Lesson 6: Joseph Smith Begins to Translate the Gold Plates, Primary 5: Doctrine and Covenants and Church History, (1997), 26–30; “Teach the children about the loss of the 116 pages of the manuscript translated from the gold plates, as described in the following historical account (refer to the map where appropriate). Discuss the revelations concerning this event that were given to Joseph Smith in Doctrine and Covenants 3 and 10.
Once Joseph and Emma Smith were settled in Harmony, Pennsylvania, Joseph began to translate the gold plates. At first Joseph spent a lot of time becoming familiar with the plates and the language in which they were written. As he studied and prayed, the Urim and Thummim helped him understand the characters on the plates. Joseph learned that the process of translation requires faith, hard work, worthiness, patience, and obedience.”
Matthew 18:6; “But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.”
The problem in this Children’s Primary Lesson is that Smith wasn’t using the so-called ‘Urim and Thummim’ to translate the golden plates no one ever saw with their own eyes.
By the time Smith decided to begin translating again after the fiasco of losing the 116 pages, it was done so through the rock he put in his hat, and not the way they’ve portrayed to these young impressionable minds (8-11 yrs old).
Images of Joseph’s translation process can be found on the Church’s site, but nothing about the seer stone is found on any LDS Children’s site.
Shame.
You grew up in the LDS, Michelle. What happened if you had questions? Could you ask?
Well at 8-11 yrs of age I asked a lot of questions and was always told something that’d assuage my curiosity. In later years (jr. high and high school) that didn’t set so well with the teachers, nor myself. I was suspended 3 times in high school for ‘interrupting the flow of teaching’ – in jr. high i was sent home for the day 2x. In high school my mother was horrified because you should never question authority. My father was a non-existent participant in my life at that time and didn’t care either way.
Classmates looked down on anyone asking questions. This was back in the ’70’s and at that time EVERYONE complied with the status quo. 🙁
That’s interesting, ‘…interrupting the flow of teaching…’ Melissa, what happened in the 1990’s?
Today with the internet, kids would have even more questions. I wonder how the LDS deals with this today? Can anyone tell us?
I don’t think I’d make a good Mormon, I’m very inquisitive and curious. Last night I was watching A&E’s 2ND season of Leah Remini’s Scientology aftermath. And there are a lot of similarities. It would be interesting if you could do a comparison between Scientology and Mormonism, and L Ron Hubbard and Joesph Smith. Mind control has always fascinated me.