Uploaded October 2017 | Updated September 2026, 1 day ago
Joseph Smith claimed that in 1827 an angel named Moroni led him to a set of golden plates which he then translated “by the gift and power of God.” The resulting translation was published in 1830 as the Book of Mormon. Those skeptical of Joseph Smith’s claims sometimes insist that his account of the coming forth of the book is simply too absurd to be taken seriously. Angels, golden plates, seer stones, and a miraculous translation make an easy target for satirists to mock and skeptics to dismiss out of hand.
What is the actual history of the coming forth and translation of the Book of Mormon? Is there any historical evidence for Joseph Smith’s own version of how he produced the book? As described in this video, multiple eyewitnesses left detailed accounts of the miraculous translation process. Not only are their
stories remarkably consistent, but they are supported by scribal evidence from the original manuscript upon which the Book of Mormon was written. When combined together, these evidences strongly support Joseph Smith's testimony about the Book of Mormon's divine origin.
For more information about the translation of the Book of Mormon, read the LDS Church’s Gospel Topics essay here: lds.org/topics/book-of-mormon-translation?lang=eng
For a detailed description of the process by which Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon, read: Michael Hubbard MacKay and Gerrit J. Dirkmaat, From Darkness unto Light: Joseph Smith's Translation and Publication of the Book of Mormon, (Deseret Book and RSC BYU 2015)
See also the KnoWhy articles on the coming forth of the Book of Mormon here: knowhy.bookofmormoncentral.org/content/why-did-the-book-of-mormon-come-forth-as-a-miracle
knowhy.bookofmormoncentral.org/content/why-was-a-stone-used-as-an-aid-in-translating-the-book-of-mormon
knowhy.bookofmormoncentral.org/content/how-important-was-oliver-cowdery-in-bringing-forth-the-book-of-mormon
knowhy.bookofmormoncentral.org/content/how-did-martin-harris-help-bring-forth-the-book-of-mormon
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Video References:
bookofmormoncentral.org/blog/watch-book-of-mormon-translation-evidence
--------------------------
Subscribe to our YouTube channel here: bit.ly/BMCStudios
Like Book of Mormon Central on Facebook here: bit.ly/BofMCFB
Learn more at bookofmormoncentral.org
Joseph Smith claimed that in 1827 an angel named Moroni led him to a set of golden plates which he then translated “by the gift and power of God.” The resulting translation was published in 1830 as the Book of Mormon. Those skeptical of Joseph Smith’s claims sometimes insist that his account of the coming forth of the book is simply too absurd to be taken seriously. Angels, golden plates, seer stones, and a miraculous translation make an easy target for satirists to mock and skeptics to dismiss out of hand.
What is the actual history of the coming forth and translation of the Book of Mormon? Is there any historical evidence for Joseph Smith’s own version of how he produced the book? As described in this video, multiple eyewitnesses left detailed accounts of the miraculous translation process. Not only are their
stories remarkably consistent, but they are supported by scribal evidence from the original manuscript upon which the Book of Mormon was written. When combined together, these evidences strongly support Joseph Smith's testimony about the Book of Mormon's divine origin.
For more information about the translation of the Book of Mormon, read the LDS Church’s Gospel Topics essay here: lds.org/topics/book-of-mormon-translation?lang=eng
For a detailed description of the process by which Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon, read: Michael Hubbard MacKay and Gerrit J. Dirkmaat, From Darkness unto Light: Joseph Smith's Translation and Publication of the Book of Mormon, (Deseret Book and RSC BYU 2015)
See also the KnoWhy articles on the coming forth of the Book of Mormon here: knowhy.bookofmormoncentral.org/content/why-did-the-book-of-mormon-come-forth-as-a-miracle
knowhy.bookofmormoncentral.org/content/why-was-a-stone-used-as-an-aid-in-translating-the-book-of-mormon
knowhy.bookofmormoncentral.org/content/how-important-was-oliver-cowdery-in-bringing-forth-the-book-of-mormon
knowhy.bookofmormoncentral.org/content/how-did-martin-harris-help-bring-forth-the-book-of-mormon
--------------------------
Video References:
bookofmormoncentral.org/blog/watch-book-of-mormon-translation-evidence
--------------------------
Subscribe to our YouTube channel here: bit.ly/BMCStudios
Like Book of Mormon Central on Facebook here: bit.ly/BofMCFB
Learn more at bookofmormoncentral.org
