1830 — Interview of
Joseph Smith by Peter Bauder, recounted by Bauder in his
book The Kingdom and the Gospel of Jesus Christ,
printed in 1834, pp. 36-38 (See Early Mormon Documents,
vol.1, compiled by Dan Vogel, Signature Books, 1996, pp.
16-17).
Principle elements of account:
- Joseph Smith could give Bauder no “christian
experience”, ie. no conversion experience or
manifestation of saving grace in his life
- Smith claimed an angel told him where to find a
secret treasure
- Smith returned once a year for several years before
getting the plates
- Angel took the plates back after the translation
The Account
“I will name some of the particular discoveries which
through Divine Providence I was favored with in an interview
with Joseph Smith, Jr. at the house of Peter Whitmer, in the
town of Fayette, Seneca County, state of New York, in
October, 1830. I called at P[eter] Whitmer’s house for the
purpose of seeing Smith, and searching into the mystery of
his system of religion, and had the privilege of conversing
with him alone, several hours, and of investigating his
writings, church records, &c. I improved near four and
twenty hours in close application with Smith and his
followers; he could give me no christian experience, but
told me that an angel told him he must go to a certain place
in the town of Manchester, Ontario County, where was a
secret treasure concealed, which he must reveal to the human
family. He went, and after the third or fourth time, which
was repeated once a year, he obtained a parcel of plate
resembling gold, on which were engraved what he did not
understand, only by the aid of a glass, which he also
obtained with the plate, by which means he was enabled to
translate the characters on the plate into English.”
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