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Were the plates actually required during the translation process?

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Questions

Some witness accounts suggest that Joseph was able to translate while the plates were covered, or when they were not even in the same room with him.^[1] Therefore, if the plates themselves were not being used during the translation process, why was it necessary to have plates at all?

Answer

Joseph did not need the plates physically present to translate, since the translation was done by inspiration. The existence of the plates was vital, however, to demonstrate that the story he was translating was literally true.

Detailed Analysis

One must remember that the plates served a greater purpose than to simply act as the focus of the translation process. The following significant events depended upon the existence of an actual set of plates:

• Joseph examined the plates and copied off a number of characters. Martin Harris took these characters to Charles Anthon, who declared that he could not read a sealed book, thus fulfilling a biblical prophecy and convincing Martin that Joseph's claim was genuine.
• The Three and Eight Witnesses all testified to the existence of the plates, thus providing credibility to Joseph's story of the existence of an ancient record.

If there had been no plates, and Joseph had simply received the entire Book of Mormon through revelation, there would have been no Anthon visit, nor would there have been any witnesses. The very fact that plates existed served a greater purpose, even if they were not directly viewed during the entire translation process. The plates' existence as material artifacts eliminated the possibility that Joseph was simply honestly mistaken. Either Joseph was knowingly perpetuating a fraud, or he was a genuine prophet.

Furthermore, the existence of actual plates eliminates the idea that the Book of Mormon was "spiritually true," but fictional. There is a great difference between an allegorical or moral fiction about Nephites, and real, literal Nephites who saw a literal Christ who was literally resurrected.

== Notes ==

1. [note] Interview of Emma Smith by her son Joseph Smith III, "Interview with Joseph Smith III, 1879," in Dan Vogel (editor), Early Mormon Documents (Salt Lake City, Signature Books, 1996–2003), 5 vols, 1:539.