by Dan Wees | May 11, 2018 | Miscellaneous
First Nephi 6 is a prime example of Joseph Smith, Jr. perfecting the art of saying absolutely nothing—with great conviction. The entire chapter functions as a divine shrug, carefully engraved on metal plates to ensure future generations knew that … there was, in fact,...
by Dan Wees | May 11, 2018 | Miscellaneous
In a manner reminiscent of Isaiah, Joseph Smith depicts dragons as actual creatures, portrayed as being under the dominion and control of God: “And he did straiten them in the wilderness with his rod; for they hardened their hearts, even as ye have; and the Lord...
by Dan Wees | May 11, 2018 | Miscellaneous
“How have the sacred teachings of the [brass] plates gone forth unto all nations? (1 Nephi 5:18, Alma 37:3-5) “Obviously, they have not. Whatever teachings have gone forth it is due not to the preservation or going forth of the brass plates, but by means of the...
by Dan Wees | May 11, 2018 | Miscellaneous
“Where are the [brass] plates now? There is no firm information about where the plates are now. One might suppose that they are in divine custody, along with the gold plates which Joseph Smith had, in a cavern inside the Hill Cumorah, as described by Brigham Young,...
by Dan Wees | May 11, 2018 | Miscellaneous
“Were no copies made while in the custody of Nephite prophets? The plates (presumably the originals) were handed down through the Nephite generations, although not every transfer is noted. The latest custodian mentioned is Nephi 3, who was one of the twelve disciples...
by Dan Wees | May 11, 2018 | Miscellaneous
“Was Egyptian the ‘language of our fathers?’ (see 1 Nephi 3:19). Nephi says that having the plates would enable them to ‘preserve unto [their] children the language of [their] fathers…’ But the language of their fathers was Hebrew, not Egyptian. If the plates...
