Author: Richard A. Durrant

Josiah Stowell appears the first person aside from Joseph Smith to catch a glimpse of the plates. This was apparently unknown to Joseph until Brother Stowell testified in court of the experience in June of 1830. Martha Campbell, on December 19, 1843 wrote a letter to Joseph Smith in behalf of Brother Stowell whose health Read more

Read more

The Three Witnesses On June 28, 1829, These three men witnessed the golden plates, presented to them by the Angel Moroni, they also heard the voice of God bearing witness that the translation of the record was correct. Each of these men had fallings out with Joseph Smith and had adequate opportunity to deny their Read more

One of the Gold plates of Darius, Persepolis, Iran ~500 BC “The world’s oldest book” Bound Gold plates, Estrusca, Bulgaria, 660 BC Bilingual Gold plates from Pyrigi, Italy, 500 BC Gold tablet from the Necropolis of Hipponion in Southern Italy, c. 400 BC Gold tablet with Orphic writing from Thessaly, Greece 4th century BC Portion of Copper Scroll Read more

A common criticism of the Book of Mormon is its use of the name Alma, for some this is seen as low hanging fruit, an easy target and evidence of the absurdity of the Book of Mormon. These modern critics however, seem to be completely unaware that archaeological discoveries made over 50 years ago have Read more

See all sources regarding Irreantum As Nephi and his family arrived in their coastal oasis on the Arabian Sea, Nephi recalls “And we beheld the sea, which we called Irreantum, which, being interpreted, is many waters.” (1 Nephi 17:5) Many critics have seen the word “Irreantum” and its translation as ridiculous. In 1838, Origen Bacholer Read more

There are some significant passages missing from the Qumran scroll and/or the KJV Interestingly, many of these refer to the wickedness of the people. At least one verse, 2 Nephi 12:16, includes a phrase not found in either the Qumran scroll of the KJV, but is found in the Greek Septuagint translation which was not Read more

“Only a bogus prophet translates bogus plates”1 That is the claim that has become a mantra for critics regarding the Kinderhook plates. A careful examination of history suggests however, that perhaps such a mantra may be overconfident. The Kinderhook Plates were indeed a 19th-century hoax which attempted to expose Joseph Smith’s perceived inability as a Read more

Faith is not blind. Read more

1 Nephi 20 & Isaiah 48 1 Nephi 21 & Isaiah 49 2 Nephi 2 & Isaiah 2 Read more