View source for Question: Was the fact that the recovery of the Book of Mormon plates occurred on the autumnal equinox somehow significant?

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|title=Question: Was the fact that the recovery of the Book of Mormon plates occurred on the autumnal equinox somehow significant?
|category=Joseph Smith/Occultism and magic
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==Question: Was the fact that the recovery of the Book of Mormon plates occurred on the autumnal equinox somehow significant?==
===There are many religious traditions (including Judaism) that use the equinoxes as part of their religious calendar===

Joseph's meetings with Moroni and the recovery of the Book of Mormon occurred on the autumnal equinox, a date with astrological and magical significance. Some have speculated that this is evidence of Joseph Smith's preoccupation with "magick." However, there are many religious traditions (including Judaism) that use the equinoxes as part of their religious calendar.  Thus, the presence of a significant "astrological" date may be coincidental ''or'' present for religious, not "magical" reasons.  This again highlights the [[Joseph_Smith_and_the_occult#Terminology|problems]] with "magic" as a category.

In this instance, critics presume that their claims about Joseph's preoccupation with magic is an accurate description of his attempt to recover the plates (see [[Logical_fallacies#Begging_the_question|circular reasoning]]).  If, however, there are ''other'' explanations for receiving the plates on the evening of 21-22 September 1827, then this cannot be used as evidence for pre-occupation with a "magic world view."

===The recovery of the Book of Mormon plates occurred on a vital date in the Jewish calendar: Rosh ha-Shanah, the Jewish New Year===

The Book of Mormon claims to be a religious text, with a world-view sharing close affinities with Judaism.  Interestingly, the plates' recovery occurred on a vital date in the Jewish calendar:

<blockquote>
Rosh ha-Shanah, the Jewish New Year (which had begun at sundown on 21 September 1827). At Rosh ha-Shanah the faithful were commanded to set a day aside as "a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation" ({{b||Leviticus|23|24}}).<ref>{{FR-17-1-4}} <!-- Morris, Eye single--></ref>
</blockquote>

''Rosh ha-Shanah'' also begins the ''Asseret Yemei Teshuva'' (The Ten Days of Repentance) which precede the holiest day of the Jewish year: ''Yom Kippur'', the day of the atonement.  Likewise, the Book of Mormon claimed to come forth to preach repentance, and prepare the way for Christ's second coming.  

''Rosh ha-Shanah'' is celebrated by the blowing of the ram's horn (''shofar''), just as Jesus' apocalyptic teachings foretold that the elect would be gathered by angels "with a great sound of a trumpet" ({{b||Matthew|24|31}}).  The Revelation of St. John features angels with trumpets as part of the preparation or heralding of Christ's second coming (e.g., {{b||Revelation|8|2,6}}; compare {{s||DC|77|12}}).  The Book of Mormon portrays itself squarely within this tradition, heralding and preparing the way for the gathering of the elect and the return of Christ ({{s|1|Nephi|13|34-42}}).

In the Jerusalem temple, "at the autumnal equinox the rays of the sun could enter the [holy of holies] because the whole of the edifice faced east."<ref>{{Dialogue|vol=29|num=4|start=22|end=23|author=Bruce Chilton|article=Jesus’ Dispute in the Temple and the Origin of the Eucharist}}</ref> Thus, on a date in which the idea of divine illumination, light, and knowledge streaming into God's earthly temple was so prominent, a new divine revelation of scripture fits at least as well as Quinn's claim that this date has astrological significance for "the introduction of 'broad cultural movements and religious ideas'."<ref>{{CriticalWork:Quinn:Magic World View|pages=121}}</ref>
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{{:Question: Was Joseph Smith aware that the date of the autumnal equinox was somehow significant?}}

[[Category:An Insider's View of Mormon Origins]]