Mormon Stories - Lds

Welcome to Episode 70 of our LDS Discussions series!In this episode, our panel takes a deep dive into one of the most debated questions surrounding the Book of Mormon: were ancient metal plates a known concept in Joseph Smith’s world, and are they truly comparable to the golden plates he described?We examine historical sources from the 18th and 19th centuries that reference metal records –brass, copper, lead, and stone –and place them within Joseph Smith’s cultural and intellectual milieu. From biblical scholarship and early American speculation about Native American origins to apologists’ use of presentism, this episode carefully distinguishes between general awareness of metal inscriptions and the specific, unprecedented claims of a large golden codex containing extensive narrative text.Along the way, we explore major figures, books, and ideas circulating before and during Joseph Smith’s lifetime, assess whether these sources were likely known to him, and ask a crucial question: at what point does probabili