“[I]n order to convince [Martin] Harris that he could read from the plates, Jo[seph Smith, Jr.] deposits them [seer stones] in his hat, applies spectacles, and refers Harris to a chapter in the Bible which he had learned by rote; and which he read from the plates, with surprising accuracy; and what astonished Harris most, was, that Jo should omit all the words in the Bible that were printed in Italic. And, if Harris attempted to correct Jo, he persisted that the plates were right, and the Bible was wrong.

“Jo possessed a remarkably retentive memory; and having convinced Harris beyond the shadow of doubt, that he was commissioned by the Almighty, to reveal some hidden mysteries, he commenced translating, and Harris commenced transcribing, as Jo dictated; and; to avoid mistakes, Jo required his amanuensis to read what he had written; and nothing was allowed to pass, until Jo pronounced it correct.”

The Sun/A.M. Intelligencer/original in Library of Congress, “Mormonites” (Philadelphia, PA: The Sun, 18 August 1831).