Mormon Stories Podcast

Where Did Joseph Smith Get the Idea for Ancient Plates? - LDS Discussions Pt. 70 | Ep. 2106

Jan 23, 2026
Guest
Nemo the Mormon
Guest
Julia Sanders
Nemo the Mormon, a longtime LDS Discussions commentator known for critical analysis, and Julia Sanders, researcher behind Analyzing Mormonism, trace the 18th–19th century circulation of metal-record stories. They survey reports of brass, copper, and lead plates, local New York finds, biblical and European sources, and timelines that show how plate ideas could have been in Joseph Smith’s milieu.
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INSIGHT

Context Matters For Origin Claims

  • Joseph Smith's claim about ancient plates should be evaluated against ideas circulating in his cultural milieu, not treated as uniquely miraculous.
  • Multiple contemporary sources show Americans debated ancient metal records and Native origins before 1830.
INSIGHT

Bible Commentary Reinforced Metal-Record Ideas

  • Bible commentaries of the era routinely mentioned inscriptions on metal (lead, brass, copper) and on stone as ways to preserve records.
  • Joseph Smith studied the Bible from age 12, making these interpretations likely part of his intellectual background.
INSIGHT

Metal Records Appeared In Early Sources

  • As early as the late 1700s and early 1800s writers reported engraved metal plates (brass, copper, lead) tied to Native or ancient histories.
  • These references made the idea of metal-records plausible in Joseph Smith's environment.
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