Did Charles Anthon Prove the Book of Mormon? Rethinking the “Anthon Transcript”

In 1828, Martin Harris carried copied characters from the gold plates to Professor Charles Anthon in New York City—and walked away more convinced than ever that the Book of Mormon was real. Anthon, however, later claimed the whole thing was nonsense. So who do we believe, and what actually happened in that office? 

In this episode of Informed Saints, Jasmin Rappleye sits down with Neal Rappleye and Stephen Smoot to walk through every major source on the Anthon visit—from Martin’s own accounts to Anthon’s three conflicting letters and the memories of people who knew them both. We talk about “shorthand Egyptian,” the strange list of languages (Egyptian, Chaldean, Assyriac, and Arabic), early 1800s Egyptology, and new scholarship on what the characters Martin showed might have been. We also dig into Isaiah 29 and the famous line, “I cannot read a sealed book,” and how both skeptics and believers have used this story.

If you’ve ever wondered whether Martin Harris was duped or whether the Anthon episode can still fit a believing, historically informed view of the Restoration, this conversation is for you. Come study the evidence, think through motives and memory on both sides, and see how you can study hard and believe boldly as a Latter-day Saint today.

Resources:

Get the FAIR volumes mentioned in the episode now! https://linktr.ee/fair.bookstore

Primary Sources & Scripture

•Joseph Smith—History 1:63–65 (Pearl of Great Price) – Canonized account of Martin Harris’s visit to Charles Anthon. 

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/pgp/js-h/1?lang=eng

•Joseph Smith Papers – “Appendix 2: Copies of Book of Mormon Characters” – High-res images and background on the various “characters” documents (including those related to the Anthon story). 

https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/appendix-2-copies-of-book-of-mormon-characters-introduction

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Scripture Central & Doctrine and Covenants Central

•Scripture Central – “Anthon Transcript” (Encyclopedia Entry) – Clear overview of what the Anthon Transcript is, what happened with Martin Harris and Charles Anthon, and why it matters. 

https://scripturecentral.org/archive/articles/encyclopedia-entry/anthon-transcript

•Doctrine & Covenants Central KnoWhy – “What Do We Know About the ‘Anthon Transcript’?” – Accessible summary that walks through the documents, competing accounts, and how this episode fits into the coming forth of the Book of Mormon. 

https://doctrineandcovenantscentral.org/knowhy/what-do-we-know-about-the-anthon-transcript/

•Doctrine & Covenants Central KnoWhy – “Why Did Martin Harris Consult with Scholars like Charles Anthon?” – Explores why Martin sought outside validation and how multiple scholars (not just Anthon) fit into the story. 

https://doctrineandcovenantscentral.org/knowhy/why-did-martin-harris-consult-with-scholars-like-charles-anthon/

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Faithful Scholarship & Deep Dives

•BYU Studies – “The Anthon Transcript: People, Primary Sources, and Problems” by Stanley B. Kimball – Classic study that gathers the main historical sources and analyzes what we can (and can’t) know about the visit. 

https://byustudies.byu.edu/article/the-anthon-transcript-people-primary-sources-and-problems

•Journal of Book of Mormon Studies – “The Anthon Transcripts and the Translation of the Book of Mormon: Studying It Out in the Mind of Joseph Smith” by David E. Sloan – Looks at how this episode connects to Joseph’s translation process and “studying it out” (D&C 9). 

https://scripturecentral.org/archive/periodicals/journal-article/anthon-transcripts-and-translation-book-mormon-studying-it-out-mind-joseph-smith

•Interpreter / Scripture Central – “Looking Again at the Anthon Transcript(s)” by John S. Thompson (2025) – A recent article arguing that Harris likely showed Anthon more than one transcript and what that means for the history and the characters. 

https://interpreterfoundation.org/looking-again-at-the-anthon-transcripts/

•FAIR – “Book of Mormon/Translation/Anthon transcript” – Faithful Q&A-style overview that addresses common questions and criticisms about the Anthon Transcript and related issues. 

https://www.fairlatterdaysaints.org/answers/Book_of_Mormon/Translation/Anthon_transcript

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===Informed Saints Credits===

Produced by The Ancient America Foundation

Producer: Spencer Clark

Hosts: Stephen Smoot, Neal Rappleye, Jasmin Rappleye

===Discover===

If any of our thoughts resonated with you, consider learning more about the single most influential book in our lives.

https://www.discoverbookofmormon.org/

===Content Disclaimer===

The views expressed represent ours alone and do not necessarily reflect the official position of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

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