History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Volume 1Smith, Joseph, Jr.
Religion
History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Volume 1
Smith, Joseph, Jr.
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; Smith, Joseph, Jr., 1805-1844
Some time in this month of February, the aforementioned Mr. Martin
Harris came to our place, got the characters which I had drawn off
the plates, and started with them to the city of New York. For what
took place relative to him and the {20} characters, I refer to his
own account of the circumstances, as he related them to me after his
return, which was as follows:
I went to the city of New York, and presented the characters
which had been translated, with the translation thereof, to
Professor Charles Anthon, a gentleman celebrated for his literary
attainments. Professor Anthon stated that the translation was
correct, more so than any he had before seen translated from the
Egyptian. I then showed him those which were not yet translated,
and he said that they were Egyptian, Chaldaic, Assyriac, and
Arabic; and he said they were true characters. He gave me a
certificate, certifying to the people of Palmyra that they were
true characters, and that the translation of such of them as had
been translated was also correct. I took the certificate and put
it into my pocket, and was just leaving the house, when Mr. Anthon
called me back, and asked me how the young man found out that there
were gold plates in the place where he found them. I answered that
an angel of God had revealed it unto him.
He then said to me, "Let me see that certificate." I accordingly
took it out of my pocket and gave it to him, when he took it and
tore it to pieces, saying, that there was no such thing now as
ministering of angels, and that if I would bring the plates to him,
he would translate them. I informed him that part of the plates
were sealed, and that I was forbidden to bring them. He replied, "I
cannot read a sealed book." I left him and went to Dr. Mitchell,
who sanctioned what Professor Anthon had said respecting both the
characters and the translation. [3]
[Sidenote: The Loss of 116 Pages of Manuscript.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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