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An analysis of claims made in the Wikipedia article "Golden plates" - Receiving the plates



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A FAIR Analysis of: Wikipedia article "Golden plates", a work by author: Various
 		Translating the plates

An analysis of claims made in the Wikipedia article "Golden plates" - Receiving the plates



 Updated 9/21/2011

Section review

Receiving the plates

The author(s) of Wikipedia article "Golden plates" make(s) the following claim:

The next annual visit on September 22, 1827 would be, Smith told associates, his last chance to receive the plates.

Author's sources:

FAIR's Response

  •  Violates Wikipedia: Citing sources off-site— There is either no citation to support the statement or the citation given is incorrect.

    According to Joseph Knight, Joseph told him that he might obtain the plates on the next annual visit and that if not "he never would have them." The wiki editor has reworded this as "Smith told associates."
  • From the cited source,

He [Joseph Smith] had talked with me and told me the Conversation he had with the personage which told him if he would Do right according to the will of God he mite obtain [the plates] the 22nt Day of Septemer Next and if not he never would have them.

}}

The author(s) of Wikipedia article "Golden plates" make(s) the following claim:

According to Brigham Young, as the scheduled final date to obtain the plates approached, several Palmyra residents expressed concern "that they were going to lose that treasure" and sent for a skilled necromancer from 60 miles (96 km) away, encouraging him to make three separate trips to Palmyra to find the plates.

Author's sources:

FAIR's Response

I well knew a man who, to get the plates, rode over sixty miles three times the same season they were obtained by Joseph Smith. About the time of their being delivered to Joseph by the angel, the friends of this man sent for him, and informed him that they were going to lose that treasure, though they did not know what it was. The man I refer to was a fortune-teller, a necromancer, an astrologer, a soothsayer, and possessed as much talent as any man that walked on the American soil, and was one of the wickedest men I ever saw. The last time he went to obtain the treasure he knew where it was, and told where it was, but did not know its value. Allow me to tell you that a Baptist deacon and others of Joseph's neighbors were the very men who sent for this necromancer the last time he went for the treasure. I never heard a man who could swear like that astrologer; he swore scientifically, by rule, by note. To those who love swearing, it was musical to hear him, but not so to me, for I would leave his presence. He would call Joseph everything that was bad, and say, "I believe he will get the treasure after all." He did get it, and the war commenced directly.

}}

The author(s) of Wikipedia article "Golden plates" make(s) the following claim:

During one of these trips, the unnamed necromancer is said to have discovered the location, but was unable to determine the value of the plates.

Author's sources:

FAIR's Response

  •  Correct, per cited sources

}}

The author(s) of Wikipedia article "Golden plates" make(s) the following claim:

A few days prior to the September 22, 1827 visit to the hill, Smith's loyal treasure-hunting friends Josiah Stowell and Joseph Knight, Sr. traveled to Palmyra, in part, to be there during Smith's scheduled visit to the hill.

Author's sources:

FAIR's Response

  •  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
    The cited sources do not refer to Knight and Stowell as Joseph's "loyal treasure-hunting friends." Per Wikipedia guidelines, a statement such as this could only be used if it were an opinion expressed by a secondary source, and if it were clearly identified as an author's opinion. None of that has occurred in this case.
  •  Violates Wikipedia: No Original Research off-site— Do not use unpublished facts, arguments, speculation, and ideas; and any unpublished analysis or synthesis of published material that serves to advance a position.

    This addition by the wiki editor is original research designed to re-emphasize treasure seeking in conjunction with the retrieval of the plates.
  • For a detailed response, see: Joseph Smith/Money digging

}}

The author(s) of Wikipedia article "Golden plates" make(s) the following claim:

Another of Smith's former treasure-hunting associates, Samuel T. Lawrence, was also apparently aware of the approaching date to obtain the plates, and Smith was concerned he might cause trouble.

Author's sources:

FAIR's Response

  •  Violates Wikipedia: Citing sources off-site— There is either no citation to support the statement or the citation given is incorrect.

    The cited source says nothing about Samuel Lawrence being "[a]nother of Smith's former treasure-hunting associates." According to Joseph Knight's account, this is everything that he has to say about Samuel Lawrence:

I will say there [was] a man near By the name Samuel Lawrance. He was a Seear [Seer] and he had Bin to the hill and knew about the things in the hill and he was trying to obtain them. He [Joseph Smith] had talked with me and told me the Conversation he had with the personage which told him if he would Do right according to the will of God he mite obtain [the plate] the 22nt Day of September Next and if not he never would have them. Now Joseph was some affraid of him [Samuel Lawrence] that he mite be a trouble to him. He therefore sint his father up to Sams as he Called him near night to see if there was any signs of his going away that night. He told his father to stay till near Dark and if he saw any signs of his going you till if I find him there I will thrash the stumps with him. So the old man came a way and saw no thing like it. This is to shoe [show] the troubles he had from time to time to obtain the plates.

}}

The author(s) of Wikipedia article "Golden plates" make(s) the following claim:

Therefore, on the eve of September 22, 1827, the scheduled date for retrieving the plates, Smith dispatched his father to spy on Lawrence's house until dark. If Lawrence attempted to leave, the elder Joseph was to tell him that his son would "thrash the stumps with him" if he found him at the hill.

Author's sources:

FAIR's Response

  •  Correct, per cited sources

}}

The author(s) of Wikipedia article "Golden plates" make(s) the following claim:

Late at night, Smith took a horse and carriage to the hill Cumorah with his wife Emma.

Author's sources:

FAIR's Response

  • It should be noted that the hill was not named "Cumorah" until much later.

}}

The author(s) of Wikipedia article "Golden plates" make(s) the following claim:

While Emma stayed behind kneeling in prayer,

Author's sources:

FAIR's Response

  •  Correct, per cited sources
  • From the source,

Joseph took the horse and wagon of old Mr. Stowel, and taking his wife, he went to the place where the plates were concealed, and while he was obtaining them, she kneeled down and prayed.

}}

The author(s) of Wikipedia article "Golden plates" make(s) the following claim:

Joseph walked to what he said was the site of the Golden Plates. Some time in the early morning hours, he said he retrieved the plates and hid them in a hollow log on or near Cumorah.

Author's sources:

FAIR's Response

  •  Correct, per cited sources
  • It should be noted that the hill was not named Cumorah at this point in time.

}}

The author(s) of Wikipedia article "Golden plates" make(s) the following claim:

At the same time, Joseph said he received a pair of large spectacles he called the "Urim and Thummim" or "Interpreters", with lenses consisting of two seer stones, which he showed his mother when he returned in the morning.

Author's sources:

FAIR's Response

  •  Correct, per cited sources
    Note that, at least in this instance, Knight is not referred to as Joseph's "loyal treasure seeking" friend.
  • For a detailed response, see: Joseph Smith/Seer stones

}}

The author(s) of Wikipedia article "Golden plates" make(s) the following claim:

Over the next few days, Smith took a well-digging job in nearby Macedon to earn enough money to buy a solid lockable chest in which to put the plates.

Author's sources:

FAIR's Response

  •  Correct, per cited sources

}}

The author(s) of Wikipedia article "Golden plates" make(s) the following claim:

By then, however, some of Smith's treasure-seeking company had heard that Smith said he had been successful in obtaining the plates, and they wanted what they believed was their share of the profits from what they viewed as part of a joint venture in treasure hunting.

Author's sources:

FAIR's Response

  •  Violates Wikipedia: Citing sources off-site— There is either no citation to support the statement or the citation given is incorrect.

    The cited source does not state that these men comprised Smith's "treasure-seeking company." Martin Harris was skeptical of the money diggers' claims,

"The money-diggers claimed that they had as much right to the plates as Joseph had, as they were in company together. They claimed that Joseph had been traitor, and had appropriated to himself that which belonged to them. For this reason Joseph was afraid of them, and continued concealing the plates....These things had all occurred before I talked with Joseph respecting the plates. But I had the account of it from Joseph, his wife, brothers, sisters, his father and mother. I talked with them separately, that I might get the truth of the matter.

}}

The author(s) of Wikipedia article "Golden plates" make(s) the following claim:

Spying once again on the house of Samuel Lawrence, Smith, Sr. determined that a group of ten to twelve of these men, including Lawrence and Willard Chase, had enlisted the talents of a renowned and supposedly talented seer from 60 miles (96 km) away, in an effort to locate where the plates were hidden by means of divination.

Author's sources:

FAIR's Response

  •  Correct, per cited sources

}}

The author(s) of Wikipedia article "Golden plates" make(s) the following claim:

When Emma heard of this, she rode a stray horse to Macedon and informed Smith, Jr.,

Author's sources:

FAIR's Response

  • It sounds odd to say that Emma "rode a stray horse." Upon looking up the reference, we find that Joseph Smith, Sr. brought a horse that had strayed onto his farm to Emma to ride, since his own team of horses was not available.
  • From Lucy Mack Smith's 1853 manuscript,

"Well," said Emma, "if I had a horse I would go and see him." Mr. Smith then said, "you shall have one in fifteen minutes, for although my team is gone, there is a stray on the place, and I will send William to bring him immediately." In a few minutes William brought up the horse with a large hickory withe round his neck...

}}

The author(s) of Wikipedia article "Golden plates" make(s) the following claim:

who reportedly determined through his Urim and Thummim that the plates were safe. He nevertheless hurriedly rode home with Emma.

Author's sources:

FAIR's Response

  •  Correct, per cited sources
  • The term "Urim and Thummim" was not applied to Joseph's seer stone until years later. Joseph used his seer stone to determine that the plates were safe.
  • From Lucy Mack Smiths 1853 manuscript,

Just before Emma rode up to Mrs. Wells, Joseph, from an impression that he had had, came up out of the well in which he was labouring, and met her not far from the house. Emma immediately informed him of what had transpired, whereupon he looked in the Urim and Thummim, and saw that the Record was as yet safe; nevertheless, he concluded to return with his wife, as something might take place that would render it necessary for him to be at home where he could take care of it.

}}

The author(s) of Wikipedia article "Golden plates" make(s) the following claim:

Once home in Manchester, he said he walked to Cumorah, removed the plates from their hiding place, and walked home through the woods and away from the road with the plates wrapped in a linen frock under his arm.

Author's sources:

FAIR's Response

  • Again, the hill was not called "Cumorah" at this point in time.

}}

The author(s) of Wikipedia article "Golden plates" make(s) the following claim:

On the way, he said a man had sprung up from behind a log and struck him a "heavy blow with a gun." "Knocking the man down with a single punch, Joseph ran as fast as he could for about a half mile before he was attacked by a second man trying to get the plates. After similarly overpowering the man, Joseph continued to run, but before he reached the house, a third man hit him with a gun. In striking the last man, Joseph said, he injured his thumb."

Author's sources:

FAIR's Response

  •  Correct, per cited sources

}}

The author(s) of Wikipedia article "Golden plates" make(s) the following claim:

He returned home with a dislocated thumb and other minor injuries.

Author's sources:

FAIR's Response

  •  Correct, per cited sources

}}

The author(s) of Wikipedia article "Golden plates" make(s) the following claim:

Smith sent his father, Joseph Knight, and Josiah Stowell to search for the pursuers, but they found no one.

Author's sources:

FAIR's Response

  •  Correct, per cited sources

}}

The author(s) of Wikipedia article "Golden plates" make(s) the following claim:

Smith is said to have put the plates in a locked chest and hid them in his parents' home in Manchester.

Author's sources:

FAIR's Response

  •  Correct, per cited sources

}}

The author(s) of Wikipedia article "Golden plates" make(s) the following claim:

He refused to allow anyone, including his family, to view the plates or the other artifacts he said he had in his possession, although some people were allowed to heft them or feel what were said to be the artifacts through a cloth.

Author's sources:

FAIR's Response

  •  Correct, per cited sources

}}

The author(s) of Wikipedia article "Golden plates" make(s) the following claim:

A few days after retrieving the plates, Smith brought home what he said was an ancient breastplate, which he said had been hidden in the box at Cumorah with the plates. After letting his mother feel through a thin cloth what she said was the breastplate, he placed it in the locked chest.

Author's sources:

FAIR's Response

  •  Correct, per cited sources
  • From Lucy Mack Smith's 1853 manuscript,

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

It was concave on one side, and convex on the other, and extended from the neck downward, as far as the centre of the stomach of a man of extraordinary size. It had four straps of the same material, for the purpose of fastening it to the breast, two of which ran back to go over the shoulders, and the other two were designed to fasten to the hips. They were just the width of two of my fingers, (for I measured them,) and they had holes in the end of them to be convenient in fastening.

The whole plate was worth at least five hundred dollars: after I had examined it, Joseph placed it in the chest with the Urim and Thummim.

}}

The author(s) of Wikipedia article "Golden plates" make(s) the following claim:

The Smith home was approached "nearly every night" by villagers hoping to find the chest where Smith said the plates were kept.

Author's sources:

FAIR's Response

  •  Correct, per cited sources

}}

The author(s) of Wikipedia article "Golden plates" make(s) the following claim:

After hearing that a group of them would attempt to enter the house by force, Smith buried the chest under the hearth,

Author's sources:

FAIR's Response

  •  Correct, per cited sources
  • According to Lucy Mack Smith's 1853 manuscript,

Joseph came to the house in great haste, and inquired, if there had been a company of men about. I told him, not a single individual had come to the house since he left. He then said, that a mob would be there that night, if they did not come before that time, to search for the Record, and that it must be removed immediately. .... it was determined that a portion of the hearth should be taken up, and that the REcord and breast-plate should be buried under the same, and then the hearth be relaid, to prevent suspicion.

}}

The author(s) of Wikipedia article "Golden plates" make(s) the following claim:

and the family was able to scare away the intended intruders.

Author's sources:

FAIR's Response

  •  Correct, per cited sources
  • According to Lucy Mack Smith's 1853 manuscript,

...but the hearth was scarcely relaid when a large company of men well armed came rushing up tot he house. Joseph threw open the doors, and taking a hint from the stratagem of his grandfather Mack, hallooed as if he had a legion at hand, in the meanwhile, giving the word of command with great emphasis; while all the male portion of the family, from the father down to little Carlos, ran out of the house with such fury upon the mob, that it struck them with terror and dismay, and they fled for the little Spartan band into the woods, where they dispersed themselves to their several homes.

}}

The author(s) of Wikipedia article "Golden plates" make(s) the following claim:

Fearing the chest might still be discovered, Smith hid it under the floor boards of his parents' old log home nearby, then being used as a cooper shop.

Author's sources:

FAIR's Response

  •  Correct, per cited sources

}}

The author(s) of Wikipedia article "Golden plates" make(s) the following claim:

Later, Smith told his mother he had taken the plates out of the chest, left the empty chest under the floor boards of the cooper shop, and hid the plates in a barrel of flax. Shortly thereafter the empty box was discovered and the place ransacked by Smith's former treasure-seeking associates,

Author's sources:

FAIR's Response

  •  Violates Wikipedia: Citing sources off-site— There is either no citation to support the statement or the citation given is incorrect.

    The cited source does not call the mob "Smith's former treasure-seeking associates." This is inferred by the fact that Willard Chase's sister Sally attempted to locate the plates in the Cooper shop using a green stone.
  • From Lucy Smith's 1853 manuscript,

In a short time Joseph received another intimation of the approach of a mob, also of the necessity of removing the Record and breast-plate from the place wherein they were secreted, consequently he took them out of the box in which they were placed, and wrapping them in clothes, carried them across the road to a cooper's shop, and laid then [them] in a quantity of flax which was stowed in the shop loft. After which he nailed up the box again, then tore up the floor of the shop, and put it under the same. ... The next morning we found the floor of the cooper's shop torn up, and the box which was laid under it shivered in pieces.

}}

The author(s) of Wikipedia article "Golden plates" make(s) the following claim:

who had enlisted one of the men's sisters to find the hiding place by looking in her seer stone.

Author's sources:

FAIR's Response

  •  Correct, per cited sources

}}

References

Wikipedia references for "Golden Plates"

Further reading

Mormonism and Wikipedia



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FairMormon's approach to Wikipedia articles

FairMormon regularly receives queries about specific LDS-themed Wikipedia articles with requests that we somehow "fix" them. Although some individual members of FAIR may choose to edit Wikipedia articles, FairMormon as an organization does not. Controversial Wikipedia articles require constant maintenance and a significant amount of time. We prefer instead to respond to claims in the FAIR Wiki rather than fight the ongoing battle that LDS Wikipedia articles sometimes invite. From FAIR’s perspective, assertions made in LDS-themed Wikipedia articles are therefore treated just like any other critical (or, if one prefers, "anti-Mormon") work. As those articles are revised and updated, we will periodically update our reviews to match.

Who can edit Wikipedia articles?

Editors who wish to participate in editing LDS-themed Wikipedia articles can access the project page here: Wikipedia:WikiProject Latter Day Saint movement. You are not required to be LDS in order to participate—there are a number of good non-LDS editors who have made valuable contributions to these articles.

Recommendations when editing Wikipedia articles

FAIR does not advocate removing any references from Wikipedia articles. The best approach to editing Wikipedia is to locate solid references to back up your position and add them rather than attempting to remove information. Individuals who intend to edit should be aware that posting information related to the real-world identities of Wikipedia editors will result in their being banned from editing Wikipedia. Attacking editors and attempting to "out" them on Wikipedia is considered very bad form. The best approach is to treat all Wikipedia editors, whether or not you agree or disagree with their approach, with respect and civility. An argumentative approach is not constructive to achieving a positive result, and will simply result in what is called an "edit war." Unfortunately, not all Wikipedia editors exhibit good faith toward other editors (see, for example, the comment above from "Duke53" or comments within these reviews made by John Foxe's sockpuppet "Hi540," both of whom repeatedly mocked LDS beliefs and LDS editors prior to their being banned.)

Do LDS editors control Wikipedia?

Although there exist editors on Wikipedia who openly declare their affiliation with the Church, they do not control Wikipedia. Ironically, some critics of the Church periodically falsely accuse Wikipedia editors of being LDS simply because they do not accept the critics' desired spin on a particular article.

Do "anti-Mormons" control Wikipedia?

Again, the answer is no. The truth is that Wikipedia is generally self-policing. Highly contentious articles do tend to draw the most passionate supporters and critics.

Why do certain LDS articles seem to be so negative?

Although some LDS-related Wikipedia articles may appear to have a negative tone, they are in reality quite a bit more balanced than certain critical works such as One Nation Under Gods. Although many critical editors often accuse LDS-related Wikipedia articles of being "faith promoting" or claim that they are just an extension of the Sunday School manual, this is rarely the case. Few, if any, Latter-day Saints would find Wikipedia articles to be "faith promoting." Generally, the believers think that the articles are too negative and the critics believe that the articles are too positive. LDS Wikipedia articles should be informative without being overtly faith promoting. However, most of the primary sources, including the words of Joseph Smith himself, are "faith promoting." This presents a dilemma for Wikipedia editors who want to remain neutral. The unfortunate consequence is that Joseph's words are rewritten and intermixed with contradictory sources, resulting in boring and confusing prose.

FairMormon's analysis of LDS-related Wikipedia articles

We examine selected Wikipedia articles and examine them on a "claim-by-claim" basis, with links to responses in the FairMormon Answers Wiki. Wikipedia articles are constantly evolving. As a result, the analysis of each article will be updated periodically in order to bring it more into line with the current version of the article. The latest revision date may be viewed at the top of each individual section. The process by which Wikipedia articles are reviewed is the following:

  1. Update each Wikipedia passage and its associated footnotes.
  2. Examine the use of sources and determine whether or not the passage accurately represents the source used.
  3. Provide links to response articles within the FairMormon Answers Wiki.
  4. If violation of Wikipedia rules is discovered, identify which Wikipedia editor (by pseudonym) made the edit, provide a description of the rule violated and a link to the Wikipedia "diff" showing the actual edit.
  5. If a violated rule is later corrected in a subsequent revision, the violation is removed and a notation is added that the passage is correct per cited sources. This doesn't mean that FAIR necessarily agrees with the passage—only that it is correct based upon the source used.

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship, "Mormonism and Wikipedia: The Church History That “Anyone Can Edit”"

Roger Nicholson,  Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship, (2012)
The ability to quickly and easily access literature critical of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been made significantly easier through the advent of the Internet. One of the primary sites that dominates search engine results is Wikipedia, an online encyclopedia that “anyone can edit.” Wikipedia contains a large number of articles related to Mormonism that are edited by believers, critics, and neutral parties. The reliability of information regarding the Church and its history is subject to the biases of the editors who choose to modify those articles. Even if a wiki article is thoroughly sourced, editors sometimes employ source material in a manner that supports their bias. This essay explores the dynamics behind the creation of Wikipedia articles about the Church, the role that believers and critics play in that process, and the reliability of the information produced in the resulting wiki articles.

Click here to view the complete article

Wikipedia and anti-Mormon literature
Key sources
  • Roger Nicholson, "Mormonism and Wikipedia: The Church History That 'Anyone Can Edit'," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 1/8 (14 September 2012). [151–190] link
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