Book of Mormon Evidence: Accounts of the Breastplate

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Abstract

Joseph Smith claimed that when he discovered the plates of the Book of Mormon, he found with them a breastplate, which he used as part of the translation process. Various historical accounts help support these claims.

Joseph Smith claimed that when he discovered the plates of the Book of Mormon, he found with them a “breastplate” (JSH 1:52). This item is never directly mentioned in the text itself, but it could very well be included in the term “interpreters”—two sacred stones which facilitated visionary sight.¹ Whatever the breastplate’s precise origins, the fact that Joseph Smith claimed to discover it along with these seer stones suggests that they anciently belonged together as a set of associated Nephite artifacts.² Importantly, other witnesses also claimed to have viewed the breastplate, and various reports can be found which help shed light on its function and physical appearance.³

Early Critical Sources

Some of the earliest references to the breastplate actually come from anti-Mormon publications. In 1830, the Palmyra Reflector mockingly referenced how “Jo. Smith … obtained the ‘Gold Bible,’ spectacles, and breastplate”⁴ and how the angel declared to him “I will give thee a breastplate.”⁵ Several years later, in his infamous book Mormonism Unvailed, Eber D. Howe gave a similar hearsay account: “They [Joseph Smith and Martin Harris] informed him [Joshua M’Kune] that ‘Smith had found a sword, breastplate, and a pair of spectacles, at the time he found the gold plates’.”⁶

These statements were clearly aimed at ridiculing a narrative that must have been promoted at that time by Joseph Smith or his closest followers. Thus, although antagonistic, they help establish that the story of the breastplate wasn’t simply made up after the fact.

The Three Witnesses

The first known reference to the breastplate from positive sources (and perhaps the first known reference altogether) comes from a revelation given to Joseph Smith before the Book of Mormon was even published. In June of 1829, the Lord gave the following promise to Oliver Cowdery, Martin Harris, and David Whitmer: “Behold, I say unto you, that you must rely upon my word, which if you do with full purpose of heart, you shall have a view of the plates, and also of the breastplate, the sword of Laban, the Urim and Thummim, which were given to the brother of Jared upon the mount” (D&C 17:1).

On several occasions, David Whitmer and Martin Harris reportedly verified that the breastplate was indeed among the Nephite artifacts that they beheld when they saw the plates. William Pilkington had multiple interviews with Harris during their time together in the final years of Harris’s life, and in Pilkington’s various reports of these intimate discussions the breastplate is consistently mentioned.⁷ On one occasion he recorded:

I testify to the World, that I held up [Martin Harris’s] right arm while he bore his dying Testimony that he with the Prophet Joseph Smith did stand in the presence of an angel of God, while he held the Gold Plates in his hands, and turned the leaves over one by one and that he saw the Engravings on the Plates, he also saw the Urim and Thummin, the breastplate and the Sword of Laban.⁸

Likewise, when interviewed by Wilhelm Poulson in 1878, David Whitmer stated, “The Book of Mormon is true, as true as any record can be. I saw the angel, and I saw the sword of Laban, and the breastplate, and the Urim and Thummin, and the plates, and the director, and the angel stood before us, and he turned the leaves one by one.”⁹

Painting of the angel Moroni showing the gold plates to Joseph Smith, Oliver Cowdery, and David Whitmer. Artist unknown.

Although we have no record of Oliver Cowdery giving a similarly direct statement about his own witness of the breastplate, he clearly believed that Joseph Smith possessed this ancient object. In 1835, Cowdery affirmingly reported specific details about the breastplate’s discovery and function (which he most likely learned directly from Joseph Smith himself).¹⁰

Lucy Mack Smith and Hyrum Smith

In addition to the Three Witnesses, there is reason to believe that others also directly witnessed or encountered the breastplate. In Joseph Smith’s own history, he stated that the angel Moroni told him to “not show [the plates of the Book of Mormon] to any person; neither the breastplate with the Urim and Thummim; only to those to whom I should be commanded to show them” (JSH 1:42; emphasis added). This leaves open the possibility that Joseph may have selectively showed some of these items to others if the Lord permitted him to do so.¹¹

One interesting account comes from a letter written by Sally Parker, dated to August 1838. Sally was at a meeting in which she reported Hyrum Smith as making the following claims:

He said he had seen the plates with his eyes and handled them with his hands and he saw a breastplate and he told how it was made. It was fixed for the breast of a man with a holer [hollow or concave] stomach and two pieces upon each side with a hole through them to put in a string to tie it on but that was not so good gold as the plates for that was pure.¹²

It is unknown precisely when Hyrum may have obtained such intimate knowledge, but it could have been soon after Joseph’s procurement of the plates. Similar reports come from Lucy Mack Smith (Joseph Smith’s mother), who gave her own accounts of how Joseph obtained the breastplate and his physical efforts to keep it safe from his enemies.¹³

In 1842, Henry Caswall reported Lucy as saying, “I have likewise carried in my hands the sacred breastplate. It is composed of pure gold, and is made to fit the breast very exactly.”¹⁴ Another description is given in Lucy’s famous Biographical Sketches. She reported that soon after Joseph obtained the plates, he urgently pestered Lucy to come down from her work (in the upper room of the house) and see something. She said that when she finally gave in, “he handed me the breastplate spoken of in his history.” Her description that follows gets quite specific:

It was wrapped in a thin muslin handkerchief, so thin that I could see the glistening metal, and ascertain its proportions without any difficulty.
It was concave on one side, and convex on the other, and extended from the neck downwards, as far as the center of the stomach of a man of extraordinary size. It had four straps of the same material, for the purpose of fastening it to the breast, two of which ran back to go over the shoulders, and the other two were designed to fasten to the hips. They were just the width of two of my fingers, (for I measured them,) and they had holes in the end of them, to be convenient in fastening.
The whole plate was worth at least five hundred dollars: after I had examined it, Joseph placed it in the chest with the Urim and Thummim.¹⁵

Comparing the reported statements from Hyrum and Lucy reveals a notable degree of consistency, which may be seen, at least to some extent, as mutual validation:¹⁶

Lucy Mack Smith

Hyrum Smith

“… and he shewed him the golden breastplate of the high priesthood. … I have likewise carried in my hands the sacred breastplate. It is composed of pure gold, and is made to fit the breast very exactly.”¹⁷

“It was wrapped in a thin muslin handkerchief, so thin that I could see the glistening metal, and ascertain its proportions without any difficulty.

It was concave on one side, and convex on the other, and extended from the neck downwards, as far as the center of the stomach of a man of extraordinary size. It had four straps of the same material, for the purpose of fastening it to the breast, two of which ran back to go over the shoulders, and the other two were designed to fasten to the hips. They were just the width of two of my fingers, (for I measured them,) and they had holes in the end of them, to be convenient in fastening.”¹⁸

“He said he had seen the plates with his eyes and handled them with his hands and he saw a breastplate and he told how it was made. It was fixed for the breast of a man with a holer [hollow or concave] stomach and two pieces upon each side with a hole through them to put in a string to tie it on but that was not so good gold as the plates for that was pure.”¹⁹

“Joseph, Hyrum, Cowdery & Whitmer went to the Hill Cumorah. As they were walking up the hill, a door opened and they walked into a room about 16ft square. In that room was an angel and a trunk. On that trunk lay a book of Mormon & gold plates, Laban’s sword, Aaron’s breastplate.”²⁰

Additional Reports

Joseph Smith’s sister, Katharine Smith Salisbury, remembered that Joseph told his family about the breastplate before he even retrieved it: “I well remember the trials my brother had, before he obtained the records. After he had the vision, he went frequently to the hill, and upon returning would tell us, ‘I have seen the records, also the brass plates and the sword of Laban with the breastplate and interpreters’.”²¹ Aside from the accounts of the breastplate’s discovery given by Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, additional (second- or third-hand) reports relaying similar details come from Orson Pratt²² and Truman Coe.²³

Joseph’s brother, William Smith, gave another detailed account of the breastplate’s physical appearance:

He also said the Urim and Thummim was attached to the breastplate by a rod which was fastened at the outer shoulder edge of the breastplate and to the end of the silver bow. This rod was just the right length so that when the Urim and Thummim was removed from before the eyes it would reach to a [pocket?] on the left side of the breastplate where the instrument was kept when not in use by the seer. I was not informed whether it was detachable from the breastplate or not. From the fact that Joseph often had it with him and sometimes when at work, I am of the opinion that it could be detached.24

This statement agrees with Joseph’s much earlier claim in 1838 that “there were two stones in silver bows—and these stones, fastened to a breastplate, constituted what is called the Urim and Thummim” (JSH 1:35; emphasis added).²⁵

Conclusion

When viewed collectively, several lines of evidence help support Joseph Smith’s claim that, in addition to the plates of the Book of Mormon, an angel delivered into his possession an ancient breastplate:

Anti-Mormon publications from the early 1830s ridiculed the story of the breastplate, strongly implying that it was accepted as real and authentic by Joseph Smith and his early followers.
In 1829, Joseph Smith received a revelation in which the Three Witnesses were promised a view of several ancient Nephite artifacts, including a breastplate (D&C 17:1).
Both Martin Harris and David Whitmer reportedly stated that they had seen the breastplate, in connection with their witness of the plates of the Book of Mormon.
In a first-hand document dated to 1835, Oliver Cowdery related the story of how Joseph Smith obtained the breastplate, thus affirming Cowdery’s belief in the relic.
None of the Three Witnesses ever denied seeing the breastplate that they were promised to behold in D&C 17:1.
Reports exist from two of Joseph Smith’s family members—Lucy Mack Smith and Hyrum Smith—claiming that they personally witnessed the breastplate. Their reports are fairly detailed and agree in several particulars.
Two other members of the Smith family—William Smith and Katharine Smith Salisbury—provided additional information on the breastplate. They also add to the number of witnesses who (1) knew Joseph Smith well, (2) were there when Joseph first brought the breastplate home, and (3) apparently believed in its existence.
Several other second-hand or third-hand reports of the breastplate were given by individuals like Truman Coe and Orson Pratt.

There are still questions that remain about this ancient Nephite artifact, its origins, its precise physical appearance, and its role during the early stages of the translation. Yet it is clear that those close to Joseph Smith during the translation of the Book of Mormon believed he possessed this item, either because they believed in his word, saw his efforts to protect it from mobs, or witnessed it for themselves.²⁶

Although Lucy Mack Smith’s accounts of the breastplate come from late reminiscences, it seems safe to say that she was impressed by this item (as she apparently valued its worth at no less than 500 dollars). Whether it was made of pure gold as Lucy stated, or from a gold alloy as Hyrum’s statements seem to imply, or from some other metal, it would not likely have been an easy artifact for Joseph Smith to forge himself. The cost of the metal alone would have been significant, not to mention the skill needed to shape its contours to fit a human body.

At the very least, it adds one more seemingly ancient metallic relic that Joseph Smith would have been required to manufacture if he were indeed the conman that many of his critics assume. How he was able to produce a large stack of engraved gold-alloy plates, a gold-hilted sword, a brass (or bronze) ball with pointers, and a metallic (possibly gold or gold-alloy) breastplate has never been fully explained by those skeptical of his prophetic calling.²⁷ Accounts of the breastplate’s existence therefore lend support to Joseph Smith’s claims about his miraculous discovery and translation of the Book of Mormon. For a chart detailing the relevant sources and statements about the breastplate, see the Appendix.

Further Reading

Don Bradley, The Lost 116 Pages: Reconstructing the Book of Mormon’s Missing Stories (Salt Lake City, UT: Greg Kofford Books, 2019), 51–52, 254–257.

Daniel C. Peterson, “Tangible Restoration: The Witnesses and What They Experienced,” Fair Conference, 2006, online at fairlatterdaysaints.org.

Daniel C. Peterson, “Editor’s Introduction: ‘In the Hope That Something Will Stick’: Changing Explanations for the Book of Mormon,” FARMS Review 16, no. 2 (2004): xi–xxxv.

Appendix

Date	Sources	Statement²⁸
1829	Revelation ↓ Joseph Smith	Behold I say unto you that you must rely upon my word which if you do with full purpose of heart you shall have a view of the plate and also the breastplate the sword of Laban the Urim and Thumim which was given to the brother of Jared upon the mount when he talked with the Lord face to face²⁹
1830	Unknown ↓ Palmyra Reflector	Now the rest of the acts of the magician, how his mantle fell upon the prophet Jo. Smith Jun. and how Jo. made a league with the Spirit, who afterwards turned out to be an angel, and how he obtained the “Gold Bible,” Spectacles, and breastplate—will they not be faithfully recorded in the book of Pukei?³⁰
1830	Unknown ↓ Palmyra Reflector	“And lo! I answered the spirit of the money diggers saying, how can these things be, as I can neither read nor write? And he said unto me: “I will give thee a breastplate, to keep thee from evil, and I will send thee an assistant, even Oliver, the pedagogue.”³¹
1834	Joseph Smith + Martin Harris ↓ Joshua M’Kune ↓ Eber Howe	Joshua M’Kune states, that he “was acquainted with Joseph Smith Jr. and Martin Harris, during their residence in Harmony, Pa., and knew them to be artful seducers;”—That they informed him that “Smith had found a sword, breastplate, and a pair of spectacles, at the time he found the gold plates”³²
1835	Oliver Cowdery	This box was sufficiently large to admit a breastplate, such as was used by the ancients to defend the chest, &c. from the arrows and weapons of their enemy. From the bottom of the box, or from the breastplate, arose three small pillars composed of the same description of cement used on the edges³³
1836	Truman Coe	An angel descended and warned [Joseph Smith] that God was about to make an astonishing revelation to the world, and then directed him to go to such a place, and after prying up a stone he should find a number of plates of the color of gold inscribed with hieroglyphics, and under them a breastplate, and under that a transparent stone or stones which was the Urim and Thummin mentioned by Moses.³⁴
1838	Joseph Smith	He also said that … there were two stones in silver bows and these (stones fastened to a breastplate) constituted what is called the Urim & Thummin deposited with the plates, and the possession and use of these stones was what constituted seers in ancient or former times … Again he told me that when I got those plates of which he had spoken (for the time that they should be obtained was not yet fulfilled) I should not show them to any person, neither the breastplate with the Urim and Thummin only to those to whom I should be commanded to show them… Having removed the earth and obtained a lever which I got fixed under the edge of the stone, and with a little exertion raised it up, I looked in and there indeed did I behold the plates, the Urim and Thummin and the breastplate as stated by the messenger.³⁵
1838	Hyrum Smith ↓ Sally Parker	He said he had seen the plates with his eyes and handled them with his hands and he saw a breastplate and he told how it was made. It was fixed for the breast of a man with a holer [hollow or concave] stomach and two pieces upon each side with a hole through them to put in a string to tie it on but that was not so good gold as the plates for that was pure.³⁶
1840	Orson Pratt	A hole of sufficient depth had been dug, and a flat stone laid in the bottom; then there were four set erect, at the outer edges of the bottom stone, joined together by some kind of cement, so as to form a box. On the bottom stone was laid a shield or breastplate, from that arose three pillars formed of cement. On the top of these pillars lay the record, together with the “Urim and Thummim.”³⁷
1840	Orson Pratt ↓ William Appleby	It is to be observed, also, that the inner surfaces of the four erect or side stones, were smooth. This box was sufficiently large to admit a breastplate, such as was used by the ancients, to defend the chest, &c., from the arrows and weapons of their enemy. From the bottom of the box, or from the breastplate, arose three small pillars, composed of the same description of cement used on the edges; and upon these three pillars were placed the records.³⁸
1842	Joseph Smith	The whole book exhibited many marks of antiquity in its construction and much skill in the art of engraving. With the records was found a curious instrument which the ancients called “Urim and Thummim,” which consisted of two transparent stones set in the rim of a bow fastened to a breastplate.³⁹
1842	Lucy Smith ↓ Henry Caswall	He shewed him also the Urim and Thummim, by which he might understand the meaning of the inscriptions on the plates, and he shewed him the golden breastplate of the high priesthood. My son received these precious gifts, he interpreted the holy record, and now the believers in that revelation are more than a hundred thousand in number. I have myself seen and handled the golden plates; they are about eight inches long, and six wide; some of them are sealed together and are not to be opened, and some of them are loose. They are all connected by a ring which passes through a hole at the end of each plate, and are covered with letters beautifully engraved. I have seen and felt also the Urim and Thummim. They resemble two large bright diamonds set in a bow like a pair of spectacles. My son puts these over his eyes when he reads unknown languages, and they enable him to interpret them in English. I have likewise carried in my hands the sacred breastplate. It is composed of pure gold, and is made to fit the breast very exactly.⁴⁰
1853	Lucy Smith ↓ Martha Coray	I told him, that I could not leave my work just then, yet, upon his urgent request, I finally concluded to go down, and see what he wanted, upon which he handed me the breastplate spoken of in his history. It was wrapped in a thin muslin handkerchief, so thin that I could see the glistening metal, and ascertain its proportions without any difficulty. It was concave on one side, and convex on the other, and extended from the neck downwards, as far as the centre of the stomach of a man of extraordinary size. It had four straps of the same material, for the purpose of fastening it to the breast, two of which ran back to go over the shoulders, and the other two were designed to fasten to the hips. They were just the width of two of my fingers, (for I measured them,) and they had holes in the end of them, to be convenient in fastening. The whole plate was worth at least five hundred dollars: after I had examined it, Joseph placed it in the chest with the Urim and Thummim.⁴¹
1853	Lucy Smith ↓ Martha Coray	Joseph told him his apprehensions of a mob being there that night, and that they must prepare themselves to drive them away; but, that the first thing to be attended to, was to secure the Record and breastplate. In view of this, it was determined that a portion of the hearth should be taken up, and that the Record and breastplate should be buried under the same, and then the hearth be relaid, to prevent suspicion.⁴²
1853	Lucy Smith ↓ Martha Coray	Joseph, in a short time, arranged his affairs, and was ready for the journey. The record and breastplate for security, he nailed up in a box and then put them into a strong cask; and after filling the cask with beans, headed it up again.⁴³
1855	Hyrum Smith ↓ W. W. Phelps ↓ William Dame	Joseph, Hyrum, Cowdery & Whitmer went to the Hill Cumorah. As they were walking up the hill, a door opened and they walked into a room about 16ft square. In that room was an angel and a trunk. On that trunk lay a book of Mormon & gold plates, Laban’s sword, Aaron’s breastplate.⁴⁴
1878	David Whitmer ↓ Wilhelm Poulson	The Book of Mormon is true, as true as any record can be. I saw the angel, and I saw the sword of Laban, and the breastplate, and the Urim and Thummin, and the plates, and the director, and the angel stood before us, and he turned the leaves one by one.⁴⁵
1879	John Whitmer ↓ Zenas Gurley ↓ S. F. Walker	When the work of translation was going on he sat at one table with his writing material and Joseph at another with the breastplate and Urim and Thummim. The latter were attached to the breastplate and were two crystals or glasses, into which he looked and saw the words of the book.⁴⁶
1884	David Whitmer ↓ St. Louis Republican	Joseph Smith dictated every word in the book. The understanding we have about it was that when the book was discovered an angel was present and pointed the place out. In translating from the plates, Joseph Smith looked through the Urim and Thummim, consisting of two transparent pebbles set in the rim of a bow, fastened to a breastplate. He dictated by looking through them to his scribes.⁴⁷
1886	Joseph Smith ↓ Katharine Smith Salisbury	I well remember the trials my brother had, before he obtained the records. After he had the vision, he went frequently to the hill, and upon returning would tell us, “I have seen the records, also the brass plates and the sword of Laban with the breast plate and interpreters.”⁴⁸
1893	Oliver Cowdery ↓ David Whitmer ↓ Edward Stevenson	Oliver Cowdery told him that the prophet Joseph and himself had seen this room and that it was filled with treasure, and on a table therein were the breastplate and the sword of Laban, as well as the portion of gold plates not yet translated, and that these plates were bound by three small gold rings.⁴⁹
1921	William Smith ↓ J. W. Peterson	By putting his head in a hat or some dark object it was not necessary to close one eye while looking through the stone with the other. In that way sometimes when his eyes grew tired he relieved them of the strain. He also said the Urim and Thummim was attached to the breastplate by a rod which was fastened at the outer shoulder edge of the breastplate and to the end of the silver bow. This rod was just the right length so that when the Urim and Thummim was removed from before the eyes it would reach to a [pocket?] on the left side of the breastplate where the instrument was kept when not in use by the seer. I was not informed whether it was detachable from the breastplate or not. From the fact that Joseph often had it with him and sometimes when at work, I am of the opinion that it could be detached.⁵⁰
1930	Martin Harris ↓ William Pilkington	I testify to the World, that I held up his right arm while he bore his dying testimony that he with the Prophet Joseph Smith did stand in the presence of an angel of God, while he held the gold plates in his hands, and turned the leaves over one by one and that he saw the Engravings on the plates, he also saw the Urim and Thummin, the breastplate and the Sword of Laban⁵¹
1930	Martin Harris ↓ William Pilkington	I saw the gold plates as he held them in his hands. I heard his voice. I saw the Urim and Thummim. I saw the breastplate. I also saw the sword of Laban.⁵²
1934	Martin Harris ↓ William Pilkington	Just as sure as you see the Sun shining, just as sure am I that I stood in the presence of an angel of God with Joseph Smith, and saw him hold the gold plates in his hands. I also saw the Urim and Thummim, the breastplate, and the sword of Laban.⁵³
1934	Martin Harris ↓ William Pilkington	I did go in the Woods with Joseph Smith, Oliver Cowdery and David Whitmer and beheld an angel descend from heaven in a dazzling light of glory, and stood about two feet from the ground, I saw the gold plates. I saw him turn the leaves over one by one, I saw the Urim and Thummim, the breastplate, and the sword of Laban.⁵⁴

Relevant Scriptures

JSH 1:35

JSH 1:42

JSH 1:52

Endnotes

^1. See Mosiah 8:13–19; 28:13–16; Alma 37:21–24; Ether 4:5. This proposed association would be similar to the description of the Urim and Thummim given by Joseph Smith: “there were two stones in silver bows—and these stones, fastened to a breastplate, constituted what is called the Urim and Thummim—deposited with the plates” (JSH 1:35). For information on the relationship between the Nephite interpreters and the biblical Urim and Thummim, see Evidence Central, “Book of Mormon Evidence: Similarities between the Nephite Interpreters and the Urim and Thummim,” Evidence# 0005, September 19, 2020, online at evidencecentral.org.
^2. Don Bradley has argued that the origin story of the Nephite interpreters was most likely contained on the lost 116 pages, which would account for the way they suddenly show up in the text with so little explanation (Mosiah 8:13). See Don Bradley, The Lost 116 Pages: Reconstructing the Book of Mormon’s Missing Stories (Salt Lake City, UT: Greg Kofford Books, 2019), 254–257. If true, this same origin story may also have explained the nature of the breastplate. On the other hand, one might assume that the breastplate once belonged to Laban and that Nephi obtained it when he retrieved the brass plates. Without more textual data, the true origin of this artifact simply can’t be reliably traced.
^3. Many accounts of the breastplate are given below. In the majority of instances, spelling and punctuation has been silently corrected or standardized for the sake of easier readability. Those interested in more precisely accurate transcriptions should consult the linked sources in the endnotes.
^4. “The Book of Pukei.—Chap. 1,” The Reflector, June 12, 1830, 36–37.
^5. “The Book of Pukei.—Chap. 2,” The Reflector, July 7, 1830, 60.
^6. Eber D. Howe, Mormonism Unvailed (Painesville, OH: By the Author, 1834), 267–68.
^7. See Dan Vogel, ed., Early Mormon Documents, 5 vols. (Salt Lake City, UT: Signature Books, 1996–2003), 2:352–358.
^8. William Pilkington to Vern C. Poulter, 28 February 1930, LDS Church Archives, Salt Lake City, Utah; cited in Vogel, Early Mormon Documents, 2:352.
^9. P. Wilhelm Poulson to Editor, 13 August 1878, Deseret Evening News, 16 August 1878; cited in Vogel, Early Mormon Documents, 5:38. Whitmer left another account of the breastplate—although, in this case, from second-hand knowledge—with an interview from the St. Louis Republican: “The understanding we have about it was that when the book was discovered an angel was present and pointed the place out. In translating from the plates, Joseph Smith looked through the Urim and Thummim, consisting of two transparent pebbles set in the rim of a bow, fastened to a breastplate. He dictated by looking through them to his scribes.” St. Louis Republican, July 16, 1884; cited in Lyndon W. Cook, ed., David Whitmer Interviews (Orem, UT: Grandin Press, 1991), 143; cited in John W. Welch, “The Miraculous Timing of the Translation of the Book of Mormon,” in Opening the Heavens: Accounts of Divine Manifestations, 1820–1844, 2nd edition, ed. John W. Welch (Salt Lake City and Provo, UT: Deseret Book and BYU Press, 2017), 171 (doc. 93).
^10. Oliver Cowdery to W. W. Phelps, October 1835, “Letter VIII,” Latter Day Saint’' Messenger and Advocate 2 (October 1835): 195–202; cited in Dan Vogel, ed., Early Mormon Documents, 5 vols. (Salt Lake City, UT: Signature Books, 1996–2003), 2:456: “This box [in which Joseph Smith discovered the plates] was sufficiently large to admit a breastplate, such as was used by the ancients to defend the chest, &c. from the arrows and weapons of their enemy. From the bottom of the box, or from the breastplate, arose three small pillars composed of the same description of cement used on the edges.” See also, Truman Coe to Mr. Editor, Ohio Observer (Hudson, Ohio), 11 August 1836. Reprinted in the Cincinnati Journal and Western Luminary, 25 August 1836; in Vogel, Early Mormon Documents, 1:47; William I. Appleby, “Biography and Journal of William I. Appleby, Elder in the Church of Latter Day Saints,” 1848, 30–33, LDS Church Archives, Salt Lake City, Utah; cited in Vogel, Early Mormon Documents, 1:148; Orson Pratt, A Interesting Account of Several Remarkable Visions and of the Late of Discovery of Ancient American Records (Edinburgh: Ballantyne and Hughes, 1840); cited in Vogel, Early Mormon Documents, 1:154.
^11. A somewhat similar exception to the general rule can be seen in Mary Whitmer’s witness of the plates, which occurred even before the Three Witnesses had their miraculous viewing. See Amy Easton-Flake and Rachel Cope, “A Multiplicity of Witnesses: Women and the Translation Process,” in The Coming Forth of the Book of Mormon: A Marvelous Work and a Wonder, ed. Dennis L. Largey, Andrew H. Hedges, John Hilton III, and Kerry Hull (Salt Lake City and Provo, UT: Deseret Book and BYU Religious Studies Center, 2015), 133–153; Glenn Rawson, “Mother Whitmer and the Angel” in Signs, Wonders, and Miracles: Extraordinary Stories from Early Latter-day Saints, ed. Glenn Rawson and Dennis Lyman (American Fork, UT: Covenant Communications, 2015), 169–171; Royal Skousen, “Another Account of Mary Whitmer’s Viewing of the Golden Plates,” Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 10 (2014): 35–44.
^12. Sally Parker to John Kempton, 26 August 1838, microfilm, Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah; a portion cited in R. L. Anderson 1981, 159; cited in Vogel, Early Mormon Documents, 466; bracketed insertion follows Vogel. It is also possible that Hyrum’s encounter with the breastplate came during a later visionary experience. In a late, third-hand account, it is reported that Joseph and Hyrum Smith, along with Oliver Cowdery, saw the breastplate along with other Nephite artifacts. See William H. Dame, Journal, 14 January 1855, typescript, Special Collections, Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah; cited in Vogel, Early Mormon Documents, 3:380. Reports of this experience, however, should be regarded with a good deal of caution, as the first accounts come many years later and are all third- or second-hand. Whether it was a literal cave in New York or whether they were transported to another cave (in person or in vision) is not clear from the available accounts. See Cameron J. Packer, “Cumorah’s Cave,” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 13, no. 1–2 (2004): 50–57, 170–171.
^13. See Lucy Smith, Biographical Sketches of Joseph Smith the Prophet, and His Progenitors for many Generations (Liverpool: S. W. Richards, 1853), 36–173; cited in Vogel, Early Mormon Documents, 1:335–341, 349.
^14. Henry Caswall, The City of the Mormons; or Three Days at Nauvoo in 1842 (London: Printed for J. G. F. & J. Rivington, 1842), 26–27; reprinted in “The Mormons,” The Visitor, or Monthly Instructor, For 1842, vol. 2 (London: The Religious Tract Society, 1842), 407; cited in Vogel, Early Mormon Documents, 1:220–221.
^15. Lucy Smith, Biographical Sketches of Joseph Smith the Prophet, and His Progenitors for many Generations (Liverpool: S. W. Richards, 1853), 36–173; cited in Vogel, Early Mormon Documents, 1:339–340.
^16. Much caution still needs to be had in regard to these statements. Both are second-hand and were recorded years after the witnesses would have viewed the object. It should also be noted that in some instances, the accounts emphasize different details or in some way disagree. For instance, the “breastplate of the high priesthood” in Lucy’s account parallels “Aaron’s breastplate” in Hyrum’s account, but aren’t precisely the same. Also, whereas Lucy’s account says the breastplate was made of “pure” gold, Hyrum’s account specifically says it wasn’t “pure” gold. The fact that the purity of the gold is being spoken of at all, however, may indicate a shared original context informing their discussions and perceptions of the item.
^17. Henry Caswall, The City of the Mormons; or Three Days at Nauvoo in 1842 (London: Printed for J. G. F. & J. Rivington, 1842), 26–27; reprinted in “The Mormons,” The Visitor, or Monthly Instructor, For 1842, vol. 2 (London: The Religious Tract Society, 1842), 407; cited in Vogel, Early Mormon Documents, 1:220–221.
^18. Lucy Smith, Biographical Sketches of Joseph Smith the Prophet, and His Progenitors for many Generations (Liverpool: S. W. Richards, 1853), 36–173; cited in Vogel, Early Mormon Documents, 1:339–340.
^19. Sally Parker to John Kempton, 26 August 1838, microfilm, Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah; a portion cited in R. L. Anderson 1981, 159; cited in Vogel, Early Mormon Documents, 466. Bracketed material inserted by Vogel.
^20. William H. Dame, Journal, 14 January 1855, typescript, Special Collections, Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah; cited in Vogel, Early Mormon Documents, 3:380. Note that this account reportedly involves Hyrum Smith relaying information to W. W. Phelps, whose words were recorded by William Dame. Thus it amounts to late, third-hand hearsay. It is included here because it contains information from Hyrum that is consistent with Lucy Smith’s understanding of the breastplates priestly function. However, it should be viewed with a good deal of caution. It is just one of many late hearsay reminiscences about early Church leaders entering a cave filled with Nephite artifacts. The varying reports disagree on several details, and it is difficult to tell whether the experience was natural or visionary in nature. For further information, see Cameron J. Packer, “Cumorah’s Cave,” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 13, no. 1–2 (2004): 50–57, 170–171; Book of Mormon Central, “Where is the Location of the Hill Cumorah? (Mormon 6:6),” KnoWhy 489 (November 29, 2018).
^21. Katharine Smith Salisbury to “Dear Sisters,” 10 March 1886, Saints’ Herald 33 (1 May 1886): 260; cited in Vogel, Early Mormon Documents, 1:521.
^22. William I. Appleby, “Biography and Journal of William I. Appleby, Elder in the Church of Latter Day Saints,” 1848, 30–33, LDS Church Archives, Salt Lake City, Utah; cited in Vogel, Early Mormon Documents, 1:148; Orson Pratt, A Interesting Account of Several Remarkable Visions and of the Late of Discovery of Ancient American Records (Edinburgh: Ballantyne and Hughes, 1840); cited in Vogel, Early Mormon Documents, 1:154.
^23. Truman Coe to Mr. Editor, Ohio Observer (Hudson, Ohio), 11 August 1836; reprinted in the Cincinnati Journal and Western Luminary, 25 August 1836; in Vogel, Early Mormon Documents, 1:47.
^24. “Statement of J. W. Peterson Concerning William Smith,” 1 May 1921, Miscellaneous Letters and Papers, RLDS Church Library-Archives, Independence, Missouri; cited in Vogel, Early Mormon Documents, 1:508–509. It sounds likely that William got this information second-hand from someone else (probably Joseph Smith or another insider witness to the translation), considering his mention of not being “informed” about whether the rod was detachable.
^25. An account from 1879 reports that John Whitmer similarly established a physical link between the breastplate and interpreters: “When the work of translation was going on [John] sat at one table with his writing material and Joseph at another with the breastplate and Urim and Thummim. The latter were attached to the breastplate and were two crystals or glasses, into which he looked and saw the words of the book.” S. F. Walker, “Synopsis of a Discourse Delivered at Lamoni, Iowa,” Saints’ Herald 26 (December 15, 1879): 370; cited in Welch, “The Miraculous Timing of the Translation of the Book of Mormon,” 179 (doc 104). However, readers should be aware that although John Whitmer was one of the scribes who helped record Joseph Smith’s dictation of the Book of Mormon, this account conflicts with other reports about the nature of the translation at the Whitmer home. Witnesses predominately describe this phase of the translation as involving Joseph Smith peering into a seer stone which he placed in a hat, rather than him using the breastplate and interpreters. It is likely that this confusion is due to this being a late hearsay report (S. F. Walker reporting what Zenas B. Gurley heard from John Whitmer). In other words, while the report corroborates other accounts about the breastplate being attached to the Nephite interpreters, it should be viewed with skepticism where it flatly contradicts other more reliable reports.
^26. For Joseph Smith’s honesty and reliability as a young man, see Richard Lloyd Anderson, “The Trustworthiness of Young Joseph Smith,” The Improvement Era 73, no. 10 (1970): 82–89.
^27. See Daniel C. Peterson, “Tangible Restoration: The Witnesses and What They Experienced,” Fair Conference, 2006, online at fairlatterdaysaints.org; Daniel C. Peterson, “Editor’s Introduction: ‘In the Hope That Something Will Stick’: Changing Explanations for the Book of Mormon,” FARMS Review 16, no. 2 (2004): xxviii.
^28. Spelling and punctuation silently corrected or adjusted for most documents. Those interested in comparing with original transcriptions can click on the linked sources.
^29. Revelation, June 1829–E [D&C 17], p. 119, The Joseph Smith Papers, accessed August 29, 2023, online at josephsmithpapers.org. See also, D&C 17:1–5.
^30. “The Book of Pukei.—Chap. 1,” Reflector, June 12, 1830, 36–37.
^31. “The Book of Pukei.—Chap. 2,” Reflector, July 7, 1830, 60.
^32. Eber D. Howe, Mormonism Unvailed (Painesville, OH: By the Author, 1834), 267–68.
^33. Oliver Cowdery to W. W. Phelps, October 1835, “Letter VIII,” Latter Day Saint’' Messenger and Advocate 2 (October 1835): 195–202; cited in Dan Vogel, ed., Early Mormon Documents, 5 vols. (Salt Lake City, UT: Signature Books, 1996–2003), 2:456. Spelling and punctuation silently adjusted.
^34. Truman Coe to Mr. Editor, Ohio Observer (Hudson, Ohio), 11 August 1836; reprinted in the Cincinnati Journal and Western Luminary, 25 August 1836; in Vogel, Early Mormon Documents, 1:47.
^35. History, 1838–1856, volume A-1 [23 December 1805–30 August 1834], pp. 5–7, The Joseph Smith Papers, accessed August 29, 2023, online at josephsmithpapers.org.
^36. Sally Parker to John Kempton, 26 August 1838, microfilm, Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah; a portion cited in R. L. Anderson 1981, 159; cited in Vogel, Early Mormon Documents, 466.
^37. William I. Appleby, “Biography and Journal of William I. Appleby, Elder in the Church of Latter Day Saints,” 1848, 30–33, LDS Church Archives, Salt Lake City, Utah; cited in Vogel, Early Mormon Documents, 1:148.
^38. Orson Pratt, A Interesting Account of Several Remarkable Visions and of the Late of Discovery of Ancient American Records (Edinburgh: Ballantyne and Hughes, 1840); cited in Vogel, Early Mormon Documents, 1:154.
^39. Joseph Smith to John Wentworth, Times and Seasons (Nauvoo, Illinois) 3 (1 March 1842): 706–708, 110; cited in cited in Vogel, Early Mormon Documents, 1:171. See also Joseph Smith, “Latter Day Saints,” in An Original History of the Religious Denominations at Present Existing in the United States, comp. I. Daniel Rupp (Philadelphia: James Y. Humphreys, 1844), 406, available on Church Historian’s Press, The Joseph Smith Papers, http://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/latter-day-saints-1844/3.
^40. Henry Caswall, The City of the Mormons; or Three Days at Nauvoo in 1842 (London: Printed for J. G. F. & J. Rivington, 1842), 26–27; reprinted in “The Mormons,” The Visitor, or Monthly Instructor, For 1842, vol. 2 (London: The Religious Tract Society, 1842), 407; cited in Vogel, Early Mormon Documents, 1:220–221.
^41. Lucy Smith, Biographical Sketches of Joseph Smith the Prophet, and His Progenitors for many Generations (Liverpool: S. W. Richards, 1853), 36–173; cited in Vogel, Early Mormon Documents, 1:339–340.
^42. Lucy Smith, Biographical Sketches of Joseph Smith the Prophet, and His Progenitors for many Generations (Liverpool: S. W. Richards, 1853), 36–173; cited in Vogel, Early Mormon Documents, 1:340–341.
^43. Lucy Smith, Biographical Sketches of Joseph Smith the Prophet, and His Progenitors for many Generations (Liverpool: S. W. Richards, 1853), 36–173; cited in Vogel, Early Mormon Documents, 1:349.
^44. William H. Dame, Journal, 14 January 1855, typescript, Special Collections, Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah; cited in Vogel, Early Mormon Documents, 3:380.
^45. P. Wilhelm Poulson to Editor, 13 August 1878, Deseret Evening News, 16 August 1878; cited in Vogel, Early Mormon Documents, 5:38.
^46. S. F. Walker, “Synopsis of a Discourse Delivered at Lamoni, Iowa,” Saints’ Herald 26 (December 15, 1879): 370; cited in Welch, “The Miraculous Timing of the Translation of the Book of Mormon,” 179 (doc 104).
^47. St. Louis Republican, July 16, 1884; cited in Lyndon W. Cook, ed., David Whitmer Interviews (Orem, UT: Grandin Press, 1991), 143; cited in Welch, “The Miraculous Timing of the Translation of the Book of Mormon,” 171.
^48. Katharine Smith Salisbury to “Dear Sisters,” 10 March 1886, Saints’ Herald 33 (1 May 1886): 260; cited in Vogel, Early Mormon Documents, 1:521.
^49. Edward Stevenson, Reminiscences of Joseph the Prophet, and the Coming Forth of The Book of Mormon (Salt Lake City, UT: N.p., 1893), 14.
^50. “Statement of J. W. Peterson Concerning William Smith,” 1 May 1921, Miscellaneous Letters and Papers, RLDS Church Library-Archives, Independence, Missouri; cited in Vogel, Early Mormon Documents, 1:508–509.
^51. William Pilkington to Vern C. Poulter, 28 February 1930, LDS Church Archives, Salt Lake City, Utah; cited in Vogel, Early Mormon Documents, 2:352.
^52. William Pilkington, “Martin Harris’ Dying Testimony Reported by Man at His Side,” Deseret News, 9 April 1930, 6; cited in Vogel, Early Mormon Documents, 2:353.
^53. William Pilkington, “The Dying Testimony of Martin Harris, As Given to William Pilkington By Martin Harris Himself In Clarkston, Cache County, Utah,” Affidavit, 3 April 1934, LDS Church Archives, Salt Lake City, Utah. Last portion of affidavit published in Deseret News, 5 May 1934; cited in Vogel, Early Mormon Documents, 2:355.
^54. William Pilkington, Testimony Read at Martin Harris Grave, Clarkston Cemetery, Clarkston, Utah, 19 May 1934, LDS Church Archives, Salt Lake City, Utah; cited in Vogel, Early Mormon Documents, 2:358.

Records and Relics

Evidence #419 | September 7, 2023

Book of Mormon Evidence: Accounts of the Breastplate