Thursday, December 10, 2009

Why Plates?

“For He said that the history of his people should be engraven upon his other plates, and that I should preserve these plates and hand them down unot my seed from greneration to generation. “ (Jacob 1:3)
This question keeps coming back to me. Why plates? My neighbor tells me that it was because they didn’t have paper back then. Of course that isn’t quite true. The Israelites had been in the habit of writing on paper for a long time, by the time Nephi supposedly came over to the New world. Papyrus was common. Vellum was plentiful. Even the Indians knew how to draw on a buffalo hide. One person told me it was so that they would last and we would have the record today. That doesn’t make sense either as no one has seen these supposed plates in over a hundred years, and it is doubtful anyone ever saw them, as it is doubtful that they ever existed. Yet to this day we have manuscripts of the Old Testament over Two Thousand years old. Seems paper actually outlived the plates.
That is just one of those quandaries. Am I to expect that a culture that could build ships, smith swords, etc. couldn’t figure out how to draw on an animal hide, or tree bark as the Maya did? Where are these plates?

4 comments:

Brigitte said...

I read this to Martin last night and he thought you are being very restrained.

Indeed, the matter of the plates is a huge problem. How can millions believe this scam? Whether something is true or not is of utmost importance. We are not making up our religion as we go and as we like it. It is supposed to be TRUE.

These plates, no one has seen and are nowhere to be seen or examined. How can Joseph Smith not be one of the biggest scoundrels the world has ever seen?

Bror Erickson said...

Restrained, not something I am accused of often. But yes, this episode, this whole thing about plates is funny, if it didn't hold so many souls in the balance. Can I laugh at it? I don't know. Part of me wants to laugh at the gullible that buy into it. But then part of me can't. Christ died for them, and they are walking to hell because of this hoax.

Bror Erickson said...

Say hi to Martin for me.
When is the wedding? Are you busy with all that yet?

Brigitte said...

The wedding is July 17th. Service at Bethel, reception in Fort Saskatchewan. Everything is already organized thanks to management talent of the young people. (would not dare to interfere with their ideas; all matter of taste anyways, "de gustibus" and all that. :) When mother-in-law comes from Afghanistan break we will make invitations.
I'll tell Martin hi. Thanks.