Mormonism and Wikipedia/Golden plates/Claimed engravings

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An analysis of claims made in the Wikipedia article "Golden plates" - Claimed engravings

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A FAIR Analysis of: Wikipedia article "Golden plates", a work by author: Various

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An analysis of claims made in the Wikipedia article "Golden plates" - Claimed engravings

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• Response to claim: "Golden Plates were said to contain engravings in an ancient language that the Book of Mormon describes as Reformed Egyptian"
• Response to claim: "Smith described the writing as 'Egyptian characters...small, and beautifully engraved'"
• Response to claim: "John Whitmer, one of the Eight Witnesses, said the plates had 'fine engravings on both sides'"
• Response to claim: "there were engravings on both sides of the plates"

Response to claim: "Golden Plates were said to contain engravings in an ancient language that the Book of Mormon describes as Reformed Egyptian"

The author(s) of Wikipedia article "Golden plates" make(s) the following claim:

The Golden Plates were said to contain engravings in an ancient language that the Book of Mormon describes as Reformed Egyptian.

Author's sources:

1. Smith (1830) .

FAIR's Response

Fact checking results: The author has stated erroneous information or misinterpreted their sources

 Violates Wikipedia: Citing sources off-site— There is either no citation to support the statement or the citation given is incorrect.

This is incorrect. The Book of Mormon describes the language as "reformed Egyptian," not "Reformed Egyptian."

• For a detailed response, see: "Reformed" Egyptian

Response to claim: "Smith described the writing as 'Egyptian characters...small, and beautifully engraved'"

The author(s) of Wikipedia article "Golden plates" make(s) the following claim:

Smith described the writing as "Egyptian characters...small, and beautifully engraved," exhibiting "much skill in the art of engraving."

Author's sources:

1. Smith (1842)

FAIR's Response

Fact checking results: This claim is based upon correct information - The author is providing knowledge concerning some particular fact, subject, or event

For a detailed response, see: "Reformed" Egyptian

Response to claim: "John Whitmer, one of the Eight Witnesses, said the plates had 'fine engravings on both sides'"

The author(s) of Wikipedia article "Golden plates" make(s) the following claim:

John Whitmer, one of the Eight Witnesses, said the plates had "fine engravings on both sides,"

Author's sources:

1. Roberts (1906) , p. 307.

Response to claim: "there were engravings on both sides of the plates"

The author(s) of Wikipedia article "Golden plates" make(s) the following claim:

and Orson Pratt, who did not see the plates himself but who had spoken with witnesses, understood that there were engravings on both sides of the plates, "stained with a black, hard stain, so as to make the letters more legible and easier to be read."

Author's sources:

1. Pratt (1859) , pp. 30–31.

References

Wikipedia references for "Golden Plates"

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Further reading

Mormonism and Wikipedia

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