Joseph Smith receiving the golden plates from Moroni

Joseph Smith taking Mormon golden plates from the moroni
The plates are there for everyone to see... but in reality, no one saw these plates. Joseph Smith told people that if they saw the plates something horrible would happen. Here is a paragraph from Jerry Stokes' site about witnesses to the Book of Mormon plates

Emma told her son that she “ touched the plates” under a thick linen table cloth. “They seemed pliable like thick paper.” Three early Mormon leaders called the three witnesses signed a sworn affidavit that stated they had seen the plates, but also claimed to have seen an angel. Dr. Bushman says all three later left the church. ibid. Also in June 1829 another eight leaders called the eight witnesses swore that they viewed the gold plates. In the later years most of these men recanted their testimonies, and were excommunicated from the Mormon church. Brigham Young said, “Some of the witnesses of the Book of Mormon, who handled the plates, and conversed with the angels of God, were afterwards left to doubt and to disbelieve that they had ever seen an angel.


A toy of Joseph smith sitting on his knees and Moroni with white dress while he giving Golden plates to Joseph Smith
In 1827, the angel Moroni directed Joseph Smith to a hill where he received a set of golden plates that contained the Book of Mormon.

The prophet claims that he was only 14 when he was first visited by the Heavenly Father and his son, Jesus Christ, in the form of two pillars of fire. A few years later, the angel Moroni began to visit him and did so for four years straight until directing Smith to the hill Cumorah in upstate New York where he unearthed the golden plates and two divining stones that would help him to translate. Although the angel took the plates back, Smith was left with the Book of Mormon, which he originally had self-published.


Joseph Smith standing while taking golden plates from Moroni


The Mormon golden plates held on the table


moroni delivers the golden plates to Joseph Smith silver art

Joseph smith's photos and The Mormon plates given by Moroni

Portrait of Joseph smith studying book
Joseph Smith, Jr. (December 23, 1805 – June 27, 1844) was the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement, also known as Mormonism, and an important religious and political figure during the 1830s and 1840s. In 1827, Smith began to gather a religious following after announcing that an angel had shown him a set of golden plates describing a visit of Jesus to the indigenous peoples of the Americas. In 1830, Smith published what he said was a translation of these plates as the Book of Mormon, and the same year he organized the Church of Christ.


Joseph smith black statue at a temple


Joseph smith with coart and book on hand


spirit Moroni appeared to Smith three times while in bed and given golden plates
On September 21, 1823, a spirit calling itself Moroni, appeared to Smith three times while in bed to tell him of God's commission to restore the "true" Gospel to the earth and also of some golden plates upon which was inscribed the history of people who had lived in the Americas previously. Smith was told where to find them but also that he could not obtain them yet. He must wait until of time of fulfillment, which was September 22, 1827.

LDS dsplay of Book of Joseph smith's Mormon plates Temple Square