect witnesses – only saw, hefted and felt the plates through a cloth – a very thin cloth in some cases. Others are themselves shown the plates by an angel. There is a lesser known Martin Harris account that brings the total people with gold plate encounters to 14. That one took place before the grand Moroni presentation.





To jump in – here’s two accounts from Joseph’s mother. The first is a recollection of Martin Harris. The second is self explanatory:





1) Lucy Mack Smith (handled the plates)





A) he handed the plates in at the window, and they were received from him by his mother. "When Joseph had obtained the plates, he communicated the fact to his father and mother. The plates remained concealed in the tree top until he got the chest made. He then went after them and brought them home. While on his way home with the plates, he was met by what appeared to be a man, who demanded the plates, and struck him with a club on his side, which was all black and blue. Joseph knocked the man down, and then ran for home, and was much out of breath. When he arrived at home,





B) I [ Sally Parker ] lived by [Joseph Smith’s] mother, and [she] was one of the finest of women--always helping them that stood in need. She told me [Joseph's] story.... The old lady told me this herself with tears in her eyes, and they ran down her cheeks too.... I asked her if she saw the plates. She said no, it was not for her to see them, but she hefted and handled them, and I believed all she said, for I lived by her eight months, and she was one of the best of women. ( http://scottwoodward.org/bookofmormon_witnesses_lucymacksmith.html )





Having an account from two different people is pretty incredible. It means it was talked about. And in no way am I claiming that these are the only two such stories. And look – here’s two more similar stories from another early saint:

2) Alva Beeman ( handled the plates

A) [Alva Beeman] was well acquainted with the Smith family before the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, and was with Joseph at one time, assisting him in hiding the plates from the mob. He was permitted to handle the plates with a cloth coming over them. ( http://www.gapages.com/noblejb1.htm )





B) When they were taken from [a previous hiding place], they were put into an old Ontario glass-box. Old Mr. Beman sawed off the ends, making the box the right length to put them in, and when they went in he said he heard them jink, but he was not permitted to see them. He told me so. ( http://www.utlm.org/onlineresources/sermons_talks_interviews/harrisinterviewtiffanysmonthly.htm )





Alva Beeman was allowed to handle the plates – and he heard the metalic pages clanking together as they were being moved. That means, quite clearly, that unless someone in the room was playing the spoons at that exact moment, it was definitely a metal object being moved. It was a metal object with moveable parts.

There are two Lucy Harris accounts, surprisingly. This one is simultaneously of Lucy and her daughter. It’s Martin Harris’ recollection. And it shows that Joseph Smith wasn’t shy about letting trusted people heave and heft the wrapped plates:

3) Lucy Harris and her daughter (handled the plates)





When they came home, I questioned them about [the gold plates]. My daughter said, they were about as much as she could lift. [The plates] were now in the glass-box, and my wife said they were very heavy. They both lifted them. (Personal Glimpses of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Page 34, Andrus)

Martin Harris was one of the three witnesses. But before that massive experience, and before he was Joseph's scribe, he was just a curious villager. Mr. Harris hot-stepped it to the Smith house just like his wife and daughter had. And once he got there, well, in his own words:

4) Martin Harris ( handled the plates, before seeing the plates with Moroni)

"While at Mr. Smith’s I hefted the plates, and I knew from the heft that they were lead or gold, and I knew that Joseph had not credit enough to buy so much lead. ( https://www.fairmormon.org/evidences/Source:Martin_Harris:Joel_Tiffany_1859:I_knew_that_Joseph_had_not_credit_enough_to_buy_so_much_lead )





More covered hefting there. That's quite a consistent pattern.

Sister Emma.’ It’s in Q&A form: This next one is an excerpt from an interview with Emma Smith. It took place long after the translation process. In fact, it’s from a piece titled ‘Last Testimony ofSister Emma.’ It’s in Q&A form:

5) Emma Smith ( handled the plates

Question. Are you sure that [Joseph] had the plates at the time you were writing for him?

The plates often lay on the table without any attempt at concealment, wrapped in a small linen tablecloth, which I had given him to fold them in. I once 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. Answer., wrapped in a small linen tablecloth, which I had given him to fold them in., as they thus lay on the table, tracing their outline and shape.when the edges were moved by the thumb, as one does sometimes thumb the edges of a book.

Question. I should suppose that you would have uncovered the plates and examined them?

Answer. I did not attempt to handle the plates, other than I have told you, nor uncover them to look at them. I was satisfied that it was the work of God, and therefore did not feel it to be necessary to do so.

Major Bidamon here suggested: Did Mr. Smith forbid your examining the plates?

Answer. I do not think he did. I knew that he had them, and was not specially curious about them. I moved them from place to place on the table, as it was necessary in doing my work. ( https://www.fairmormon.org/answers/Source:Last_Testimony_of_Sister_Emma )

Emma, being in the house with the plates on a very regular basis, interacted with them almost daily. Need to set the table for dinner? Move the plates. Setting up for a dining room table ping pong tournament? Move the plates. Really, though, think about this. If this was such a hoax, think of all the people that could have so easily stumbled upon the truth.

And speaking of someone with regular access to the plates – here’s two accounts from Joseph’s sister:

6) Katharine Smith Salisbury Younger (handled the plates)

A) " Mary Salisbury Hancock, the granddaughter of Joseph’s sister Katharine, remembered Katharine relating an episode when Joseph, with the plates in his possession, had been chased by a mob:

"Hearing an unusual commotion outside Catherine flew to the door and threw it open just as Joseph came rushing up, panting for breath. He thrust a bundle into her arms, and in a gasping voice whispered hoarsely, “Take these quickly and hide them,” then he disappeared into the darkness. Closing the door Catherine ran hurriedly to the bedroom where she and Sophronia slept. Sophronia threw back the bedding and Catherine put the bundle on the bed, quickly replacing the bedding. Both of them lay down on the bed and pretended sleep. The mob, failing to find Joseph outside, returned to the house to search, but they did not disturb the girls since they appeared to be sleeping." ( http://www.patheos.com/blogs/danpeterson/2017/10/evidence-joseph-smiths-sister.html )

B) [By Katharine's grandson, Herbert S. Salisbury]

"She said he entered the house running and threw himself on a couch, panting from his extraordinary exertion. She told me Joseph allowed her to 'heft' the package but not to see the gold plates, as the angel had forbidden him to show them at that period. She said they were very heavy." ( https://scottwoodward.org/churchhistory_sophronia-katherine_testimony.html )





It makes sense, actually, that so many of these periphrial witnesses were in the Smith family. Family occupies the same spaces. His Brother William is no exception. It’s another double accounting:





7) William Smith (handled the plates, saw through the cloth)





A) "I was permitted to lift them as they lay in a pillow case; but not to see them, as it was contrary to the commands he had received. They weighed about sixty pounds according to my best judgment. They were not quite as large as this Bible. ... One could easily tell that they were not stone, hewn out to deceive, or even a block of wood. Being a mixture of gold and copper, they were much heavier than stone, and very much heavier than wood." ( https://books.google.com/books?id=yswC_1pgekMC&pg=PA143&lpg=PA143&dq=%22I+was+permitted+to+lift+them+as+they+lay+in+a+pillow+case&source=bl&ots=6ZW4cRRtgb&sig=kV0mqtvHd-tRoGXf0VN80w73NyM&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjKtN2a3pjcAhWjz4MKHWCdBrwQ6AEwAXoECAEQAQ#v=onepage&q=%22I%20was%20permitted%20to%20lift%20them%20as%20they%20lay%20in%20a%20pillow%20case&f=false )

Possibly thin enough to see through. It’s another William Smith account: Now things kind of take a turn. The surrounding cloth was thin.thin enough to see through. It’s another William Smith account:

B) “Bro. Briggs then handed me a pencil and asked Bro. Smith if he ever saw the plates his brother had had, from which the Book of Mormon was translated.

I handled them and hefted them while wrapped in a tow frock and judged them to have weighed about sixty pounds. I could tell they were plates of some kind and that they were fastened together by rings running through the back. Their size was as described in mother's history." “He replied, "I did not see them uncovered, but. I could tell they were plates of some kind and that they were fastened together by rings running through the back. Their size was as described in mother's history."

“Bro. Briggs then asked, "Did any others of the family see them?"

Father and my brother Samuel saw them as I did while in the frock. So did Hyrum and others of the family ." “"Yes," said he; "

“… William again insists that despite not seeing the plates, he and the others were convinced that Joseph had them. He talks of the future witnesses (Hyrum, Samuel, and his father) seeing through the cloth--but only when Joseph first brought them home. He includes himself and the rest of the family in this group. He is not talking about the three and eight witnesses' experience at all.” ( https://www.fairmormon.org/evidences/Category:Book_of_Mormon/Plates/Tow_frock )





Adding to the possibility that the cloth was thin and semi-transparent is this bit from Luck Mack Smith. She’s not talking about the plates here, but the chest piece. Could the same or a similar cloth have been used to also cover the plates? Definitely a possibility:

“It was wrapped in a thin muslin handkerchief, so thin that I could see the glistening metal and ascertain its proportions without any difficulty.”





Now this guy – this guy got far more than a semi-transparent peek through a handkerchief:

8) Josiah Stowell (handled the plates, saw a portion of them)

“[Josiah Stowell] was apparently “the first person other than Joseph to feel and heft the plates.” Later, though, Stowell actually “testified under oath that he saw the plates the day Joseph first brought them home. As Joseph passed them through the window, Stowell caught a glimpse of the plates as a portion of the linen was pulled back. Stowell gave the court the dimensions of the plates and explained that they consisted of gold leaves with characters written on each sheet.”” ( https://www.deseretnews.com/article/865631371/From-Darkness-unto-Light-takes-a-fresh-look-at-recovery-publication-of-the-Book-of-Mormon.html )





Trucking through the list - the types of plate encounters change here. They become more heavenly in nature – starting with this vision:

9) John Henry Smith (Vision of the Plates)

“Elder Anthon H. Lund attended a meeting in Lehi, Utah, in late October 1901, with his fellow apostle, Elder John Henry Smith (son of George A. Smith and father of President George Albert Smith), at which he recorded Elder Smith’s testimony, given him at an earlier time in his life: “I saw the man who now presides over the Church in the very place he now occupies. At the same time I saw the Plates and sacred things given to Joseph and my testimony was as clear as it could be.”” ( http://interpreterfoundation.org/additional-witnesses-of-the-coming-forth-and-content-of-the-book-of-mormon/ )





angels! And from here on out,

10) Harrison Burgess (Angel)

When all at once the vision of my mind opened and a glorious personage clothed in white stood before me and exhibited to my view the plates from which the Book of Mormon was proclaimed and taken. In June I took a short mission in the State of New York where I proclaimed the truth in great boldness.” ( https://www.boap.org/LDS/Early-Saints/HBurgess.html ) “On the third Sabbath of May while speaking to a congregation I declared that I knew the Book of Mormon to be true and the work of God. The next day while I was laboring in the community something seemed to whisper to me, “Do you know the Book of Mormon is true?” My mind became perplexed and darkened and I was so tormented in Spirit that I left my work and retired into the woods. The misery and distress that I there experienced cannot be described. The tempter all the while seemed to say, “Do you know the Book of Mormon is True?” I remained in this situation about two hours. At last it came into my mind the Faith that the Brother of Jared had in obtaining a knowledge of God for himself and others also. I resolved to know whether I had proclaimed the truth or not, and commenced praying to the God of Heaven for a testimony of these things.. In June I took a short mission in the State of New York where I proclaimed the truth in great boldness.”

This next one is probably the best known angel-plate encounter on the list. This specific accounting though, I believe, was only discovered a few years ago:

11) Mary Whitmer (Angel)

“David Whitmer had invited Joseph and Oliver to live in his father’s home while translating the Book of Mormon. When Oliver’s hand and Joseph’s eyes grew tired they went to the woods for a rest. There they often skated rocks on a pond.

“Mary Whitmer, with five grown sons and a husband to care for, besides visitors, often grew tired. She thought they might just as well carry her a bucket of water or chop a bit of wood as to skate rocks on a pond.

“She was about to order them out of her home.

“One morning, just at daybreak, she came out of her cow stable with two full buckets of milk in her hands, when a short, heavy ‐ set, gray ‐ haired man carrying a package met her and said, m y name is Moroni. You have become pretty tired with all the extra work you have to do. The Lord has given me permission to show you this record:” turning the golden leaves one by one!” ( https://books.google.com/books?id=dGpYBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA39&lpg=PA39&dq=%22%E2%80%9COne+morning,+just+at+daybreak,+she+came+out+of+her+cow+stable+with+two+full+buckets+of+milk+in+her+hands%22&source=bl&ots=q3_FR_KY-T&sig=dyODQZ5veIaPHa4p8i-oMVN3IGk&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj85a2l2pjcAhWj5YMKHfFeAxYQ6AEwBXoECAMQAQ#v=onepage&q=%22%E2%80%9COne%20morning%2C%20just%20at%20daybreak%2C%20she%20came%20out%20of%20her%20cow%20stable%20with%20two%20full%20buckets%20of%20milk%20in%20her%20hands%22&f=false )

Here is where Lucy Harris makes a solo appearance on the list. This is before, obviously, she embraced the evil emperor and slaughtered the entire school of baby Jedi:

Lucy Harris (Angel)

12) “In 1827, when Joseph Jr. had finally been allowed by Moroni to take the golden plates, Lucy [Harris] told him,

“"Joseph, I will tell you what I will do, if I can get a witness that you speak the truth, I will believe all you say about the matter and I shall want to do something about the translation—I mean to help you any way."

“The next morning Lucy came to the Smith homestead to tell them about a remarkable dream she’d had that previous evening. Joseph’s mother, Lucy Mack Smith, wrote that:

“"She said that a personage appeared to her, who told her, that as she had disputed the servant of the Lord, and said his word was not to be believed, and had also asked him many improper questions, she had done that which was not right in the sight of God. After which he said to her, 'Behold, here are the plates, look upon them and believe.' After giving us an account of her dream, she described the record very minutely."” ( http://www.moroni10.com/witnesses/Lucy_Harris.html )

also sound familiar. Luke Johnson signed his own 3 witness style statement detailing his heavenly visitation. As far as I can tell, that signed statement has been lost to the ages. These two accounts, luckily, have not: This next fellow, an apostle at one time, saw the angel Moroni with the plates and still eventually apostatized. That sounds familiar. After a time he also came back to the Church. Thatsound familiar. Luke Johnson signed his own 3 witness style statement detailing his heavenly visitation. As far as I can tell, that signed statement has been lost to the ages. These two accounts, luckily, have not:

13) Luke Johnson (Angel)

A) Johnson was baptized into the Church of Christ on May 10, 1831, by Joseph Smith. By October 1831, he had been ordained an elder and went on a mission to southern Ohio with Robert Rathburn. Later in 1831, he joined Sidney Rigdon in preaching the gospel in areas of Pennsylvania and Ohio. Their efforts brought about fifty new members into the young church, including Rigdon's mother and other members of the Rigdon family. At one point, while he was praying, he had a vision of both the Angel Moroni and the golden plates. ( http://familypedia.wikia.com/wiki/Luke_Samuel_Johnson_(1807-1861 ))

B) I asked him if the statement he signed about seeing the angel and the plates, was true. If he did see the plates from which the Book of Mormon was printed or translated. He said it was true. I then said, 'How is it that you have left the Church? If the angel appeared to you, and you saw the plates, how can you now live out of the Church? I understand you were one of the twelve apostles at the first organization of the Church?' 'I was one of the twelve,' said he, 'I have not denied the truth of the Book of Mormon. But myself and several others were overtaken in a fault at Kirtland, Ohio. . . . But I have reflected over the matter much since that time, and I have come to the conclusion that each man is accountable for his own sins, also that the course I have been pursuing injures me alone, and I intend to visit the Saints and again ask to be admitted to the Church." ( https://books.google.com/books?id=5ymACwAAQBAJ&pg=PA214&lpg=PA214&dq=%22I+asked+him+if+the+statement+he+signed+about+seeing+the+angel+and+the+plates,+was+true%22&source=bl&ots=yQRyj0Pmv7&sig=mwKicNrxjjIgqr-hg8hTUiukfLM&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj4ps_O25jcAhUm5IMKHUy9Cx4Q6AEwBXoECAUQAQ#v=onepage&q=%22I%20asked%20him%20if%20the%20statement%20he%20signed%20about%20seeing%20the%20angel%20and%20the%20plates%2C%20was%20true%22&f=false )

This next one comes on the heals of hearing a missionary speak. Zera Pulsipher believed the true church was not found on the earth. He heard the missionary speak and it hit him hard. He sought a witness – and he definitely got one on the seventh day of trying. It’s interesting to note though, that here it is not the gold plates themselves, but the record that came from the ever-chinking scriptures that are displayed in angelic hands:





14) Zera Pulsipher (Angel)

"I think about the seventh day as I was thrashing in my barn with doors shut, all at once there seemed to be a ray of light from heaven which caused me to stop work for a short time, but soon began it again. Then in a few minutes another light came over my head which caused me to look up. I thought I saw the angels with the Book of Mormon in their hands in the attitude of showing it to me and saying "this is the great revelation of the last days in which all things spoken of by the prophets must be fulfilled." The vision was so open and plain that I began to rejoice exceedingly so that I walked the length of my barn crying Glory Hal-la-lu- ya to the God and the Lamb forever." ( http://www.johnpratt.com/gen/7/6.z_pulsipher.html )





not complete. So really, it’s a list of 25+. So we have Joseph Smith, the original witness. We have the three witnesses, the eight witnesses and here, above, the 13 witnesses. 25 in all. And it’s important to note that this list iscomplete. So really, it’s a list of 25+.

And with so many angels showing the plates to those listed above, does it still happen today? There have been other angels showing up for Joseph . We talked about that before. And others have seen angels certainly showing the truth of the restored gospel. Look at the last two on this list. Those two are modern, too.

Lastly, do you know of any other accounts like this – written or otherwise? If so – please, please list them below. I would love to see them!



