In his official 1838 history, Joseph Smith described discovering the golden plates inside a carefully constructed stone box in the Hill Cumorah. According to his account, the box contained the plates, the Urim and Thummim, and a breastplate.
But what happened to that stone box?
In this episode of LDS Discussions, we take a deep dive into the historical record surrounding the stone box narrative. We compare Joseph Smith’s 1838 history with earlier and later accounts, statements from witnesses like David Whitmer, Martin Harris, and Oliver Cowdery, and later retellings from leaders such as Brigham Young.
We explore:
-What Joseph Smith said was inside the box
-Whether early Saints believed there was MORE than one box
-Claims about swords, the Liahona, and other Nephite artifacts
-The evolution of the story over time
-Whether codex-style plates create anachronistic problems
-The “magic worldview” shared by early Mormon leaders
-Comparisons to treasure-digging culture
-Why there is no physical evidence of the stone box today
We also examine 19th century newspaper references discussing the stone box, Whitmer’s later (contradictory) interviews, and the strange disappearance of a stone structure that supposedly survived for over a thousand years.
If the box was real and physically constructed with stone slabs and pillars –as described –why did it leave no trace? Why didn’t believers preserve fragments the way people took pieces of the Berlin Wall? And why does the Hill Cumorah today appear completely undisturbed?
This episode wrestles with a central question: Does the detail of a stone box strengthen Joseph Smith’s credibility –or create new historical and epistemological problems?
This is Episode 71 in our LDS Discussions series!
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