Can You See What I See?

When was the last time you saw or heard a Mormon brag about Joseph Smith's translation methods? View the official Mormon websites and see who illustrates it the way it really happened. Who can tell us how he did it? The man whose home Joseph used to translate the plates. He is also one of the three witnesses at the beginning of the Book of Mormon. He wrote a book called Address to All Believers in Christ. David Whitmer related
"I will now give you a description of the manner in which the Book of Mormon was translated. Joseph Smith would put the seer stone into a hat, and put his face in the hat, drawing it closely around his face to exclude the light; and in the darkness the spiritual light would shine. A piece of something resembling parchment would appear, and on that appeared the writing. One character at a time would appear, and under it was the interpretation in English. Brother Joseph would read off the English to Oliver Cowdery, who was his principal scribe, and when it was written down and repeated to Brother Joseph to see if it was correct, then it would disappear, and another character with the interpretation would appear.”

Just why would the LDS church not want to make everyone know about this incredible way to translate the golden plates? I have my opinion. Did Joseph have a prior history of using a rock in a hat? Not just any history, but a criminal record. But wait, according to most Mormons, though Joseph was arrested multiple times he was NEVER found guilty. Unfortunately for Mormons that is wrong. The abundance of material from sources (friendly and not so friendly) confirm Joseph was a con artist. His trade was searching for hidden treasure in the earth. To find this treasure Joseph would put a 'seer stone' into a hat, pull it over his face, and then be able to locate the treasure. On one of these treasure seeking expeditions he stayed at the home of Issac Hale, his future father-in-law. Mr. Hale had comments about Joseph's translation methods: “The manner in which he pretended to read and interpret, was the same as when he looked for the Money-diggers. With the stone in his hat, and his hat over his face, while the Book of Plates were at the same time hid in the woods!” Susquehanna Register 9

The reason the LDS church does not want you to study the way he translated the plates, is that it is too easy to connect it with his con artist scam. About Joseph being found guilty, that will come soon again.