FAIR Topical Guide

Guide Home > Science and Religion > Archaeology > Metal & Metal Plates

Additional Topics

The following are additional topic areas related to Metal & Metal Plates. If there is a bracket number after the topic, that number indicates how many actual articles there are related to that subject. If the link for the topic is not live, it simply means the topic is a 'planned area' for future growth.

FAIR Resources

These links are either to Web pages hosted on the FAIR Website, or to FAIR Papers. FAIR Papers are short articles about specific topics or questions, written by members of FAIR. These articles can be downloaded and read in PDF format and are intended to be distributed by e-mail or print for the general use of our patrons. (To read FAIR Papers you will need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader. It can be downloaded free from the Adobe Web site.) Click on a title below to visit a FAIR Web page or to read the latest version of a FAIR Paper.

"Book of Mormon anachronisms:Metals," FAIR Wiki (City Unknown: FAIR) This FAIR Wiki article examines the claim that the Book of Mormon lists several metals that were unknown in the New World during Book of Mormon times.

Michael R. Ash, "Book of Mormon Anachronisms Part 4: Metals and Metallurgy," (Mesa, Arizona: FAIR, April 2003) A short, pass-along FAIR Brochure that addresses claims of anachronisms in the Book of Mormon. This brochure looks at anachronisms related to the use of metals in the Book of Mormon.

William Hamblin, "Steel in the Book of Mormon," (Mesa, Arizona: FAIR, June 2005) The Book of Mormon's mention "steel" has been seen as anachronistic among the critics. Dr. Hamblin examines the Book of Mormon's use of the term and how linguistical studies justify the use of the term in the Nephite scriptures.

Encyclopedia of Mormonism

The resources listed below are articles available in the Encyclopedia of Mormonism. These links are to information not located on the FAIR Web site.

Grant R. Hardy, "Gold Plates," Encyclopedia of Mormonism, Edited by Daniel H. Ludlow (New York: Macmillan Publishing, 1992), 555

Kirk B. Henrichsen, "How Witnesses Described the "Gold Plates"," JBMS 10:1 (Provo, UT: FARMS, 2001) Henrichsen compiles all the known quotes and comments by witnesses who described the Book of Mormon plates.

Ensign Articles

These articles cited below provide information on the topic of this page. The Ensign is one of the official publications of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. When you click on one of the article links below, you are whisked to the article found in the archives of the Church's Web site.

"Recent Studies on the Book of Mormon," Ensign, June 1989, 50. Metal alloys and metal workers in Mesoamerica, major principles in both the Bible and the Book of Mormon, synagogues in the Book of Mormon, Mulek - son of Zedekiah, American Indian origins, Uto-Aztecan and Semitic languages, Nephi's arrows, early Jewish festivals and King Benjamin's speech.

"Scriptures on 2,600-Year-Old Silver Scrolls Found in Jerusalem," Ensign, June 1987, 56. Scriptures written on metal from the time of Lehi found in Jerusalem.

Paul R. Cheesman, "Ancient Writing on Metal Plates," Ensign, October 1979, 42. People used to laugh at the idea of Joseph Smith's "Golden Bible". Who had ever heard of writing on metal plates? Now many ancient examples of this practice have been found.

Roy W. Doxey, "What was the approximate weight of the gold plates from which the Book of Mormon was translated?," Ensign, December 1986. The Book of Mormon plates may have been made from "tumbaga", a Mesoamerican alloy of gold and copper.

Monte S. Nyman, "Why were the Book of Mormon gold plates not placed in a museum so that people might know Joseph Smith had them?," Ensign, December 1986, 64.

Other Resources

The resources listed below are related items available on the Web that should be of interest. These links are to information not located on the FAIR Web site.

William J. Adams, Jr., "Lehi's Jerusalem and Writing on Metal Plates," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies (Provo: FARMS, 1994), 204-206

William J. Adams, Jr., "More on the Silver Plates from Lehi's Jerusalem," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies (Provo: FARMS, 1995), 136-137

Michael R. Ash, Gold Weight for Book of Mormon Plates.

Michael R. Ash, Metal Plates and Stone Boxes.

Kevin Barney, "On Nephi's Steel Bow," ByCommonConsent.com (2006) Kevin Barney examines the Book of Mormon account wherein Nephi broke his "steel" bow. Was Nephi's bow constructed of "steel" as we know it today? How could the Book of Mormon contain the word "steel" if such a metal was unknown to Nephi? Barney offers some insightful answers.

FARMS, "Out of the Dust: Another Gold Book Found," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies (Provo, UT: FARMS, 2005), 65 A report of the discovery of a gold book from Lehi's mileiu.

William J. Hamblin, "Sacred Writing on Metal Plates in the Ancient Mediterranean," FARMS Review (City Unknown: FARMS), 37-54 Hamblin provides several old world examples of sacred writings on metal plates-- just as we find for the Book of Mormon.

Kirk B. Henrichsen, "How Witnesses Describe the "Gold Plates"," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies (Provo: FARMS, 2001), 16-21

Jeff Lindsay, Metal Plates and the Book of Mormon. In the past critics of the Book of Mormon have attacked the alleged absurdity of the Book of Mormon having been written on golden plates and its claim of the existence of an early sixth century B.C. version of the Hebrew Bible written on brass plates. Today, however, critics almost universally admit that there are numerous examples of ancient writing on metal plates.

Tom Lowery, Jr., Old Testament, Historical, and Archaeological Evidences for Book of Mormon References to Metals.

Wm. Revell Phillips, "Metals in the Book of Mormon," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies (Provo, UT: FARMS, 2000) Wm. Revell Phillips notes some of the highlights of research done in those areas believed to associated with the Lehite's journey in Arabia. Phillips notes that, as described in the Book of Mormon, ore -- for shipbuilding -- was avaible in those very locations.

William R. Phillips, "Metals of the Book of Mormon," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies (Provo: FARMS, 2000), 36-43 What metals may have been available to Nephi when building his ship

Janne M. Sjodahl, "The Book of Mormon Plates," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies (Provo: FARMS, 2001), 22-24 What can we infer about the Book of Mormon plates based on dimensions reported by witnesses?

Gordon C. Thomasson, "Out of the Dust: Ancient Steel Sword Unearthed," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies (Provo, UT: FARMS, 2005), 64 Dr. Thomasson reports the recent discovery of an ancient "steel" sword near Jerusalem (and dating to about the time of Lehi).

W. John Walsh, Why Don't We Have the Gold Plates?.

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