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Wikipedia Main Article: Golden plates–
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Wikipedia Footnotes: Golden plates–Notes
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A FAIR Opinion
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- The next annual visit on September 22, 1827 would be, Smith told associates, his last chance to receive the plates.
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- Correct, per cited sources
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- 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.
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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.
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- 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.
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- Young (1855) , pp. 180–81.
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- Correct, per cited sources
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- 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.
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- Knight (1833) , p. 3 (Saying Knight went to Rochester on business, and then passed back through Palmyra so that he could be there on September 22); Smith (1853) , p. 99 (Smith's mother, stating Knight and Stowell arrived there September 20, 1827 to inquire on business matters, but stayed at the Smith home until September 22).
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- 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. This addition by the wiki editor is an effort to re-emphasize treasure seeking in conjunction with the retrieval of the plates.
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- 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.
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- Knight (1833) , p. 3 (saying Lawrence was a seer, had been to the hill, and knew what was there).
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- 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, here 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.
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- 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 would have informed him that his son would "thrash the stumps with him" if he found him at the hill, but Lawrence never left his home.
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- Violates Wikipedia: Citing sources off-site— There is either no citation to support the statement or the citation given is incorrect.
The source says nothing about whether or not Lawrence actually left his home.
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- Late at night, Smith took a horse and carriage to the hill Cumorah with his wife Emma.
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- Smith (1853) , p. 100; Salisbury (1895) , p. 15 (Emma "didn't see the records, but she went with him").
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- It should be noted that the hill was not named "Cumorah" until much later.
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- While Emma stayed in the wagon kneeling in prayer,
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- 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.
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- Chase (1833) , p. 246; Smith (1850) , p. 104 (Smith had cut away the bark of a decaying log, placed the plates inside, then covered the log with debris); Harris (1859) , p. 165; Salisbury (1895) , p. 15 (saying Smith "brought them part way home and hid them in a hollow log").
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- Correct, per cited sources
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- 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.
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- Smith (1853) , p. 101. Smith's friend Joseph Knight said Smith was even more fascinated by the Interpreters than the plates Knight (1833) , p. 3.
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- Note that, at least in this instance, Knight is not referred to as Joseph's "loyal treasure seeking" friend.
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- 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.
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- 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.
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- 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.
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- 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.
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- Smith (1853) , p. 102; Salisbury (1895) , p. 15 (saying that Smith's father "heard that they had got a conjurer, who they said would come and find the plates".
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- When Emma heard of this, she rode a stray horse to Macedon and informed Smith, Jr.,
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- Smith (1853) , p. 103; Salisbury (1895) , p. 15.
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- who reportedly determined through his Urim and Thummim that the plates were safe. He nevertheless hurriedly rode home with Emma.
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- Smith (1853) , pp. 103–104.
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- [ATTENTION!]Nephite interpreter or seer stone?
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- 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.
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- Smith (1853) , pp. 104–06.
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- Again, the hill was not called "Cumorah" at this point in time.
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- 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."
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- Vogel (2004) , p. 99Salisbury (1895) , p. 15; Howe (1834) , p. 246; Smith (1853) , pp. 104–06; Harris (1859) , p. 166.
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- He returned home with a dislocated thumb and other minor injuries.
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- Smith (1853) , pp. 104–06 (mentioning the dislocated thumb); Harris (1859) , p. 166 (mentioning an injury to his side); Salisbury (1895) , p. 15 (mentioning the dislocated thumb and an injury to his arm).
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- Correct, per cited sources
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- Smith sent his father, Joseph Knight, and Josiah Stowell to search for the pursuers, but they found no one.
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- Smith (1853) , pp. 105–06; Salisbury (1895) , p. 15.
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- Correct, per cited sources
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- Smith is said to have put the plates in a locked chest and hid them in his parents' home in Manchester.
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- Smith (1853) , p. 106; Salisbury (1895) , p. 15.
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- Correct, per cited sources
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- 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.
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- Howe (1834) , p. 264; Harris (1859) ; Smith (1884) .
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- Correct, per cited sources
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- 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.
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- Smith (1853) , p. 107 (saying she saw the glistening metal, and estimating the breastplate's value at over 500 dollars).
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- [ATTENTION!] "a few days after..."
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- The Smith home was approached "nearly every night" by villagers hoping to find the chest where Smith said the plates were kept.
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- Salisbury (1895) , p. 15.
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- Correct, per cited sources
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- After hearing that a group of them would attempt to enter the house by force, Smith buried the chest under the hearth,
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- Smith (1853) , p. 108; Harris (1859) , pp. 166–67.
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- Correct, per cited sources
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- and the family was able to scare away the intended intruders.
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- Correct, per cited sources
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- 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.
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- Correct, per cited sources
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- Later, Smith said he took 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,
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- Smith (1853) , pp. 107–09; Harris (1859) , p. 167.
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- [ATTENTION!] "former treasure-seeking associates"
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- who had enlisted one of the men's sisters to find the hiding place by looking in her seer stone.
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- Smith (1853) , p. 109 The seer was the sister of Willard Chase who said she had "found a green glass, through which she could see many very wonderful things".
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- Correct, per cited sources
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