The Geology of Moroni’s Stone Box: Examining the Setting and Resources of Palmyra

Title

The Geology of Moroni’s Stone Box: Examining the Setting and Resources of Palmyra

Publication Type

Journal Article

Year of Publication

2018

Authors

Jordan, Benjamin R. (Primary), and Aston, Warren P. (Primary)

Journal

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

Pagination

233-252

Volume

30

Terms of use

Items in the BMC Archive are made publicly available for non-commercial, private use. Inclusion within the BMC Archive does not imply endorsement. Items do not represent the official views of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or of Book of Mormon Central.

Bibliographic Citation

Abstract

The story of Joseph Smith retrieving gold plates from a stone box on a hillside in upstate New York and translating them into the foundational text of the Restoration is well known among Latter-day Saints. While countless retellings have examined these events in considerable detail, very few have explored the geological aspects involved in this story. In particular, none have discussed in detail the geological materials that would have been required by the Nephite prophet Moroni ca. ad 421 to construct a sealed container able to protect the gold plates from the elements and from premature discovery for some fourteen centuries. This paper reports the outcomes from a field investigation into what resources would have been available to Moroni in the Palmyra area. It was conducted by the authors in New York state in October 2017.

Geology
Archaeology
Palmyra, NY
Moroni (Son of Mormon)
Drumlin

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